absent

SLS is a fabulous car,in both iterations,period.
Wanted the roadster as my new daily driver,unfortunately it's not for me,not practical with it's getting in or out difficulties in daily use.
Weekend warrior?, yes,daily?-too much of a problem.
I'm 6'5" , 220 lbs.
Ordered SL65.....

1st amg

I have no such issues getting in and out, though you must be aware of your surroundings, mainly be sure not to boink your head, it happened only once since owning this car, and any passengers with me are gently forwarned of the door above your head...the only thing that really takes getting used to is the crowd of people waiting as you park your car and are eagerly waiting for the door to open, though I am starting to get used to the attention, at first I wasnt so keen on the attention this car commands.

thetalent

+1 with no problems getting in and closing door at 5'10".

absent

Different experience for different guys,size dependent.

WHTEVO

No problems getting in and out, or shutting the door here and i'm 6'2".

Aaron

Bigonion

The doors have an axis of rotation very close to the middle of the car and do not swing out very much. It isn't intuitive but look closely at the mounting point for the sls doors and you can see why this would be so. I loosely measured a maximum out-swing relative to the car's edge of 5 inches / 12 cm. You can get out of the doors in very narrow gaps no problem that would be almost impossible for a conventional car. The sls itself is extremely wide and needs a wide space to land in, and one would not as a practical manner want to get real close to other cars for fear of door dings. The main issue with getting in and out is that it is such a different procedure that it takes 1.5-2.5x as long as a normal because you have to swing your body in differently. This is either charming or annoying I suppose but one has to look at driving this car as a serious occasion, and not remotely as a commuter car experience.

1st amg

Well said! You are bang on with your last comment, I would like to drive the car alot more than I do, but being a father of two young children and with business taking up the rest of my time, it is a very serious and fun occasion to drive the SLS.

swisstrader

I'm an owner and have no difficulty getting in and out...for those of you that do, may I suggest a trip to your local gym for some yoga or stretching classes!

jerome88

I got an sls 1 month ago. I traded it from a GT-R. To be honest I dont find the car comfortable at all. I'm young and not picky so I dont care. I paid for performance.

People who say the SLS is comfortable surprise me. It's comfy compared to an Enzo, its super uncomfortable compared to a Maserati GT.

1st amg

Jerome, why dont you give us a comparo of the GTR and the SLS, what big differences are there, pros and cons etc, that would certainly be interesting! as far as getting in and out, I am surprised that you are struggling being 6'1. I am 5'10-5'11 and do have to reach a little, but nothing to uncomfortable.

jerome88

Pro SLS:
- Exhaust note, its epic.
- Exotic nature of the car.
- Interior (natural leather weave + carbon package is the bomb in my car)
- Car is fast by any standard (love the torque)
- Love the styling ( I own a 1959 190sl). These cars have always tickled my fancy.
- Race start is a blast (works well when tires are warm)
- Steering is nice a direct

Cons SLS:
- Visibility, sucks compared to GT-R. Really hard to see the crub when parking, reverse camera is too low. Blind spot assistant is a life savor as the rear view mirrors are crap.
- High beams on the car suck.
- Gear box in full manual is not as good as on a gt-r. When u hit the rev lmiter the car really bogs down and doesnt upshift fast enough. The car works best in S+ mode.
- Cabin is a bit tight.
- The GT-R is just as stiff as the SLS but feels much more comfortable. Ride is stiff and I dont have the adjustable suspensions.

Pro GT-R:
- Probably a funner car for everyday use. Easier to drive in traffic because of better visibility.
- My GT-R with tune and exhaust was faster then my SLS (i think). Or at least it felt faster.
- Huge support network of enthusiasts. Huge aftermarket world.
- Exotic factor and attention is just like with the SLS.
- Four seats (they do come in handy), four wheel driver, large trunk.
- Gear Box was quick as hell when driving fast and agressively. Far better then the double clutch on the sls. ( i dont understand how the sls gearbox is the same as on the california, because the california one feels much faster).
- Great great all around car.

Cons GT-R:
- Fragile , grindy and squeaky transmission. Everyday I was scared I was gonna lose the tranny.
- Interior quality is horrendous. Plastic, vibrations ( it is half the price of an sls)
- Quality of dealer network is sub par. They have no idea how to work with clients buy 90k cars +/
- The GT-R IS MORE expensive to maintain then an SLS. I kid you not. If you want examples I can give them to you.
- Its slower then an sls over 100mph. (It is something important when you do the gumball )

The cars are very different. You cannot by one and expect it to replace the other. If I wasnt living in Manhattan, I would have tried to keep both. I miss my GT-R, but everytime I get into my sls, I forget about it. I have no regrets, just good memories! But if you can afford and SLS and a GT-R in your garage, go right ahead. The GT-R will rock your world, maybe even a little more then the sls.

1st amg

Thanks Jerome, just what I thought. The GTR is a car that I respect for what it has achieved on paper in regards to performance. But just as you say, it is cheap and the dealer network dont give a rats *** that you have the most expensive car on their lot. I have driven the GTR on a track and it is impressive, but I found it boring, it lacked character and felt like the computer was driving the car for me. The SLS is in another league, hence the price difference, it is truly an exotic that can be driven almost daily. If my money were on one of the Ferrari or Lambo products, there is no way that I could drive them as much as I drive the SLS. Congrats and dont be shy of posting pics of your SLS.