carsnob

Not to rain on anyone's parade or anything, but have you climbed in and out of the SLS? Seems like a major pain in the butt when I tried it. I thought that the door ledge of a BMW Z3 was a pain to negotiate. Perhaps they should market the SLS to members of the Cirque du Soleil.

ragazzi_07

can't be as bad as say a lotus elise/exige.

you literally need to be richard hammond to fit in one of these things :S

Corsa9000

You have to learn your own way of getting in and out, most sit on the area above rocker panel, slide right leg in and then left. My issue with the SLS is closing the door after you are seated, if you don't have extra long arms.

sound 8

Hoorah, somebody like me,I get accused of hating it without a test drive,
but I have grown to like it, but it;s so hard, especially with a bad back
to get in and out , and once in and shut the door feels like i am in a blender,
but I do have very wide shoulders. Love it or not I couldn't live with one.
The Roadster may be different.

dharrar

Sorry to disagree that any aspect of entering or exiting the SLS is a big deal!

I am 5-11 and weigh 188 and have no problem entering, exiting or pulling the door shut. I do not sit on the sill but rather put my right leg in first, sit on the seat and then bring my left leg in. Lifting up a bit from the seat I can reach the handle and close the door.

I expected to have to always put my wife in the car and close the door for her. Wrong, at 5-7 she has never complained and rising up a bit from the passenger seat reaches the handle and closes her door.

Sure, both of us hit our heads a couple of times, soon after delivery, then got used to ducking, particularly when exiting the car. Bottom line is that the car is so unique, fantastic looking and super performing that even if getting in or out was a problem it would be well worth it!

AMG Dictator

Spoken like an owner :-)

dharrar

Forgot to mention... I am also 73-years old!

lboudreau

Spoken like an enthusiast!

Bigonion

I am an SLS owner. This issue seems to me to be fabricated or just talked up by critics to create somekind of negative issue about the car's most distinctive feature, the doors. Getting in and out is not a big deal. Honestly, the only challenge element is that you need to put your legs in one at a time so as not to bring the bottom of your shoe in contact with the leather on the left lower of the steering wheel. Once in, reaching up to pull the door requires me to push off from the steering wheel to grasp the door, which pulls easily once you have it in your hand. By the way, I am 5'8" and have very average length arms. I am in good physical shape and I suppose if one were very overweight, the door pulldown may tougher. The passenger side is harder for my wife who is more like 5'3". So chivalry is necessary.

Maybe in 3 years this will seem like a cumbersome routine, but my view is that this car is unique in the automotive kingdom in so many ways. Getting in and out is exciting (!) just like the very throaty burble of the motor, ridiculous thrust, and presence of the car. Pay less attention to (paid) critics, more to what the Gullwing is all about.

sound 8

It's not just getting in and out. I have very wide shoulders, and a very bad back. I managed to get in one but couldn't stand staying there.
Nuff said.

russjr

wow! is this the best complaint you can come up with in regard to this car? and how many times must this tripe be posted? those of us who are fortunate enought to have this car know just what a nonpareil vehicle this is . drive one and you will quickly realize this specious nonsense for what it is. really, if we are going to have meaningful talks about any mercedes models, let's talk about things that matter.

AMG055

Spot on russjr. The SLS is a sports car. Comfort was not the primary design factor. Those that want to be able to enter and exit the car comfortably should get an S Class to fulfill those requirements. For others who want a true sports car then the SLS from what I have read fits design criteria perfectly.

sound 8

What a couple of buffoons !
Many people have comfort at the top of their list, and you think it doesn't
matter.

sound 8

And as far as the model goes, the SL55,SL63, SL600 and SL65 are all
extremely comfortable.

Yuille36

The first time that I sat in an SLS, I found it to be very comfortable.

Bigonion

The SLS is "comfortable", but not exactly a lounge recliner. It is a hard edged GT sports car, that's what it is. By the standard of those kind of cars, it is very comfortable to drive. I am coming to it out of a 911 and, by way of comparison, the SLS is a more relaxed driving position, and I don't think getting in and out of it is difficult, though others may differ (I find it fun). Ingress/egress is certainly distinctive. That said, comfort "at the top of the list" and "SLS-Gullwing" do not belong in the same thought process. If comfort is the top objective there are certainly a lot of other vehicles that would check that particular box better than an SLS.

MiamiAMG

I actually found the SLR much more of a PIA to get into then the SLS. The SLS was quite comfy.

sound 8

Yep! it seems the more expensive the car the worse the seat. Did you see
Top Gear testing the SL65 Black , he said it was like sitting on top of a pile
of rocks. Don't comfortable seats matter any more.

BenzboyW210

You, sir, rock.

When I'm 73 (assuming I make it), I want to have a similar stable set up. Should be do-able, that is if they are still making cars like this at that point. They will probably all be silent, electrical and boring in 30-odd years...

BinGhanem

I'm only 140 cm tall, which is 5"4'? and about 119 pound, so im a little person lol I just grab the door from inside, put my right leg in and sit while holding the door, that's the easiest way, you don't need to sit and then reach the door.

W211 BEAST

I just sat in an SLS for the first time today (at the dealer). I'm only 5'9" and reaching the door wasn't a pain for me at all while seated, and the car didn't have the optional strap.

Either way, being in that thing is an event, and it would be worth the pain even if it was harder to climb in and out.

rene_gts

Sorry for bumping this thread, but what about when parking? And there is a car on your right and left. Do the doors have enough space to open or are you literally stuck in the car?

Same problem as with Ford GT? Watch from 2 minutes 35 seconds.

Carac

You need less space compared to a conventional door to open it. If you are so close that you can't open the gullwing, your foot/leg/body will have a hard time fitting between the cars. I think someone measured it and you need only need 10 inches or so to open the door.

503C43 ////AMG

Much like the Delorean the SLS requires less space to open than a conventional door:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=415287008084

abdulla_ama

I could not agree with you more!!!

My wife has the issue of closing the doors but she always says that the challenge she faces in closing the door makes her love the car even more.

And for those who think that getting in is a big issue, try getting in a lamborgini Murchilago.