WTDoom

Hello . Im a refugee from the CLK Black series part of the forum . I specced an SLS several months ago then didn't take the car . Now I have been offered a really good deal on the very car I specced .
I need some reassurance , so the question is to you guys that have lived with one for a while now . Looking back at the car would you buy again ?
Can you say why ? How is it months down the line ?

Cheers

jacob502

if its an SLS, with a very good offer. GO FOR IT, you ask why?, something you wont understand until you own it

by the way, How much milage does the car have? and how much is the person offering?

WTDoom

Its brand new , from Mercedes Benz World Brooklands .

I specced this very, car then drove one on track . It just didn't shine on track . It was a mistake for Mercedes to get us to drive them there to be honest so I cancelled the order and put a deposit on the Black Series variant .

" My " car is still there ( brand new zero mileage ) and I was offered a deal yesterday that is very hard to say no to ( works out over 10 per cent off and a service deal ) . Sorry , I forgot to say the car will be used as a regular driver ( but not quite a daily ) .
I have searched pistonheads but haven't really found many first hand actual owners long term ownership experiences/accounts .

There seems to be quite a few in the showrooms so I was a little concerned .

FYI Spec is :

Alubeam Silver
Black Designo with white stitch
B and O sound
Full interior carbon pack
Forged wheels
Carbon Ceramic brakes
Rev Cam
Phone module / I pod / DAB
Cobratrack
Garage door opener
and a couple other things I dont remember

DuaneC63

Seems like a good price, but is it going to be as much fun as the CLK black series. Also hope you're not too tall.

absent

That car is specced spectacularly,IMO.
At that price I would grab it in a second.
.....if only I were a bit shorter.

WTDoom

its not a replacement for the black , its an addition to the herd . I agree not as much fun as the black but it has a slightly different purpose .

I spent ages speccing that car . im tempted , but the lack of ( good ) comments is disconcerting . i think i need an extended test drive .

thetalent

Hi WTDoom, my perspective is based on delivery of a new SLS with 21 miles in March 2011 and after 13 weeks I have 7,700 miles, so I think my experience fits your regular driver mode given that my daily round-trip work commute is only 20 miles.

Your specs seem to indicate that you selected every option; a few of which were not included in my personal build because I didn't perceive the need or value.

I've seem one Alu-Beam silver SLS (my is Obsidian Black) and it's drop dead gorgeous. I believe the black interior is a good match for that exterior. I'm assuming that you won't be tracking car often so ceramic brakes aren't necessary. I was sold on this enhancement, but sales manager at my dealership recommended that I not add them and indicated that they may squeak at low temps. The carbon fiber trim is a matter of personal taste but it's busy to me and $9K for the extended package is a pretty pricey. I was not able to reconcile the value of the B&O upgrade because the auto is not one of the quietest on the road at cruising speeds, so a high-end sound system didn't resonate with me.

Considering the previous comments, if you are getting 10% off MSRP that means that items I would consider "unnecessary", i.e., B&O sound, extended interior carbon fiber, and ceramic brakes, are now free for you.

As far as driving experience, i must say that it's great. I typically average at least an hour or two per day in SLS driving 75 to 100 miles. I'm under 6 feet so ingress and egress is comfortable for me. The ride is firm, but not uncomfortable although I wish the seat back could recline a few more degrees. My previous daily driver was an SL55 and its ride is noticeably more comfortable, although I don't know if it's because SL55 seats have more padding as compared with SLS or due to suspension.

I love the sound of the engine exhaust and the S+ driving mode is fun even in an urban environment. Car is very tight and steering feel is outstanding. I don't notice a change in feel of auto on road at driving speeds from 80 to 115 mph or so; nor do I as a passenger at those speeds (in other cars I feel like going much faster as a passenger than when I'm driving). Cornering makes me feel like I'm turning L's. My combined city and highway gas mileage averages 15 mpg. Trunk space is adequate, but very little usable storage space inside the cabin.

Some minor quibbles about ownership experience that are not deal killers and are the reason why I would want MY2012 options are:

1. There is a throttle lag with mash accelerator from dead stop, but I rarely notice it now after getting use to how to make rapid starts which seems like second nature now, but AMG should fix this somehow
2. The car is wide--10 inches more than my SL55--and has a pretty large blind spot that would is no problem with the blind spot monitoring system
3. While the current suspension is comfortable for long periods, I am very interested in trying the 3-level adjustable suspension since I expect that the comfort mode might provide a slightly softer GT ride (similar to SL55 comfort) for long distances while providing the race track edge at the stiffest option
4. I'm not sure this is really a quibble, but be ready for your SLS to draw lots of attention even when doors are closed. Every day I get several thumbs-up and questions about what car is that or requests to take a picture. I believe that because most SLSs spend their time in garages and one really sees them in situ, and that's a shame.

So there you have it. With your 10% discount and best looking color MB offers with all options, I believe that your specs are a good buy for a MY2011 SLS.

If must be nice to have this purchase option to consider.

dharrar

Replying primarily to "thetalent" you should take your SLS to your dealer and ask for the software update to the transmission control module. I had mine done about 2-weeks ago and the difference is incredible. The SLS now acts very close to what you would expect with the hesitation at least 95% gone!

I live in the suburbs of Phila with many red lights and stop signs to contend with so the hesitation was more than just annoying, There were days I didn't bother driving the SLS just because of it. What a difference. Now it starts out like it should and I am enjoying the SLS more than ever!

thetalent

Quote:

Originally Posted by dharrar

Replying primarily to "thetalent" you should take your SLS to your dealer and ask for the software update to the transmission control module. I had mine done about 2-weeks ago and the difference is incredible. The SLS now acts very close to what you would expect with the hesitation at least 95% gone!

Since I expect that I will be geeting an A service at 10K miles within the next month or two, I will definitely ask for the update from my service adviser.

Thierry82

seems like a good deal for this car...
www.programainc.com

WTDoom

Thank you so much for the detailed and informative reply . Sorry for my tardiness in replying I had an italy trip .
Your post confirms to me that this is the perfect car for my use and I pulled the trigger this morning . Car should be ready to pick up in a few days ! I cant wait .





Thanks ill look into this too .

Sorry I dont understand .

thetalent

Definitely post pics after a few weeks because I'm sure that the initial days of ownership will be spent in driving mode.

Cheers and live well!

WTDoom

I'll certainly post some pics from the collection day .
very excited now .

WTDoom

A friend and I picked up our SLS's at MB World the other day . First impressions are what a typical fantastic Merc . Cant wait to run it in


my friends interior :

thetalent

WTDoom, is the first SLS Imola Grey with red interior? Nice complement to your AluBeam Silver.

Must have been a big day for dealership as well as for two happy clients.

WTDoom

Yes , exactly those colours .

The Dealership were almost as happy as we were tbh . Now im going through the painful running in procedure ...

Arent these engines bench run or something ????

Maverick1975

There is always debate about the run in procedure but i believe the run-in is more to run the transmission in rather than the engine.

Red GullWing

I would choose the 5-twin spoked wheels