Will an SL55 love me or hate me?
Discussion
Dear all,
I'm itching to buy a Mercedes SL55 AMG, and after hunting around the net for good advise I've found little to none in the form of owners and forums (just here lads). Does anyone on here own an SL55, and could you give me any good links to good resources? I'm keen to gen up on things to look for when buying (in case I find the one of my dreams from a private seller) and any potential pitfalls, as well as running costs.
I've had other performance cars over the years, but nothing that nudged £100K when new, so I'm slightly unsure as to how much servicing and parts could come out at. You hear of Gallardos which need new E-gear clutches every 5,000 miles at £5K horror stories - and I'm desperate for someone to tell me the SL55 hasn’t got the same sort of servicing hunger. I'm not going to run it on a shoe string, but I don't want any massive shocks either.
Any stories of big bills or obvious faults would be great.
Any help/advice would be much appreciated guys,
Rowly
I'm itching to buy a Mercedes SL55 AMG, and after hunting around the net for good advise I've found little to none in the form of owners and forums (just here lads). Does anyone on here own an SL55, and could you give me any good links to good resources? I'm keen to gen up on things to look for when buying (in case I find the one of my dreams from a private seller) and any potential pitfalls, as well as running costs.
I've had other performance cars over the years, but nothing that nudged £100K when new, so I'm slightly unsure as to how much servicing and parts could come out at. You hear of Gallardos which need new E-gear clutches every 5,000 miles at £5K horror stories - and I'm desperate for someone to tell me the SL55 hasn’t got the same sort of servicing hunger. I'm not going to run it on a shoe string, but I don't want any massive shocks either.
Any stories of big bills or obvious faults would be great.
Any help/advice would be much appreciated guys,
Rowly
great car!
had one for around 18 months, nothing went wrong.
think now the miles are racking up on them, that the air/fluid suspension has a few issues so make sure its been done correctly or buy with a merc warrenty
nappa leather wears easy
roof's will creek with the high milage ones
earlier models had the 'squeek' from the supercharger when you hit the gas pedal, i liked it but they got ride on later models i think
whats your budget?
had one for around 18 months, nothing went wrong.
think now the miles are racking up on them, that the air/fluid suspension has a few issues so make sure its been done correctly or buy with a merc warrenty
nappa leather wears easy
roof's will creek with the high milage ones
earlier models had the 'squeek' from the supercharger when you hit the gas pedal, i liked it but they got ride on later models i think
whats your budget?
The December 2007 issue of EVO is the one.
There are many more posters on here have owned the 55 longer than me and will probably be along in due course. Mine is a March `03 , Brilliant Silver ,not a particularly high spec car but it came with MB warranty and is low mileage (27k). I previously owned gt3 , 996tt , Aston Martin V8V etc, the SL55 is not to be sneezed at , it may lack the steering finesse of the aforementioned but makes up that deficit and surpasses expectations in many other ways .
Not had a service yet so I have no experience of cost but am led to believe that five hundred gbp is adequate unlike the AM V8V which tipped the scales x3 that total.
Performance can be described as not lacking (100 in a tad over 10 seconds) . It`s comfortable to drive with good vision and morphs into a convertible with one pull of the control ( stationary only) . Automatic , with buttons behind the steering wheel if manual changes are required, the central stick can also be used manually.
I`d start with the evo article and take your time with your selection , drive a few , brakes are likely to be used hard , any pulsing from the brake pedal probably means warped discs which would need to be re-newed along with the pads, expensive because the pads cost more than the discs.
I hope this is of use .
There are many more posters on here have owned the 55 longer than me and will probably be along in due course. Mine is a March `03 , Brilliant Silver ,not a particularly high spec car but it came with MB warranty and is low mileage (27k). I previously owned gt3 , 996tt , Aston Martin V8V etc, the SL55 is not to be sneezed at , it may lack the steering finesse of the aforementioned but makes up that deficit and surpasses expectations in many other ways .
Not had a service yet so I have no experience of cost but am led to believe that five hundred gbp is adequate unlike the AM V8V which tipped the scales x3 that total.
Performance can be described as not lacking (100 in a tad over 10 seconds) . It`s comfortable to drive with good vision and morphs into a convertible with one pull of the control ( stationary only) . Automatic , with buttons behind the steering wheel if manual changes are required, the central stick can also be used manually.
I`d start with the evo article and take your time with your selection , drive a few , brakes are likely to be used hard , any pulsing from the brake pedal probably means warped discs which would need to be re-newed along with the pads, expensive because the pads cost more than the discs.
I hope this is of use .
Thanks for the fast replies lads - luckily the office has Evo back issues, so I've dug out issue 111 now (Oct '07 with Evo 10 on cover) and will have a good read of the buyers report - thanks for that!
I've driven most SLs (350, 500, 55, 600, Brabus SV12 S eek) and know I adore them. I was so suprised by how much they've lost recently, so the thought of spending £40K on an SL55 with sub-50K miles seems the bargain of the year.
It would be a london car, so I know I'll be stung on congestion and fuel - can I expect 20mpg if driven like an old lady?
I've driven most SLs (350, 500, 55, 600, Brabus SV12 S eek) and know I adore them. I was so suprised by how much they've lost recently, so the thought of spending £40K on an SL55 with sub-50K miles seems the bargain of the year.
It would be a london car, so I know I'll be stung on congestion and fuel - can I expect 20mpg if driven like an old lady?
topgeartowers said:
Thanks for the fast replies lads - luckily the office has Evo back issues, so I've dug out issue 111 now (Oct '07 with Evo 10 on cover) and will have a good read of the buyers report - thanks for that!
I've driven most SLs (350, 500, 55, 600, Brabus SV12 S eek) and know I adore them. I was so suprised by how much they've lost recently, so the thought of spending £40K on an SL55 with sub-50K miles seems the bargain of the year.
It would be a london car, so I know I'll be stung on congestion and fuel - can I expect 20mpg if driven like an old lady?
Nice one , drive it like you stole it, you`ll get 30 mpg !I've driven most SLs (350, 500, 55, 600, Brabus SV12 S eek) and know I adore them. I was so suprised by how much they've lost recently, so the thought of spending £40K on an SL55 with sub-50K miles seems the bargain of the year.
It would be a london car, so I know I'll be stung on congestion and fuel - can I expect 20mpg if driven like an old lady?
Yes this is what I want to know?
With the price of petrol £££££££££££££££££££££££££ no wonder why they are getting easier to pick up.
1. How much do they cost to fill up?
2. What is the mpg like?
I live just outside London and would be using it for town and semi motorway runs.
Thanks
With the price of petrol £££££££££££££££££££££££££ no wonder why they are getting easier to pick up.
1. How much do they cost to fill up?
2. What is the mpg like?
I live just outside London and would be using it for town and semi motorway runs.
Thanks
Guys,
Had my SL55 for almost a year now i think.
Firstly, 30mpg, hell no! Its 5.5 litres with a supercharger, I count myself lucky if i hit 20mpg (mostly inner london hooning)
It has sledgehammer performance and the most comfortable car I've been in. Roof down and it becomes hard to beat as a total package.
My car is on 26k and has had no issues (touch wood), had an A service recently, cost £180. The B service is apparently the "big one", the car has variable service intervals depending on how often and how hard it is driven, at the moment its indicating 9500 miles to the next service.
I recently considered changing the car, test drove the aston V8 vantage and considered 911 turbos and a ferrari 360s. So far nothing has convinced me to change. Its hard to describe, its easily a car you could end up keeping forever.
Had my SL55 for almost a year now i think.
Firstly, 30mpg, hell no! Its 5.5 litres with a supercharger, I count myself lucky if i hit 20mpg (mostly inner london hooning)
It has sledgehammer performance and the most comfortable car I've been in. Roof down and it becomes hard to beat as a total package.
My car is on 26k and has had no issues (touch wood), had an A service recently, cost £180. The B service is apparently the "big one", the car has variable service intervals depending on how often and how hard it is driven, at the moment its indicating 9500 miles to the next service.
I recently considered changing the car, test drove the aston V8 vantage and considered 911 turbos and a ferrari 360s. So far nothing has convinced me to change. Its hard to describe, its easily a car you could end up keeping forever.
From empty, your looking at £100 ish to fill the tank and you should average around 20-22 mpg if driven sensibly.
Mines an 03, black with full spec and only 18k miles from new.
Just had work done by DMS and now producing over 600 bhp with 650ftlb of torque and a full de-limit giving 200 + mph !!
I"ve had the car a year now with no problems whatsoever and I use a local indie to service it.
I paid £175 for a small service and they are quoting around £350 for a major service when required. Funny thing is, the 2 guys that run this garage worked for a mercedes dealership for 4-5 years as mechanics then went out on their own, and imo are excellent mechanics.
Never had a problem with any of my other mercs they have done for me in the past, so why pay dealer prices !!
You will love the SL55 as im sure all the owners on here do.
Go on, you know it makes sense.
Best of luck with your search.
Tony.
Mines an 03, black with full spec and only 18k miles from new.
Just had work done by DMS and now producing over 600 bhp with 650ftlb of torque and a full de-limit giving 200 + mph !!
I"ve had the car a year now with no problems whatsoever and I use a local indie to service it.
I paid £175 for a small service and they are quoting around £350 for a major service when required. Funny thing is, the 2 guys that run this garage worked for a mercedes dealership for 4-5 years as mechanics then went out on their own, and imo are excellent mechanics.
Never had a problem with any of my other mercs they have done for me in the past, so why pay dealer prices !!
You will love the SL55 as im sure all the owners on here do.
Go on, you know it makes sense.
Best of luck with your search.
Tony.
king Labour grrrrr TonyF said:
From empty, your looking at £100 ish to fill the tank and you should average around 20-22 mpg if driven sensibly.
Mines an 03, black with full spec and only 18k miles from new.
Just had work done by DMS and now producing over 600 bhp with 650ftlb of torque and a full de-limit giving 200 + mph !!
I"ve had the car a year now with no problems whatsoever and I use a local indie to service it.
I paid £175 for a small service and they are quoting around £350 for a major service when required. Funny thing is, the 2 guys that run this garage worked for a mercedes dealership for 4-5 years as mechanics then went out on their own, and imo are excellent mechanics.
Never had a problem with any of my other mercs they have done for me in the past, so why pay dealer prices !!
You will love the SL55 as im sure all the owners on here do.
Go on, you know it makes sense.
Best of luck with your search.
Tony.
600bhp!! Mines an 03, black with full spec and only 18k miles from new.
Just had work done by DMS and now producing over 600 bhp with 650ftlb of torque and a full de-limit giving 200 + mph !!
I"ve had the car a year now with no problems whatsoever and I use a local indie to service it.
I paid £175 for a small service and they are quoting around £350 for a major service when required. Funny thing is, the 2 guys that run this garage worked for a mercedes dealership for 4-5 years as mechanics then went out on their own, and imo are excellent mechanics.
Never had a problem with any of my other mercs they have done for me in the past, so why pay dealer prices !!
You will love the SL55 as im sure all the owners on here do.
Go on, you know it makes sense.
Best of luck with your search.
Tony.
Tony, could you mail me with the cost of the conversion please? Thanks in advance....I'm loving my SL55 -still running perfectly and I've just topped 60k miles. B service due in about 1000 miles - gulp! Still, the extended warranty has paid for new supercharger coolant pump, new supercharger clutch pulley (actually not needed) and replacement of all the engine pulleys (one of them was squeaking, but not sure which, so all got replaced). Interior still looks like new, the navigation system is useless, everything works and no rattles or noises. Solid piece of kit if you're looking for a long-termer, but it's not cheap to run or insure. The effortless performance, however makes up for all that, and it is seriously good in the twisties as well.
Nubbin said:
TonyF said:
From empty, your looking at £100 ish to fill the tank and you should average around 20-22 mpg if driven sensibly.
Mines an 03, black with full spec and only 18k miles from new.
Just had work done by DMS and now producing over 600 bhp with 650ftlb of torque and a full de-limit giving 200 + mph !!
I"ve had the car a year now with no problems whatsoever and I use a local indie to service it.
I paid £175 for a small service and they are quoting around £350 for a major service when required. Funny thing is, the 2 guys that run this garage worked for a mercedes dealership for 4-5 years as mechanics then went out on their own, and imo are excellent mechanics.
Never had a problem with any of my other mercs they have done for me in the past, so why pay dealer prices !!
You will love the SL55 as im sure all the owners on here do.
Go on, you know it makes sense.
Best of luck with your search.
Tony.
600bhp!! Mines an 03, black with full spec and only 18k miles from new.
Just had work done by DMS and now producing over 600 bhp with 650ftlb of torque and a full de-limit giving 200 + mph !!
I"ve had the car a year now with no problems whatsoever and I use a local indie to service it.
I paid £175 for a small service and they are quoting around £350 for a major service when required. Funny thing is, the 2 guys that run this garage worked for a mercedes dealership for 4-5 years as mechanics then went out on their own, and imo are excellent mechanics.
Never had a problem with any of my other mercs they have done for me in the past, so why pay dealer prices !!
You will love the SL55 as im sure all the owners on here do.
Go on, you know it makes sense.
Best of luck with your search.
Tony.
Tony, could you mail me with the cost of the conversion please? Thanks in advance....I'm loving my SL55 -still running perfectly and I've just topped 60k miles. B service due in about 1000 miles - gulp! Still, the extended warranty has paid for new supercharger coolant pump, new supercharger clutch pulley (actually not needed) and replacement of all the engine pulleys (one of them was squeaking, but not sure which, so all got replaced). Interior still looks like new, the navigation system is useless, everything works and no rattles or noises. Solid piece of kit if you're looking for a long-termer, but it's not cheap to run or insure. The effortless performance, however makes up for all that, and it is seriously good in the twisties as well.
SL55, 80 litre tank, average 18-20 mpg on mixed driving, so well under £100 for a fill, which will last for about 300 miles. If you are worried about the price of fuel, or tyres, or insurance, or servicing, this isn't the car for you.
Everything else said above is true. Great grunt, easy to drive when not trying hard, brilliant when you are trying hard. I can't think what I'll replace it with, and having tried various cars with the 6.2 V8, it won't be one of those. (OK for butch hairdressers though). Maybe have to save up for an SL65 instead, before the Politically Correct do-gooders outlaw them for making me smile.
Everything else said above is true. Great grunt, easy to drive when not trying hard, brilliant when you are trying hard. I can't think what I'll replace it with, and having tried various cars with the 6.2 V8, it won't be one of those. (OK for butch hairdressers though). Maybe have to save up for an SL65 instead, before the Politically Correct do-gooders outlaw them for making me smile.
Thanks for all the replies, and I hear what you're saying about 'if you have to ask you can't afford it' though it drives me mad. It's a bit like 'Price On Application' under car adverts, surely its fruitless to keep secret a car's price?
I think everyone has their own internal limit for the running costs of a car, especially fuel. I certainly thought I'd be happy with 12mpg in a previous sports car until I'd owned it for a few months. When you have to start calculating whether its cheaper to get a cab, or first class train fare than drive your own car, it's gone too far.
Could I afford it if the SL wanted £5K each year in servicing? Well, yes frankly - but that doesn't mean I'd be happy to pay it year in year out. I'm sure most people on here, like me, are not stratospherically rich to the point where money means little. Call me crazy, but I like to know how much stuff costs
I think everyone has their own internal limit for the running costs of a car, especially fuel. I certainly thought I'd be happy with 12mpg in a previous sports car until I'd owned it for a few months. When you have to start calculating whether its cheaper to get a cab, or first class train fare than drive your own car, it's gone too far.
Could I afford it if the SL wanted £5K each year in servicing? Well, yes frankly - but that doesn't mean I'd be happy to pay it year in year out. I'm sure most people on here, like me, are not stratospherically rich to the point where money means little. Call me crazy, but I like to know how much stuff costs
Topgear - I run an SL65 which has been 100% reliable the 14 months owned. Running costs are capped by using Mercedes Service Plus agreement, which I pay £880 pa for. And that covers everything - servicing including replacing discs/pads/etc. Only item not included is tyres. It's a great safety net on running costs, though I've not needed to use it.
Note: I had read on here that this agreement had been withdrawn now for AMG models so double-check with your local Merc garage.
Note: I had read on here that this agreement had been withdrawn now for AMG models so double-check with your local Merc garage.
AL001 said:
Topgear - I run an SL65 which has been 100% reliable the 14 months owned. Running costs are capped by using Mercedes Service Plus agreement, which I pay £880 pa for. And that covers everything - servicing including replacing discs/pads/etc. Only item not included is tyres. It's a great safety net on running costs, though I've not needed to use it.
Note: I had read on here that this agreement had been withdrawn now for AMG models so double-check with your local Merc garage.
Hi AL' Have you thought of bringing you car along to the next VMax?Note: I had read on here that this agreement had been withdrawn now for AMG models so double-check with your local Merc garage.
Mark.
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