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Comments
M
Whats the problem with the SL's windows?
M
Now I just need someone to give the phone number of a custom floor mat manufacturer, since the light stone mats are already dirty.
I used a cardboard to trace and drawn up the shape and size of the floor mats, picked a heavy duty commercial grade taupe color carpet from local carpet supplier and had two sets made in less than a week, costed me $100/set. Make sure you drill the holes on the new carpet mats, remove the four plastic round fasteners and put them on the new mat for the complete look!
M
Even though I drove this car for 500 miles in Germany, these are my first true impressions of driving the SL500 on my own streets.
The ride quality is excellent. I did not get the sport package, because in my experience with the E55, I don't like the effect 18 inch wheels have on my butt. I have the Michelin Pilot Sport tires and they handle extremely well, or at least seem to because of the active body control. Steering is also wonderful, almost electric. The brakes have taken some getting used to, but I am almost there. They clearly work very well, but the pedal effort is light and sensitive. You already know that the car is gorgeous. My wife talked me out of red, which is a good thing because otherwise I would stop traffic. Stereo is excellent.
The few bad things so far are: visibility with the top up is just so-so. There is a blind spot on the rear quarter and I sit low and have some problems with the front mirrors. There are a few plasticky rattle noises coming from more than one place. Of course the cupholders are useless, even the auxilliary one they gave me that attaches to the passenger seat.
Overall it is the best covertible I have ever owned and maybe even the best overall vehicle out of the 78 I have owned so far.
shoes - did you notice the noise when you have the top down? I did hear some minor rattling on rough surfaces with the top up (from the rear), asked the dealer to adjust the folding top mechanism, all the noises disappeared. yes, handling is amazing better that the E55 in my opinion.
I have to be honest and tell you that there are ratlles, lots of them, mostly associated with the top whether it is up or down. They do not detract from my ownership experience, and I am not surprised given I own one of the very first produced.
Mercedes has already sent me questionnaires to ask me what I think about the brakes and the cupholders (of all things!). I gave them a hard time about the cupholders before I used the mugs they provided for me when I pickup up the car. There is tall black plastic mug which reads SL Class, which fits perfectly in the cupholder (they also provided) which plugs into the forward part of the passenger seat. I was driving the other day with a full cup and had to stop quite quickly and the cup stayed firmly in its holder. Very impressive (for a German car). I went through this same exercise with my 2002 Porsche 911 and after driving two blocks from my favorite coffee shop, I hit a small bump in the road and the coffee exploded all over the interior of the Porsche. Needless to say, I don't use those snazzy new cupholders in the Porsche anymore.
Have a new MB cup for my CLK that works pretty well, but still want to design something that costs a fraction of a cent to produce that can be sold for a dime... Lookout Starbucks.
The review is very complimentary of the SL55. The article even goes so far as to call it and the 911 Turbo bargains when compared to the rivals which cost $250K+. Make sure you check it out...
Just curious how much did the rental company charge per day for the SL?
BTW, are the SL's delivered at Sindelfegen (probably mis-spelled). I thought when I toured there, they said the SL's were build somewhere else.
The SL500's are manufactured in Northern Germany and they shipped my SL to the Sindelfingen delivery center outside Stuttgart because that is where I wanted to receive it. I could have arranged delivery in the North if I had preferred. It was a blast since this was the first and only SL Sindelfingen had delivered and they were pretty excited about it. I dropped the car outside Frankfurt and received it 7 weeks later.
http://www.mbusa.com/brand/container_fm.jsp?/future/sl55/glance.jsp&pl_fm_model=sl55&menu=2
M
M
Here is an online "blurb" for you"
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/63936/page007.html
M
Do you guys know if this is true? I can't get the same answers from the two dealers I work with.
What????
M
Exactly what I said. The SL was a heck of a roadster and in most dimensions the best money can buy. The SC was also a heck of a roadster and hands down the most serene and luxurious roadster money can buy. That's what I took away from the article. Jaguar - bad. Porsche - Good. SC430 - Really really really good. SL500 - Really really really really good.
I've now seen a '03 SL500 and continue to be unimpressed by Mercedes interior design, it doesn't look substantially different from a SLK230... or a C240 for that matter. At risk of starting another fight with you, I do believe the SC430 has the most elegant and beautiful interior in a production car. If that's the top priority for a prospective buyer, the SC really is a heck of a car, irrespective of price, and I thought that came through in the comparo quite clearly.
I believe that luxury is more than skin deep. Its craftsmanship, heft, chassis solidity, etc. These are all weak points for the Lexus. Perhaps that is where a lot of the cost difference is. For the money, it is a great vehicle. But in no way would I say it has the best interior. If you are willing to trade style for substance, then the Lexus is a good buy. However, most in this price range are too discriminating.
If anything the 911 didn't belong, it's a sports car first.
Now about Mercedes' interior design. You're blind if you don't see a difference between the SL500 and the C240 or SLK. The SLK is no where near the same as the SL. Didn't say you had to like it or be impressed, but you don't see a difference? Yeah sure. I could turn around and say that the SC430 has a nicely trimmed interior but it way to busy with all those constrasting colors and that ugly light-colored wood. With the black leather and dark wood, the SC's interior looks a lot better.
M
Of course, the light colour yellow "wood" clashes with the black steering wheel and dash and looks like cheap plastic. The "early 80s calculator style" grey low tech radio looks completely out of place in the theme. My favourite SC430 interior would be the dark wood with the light cream which does not exist.
With the MB SL500, you can specify if you want the walnut or chestnut wood (dark or light) or black maple trim; with the SC430, you do not have a choice with the leather and trim combination.
While styling is subjective, no way the interior of the SC430 is stylish or attractive in my opinion. I much rather have the 996's clean simple interior, the Lexus is just too gaudy in my taste.
Still an expensive car, but you need to drive it to fully appreciate the car. The interior looks like the C-class? Must say I don't follow; different gauges altogether and definitely different headlights. The SL has full leather everywhere, COMAND navigation, etc. standard unlike the C. Blue gauges are quite effective under bright sunlight without the top. It's a break from the tradition, yet in a graceful manner, unlike the new BMW 7 series.
If you want only the MB badge to impress the neighbor, go for the C-couple. And for showing off a MB convertible, I bet the SLK will be sufficient.
But then, if you are a car enthusiast and will look beyond the superficial wood, leather and paint, you should test drive the car; what you are paying for is the superior handling, top of the class active (think active electronic brakes proportioning & active suspension) and passive safety - a most solid and technologically advanced convertible money can buy.
Clueless comments! Describe "chintzy inside"... If you are going to post something worth reading, at least offer an informed thought. Since the C-Class and SL have NOTHING in common other than the manufacturer, you may want to think about a more believable opinion.
Nothing wrong with not liking a car, as we all gravitate toward certain qualities in an automobile... in much the same way that some people will gravitate toward a Rolex or a Seiko. The Seiko may actually keep better time, but that isn't the only criteria for people to buy this watch or that.
BTW, many features found on today's leading edge brands have little to do with their historical past... can you say iDrive?
Wondering if MBUSA is now employing a "hands-off" strategy with it's Dealers? Also, wondering if the new 2003 CLK will find itself in a similar position? I'd NEVER pay a dime over MSRP. Guess some Dealers believe price gouging is an endearing tactic to build brand loyalty!!
M
Maybe my disappointment is a result of the fact that this was one of the first SL's produced. Even my dealer refers to me as a guinea pig. Here is my list of gripes: (1)The car is too heavy (we already all knew that). It really is not much fun to drive. I feel like I should color my hair silver just to drive it. (2) All the electronic gizmo's- the brakes, the engine management, the suspension- all conspire to make you feel like you are watching a video game of driving and not actually driving. When I open the car door or start the car, there is all this whirring of electronics distracting me from the basic FUN of driving. Sometimes these electronics fight with you, for example, the radio makes itself louder or softer depending on your speed, I find this very distracting. (3) The Brakes- I add this for emphasis, I cannot get used to these brakes, they have no traditional feel. Maybe my problem is that my other cars, a Porsche 911 and a BMW 540i, have such fantastic brakes, that the Mercedes seems detached by comparison. (4) Quality control- maybe it is my fault for being first on my block to get one, but there are a ton of rattles from the top, the dash and areas unknown behind the driver's seat. Now there is an SRS warning light that won't go off and the monitor that is supposed to report a problem says there is none, so why is the warning light on the dash still on? This car is very complicated, lots of electronics. If I am having problems so early into my ownership experience, what will it be like in three years?
Before all the Lexus fans start piling on, remember that I was the guy who owned one of the first SC430 convertibles and hated that as well. Maybe I should stick to BMW's and Porsche's?