RE: Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG: PH Heroes
Discussion
My other half has recently bought a 2006 SL350 and been using it daily for the last few weeks.
Other than a leaking AC pipe (which the garage we bought from will be fixing) it's been really good. I can imaging the SL55 is a great bit of kit.
My only criticism is that the interior has not aged as well as the exterior which I think is stunning and still modern. Also they're a lot more fragile feeling than my E class which is three years older. Lovely cars to be in though and a nice drive although the 350 is not exactly fast. More hot hatch quick off the line than AMG quick like the 55.
I'd have one in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity though.
Other than a leaking AC pipe (which the garage we bought from will be fixing) it's been really good. I can imaging the SL55 is a great bit of kit.
My only criticism is that the interior has not aged as well as the exterior which I think is stunning and still modern. Also they're a lot more fragile feeling than my E class which is three years older. Lovely cars to be in though and a nice drive although the 350 is not exactly fast. More hot hatch quick off the line than AMG quick like the 55.
I'd have one in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity though.
I own one of these and it's a love hate relationship for sure.
When everything is working it's the best car I have ever had..... trouble is too much of the time it isn't working. Mine had a full Mercedes history which frankly is a waste of time. ABC issues have now been sorted and new boot seals have sorted the leaks, but I have also had a heap of other issues including alternator, crankshaft pulley, lower wishbones, handbrake shoes, new discs and so on. On a £100K car these items should not be wearing out at less than 65K miles.
Design wise it's a classic in my eyes, You can tell a good design by the fact it doesn't look dated even 15 years on and it doesn't. Compare and contrast to the R129 which while probably a better car overall looks pretty awful by modern standards and not that great in terms of a classic... IMO obviously! The R230 is rose amongst many thorns as Mercedes designs overall in the last 25 years are pretty horrible from an aesthetic point of view, but the R230 uses curves properly and is perfectly proportioned. It's like the guys from Jaguar snuck in and designed a decent looking car for them!
Performance wise it is still pretty quick. Mine has been modified, but even in standard trim it'll keep up with a C63, but the best modification to mine has been the exhaust as it now burbles at cruise and gets all growly under hard acceleration... sounds like a V8 should do and like a C63 does out of the box.
A sports car it is not though, my biggest criticism is the weight... the ABC (when working) is great, but the car is too heavy really even for this clever technology to overcome fully. As a GT though it works fantastically well. The metal roof is a triumph, it is a coupe and a convertible rolled into one and moves the car from a compromise in its previous guise to a genuinely usable car in the winter months.
The other cool thing about the ABC is you can raise it up by pressing a button which means speed bumps and stupidly designed multi story car parks present no threat to the front spoiler.... a very nice feature.
Keep thinking of moving mine on, but then I try and seek out a replacement for a similar budget... and I come up short.
Some pics
When everything is working it's the best car I have ever had..... trouble is too much of the time it isn't working. Mine had a full Mercedes history which frankly is a waste of time. ABC issues have now been sorted and new boot seals have sorted the leaks, but I have also had a heap of other issues including alternator, crankshaft pulley, lower wishbones, handbrake shoes, new discs and so on. On a £100K car these items should not be wearing out at less than 65K miles.
Design wise it's a classic in my eyes, You can tell a good design by the fact it doesn't look dated even 15 years on and it doesn't. Compare and contrast to the R129 which while probably a better car overall looks pretty awful by modern standards and not that great in terms of a classic... IMO obviously! The R230 is rose amongst many thorns as Mercedes designs overall in the last 25 years are pretty horrible from an aesthetic point of view, but the R230 uses curves properly and is perfectly proportioned. It's like the guys from Jaguar snuck in and designed a decent looking car for them!
Performance wise it is still pretty quick. Mine has been modified, but even in standard trim it'll keep up with a C63, but the best modification to mine has been the exhaust as it now burbles at cruise and gets all growly under hard acceleration... sounds like a V8 should do and like a C63 does out of the box.
A sports car it is not though, my biggest criticism is the weight... the ABC (when working) is great, but the car is too heavy really even for this clever technology to overcome fully. As a GT though it works fantastically well. The metal roof is a triumph, it is a coupe and a convertible rolled into one and moves the car from a compromise in its previous guise to a genuinely usable car in the winter months.
The other cool thing about the ABC is you can raise it up by pressing a button which means speed bumps and stupidly designed multi story car parks present no threat to the front spoiler.... a very nice feature.
Keep thinking of moving mine on, but then I try and seek out a replacement for a similar budget... and I come up short.
Some pics
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 22 August 11:52
I bought mine 2.5 years ago from a fellow PHer. I only intended to keep it for the summer, but I absolutely love the car and it would certainly be a wrench to part with it now. It has cost quite a lot to keep in tip top condition, but roof down on a sunny day, I'd forgive it most things. Don't agree with the comments on low quality interior. I have red leather which I think looks great. The steering wheel and the Comand system are the only things to me that date the car. Ive been to Le Mans twice in it, most recently to the Classic in July. Im sure in time that prices will go the same way as earlier SLs. 
RobEB said:
I've always wanted one of these, ever since i had the opportunity to drive one a few years back. It has the innate ability to lose you your licence without you even realising you had your foot on the loud pedal..(remembering the car effortlessly hitting 70-75 on a 50mph road coming out of a 30 zone in a blink of an eye with just a muted growl and the LIGHTEST of touches on the accelerator 
) God the torque is magnificent..And the NOISE..i love the cultured burble/growl that says i can make a whole lot more noise if i want to. To my mind the best looking Merc of all time. If i won the lottery i would buy an empty warehouse and trawl the classifieds and buy up all of these, fill it with SL55's. Just so i could drive my dream car every day. :lick; 
by the sounds of things you'd need a warehouse full to ensure a working car on any given day! ) God the torque is magnificent..And the NOISE..i love the cultured burble/growl that says i can make a whole lot more noise if i want to. To my mind the best looking Merc of all time. If i won the lottery i would buy an empty warehouse and trawl the classifieds and buy up all of these, fill it with SL55's. Just so i could drive my dream car every day. :lick; Riversides said:
big_rob_sydney said:
I don't get the appeal. If I wanted something around that performance level from AMG, then a C63 would hit the mark, for a much more modern car, with better quality.
In fact, the quality isn't even a discussion, its more of a joke.
Good point, a saloon car is a direct equivalent to a convertible. The interior on the C63 is very poor compared to any of the SLs as could be expected given the new price of either.In fact, the quality isn't even a discussion, its more of a joke.
I will qualify my post in that I owned an SL 55 for many years and have had a C63 as a hire car for about 24 hours so have some experience of both.
big_rob_sydney said:
I don't get the appeal. If I wanted something around that performance level from AMG, then a C63 would hit the mark, for a much more modern car, with better quality.
In fact, the quality isn't even a discussion, its more of a joke.
Forget the quality which ain't that great on either car and then look at them... one is a timeless beautiful design, the other's a boxy awkward mess called a C63!In fact, the quality isn't even a discussion, its more of a joke.
SturdyHSV said:
Oh my, that's rather pleasant!
Lowered a touch I assume?
That colour / angle / possible post processing really highlights the flare of the rear arch, to great effect
You can get a lowering module that plugs in to the wiring loom and allows you to set the ride height wherever you like (within the limits of the suspension obviously).Lowered a touch I assume?
That colour / angle / possible post processing really highlights the flare of the rear arch, to great effect
cb1965 said:
I own one of these and it's a love hate relationship for sure.
When everything is working it's the best car I have ever had..... trouble is too much of the time it isn't working. Mine had a full Mercedes history which frankly is a waste of time. ABC issues have now been sorted and new boot seals have sorted the leaks, but I have also had a heap of other issues including alternator, crankshaft pulley, lower wishbones, handbrake shoes, new discs and so on. On a £100K car these items should not be wearing out at less than 65K miles.
Design wise it's a classic in my eyes, You can tell a good design by the fact it doesn't look dated even 15 years on and it doesn't. Compare and contrast to the R129 which while probably a better car overall looks pretty awful by modern standards and not that great in terms of a classic... IMO obviously! The R230 is rose amongst many thorns as Mercedes designs overall in the last 25 years are pretty horrible from an aesthetic point of view, but the R230 uses curves properly and is perfectly proportioned. It's like the guys from Jaguar snuck in and designed a decent looking car for them!
Performance wise it is still pretty quick. Mine has been modified, but even in standard trim it'll keep up with a C63, but the best modification to mine has been the exhaust as it now burbles at cruise and gets all growly under hard acceleration... sounds like a V8 should do and like a C63 does out of the box.
A sports car it is not though, my biggest criticism is the weight... the ABC (when working) is great, but the car is too heavy really even for this clever technology to overcome fully. As a GT though it works fantastically well. The metal roof is a triumph, it is a coupe and a convertible rolled into one and moves the car from a compromise in its previous guise to a genuinely usable car in the winter months.
The other cool thing about the ABC is you can raise it up by pressing a button which means speed bumps and stupidly designed multi story car parks present no threat to the front spoiler.... a very nice feature.
Keep thinking of moving mine on, but then I try and seek out a replacement for a similar budget... and I come up short.
Some pics
Beautiful spec, as I always favored gloss black, over matte black.When everything is working it's the best car I have ever had..... trouble is too much of the time it isn't working. Mine had a full Mercedes history which frankly is a waste of time. ABC issues have now been sorted and new boot seals have sorted the leaks, but I have also had a heap of other issues including alternator, crankshaft pulley, lower wishbones, handbrake shoes, new discs and so on. On a £100K car these items should not be wearing out at less than 65K miles.
Design wise it's a classic in my eyes, You can tell a good design by the fact it doesn't look dated even 15 years on and it doesn't. Compare and contrast to the R129 which while probably a better car overall looks pretty awful by modern standards and not that great in terms of a classic... IMO obviously! The R230 is rose amongst many thorns as Mercedes designs overall in the last 25 years are pretty horrible from an aesthetic point of view, but the R230 uses curves properly and is perfectly proportioned. It's like the guys from Jaguar snuck in and designed a decent looking car for them!
Performance wise it is still pretty quick. Mine has been modified, but even in standard trim it'll keep up with a C63, but the best modification to mine has been the exhaust as it now burbles at cruise and gets all growly under hard acceleration... sounds like a V8 should do and like a C63 does out of the box.
A sports car it is not though, my biggest criticism is the weight... the ABC (when working) is great, but the car is too heavy really even for this clever technology to overcome fully. As a GT though it works fantastically well. The metal roof is a triumph, it is a coupe and a convertible rolled into one and moves the car from a compromise in its previous guise to a genuinely usable car in the winter months.
The other cool thing about the ABC is you can raise it up by pressing a button which means speed bumps and stupidly designed multi story car parks present no threat to the front spoiler.... a very nice feature.
Keep thinking of moving mine on, but then I try and seek out a replacement for a similar budget... and I come up short.
Some pics
Edited by cb1965 on Monday 22 August 11:52
And the yellow calipers adds more character to the car.
There is a one guy who drives a silver mercedes amg sl55 and it has a black halfords spoiler, and a silly black race stripes decal on the bonet and the boot.
He also has a piston heads sticker on his merc, but he has ruined the car
Loved mine, best engine and best looking modern car I had ever owned until i bought a 575M.
But I could never recommend one to anybody, in particular an early car like this one.
There is a design fault which leads to water ingress and shorts in electrical junctions under the passenger seat. The engine doesn't miss a beat It's 10 hours labour just to remove that seat. That may or may not allow the faults to be rectified.
I hear later cars are better but would still advise extreme caution. Sad really.
But I could never recommend one to anybody, in particular an early car like this one.
There is a design fault which leads to water ingress and shorts in electrical junctions under the passenger seat. The engine doesn't miss a beat It's 10 hours labour just to remove that seat. That may or may not allow the faults to be rectified.
I hear later cars are better but would still advise extreme caution. Sad really.
My old man had one of these briefly a few years back. I really liked it, rode properly and with all the gubbins switched off it was hilariously easy to broadside it out of junctions leaving big fat number 11's behind you!
The old man found it too soft and sadly didn't like it quite as much... he stuck it in a ditch on a country lane near their house one very rainy night and, given his dislike for it, decided he'd rather keep his foot in and drive it out of the ditch than get wet standing at the side of the road waiting for a recovery truck. Cretin, and very unlike him.
It was completely ruined by the time he'd got back on the road, but fair play he did succeed in avoiding getting wet!
The old man found it too soft and sadly didn't like it quite as much... he stuck it in a ditch on a country lane near their house one very rainy night and, given his dislike for it, decided he'd rather keep his foot in and drive it out of the ditch than get wet standing at the side of the road waiting for a recovery truck. Cretin, and very unlike him.
It was completely ruined by the time he'd got back on the road, but fair play he did succeed in avoiding getting wet!
I have owned mine for 2 years, and it has been absolutely faultless ( crosses fingers).
This is the second SL55 I have owned,they are magnificent cars, and in the context of current prices for "interesting/ classic" cars are an absolute bargain.
They are expensive to fix when thngs go wrong, but name me another beautiful looking convertible with over 500bhp that isn't????
This is the second SL55 I have owned,they are magnificent cars, and in the context of current prices for "interesting/ classic" cars are an absolute bargain.
They are expensive to fix when thngs go wrong, but name me another beautiful looking convertible with over 500bhp that isn't????
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