V8 vantage vs SL 55 AMG
Discussion
Hi Guys
Now, I know views here will be slightly biased but I needed your help.
Previously Ive had a 997 C2S & then a maserati granturismo s (beautiful car). Then after having baby, I became quite sensible.
I decided to sell my Maserati and buy a GOLF GTI. Its pretty new with all the toys. However it has left me numb.
I thought I would be able to be super sensible, drive a practical hatchback, keep the missus happy, and use extra funds to keep paying the mortgage down.
But alas, I need to buy something a bit nicer again.
The number of times ive walked behind a random black golf in our co. car park thinking it was mine has made me pretty depressed!!
I dont want to spend too much, perhaps £35k max. Thus I have narrowed my choice down to these 2 cars.
I can buy a Sl 55 AMG for £15-£25k , giving me a very nice looking car, very fast with the hardtop convertible option
or I could go for a 4.3 V8 vantage for £30-35k Lovely looking car (perhaps just as nice as my maserati) and also have the prestige & rarity factor.
What do you guys think? BTW, I have a daily 8 mile commute to work in the countryside, so will make daily use of the car, but obviously the journey will be short.
Please dont suggest V12 vantage, 4.7 vantage etc etc. Having had those other fast cars in the past, I didnt really find I could use thier potential accelaration/speed in real life scenarios due to traffic, speed cameras etc etc. Plus im highly unlikely to go to the track and also I want to stay to my £35k max budget.
You views are much appreciated.
Thanks
Now, I know views here will be slightly biased but I needed your help.
Previously Ive had a 997 C2S & then a maserati granturismo s (beautiful car). Then after having baby, I became quite sensible.
I decided to sell my Maserati and buy a GOLF GTI. Its pretty new with all the toys. However it has left me numb.
I thought I would be able to be super sensible, drive a practical hatchback, keep the missus happy, and use extra funds to keep paying the mortgage down.
But alas, I need to buy something a bit nicer again.
The number of times ive walked behind a random black golf in our co. car park thinking it was mine has made me pretty depressed!!
I dont want to spend too much, perhaps £35k max. Thus I have narrowed my choice down to these 2 cars.
I can buy a Sl 55 AMG for £15-£25k , giving me a very nice looking car, very fast with the hardtop convertible option
or I could go for a 4.3 V8 vantage for £30-35k Lovely looking car (perhaps just as nice as my maserati) and also have the prestige & rarity factor.
What do you guys think? BTW, I have a daily 8 mile commute to work in the countryside, so will make daily use of the car, but obviously the journey will be short.
Please dont suggest V12 vantage, 4.7 vantage etc etc. Having had those other fast cars in the past, I didnt really find I could use thier potential accelaration/speed in real life scenarios due to traffic, speed cameras etc etc. Plus im highly unlikely to go to the track and also I want to stay to my £35k max budget.
You views are much appreciated.
Thanks
You're obviously going to get a partisan view from this forum.... But one of your comments worries me.....
You say the SL is a good looking car... Sorry, but for me its just another generic merc...
I love the Maserati grandtourismo, so all is not lost
My view is that a £35k ish V8V with less than 50k on the clock, with FSH is a pretty safe bet, my own car is worth a similar value (22k on the clock) and it feels just the same as it did when I bought it... Yes there are faster cars for less money, but as a drivers car, I love my Vantage, great brakes, nice neutral handling, sounds lovely, and not so much power that it'll get you into serious trouble..... And best of all, after 2 years of ownership....it still feels special when I go out in it....
S get the Vantage.... Buy carefully, and you should be ok
You say the SL is a good looking car... Sorry, but for me its just another generic merc...
I love the Maserati grandtourismo, so all is not lost
My view is that a £35k ish V8V with less than 50k on the clock, with FSH is a pretty safe bet, my own car is worth a similar value (22k on the clock) and it feels just the same as it did when I bought it... Yes there are faster cars for less money, but as a drivers car, I love my Vantage, great brakes, nice neutral handling, sounds lovely, and not so much power that it'll get you into serious trouble..... And best of all, after 2 years of ownership....it still feels special when I go out in it....
S get the Vantage.... Buy carefully, and you should be ok
Lunablack said:
My view is that a £35k ish V8V with less than 50k on the clock, with FSH is a pretty safe bet, my own car is worth a similar value (22k on the clock) and it feels just the same as it did when I bought it... Yes there are faster cars for less money, but as a drivers car, I love my Vantage, great brakes, nice neutral handling, sounds lovely, and not so much power that it'll get you into serious trouble..... And best of all, after 2 years of ownership....it still feels special when I go out in it....
S get the Vantage.... Buy carefully, and you should be ok
Good advice S get the Vantage.... Buy carefully, and you should be ok
and I concur about the Vantage 
Owned and enjoyed both,both are good cars with the SL being slightly more practical to live with in the mainstream and the roofs a wonder as long
as it doesn't start to play up.Go panoramic for that driving in a bubble feel which certainly opens up the cabin to an airy feel.
Whilst the AMG offers a great drive accompanied with that epic V8 burble they are less inspiring to own and drive as nothing IMO beats the Aston
experience.Service history is an obvious must but I bet an Aston gets better looked after than the Merc in many cases,but that's just my thought.
Both cars offer different ownership involvement so if you enjoy a manual go down the Aston route and you will see how special they are, its not
just the car with the Aston its the whole ownership package,it will always turn heads and make you smile,you will be part of the minority on the road
something the Merc can't offer and as good a steer as it is it doesn't bring the same involvement or possible enjoyment to the party.
Given the same choice you now have I would take the Aston every time.......its special,but its down to you, go drive one and see.
as it doesn't start to play up.Go panoramic for that driving in a bubble feel which certainly opens up the cabin to an airy feel.
Whilst the AMG offers a great drive accompanied with that epic V8 burble they are less inspiring to own and drive as nothing IMO beats the Aston
experience.Service history is an obvious must but I bet an Aston gets better looked after than the Merc in many cases,but that's just my thought.
Both cars offer different ownership involvement so if you enjoy a manual go down the Aston route and you will see how special they are, its not
just the car with the Aston its the whole ownership package,it will always turn heads and make you smile,you will be part of the minority on the road
something the Merc can't offer and as good a steer as it is it doesn't bring the same involvement or possible enjoyment to the party.
Given the same choice you now have I would take the Aston every time.......its special,but its down to you, go drive one and see.
Having had an SL55 for over three years I switched to a vantage roadster in August last year. Under various headings, my opinions are below:
Looks - vantage way out in front - it is beautiful. SL is lovely, but much more common
Overall wow factor - vantage
Noise - vantage (but not by a huge degree)
Performance:
Raw power - SL wins hands down - more torque than anyone needs
Handling - vantage
Brakes - vantage (just & you only notice if really pressing on)
Consumption - SL easily
Comfort - SL
Toys - SL
Space - SL
"Civilised-ness" - SL. The roof is brilliant, whereas a rag-top ??
Practicality - SL
Maintenance cost - the jury's out. The SL can be hideously expensive - a few things that give it a poor reputation are ABC suspension (£1.2k/corner), central locking if it gets water in the boot (£1k). Servicing at main dealer can be eye watering (I thought) at £1.2k for a big service. However there are easy ways to (a) check for problems before you buy and (b) cut costs when the inevitable happens. The vantage routine costs seem slightly better than the SL, but I have difficulty in accepting the inevitability of clutch replacement.
Would I buy one again factor? - split decision - yes to both/either at the moment!
I'm a moderator on a mercedes forum, so if you want to talk rather than try to get a the feel via a forum, get in touch
Looks - vantage way out in front - it is beautiful. SL is lovely, but much more common
Overall wow factor - vantage
Noise - vantage (but not by a huge degree)
Performance:
Raw power - SL wins hands down - more torque than anyone needs
Handling - vantage
Brakes - vantage (just & you only notice if really pressing on)
Consumption - SL easily
Comfort - SL
Toys - SL
Space - SL
"Civilised-ness" - SL. The roof is brilliant, whereas a rag-top ??
Practicality - SL
Maintenance cost - the jury's out. The SL can be hideously expensive - a few things that give it a poor reputation are ABC suspension (£1.2k/corner), central locking if it gets water in the boot (£1k). Servicing at main dealer can be eye watering (I thought) at £1.2k for a big service. However there are easy ways to (a) check for problems before you buy and (b) cut costs when the inevitable happens. The vantage routine costs seem slightly better than the SL, but I have difficulty in accepting the inevitability of clutch replacement.
Would I buy one again factor? - split decision - yes to both/either at the moment!
I'm a moderator on a mercedes forum, so if you want to talk rather than try to get a the feel via a forum, get in touch
Had a DB9 recently, got a SL55 now that is for sale getting a Grancabrio or another Aston reason is the Merc is an everyday car whereas the Aston has a far greater sense of occasion and my weekend car needs a sense of occasion.
The SL55 is a brilliant car and utterly reliable in my 2 years ownership but its not exciting enough looks wise hence it's going (pic in my profile)
The SL55 is a brilliant car and utterly reliable in my 2 years ownership but its not exciting enough looks wise hence it's going (pic in my profile)
DSLiverpool said:
Had a DB9 recently, got a SL55 now that is for sale getting a Grancabrio or another Aston reason is the Merc is an everyday car whereas the Aston has a far greater sense of occasion and my weekend car needs a sense of occasion.
The SL55 is a brilliant car and utterly reliable in my 2 years ownership but its not exciting enough looks wise hence it's going (pic in my profile)
Sums it up perfectly :-)The SL55 is a brilliant car and utterly reliable in my 2 years ownership but its not exciting enough looks wise hence it's going (pic in my profile)
To the OP - I'd like to think you will, in general, get honest & unbiased opinion from those with actual experience of both - I can't be arsed with the football supporter mentality where only their team is "the one" & anyone that even implies merit elsewhere is wrong !!
Edited by drmw on Saturday 9th February 18:07
DSLiverpool said:
Had a DB9 recently, got a SL55 now that is for sale getting a Grancabrio or another Aston reason is the Merc is an everyday car whereas the Aston has a far greater sense of occasion and my weekend car needs a sense of occasion.
The SL55 is a brilliant car and utterly reliable in my 2 years ownership but its not exciting enough looks wise hence it's going (pic in my profile)
I thought you were selling the SL55 to put towards house renovations. Or is that what you told the Mrs The SL55 is a brilliant car and utterly reliable in my 2 years ownership but its not exciting enough looks wise hence it's going (pic in my profile)
Hi,
Just to give my tuppence. I see the SL55 more of a comparison with the the DB9. Whereas the SLK55 more of a comparison with the Vantage.
However in relation to the topic, having driven quite extensively SLK55, SL55, Vantage and DB9. I agree with a lot of what has been said on here. The Aston when you sit in it you get a sense of occasion and the leather does feel amazing. However the toys in the AMG are a lot more and a lot better than the Aston and it is not a bad place to be at all. Now I know people say you are driving the car, however the heated massaging seats and the ipod connection (which you will have to have as an added extra for the Vantage - the ipod connection not the massaging seats which are sadly not available - although can you imagine if they were!) can be very nice.
Also whilst the Merc is more common, the AMG mercs are still a rare thing, and can often be as rare as finding an Aston and these are often more of a weekend car.
I still think the AMG engine is one of the best engines in a road car under £50k. Yes it is an auto, but a very good auto. Whereas the Aston "manual-auto" is not brilliant (just my views - I know people like them but I just think they could have done a lot better, especially in the traffic conditions we live in). If I were to advise people on an Aston I would definitely urge people to go for a manual. the Aston auto is only decent on a DB9 or a Vantage S.
People heads will turn on the Aston however there is a growl of the AMG which also turns heads, especially as people don't realise it until they see the back of your car why it is a little different from the norm.
When it comes to maintenance, the little services of the Merc are a lot cheaper than the Aston, however for both when big things need changing, the wad of cash required to be passed can get a little eye watering.
If you want a convertible, no contest - go for the SL. I can't believe that in this day and age rag tops are still designed and people think they are getting a whole car, it's half metal half cloth, come on - they can do a lot better than that. That's like ordering a smart suit and getting a smart jacket but with shorts (I sincerely apologise for those with ragtops but even you must admit if Aston made folding hardtops you would prefer it)! The folding roof is still the cleverest and still the sleekest.
For everyday use both cars are fine, and I think the Aston should be used as much as possible, these cars are too nice to be sat in the garage (unless weather is really bad)
In conclusion, my view is the logical head would for the Merc and the heart would go for the Aston - either way they are lovely machines and I think both beautiful in their own way. With the Aston range being updated and changed a lot in the next 2 years, it may be an idea to hold off until the prices of 4.3 Vantages fall a little bit more as I think in a years' time I feel there will be a lot under £25k, and in the meantime get a SL. Otherwise if you can't wait - just go for it and enjoy! One thing I am sure about is that owning an Aston (and also an AMG) is a wonderful unforgettable thing and probably something you would want to say you have done at least once in your life.
Just to give my tuppence. I see the SL55 more of a comparison with the the DB9. Whereas the SLK55 more of a comparison with the Vantage.
However in relation to the topic, having driven quite extensively SLK55, SL55, Vantage and DB9. I agree with a lot of what has been said on here. The Aston when you sit in it you get a sense of occasion and the leather does feel amazing. However the toys in the AMG are a lot more and a lot better than the Aston and it is not a bad place to be at all. Now I know people say you are driving the car, however the heated massaging seats and the ipod connection (which you will have to have as an added extra for the Vantage - the ipod connection not the massaging seats which are sadly not available - although can you imagine if they were!) can be very nice.
Also whilst the Merc is more common, the AMG mercs are still a rare thing, and can often be as rare as finding an Aston and these are often more of a weekend car.
I still think the AMG engine is one of the best engines in a road car under £50k. Yes it is an auto, but a very good auto. Whereas the Aston "manual-auto" is not brilliant (just my views - I know people like them but I just think they could have done a lot better, especially in the traffic conditions we live in). If I were to advise people on an Aston I would definitely urge people to go for a manual. the Aston auto is only decent on a DB9 or a Vantage S.
People heads will turn on the Aston however there is a growl of the AMG which also turns heads, especially as people don't realise it until they see the back of your car why it is a little different from the norm.
When it comes to maintenance, the little services of the Merc are a lot cheaper than the Aston, however for both when big things need changing, the wad of cash required to be passed can get a little eye watering.
If you want a convertible, no contest - go for the SL. I can't believe that in this day and age rag tops are still designed and people think they are getting a whole car, it's half metal half cloth, come on - they can do a lot better than that. That's like ordering a smart suit and getting a smart jacket but with shorts (I sincerely apologise for those with ragtops but even you must admit if Aston made folding hardtops you would prefer it)! The folding roof is still the cleverest and still the sleekest.
For everyday use both cars are fine, and I think the Aston should be used as much as possible, these cars are too nice to be sat in the garage (unless weather is really bad)
In conclusion, my view is the logical head would for the Merc and the heart would go for the Aston - either way they are lovely machines and I think both beautiful in their own way. With the Aston range being updated and changed a lot in the next 2 years, it may be an idea to hold off until the prices of 4.3 Vantages fall a little bit more as I think in a years' time I feel there will be a lot under £25k, and in the meantime get a SL. Otherwise if you can't wait - just go for it and enjoy! One thing I am sure about is that owning an Aston (and also an AMG) is a wonderful unforgettable thing and probably something you would want to say you have done at least once in your life.
As mentioned above, I think you need to be looking at DB9 vs SL55. The Merc is still quicker but it's a lot closer...
The V12 is a special thing and of course there's the option of a manual gearbox too. Doubt you'll get a Volante for your 35k but there are lovely coupes for that price. Same fuel consumption, running, more refined car, more poised handling but slightly less agile. Much more comparable.
The V12 is a special thing and of course there's the option of a manual gearbox too. Doubt you'll get a Volante for your 35k but there are lovely coupes for that price. Same fuel consumption, running, more refined car, more poised handling but slightly less agile. Much more comparable.
Don't have much to add really, the V8V is quite low tech, old Volvo satnav, no real toys, but it's such an event every time you fire it up.
The V8V is "Aston's sportscar", but it's much closer to a GT really, certainly no 911.
I have a 4.3 V8V (one of the N400s, so slightly more powerful, in theory) as my only car, and there's nothing I'd swap it for. Looks great, not too showy, sounds incredible, lovely interior, practical enough.
- Steve
PS buy Grant's book
The V8V is "Aston's sportscar", but it's much closer to a GT really, certainly no 911.
I have a 4.3 V8V (one of the N400s, so slightly more powerful, in theory) as my only car, and there's nothing I'd swap it for. Looks great, not too showy, sounds incredible, lovely interior, practical enough.
- Steve
PS buy Grant's book
I know you are thinking Vantage but I have a DB9 so can't comment on the Vantage although they are the same inside.
SL55 is very comfortable, good looking, very fast, good growl (7/10), has useful height adjustable suspension and an auto gearbox that actually knows when to change gear. The panoramic roof is the one to go for as it opens the cabin up. The cost when things go wrong can be somewhat high as everything carries the AMG special tax. It also has great luggage space. PDC is all round and has led displays to show where the obstruction is as well as a beep when close. I can even speak to my car and it does understand as well, so more toys and good ergonomic layout. Mercedes also have a corrosion warranty that pays in full if required something the Aston does not have.
DB9 is comfortable, beautiful, awesome growl (10/10), and is the better sports car. Now I know the DB9 is supposed to be the old man choice but it handles in a way the SL can only dream of but you pay for that with firmness of ride. So a Vantage will be even better in this regard apparently.
At least the Aston brakes and suspension are of a conventional setup and straightforward to maintain whereas the SL has a brake pump with a lifespan counter and hydraulic suspension which is eye watering if the ball joints go as the wise men of Mercedes decided to make the ball joints part of the strut and not a replaceable element on their own. Also I have had trouble finding a specialist who will tackle the more complex systems on the SL whereas there are quite a few for the Aston. So suspension fluid change and brake fluid change (yes I know but you need STAR to tell the pump that you are replacing the fluid and then to run a series of tests on it) were done at MB Stratford Upon Avon who has an AMG tech.
It can only come down to personal preference in the end as there is not a lot to separate them the SL is a great GT car and the DB9 is a great sports GT car.
I have both as I like the open top use but don't like soft tops but the Aston for me was the aspirational car which in the end I wanted to own. Drive both and decide which of the attributes you like more. If you go for the Mercedes get a Tier 1 approved warranty it really does cover everything, you can buy them online when it comes time for renewal.
Edited by SLacKer on Sunday 10th February 08:07
really appreciate all the help guys!!
Also was not expecting to hear so quickly from people who have owned both.
Hmmmm, DB9 vs vantage. Dont worry Ive already found a ton of those threads in the past so wont bore you.
Im leaning towards the vantage, as there seems to be a few on sale that have just been serviced and had their clutch changed, thus may be good candidates?
But Ive not completely ruled out the SL 55. I know its just a merc, and perhaps not as good looking, but personally I have always noticed these cars in the past and have they have always caught my eye.
Anyway, will keep you guys updated.
thanks
Also was not expecting to hear so quickly from people who have owned both.
Hmmmm, DB9 vs vantage. Dont worry Ive already found a ton of those threads in the past so wont bore you.
Im leaning towards the vantage, as there seems to be a few on sale that have just been serviced and had their clutch changed, thus may be good candidates?
But Ive not completely ruled out the SL 55. I know its just a merc, and perhaps not as good looking, but personally I have always noticed these cars in the past and have they have always caught my eye.
Anyway, will keep you guys updated.
thanks
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