Thinking about buying a SLK55 AMG
Discussion
I have a black one (funny old thing) two of my friends have silver ones, as yet I have seen plenty other coloured slk's but not AMG.
I enjoy driving the AMG and with the roof down the engine note is fantastic. Handling is as you would expect from a beefed up sports car i.e. stiff suspension, fantastic acceleration with braking to match. My Trouble is I also own a Caterham 7 so driving the AMG 55, all be it different is not as exciting.
I'm selling my car shortly as I normally only keep them for a year before I move them on. My car will be 1 year old end of Jul with approx 4,500 miles and highly specced if your interested.
I enjoy driving the AMG and with the roof down the engine note is fantastic. Handling is as you would expect from a beefed up sports car i.e. stiff suspension, fantastic acceleration with braking to match. My Trouble is I also own a Caterham 7 so driving the AMG 55, all be it different is not as exciting.
I'm selling my car shortly as I normally only keep them for a year before I move them on. My car will be 1 year old end of Jul with approx 4,500 miles and highly specced if your interested.
I've just sold mine (black!). I had it from new for exactly a year: the roof was great, the engine note fantastic, and the build quality fine. Minus points were the extremely hard ride (you feel every bump) and the lack of a limited slip diff which means it's less fun on the twisty stuff than it might be. Must-have spec should include all the usual electronics (COMAND, luxury air conditioning, Harmon Kardon hi-fi, telephone pre-wiring etc) and Airscarf of course (even if it is pretty useless at high speed). You definitely need the perspex wind deflector rather than the standard netting one, too.
EC
EC
pureguilt said:
Can I take it then that from the poor response to my original question that this car is not as exciting and surefooted as say a Porsche 911?
As surefooted, no, as exciting, more so. By that I mean that you have to be driving a 911 at 95%+ for it to be anything approaching exciting, which is not really practical on the road. The SLK55 is enjoyable on every journey, low speed or high. It sounds great, and goes, stops and and handles well by any sensible standards. I'm surprised to hear the ride criticised, because I reckon it's quite a bit less harsh than my 993 was on 18" wheels. One of my colleagues has a 997, but it's my car that everyone wants a ride in.
I've actually just sold my SLK55 AMG after only 4 months of ownership. It's a great car without a doubt but after owning an M3 CSL I missed the rawness of that car and the true driver invlovement that it gave me. So I am back in a CSL from next week onwards. The SLK had many plus points, the folding roof, the great sound, the high spec of the car and the power. I stayed toe to toe with a 996 Turbo the other day and he was shocked at the outcome although I did wonder if there was something wrong with his car. The negative points were the lumpy ride, the plasticky interior and even though it is a very good looking car I didn't find it agressive enough from certain angles. People kept commenting on it being a "chicks" car as well which used to wind me up now and again. Also for me living in London, the fuel consumption was appalling. My average was around 18-19 on a good week but in traffic I would sometimes be down to 13mpg and that would be driving carefully. The CSL averages well over 20 on a normal drive and when gunning it, it never goes lower than 15ish.
The SLK55 is certainly a very impressive car but it just wasn't right for me based on the kind of driving I like to do.
The SLK55 is certainly a very impressive car but it just wasn't right for me based on the kind of driving I like to do.
I'm pushing up the miles on mine....... 
just been serviced.
It gets used daily for work and pleasure, stays outside.... and hasnt missed a beat to date, except for a dodgey passenger side rubber window seal. I've noticed the ones that seem to be sold do have low mileage, so perhaps the car and person did not fit what was wanted.
The car can be accused of having a hard uncompliant ride, but no worse than other GTs ive had, including Honda S2K, TVR etc. I dont feel it to bad, even the frontal heavy weight.
Plus points are the 5.5 lump, and the luxury. It can cruise when required, or when needed produce a growling attitude. I tested a standard M3 and CSL and dismished them from my list becuase of residuals when the new one comes out, and the CSL being a better, but to me a rawer car.
The 997 is truely a great car too, but on driving it I wanted more so would have to spend the extra £15K on top of the Merc price to get the 997 I wanted.
J
just been serviced. It gets used daily for work and pleasure, stays outside.... and hasnt missed a beat to date, except for a dodgey passenger side rubber window seal. I've noticed the ones that seem to be sold do have low mileage, so perhaps the car and person did not fit what was wanted.
The car can be accused of having a hard uncompliant ride, but no worse than other GTs ive had, including Honda S2K, TVR etc. I dont feel it to bad, even the frontal heavy weight.
Plus points are the 5.5 lump, and the luxury. It can cruise when required, or when needed produce a growling attitude. I tested a standard M3 and CSL and dismished them from my list becuase of residuals when the new one comes out, and the CSL being a better, but to me a rawer car.
The 997 is truely a great car too, but on driving it I wanted more
so would have to spend the extra £15K on top of the Merc price to get the 997 I wanted. J
Scoobysnack, I may be wrong but I don't think SLK55 residuals are going to be all that now. They may have been in the first year but I'm not so sure going onwards now. The problem is that now you can get discounts on them. I got 3k off my car and I sold out at £47500 and that is honestly the best that any dealer would give me. BMW gave me 48k against an X5 4.8is but remember they would have major allowance in the X5. In the end I was fortunate with £47500 as most people were coming in at less. My own dealer who we have bought lots of cars from had the cheek to offer me 43k. I think at list of 55k, trade in after year will be around 42k, 2nd year 34k, 3rd year 28k. Lombard quoted me a very cautious 24k 3 year residual but they were willing to go to 28k. When you compare a CSL, BMW got it so wrong with their marketing and as a result residuals plummeted. But even now nearly 3 years on (september 03 was release), you could trade a CSL with low mileage in at around 30k so its held up at just below 50% retained value. I have bought a little over 30k but the bulk of the depreciation has now gone so I surely can't lose a whole load more. One thing I have learnt is that even though its great to take delivery of a new car I will probably go down the 12 month old cheaper option route in the future.
You will almost always lose money on any new car. I don't think that comes as any great surprise. The upside is you know its complete history, which you never do with a used car. Also you get to collect if from the factory if you want, you have a say in how much maintenance and care it gets from new, and you can choose the spec. I'm thinking I might buy a 12-24 month old one next time around though, in a couple of years or so, but only because I fancy a SL55 and I don't want to pay the new price.
One interesting fact about the 997 is that it is only 17cm shorter than a Land Rover Defender 110, and is 2 cm wider. It is however a lot less tall
One interesting fact about the 997 is that it is only 17cm shorter than a Land Rover Defender 110, and is 2 cm wider. It is however a lot less tall
anissut said:
Scoobysnack, I may be wrong but I don't think SLK55 residuals are going to be all that now. They may have been in the first year but I'm not so sure going onwards now. The problem is that now you can get discounts on them. I got 3k off my car and I sold out at £47500 and that is honestly the best that any dealer would give me. BMW gave me 48k against an X5 4.8is but remember they would have major allowance in the X5. In the end I was fortunate with £47500 as most people were coming in at less. My own dealer who we have bought lots of cars from had the cheek to offer me 43k. I think at list of 55k, trade in after year will be around 42k, 2nd year 34k, 3rd year 28k. Lombard quoted me a very cautious 24k 3 year residual but they were willing to go to 28k. When you compare a CSL, BMW got it so wrong with their marketing and as a result residuals plummeted. But even now nearly 3 years on (september 03 was release), you could trade a CSL with low mileage in at around 30k so its held up at just below 50% retained value. I have bought a little over 30k but the bulk of the depreciation has now gone so I surely can't lose a whole load more. One thing I have learnt is that even though its great to take delivery of a new car I will probably go down the 12 month old cheaper option route in the future.
Discounts of £3-5K if no trade in currently on offer, if you shop around
On residuals i've assumed it will be 50% after 3years, not the higher figures that have been banded around to me........ So another assumption would be 20% 1st year, 17% 2nd year, 13% 3rd year maybe.
I've had my car 9months and got a nice discount when new, about £3K on a £57K list. Will it be worth £28.5K after 3years . Depends on wheather I sell it privately or trade to a dealer...
What will happen will happen as I have no control over it , so wont stress, just drive, and drive some more
The only certainity will be that cars go down in value
J
I've had my car 9months and got a nice discount when new, about £3K on a £57K list. Will it be worth £28.5K after 3years
. Depends on wheather I sell it privately or trade to a dealer... What will happen will happen as I have no control over it , so wont stress
, just drive, and drive some more The only certainity will be that cars go down in value
J
Los Angeles said:
pureguilt said:
Can I take it then that from the poor response to my original question that this car is not as exciting and surefooted as say a Porsche 911?
Correct. And by all accounts not as pleasurable to drive as its sister models. Too much engine, I think.Not that you have ever driven one...
How do you define what is pleasurable to drive though? AMG cars are known for torque and that torque on the SLK55 is really quite pleasurable. It may not have the ultimate feel of a 997 or others drivers cars but what you or I may define as pleasurable is not the same as someone else.
The nearest I could define the pleasure would be like driving my old TVR Griffith 5.0... There are obvious differences but their is more than a passing resemblance of character in the SLK AMG.
In between these cars have been varying types, and not very many bads ones. All cars have good and bad points thats what ive found. It just whether they fit into want you really like, or whether you have to adjust.
I personally do not gel with the BMW in either guise, but have to admit for its money and what it can do , it is a very good car. Even better is the 997, it can rearrange your perception of speed in the way it delivers point to point driving............ however, I was not taken with the character of it. I have driven a 996 GT3 with comfort pack, and that I do remember vividly, as something special.
J
In between these cars have been varying types, and not very many bads ones. All cars have good and bad points thats what ive found. It just whether they fit into want you really like, or whether you have to adjust.
I personally do not gel with the BMW in either guise, but have to admit for its money and what it can do , it is a very good car. Even better is the 997, it can rearrange your perception of speed in the way it delivers point to point driving............ however, I was not taken with the character of it. I have driven a 996 GT3 with comfort pack, and that I do remember vividly, as something special.
J
Mine has steering wheel buttons, but they are different to the confusing ones on the other models. Left for down, right for up - the 350 etc can do up and down on both sides for some bizarre reason. 2007 models have paddles, but I don't know if that applies to the 55 or not. If so I will probably change mine to paddles at some point.
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