Sl55 / CL 55

[stugeorge]

Hi All,

First time poster - looking for some advice from owners!!

At Present I have an Audi A5 (sorry) and looking to change. The Mercedes' I am particularly looking at are the SL55 or the CL55 kompressor.

I am keen to get a car that excites when putting foot down, rather than something that reduces the sensation of speed I want something that feels really fast - Are these cars both quite aggressive in power delivery?

I have read a few horror stories on the internet about Suspension on the SL being an issue, are they really that bad?

£ wise, looking to spend around £20k, but anything cheaper would be ideal - would I be mad looking at an SL / CL for £15k, would they be more trouble than worth?

thanks in advance - appreciate the input

 

[cb1965]

First off the CL55 has the same ABC suspension as the SL55 so you are just as likely to have problems with a CL as an SL.

The CL55 represents the best value for money of the two, but some prefer the looks of the SL and it does have it's roof down party trick to add to the mix, but only has two seats of course.

Apart from the ABC suspension the SL is prone to leaking boot seals which in turn cause the water ingress to take out various electrical systems if the issue is not addressed. The CL has a habit of chafing its door cabling due to the cantilevered door system and you end up with various electrical faults.

All that said if you know about these issues and keep on top of them then the problems are nowhere near as bad as they first seem and of course you only ever read the bad news on the net! Get the ABC system inspected once a year and change the fluid every two years and if you get a warning on the dash have it looked at immediately as a lot of damage is done because people keep driving them with the warning flashing away!

The problem of course is if you are unlucky enough to get a major failure the bill can be thousands. At the end of the day though you only live once and as said if you keep things checked and maintained the chances of a big bill are massively reduced.

The good point is that the 55K engine is a beauty. It's great in standard form, but you can tune it in a variety of ways to get even more out of it if you so wish. I have had a lot of performance cars, but after some mild tuning my SL55 pulls like nothing else I have ever owned... as my mate said last weekend .... 'it's mental' LOL!

Obviously these cars come well equipped, but there are a number of extras that make them more desirable such as parktronic, keyless go/entry, panoramic roof (SL) etc. Make sure you find a car with what you want on it extras wise.

The CL55 didn't have a supercharger until 2003 so you really need a post 2003 car if you go after a CL.

Price wise a good CL55 can be had for £10K and a good SL55 for £15/16K, but make sure you get a good one. There is no such thing as a cheap SL55/CL55 if you get my drift.

History is a must and look carefully at the bodywork especially on the CL where the roof meets the rear quarter (a known weak point) and the rear arches on the SL. Make sure everything works (which can take a while) as repairs to things like heated seats can be pricey. On the SL check the operation of the roof thoroughly, it is generally very reliable, but if it goes wrong it can be hard to diagnose and fix.

I am sure there will be more advice along in a short while too. Good luck

 

[stugeorge]

Thank you CB1965 - that is really useful. Good to have some knowledge from an owner than just reading the horror stories.

The SL has its attractions - used to have a Honda S2000 which, whilst not in the same league, was brilliant with the roof off.

Will have to spend some time finding the "right one" and test drive a few, they just seem like so much car for the money

 

[C43AMG]

I agree, CB has given you an excellent run down on what to look out for.

I can't add very much to the CL except if you go for the CL a 2004 - 2006 would be the one I would go for. Updated Comand DVD not CD etc and as CB mentioned there are a few optional extra's. Distronic etc

Your budget should get you a very late CL, although they are not many 55 Kompressors out there for sale.

You must get it checked out by a good Indi, depending on where you are the Forum have some of the best Indi MB mechanics around.

As CB mentioned tuning the 113 engine can be very rewarding. I have had a Eurocharged Map + S/C Pulley + a Quaife LSD and I can assure you I have the biggest on my face.

Good luck with your search. Let us know how you get on.

 

[cb1965]

Thank you CB1965 - that is really useful. Good to have some knowledge from an owner than just reading the horror stories.

The SL has its attractions - used to have a Honda S2000 which, whilst not in the same league, was brilliant with the roof off.

Will have to spend some time finding the "right one" and test drive a few, they just seem like so much car for the money

Funnily enough I owned an S2000 too and it was a fantastic car, in fact in my overall value for money/cost of ownership/rewarding drive index it was probably the best of all the cars I ever owned!

 

[stugeorge]

Funnily enough I owned an S2000 too and it was a fantastic car, in fact in my overall value for money/cost of ownership/rewarding drive index it was probably the best of all the cars I ever owned!

That is interesting......! How did it compare to the SL? In terms of driving enjoyment / balance. I imagine the Power to be in another league

 

[cb1965]

That is interesting......! How did it compare to the SL? In terms of driving enjoyment / balance. I imagine the Power to be in another league

They are quite different cars other than both being convertibles.

The S2000 was a lot lighter, more raw, more twitchy, but with a lot less power obviously. The SL55 is a heavy beast in comparison, but with that engine you can cruise around in luxury and then put your foot down when you need to and an abundance of power is there and keeps coming.

Whereas you felt the Honda was extracting every last ounce of power from its engine, the SL feels like there is always lots more there if you need it.

The SL is a lot more forgiving than the Honda, but that is not a criticism of the Honda as it is how it was designed to be.

Put simply both can tootle around with the roof down quite happily, but with the Honda you really had to focus on driving it hard to go fast, with the SL you can just go stupidly fast without needing to worry about being in exactly the right revs/gear or choosing your line absolutely perfectly. It is just effortless in the art of going fast!

 

[Halcyon Days]

Something like this is in your budget - it should give you that aggressive power delivery you're after, I imagine!
Mercedes CL600 V12 twin turbo

 

[french]

Not sure if this is to far away Stu but this is a lovely car, the seller is moving abroad, might be Army ?

Mercedes CL55 AMG 2003 Immaculate Low Mileage | eBay

 

[jotter22]

Not sure if this is to far away Stu but this is a lovely car, the seller is moving abroad, might be Army ?

Mercedes CL55 AMG 2003 Immaculate Low Mileage | eBay

Says full service history but went from March 2011 to May 2014 with no service how does that work?

Tony.

 

[stugeorge]

Thanks for the replies, and also the kind recommendations on cars - they both look very nice. will look through now!

This is a very helpful forum, thank you all!

 

[AMGeed]

Don't discount the E55 if you want a sleeper with a bonkers engine. No folding roof or boot seal problems to worry about although the suspension and SBC braking can still provide you with some expensive bills if they fail.
Decent examples can be had from around £8k upwards for a 2004 model, and if you check out Eurocharged and MSL threads here, many have made spectacular power with a few mods.
Just another model for you to consider

 

[french]

Says full service history but went from March 2011 to May 2014 with no service how does that work?

Tony.

Don't know Jot ,why not ask the owner then you'll know ...

 

[V12]

The CL is a step above the SL in every respect apart from the folding roof.

The CL does mask the speed very well though. Neither passenger nor driver will realise how fast the car really is.

 

[BernardB]

I chose the CL because I like to sit high in cars and generally convertibles force you to sit low. With the sunroof open and all the windows down the CL is a virtual convertible.

There is good advice in this thread and I too suggest you go for the latest car you can afford. Full service history is a must of course.

 

[MPG]

Its all good advice in this thread. Personally I have no knowledge of the SL but do have a CL600 as a daily driver which I love. If you select this one over the CL55, one additional weakness to check (other than corrosion or ABC issues) is the coil packs. The car has 24 spark plugs and one pack for each bank. Try to see if they've ever been replaced as evidence shows that given time they usually do & you won't get much change from 1k for each of the two packs. The CL600 is marginally quicker than the 55, but if you covet that "raw" experience the 55 is probably the route for you unless you consider something like this; Quality Used Car Sales Derbyshire | Derby Trade Cars Limited - Mercedes-Benz CL CL65 2dr Auto Bi-Turbo 6.0 +SAT NAV+HEATED LEATHER+-

I have no idea of the condition of this 604bhp beast, but food for thought.

 

[C43AMG]

The above is very rare and a good price.

 

[BernardB]

Spark plug replacement is on the B service schedule and the spec sheet says it should be done every four years or 56,000 miles. If your prospective purchase has a full service record (and I wouldn't advise buying without!) you'll be able to see how recently it was done.

 

[V12]

That CL65 is a bargain!

 

[The _Don]

That CL65 is a bargain!

Has been on sale for a number of months now.