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Coupes & Convertibles Mercedes-Benz SL/SLK-Class Mercedes-Benz SL and SLK (all models)
766 messages, Last post on Oct 26, 2009 at 3:12 AM
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| I'll take their opinion over yours anyday! R&T loved the car, C&D didn't, and MT hasn't tested it yet. MT and R&T loved the Lexus, C&D didn't. With a more aggressive suspension tuning, the car is BETTER than the Benz! What car is better than the SL right now? None. Is the SL head and shoulders better than the SC, and worth the extra $25k. No. If it is, show me. If you can't, just admit it. The only real differences I can see are price, handling, and interior features. Prove your point, ONCE, and I'll leave you alone...... | |
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By the way, Road & Track is not the "little guy" in auto magazines. Rough numbers: Car & Driver 1.3 mil Motor Trend 1.25 Road and Track 800K Automobile 650K Autoweek 330K Also R&T and C&D are owned by the same parent company. Also Road & Track is the oldest I believe. |
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I read the edmunds.com preview, first drive and road test of the new SL500. Frankly, none of them were especially positive, and some of the comments were quite negative. That isn't to say that the SL500 is a bad car but the competition has definitely caught up. I think what folks like Merc1 are finding is that it's not enough to say "the SL500 is clearly better than the SC430 in every way, because it just is" nowadays, and that will sound increasingly fanatical as more competition arrives. If I'm not mistaken, the SL500 hasn't *had* to sell itself on its own merits for a while now, because correct me if I'm wrong, but it's pretty much had no volume competition for at least a decade. The SC430 changed that, and there are at least two more volleys (from Cadillac and BMW) that the redesigned SL will have to repel in the next 24-48 months. I for one am going to dismiss the value of heritage & past sales success because those things are not nearly as relevant as the how the SL matches up against a set of competition that it didn't have to face back in the 1990s. One thing is for sure; the 10 year life cycle of SL redesigns is probably a thing of the past.
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Since any one can give an opinion and all are valid I thought i would compare the R&T test dat of both cars to compare. HP: Mercedes 302 hp Lexus 300 hp Torque: Mercedes 339  2700 Lexus 325 3400 Weight: Mercedes 4045lb Lexus 3870 0 - 60 : Mercedes 6.1 Seconds Lexus 6.2 Quarter Mile: Mercedes 14.5 seconds at 98.4 Lexus 14.6 at 98.1 Skidpad: Mercedes .90g Skidpad .84g Slalom: Mercedes 67.6mph Lexus 61.7 Braking from 60: Mercedes 117 ft Lexus 121 ft From 80: Mercedes 205ft Lexus 217ft Ok now a little analysis. Both cars have very similar engines. The Mercedes has slight advantage in having more torque over a broader torque band. However the SL is about 200 lbs heavier. This acounts for the virtually similar 0-60 and Quarter mile times. However when it comes to true handling capabilities through the slalom and skidpad the SL clearly is ahead. The SL's Active Suspension system helpes it achieve .6g's higher which is very much a considerable amount. And regarding the slalom R&T wrote "Posting a 67.6 slalom speed second only to our all time champ, the Porsche 911 GT2". And for those that doubt the merit of ABC they also wrote ""The secret s as simple as ABC, which makes Sindelfigen's hot new coupe corner likea DTM racer". Another technical advantage the SL has over the SC is its electro-hydraulic brakes which give supreme stopping power. To sum it up the new SL has "stunning god looks, cutting edge technology, scintillating performacne, world-class handling, plus nearly ever luxury in the industry". However the SC is arguably just as luxurious, albeit much more luxo then sport, but at nearly $20,000 less. So when it comes down to it i think its a classic, to each his own case. sorry for the long post. |
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| Way to stay on top of it!! And Sphinx makes an exellent "pirnt". The SL will go from "icon" to "also ran" if their product cycle is as long as the last one. When there is more competition, you have to get off your "toukas" a lot more often. Mercedes will change with the times, or else become the next Cadillac (may they struggle in peace!). The C&D article did expose a soft or "tall" first gear for the Lexus, again pointing our the luxo-cruiser design objective, not the Autobahn terror tuning of the SL and CLK. Hopefully, for the youger than 60 set who might appreciate it, Lexus will see clear to make some units truly "sporty". L-Tuned? In fall of 2003, I expect to see some modifications....... I can't say that I agree with R&T on the SL's luxury quotient when it doesn't have CD in dash, DVD for the NAV, illuminated scuff plates, auto-tilt steering, power doors for stereo and NAV, fully automatic AC and stereo equalization based on top operation, etc.... I DO LOVE how you can tilt the top IN THE TRUNK to access luggage, and power the top from the KEYFOB ALONE. But at it's price, I see cost-cutting, a major o-no..... | |
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I had the opportunity to drive a '99 SL500 for about two months a couple of years ago. Very nice car but it was not my cup of tea. It felt heavy and cumbersome. Couple of things it had going for was that the car had presence. Also, the car was built like a vault. Little things like the glove compartment and the cubbyhole in the armrest locking when the car was locked were thoughtful touches that went above and beyond ordinary cars. There was an article in Car(British rag) a few months ago, that pointed out the cost cutting measures of the new SL model compared to the old. I'm sure the new model is an improvement over the old in many ways but you have to pause when the new model is not better than the old in nearly every way. MB has to abide by the automotive economics like every other manufacturer and they are cognizant of things like cost and value and it may be taking a toll. Sit inside their SUV and you get the picture very quickly. I'd certainly choose the SL over the SC if only from the aesthetic standpoint but at least for another thirty years or so(until I'm brittle), I'd buy a Porsche 911 over either car in an eye-blink. Dave |
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| I put deposit down on 500SL. Delivery a year out! Anybody seen a white one. Wife likes the brochure sample but wonder what it looks like on car. I lean towards dark like pewter. Has anyone seen a spectacular color on SL? | |
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| I think German cars look best in metallics myself. Not keen on white, that makes a car look awfully big and often mutes the sculptures lines. It does not flatter a Mercedes, would look better on a Corvette. Black and dark solids make a car smaller, which is not really something you want to do with an expensive car, seems to me. Also black seems to pimp it out somehow. As for the vivid solids like red and yellow, I think those can work on an SL but that's really for the Italians. Germany is cold and gray much of the year and I think their cars should be too. A Benz is a machine, hard, solid, durable. The color should reflect those qualities I think, if you don't mind me getting a bit foo-foo about it all. | |
| While waiting for delivery (in NJ), I rented the new SL yesterday (Designo edition) while on business in LA. Drove it all over the greater LA area during a ten hour period covering 250 miles. Wonderfully riding and handling car, but with some suprisingly irritating features: the windows do not close flush; the cooling/heating controls are embarrassing; the radio controls are inconvenient; the cupholder is a joke. Also, the cover for the speedo is cheap looking. I do not expect these issues in any top end automobile, let alone what should be the best. The fact that I would have to deal with these features every time I used the car would diminish my enjoyment, and I now am reconsidering my order. I will look at the A-M. Anyone know about the windows? | |
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