R231 SL400 vs SL500 - any advice please

[Slartibardfast1]

I've been looking to buy an SL400 but just spotted a really nice SL500 and I'm tempted. It's 2014 with 55k miles, nice spec and full history. I've previously researched the SL400 so I know what to expect but I've not really researched the SL500 and hope to view this one tomorrow.

Does anyone have any personal experience they could share? Will it cost a lot more to run, is it more or less reliable, anything to look out for on the viewing etc?

Cheers.

 

[sl500amgsport]

Buy the SL500, there is no real comparison with the V8 v V6. Don't get me wrong the SL400 is a nice car but you will find yourself saying "what if"...

SL400 r231 are quite common, the 500 is much rarer as new it was £25,000 more, think that may give you an idea of which is best. There is less than 0.5 secs 0-60 difference between the 500 and the SL63 and the 500 is a lot cheaper to service than a 63.

The SL500 is quicker & sounds better (the 400 has to have an artificial soundtrack through it's speakers)....

I owned mine for 6 years (longest time I held any car) and even though I now have an AMG I still miss the power of that V8 unit under full acceleration!

The car was 100% reliable from 37k miles to 70k when I sold it, cost very little to run and even gave 32 mpg on a long run (expect 23mpg around town).

Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions.

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[ajlsl600]

I wud say giv abc a miss. Its good but just too complex on a used car. I had the r230 12 was great. But if I had had the 400 I wud prob hav kept it. The Vdoz went after 5 Yr.

 

[sl500amgsport]

ABC is not an issue on the R231, totally different car, all the old SL issues resolved.

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[SL63 Mark]

I wud say giv abc a miss. Its good but just too complex on a used car. I had the r230 12 was great. But if I had had the 400 I wud prob hav kept it. The Vdoz went after 5 Yr.

R231 is a totally different car. ABC on the 230 could be "problematic", by the time the 231 came out MB had sorted it.

 

[Slartibardfast1]

Buy the SL500, there is no real comparison with the V8 v V6. Don't get me wrong the SL400 is a nice car but you will find yourself saying "what if"...

SL400 r231 are quite common, the 500 is much rarer as new it was £25,000 more, think that may give you an idea of which is best. There is less than 0.5 secs 0-60 difference between the 500 and the SL63 and the 500 is a lot cheaper to service than a 63.

The SL500 is quicker & sounds better (the 400 has to have an artificial soundtrack through it's speakers)....

I owned mine for 6 years (longest time I held any car) and even though I now have an AMG I still miss the power of that V8 unit under full acceleration!

The car was 100% reliable from 37k miles to 70k when I sold it, cost very little to run and even gave 32 mpg on a long run (expect 23mpg around town).

Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions.

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Thanks for the comments. Exactly what I wanted to hear.

 

[Timeandleisure]

SL500….!

 

[ajlsl600]

Massaratti grand turrisimo?????

 

[sl500amgsport]

Massaratti grand turrisimo?????

Slower than the R231 500 but with faster depreciation and much higher maintenance (I test drove before buying my SL).

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[ajlsl600]

Like all I don't think depreciation a big issue at 10 Yr old. On repair costs, I am not well informed, one shud check discs hav been done recently, I hear it can be a grand a side, discs, pads ect.

 

[sl500amgsport]

Like all I don't think depreciation a big issue at 10 Yr old. On repair costs, I am not well informed, one shud check discs hav been done recently, I hear it can be a grand a side, discs, pads ect.

Even a 10 year old supercar has a £25-£40k price tag, deprecition can still hit, the Mas has ceramic brakes (costly) the R231 SL500 standard so huge price difference there. Service on a Mas at dealership around £1600, my SL averaged £350!

This is why I passed up buying the Ferrari California, I could afford the car but not the running cost....



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[ajlsl600]

Get you. Doubt I will persue. See when house basically finish, tho it sure don't fit into my cheap to own/run criteria at mo.

 

[Bay Leaf]

Engine cc's these days on all models of cars don't seem to correspond with the badging. Example my 2013 SL 350 has a 3.5 Ltr engine. The later 350 has a 3.0 Ltr twin turbo charged engine. A friend of mine has a late 500 S class with a 4.7 Ltr twin turbo engine.
I know I've digressed here slightly but I think it's worth mentioning. Also Mercedes state that the turbo engines don't have the longevity that the normally aspirated engines have.

 

[brandwooddixon]

ABC sorted and generally reliable on those generations of car. The 500s hit the sweet spot between performance and cost of ownership. Not much more expensive than a 400 to run nor service whilst being not much slower than a 63 but a lot cheaper to service (you could almost replace all brake discs for the price of one one non-ceramic brake discs for a 63.)

 

[ajlsl600]

That's std turbo motors run more stress on motors esp if gunning the motor. I never really had to gun the Vdoz tho. Turbo stress is mostly turbos running high boost on small motors.

 

[SL63 Mark]

ABC sorted and generally reliable on those generations of car. The 500s hit the sweet spot between performance and cost of ownership. Not much more expensive than a 400 to run nor service whilst being not much slower than a 63 but a lot cheaper to service (you could almost replace all brake discs for the price of one one non-ceramic brake discs for a 63.)

Yes, but, none of the SL63s I looked at had ceramic discs, I think it was a very rare option, largely because of the issues you mention. The standard steel discs on mine work just fine

 

[DSK]

Just to add, I looked at one on behalf of someone last year and asked for info here on the SL500. Something was mentioned about the 2015/2016 onwards model being fitted with some updated part, perhaps in relation to the cam chain, resolving a rattle issue iirc. I’ll try and dig that out later unless someone replied with the details before hand.


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[sl500amgsport]

Just to add, I looked at one on behalf of someone last year and asked for info here on the SL500. Something was mentioned about the 2015/2016 onwards model being fitted with some updated part, perhaps in relation to the cam chain, resolving a rattle issue iirc. I’ll try and dig that out later unless someone replied with the details before hand.


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Be surprised, mine was a 2014 and no issues at all over 6.5 years of ownership, only gripe was it sounded best at hard acceleration with the 2nd turbo engaged from around 3000 rpm (i.e.60 - 120 mph) and there is only 1x safe road with no cameras around.....!

God knows how SL63 drivers keep their licences, but then I guess the AMG exhaust makes it sound better a low speeds. My AMG can have the exhaust opened at any speed for pops etc so I can keep my licence clean. The in line 6 sounds good under acceleration but nothing touches the V8.

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[sl500amgsport]

The 2016 model gets the newer grill but I always preferred the original more aggressive look.

The R230 is by far the prettiest SL if you have bottomless pockets..

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[DSK]

I looked back through my old thread and it was mentioned that the early m278 engines could suffer from cam chain and tensioner rattle.


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