2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG

Head over to mbworld for better info on this car. Tons of personal experience. IMHO- I think the older models look better, new bumper looks like its trying to hard, and the silver type grilles on the fender DO NOT match the car at all....dont know what they were thinking with this- but i still like the car.

A friend of mine is a MB Tech, and said this was one of the best if not the best AMG has put out, next to the black series in terms of engine and performance. ALso another owner posted his SL 63 was a better car than his 612 Scaglietti! I was surprised at that comment..good luck.

 

From an appearance point of view, all the SLs look the same , AMG ,55,63,65....dime a dozen. Performance of the SL 65s is impressive but we all know that the depreciation within the first 18 months is staggering, unless $$$ does not matter. If $$$ is irrelevant , go ahead and get the SLR. There are SLRs on the market at a true sell price in the 250 range. For another 100k you can have a true supercar with performance and exclusivity . And the SLRs are not going to be below $100k any time soon, but the SL 6whatever will .

 

Spent some time in this car at an AMG day (LVMS). Fantastic car, and wonderful transmission (as good as there is). I am not a fan of MB and it overcame my bias. Caveat: If your buddy buys he should be prepared to keep it a long time.

 

and trade it in for 30% of what he paid for it in three years. There are too many great cars on the market to make that mistake. Gallardo, CGT, Ford GT40...

 

I saw one in person last week at the MB dealership. It's goddam ugly. The Chrysler Crossfire headlights really pushed my opinion over the edge.

RMX

 

Like the poster above said, buy an SLR if money is no object. If it is, your friend will be kicking himself when he gets hit with that lovely Mercedes depreciation.

 

No offense, but I think that anyone that purchases a MB brand new is an idiot.... I am a huge fan of some of their cars, but the depreciation is staggering! A 2004 SL500 which stickered at 100k can be purchased for 35k with reasonable miles (50,000) I have been looking at a 2006 CLS, sticker new was 80k? Now you can get them for high 30's with 35,000 miles....

And don't get started on the AMG models, they lose even more money (percentage wise)

 

IM not going to comment on the styling.

But I will comment on buying a new AMG. I am a two time AMG owner that purchased new and now I consider myself a two time IDIOT. The depreciation on these cars is unbelievable. You may as well burn your money.

Unless your friend doesnt mind his $150k car being worth $60k in 3 years he should NOT buy this vehicle brand new. I would think someone would have to be awful wealthy to swallow a $90k loss in 3 years.

it doesnt take much research to see how quickly these cars drop in value. My last AMG was a 2006 E55...Paid mid $80s 2 years ago. Would be LUCKY to get $45k as a trade in now. Its about a 50% drop in 2 years.

 

Same here...I leased one (CLK). The car also fell apart while it was tanking in value.

RMX

 

The SL63 is a good car but too expensive, with a similar price you can buy something better like the Gallardo Spyder

 

Merc, BMW, all the same issues with depre... IF hes got 150 to spend the only fair car to get brand new with a hardtop cabriolet is a 997 Turbo. If he really wants a Merc, get it used... Used SL65 (previous one looks much better anyhow.)

 

He should take a look at Bentley CGTs for something similar in the same price range. He said he appreciates luxury and Bentley edges out Benz in this area.

 

He should wait a year and pick the same car for 30% less.

 

Stalk a Dentist

 

My dad has a SL55 and the noise in that car is ADDICTING! Tell him to get a '07/'08 SL55 with low miles. You can find one for between 85-105k...Yes, I know it's the older car but it's a timeless looking car and has 500HP and 550Toruqe...I'd tell your friend to re-think buying a Benz new. Once it's off the showroom floor it will take a significant hit...

 

this is the only hi performance hard top convt out there. m3 is next closest thing but thats in a different class.

i think sl63 is very cool with a more responsive powertrain than older models. if depreciation is an issue just lease the car. payments will be similar to 997tt cab, vantage, m6, etc.

 

Wrong. The 997 Cab does not have a retractable hardtop.

 

I have a 4yr old SL500 that took a $13k dump in the last 12 month. As horrible as that is, I am very glad I bought it used instead of new. It's true the CLS500 are going for mid-30's, which is ridiculous value for what you get.

 

A friend of mine recently bought a beautiful '04 S55 amg (sticker $125K) for $34,000 with 35k miles. No accidents or stories, that's a lot of depreciation in 4 years.

 

Depreciation is factored into the lease payments and residual. So, you're paying for it if you lease it (and you don't own the thing, either) or buy it. Either way, you take the hit.

CW

 

But not if the manufacturer mis-calculates the residual... you can toss back the keys at the end of the term knowing they're stuck with it!

 

Hate to pour more cold water on this, but I agree with these guys. I wouldn't spend my $150K on an SL. Whether you like the looks or not, it's just not a distinctive car for that kind of coin.

I had an SLK, and while I loved the dealer and service I didn't think the quality was all that great, and as others have said the depreciation stung.

For north of $100K right now, I'd be looking at an Aston Martin V8 softtop for a cruiser or an Audi R8 for a sports car.