What do you think of a an 03 SL55 / 25k miles for $64K? Also how many SL55's are in production? Thanks guys
SL 55 AMG 2004 5217 2005 1542 2006 748 those are the US production figures, they didnt release the 03' numbers though
Hmm...I vaguely remember the 2003 SL55 being a limited production run. For some reason, I'm thinking they made 493 (also the amount of hp it makes). I guess they realized they could make a lot more money off of them and started selling thousands.
i have an '05 I just bought it 4 months ago for 74K, I am a dealer though. I kept it for myself, it is an amazing machine, you can extend the warranty 3 years for around $3k. If I were you I'd try to stay away from an '03 and go for an '04+. The '03 was the first model year and as such it had a lot of little problems. There's a dealer here in houston I wholesale cars to alot, he has 2 '03 SL55's sitting for 9 months. He's going to lose around 10K on each when its all said and done. Most people who buy these cars know the '03 wasn't the best of the bunch. IF you can swing it, an '05 has the upgraded navi head unit, it looks alot better than the '04 and earlier, its also dvd-based. Great cars check and make sure the back tires aren't too worn bc I've only put 6K miles on mine in 4 months and I ALREADY NEED NEW TIRES!!! The exhaust is worth every penny enjoy, it might not be a ferrari but it is damn sexy car with unbelievable performance and day to day functionality. If its gonna be your daily, I fill mine with gas every 120 miles, so think about that too. My S550 goes 200+ before a fill up
thanks for the informative post- what kind of little problems does the 03 have? What can a lay person expect to pay for a 04 or 05? How expensive are things like tires or brakes- or anything else nt covered under warranty? Appreciate your help
i think i decent '04 should be had in the mid to high 60's if you look around, im talking 25-35K miles options varying. '03 just had problems with roofs hydraulic pump and alot of the little electronics. I sold one 2 years ago and the distronic failed shortly thereafter. The brakes are going to be pricey I have the service book downstairs, it doesn't say the price of the SL55 but the E AMG is I believe $973 per axle. Dont ask i have an insane photo memory. I just did the "A" service a month ago, my dealer didn't charge me, im really good with my service manager...gifts at xmas,on his bday, sending him friends of mine(they get commision).....but I think if he were to charge me it would be in the $200 range. MB's are really cheap to own, but not really once you factor in the hard depreciation. I'd rather pay 10k for service once every other year and it hold value, than a car that loses $2K/month regardless of mileage. Seriously the '03's upon release sold for close to $200K look at old november/december 2002 dupont registries, now theyre in the 50's wholesale. $140K/5 years......close to $30K a year depreciation....but from here out I doubt they'll ever drop under $30K, its just oo much car for that money, but id never keep it without warranty, Id be too terrified the top would break and it would probably be many thousands to fix. Good luck, there's alot for sale, try to find one thats service book has been stamped rigourously. Its usually not a problem w/ AMG'S bcusually theyre owned by enthusiasts, but I've had 3 CL600's that have all had engine problems, but 600's are usually owned by rich old ladies who dont care about proper maintenance.Dont worry about mileage either bc I spoke with a tech at my dealer a few months back and he told me he'd seen 2 or 3 with well over 100K miles.
i worked for a mercedes dealer from 02-04 and we got the very first new-body SL. because it did the auto show tour, that ended in philly and we were the closest dealer so we had the first one. went to vernon hill the owner of commerce bank, the guy who has the largest house in NJ. anyways, i oversaw our orders and we did not see a single SL55 for 03 and nor was it orderable. i could place orders back then for the "MBS" which was mercedes-benze supercar. obviously that was the SLR that wasnt even close to being released, but no SL55, no dealers had them either so i dont think they were available in 03 the first year of this model run.
i have the nov 2002 dupont registry infront of me...it has the spyker c8 on the cover....theres 2 sl55's with pics at peoples homes 1 red one for 190K OBO and 1 silver for 175K. Im a dealer too, my father is one as well hegot one of the first ones in houston, he sold it to another dealer for 182K it was black with the spoke wheels, it was the 2nd one in houston i remember bc at the time it was just such a dream car for me and to purchase one a few months ago for barely over $60K well to say i was psyched is an understatement
