500SL vs C6
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 19
From: Santa Clara, CA
500SL vs C6
I was looking at a Mercedes 500SL before buying a vert. Love the lines on the SL, thought it was at the top of the food chain for cruising the strip with the top down. Has great creature comforts and gadgets. But, I liked the C6's torque, price performance, handling and heritage enough to stay with the American icon. What do you folks think? 
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 16,684
Likes: 1,193
From: La Center WA
Between the C6 convertible and the current generation SL (all iterations), there are no bad choices. The SL550 isn't the rocket that the Corvette is but it's still a superb machine. Of course, if you move up to the SL600 or either of AMG versions (SL55 or SL65), you're talking major butt kicker.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,460
Likes: 1
The SL550 is a beauitiful car with a nice interior(needs to be nicer for $90K though), but so is a Conv. Corvette. There is really no substitute w/the way a Corvette feels and drives.
Stay w/the Corvette....besides here in LA, Corvette Convertibles are much more rare than an SL where they are a Dime a Dozen(if not more).
Stay w/the Corvette....besides here in LA, Corvette Convertibles are much more rare than an SL where they are a Dime a Dozen(if not more).
CF Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,313
Likes: 25
From: Tucson Arizona
I drove BMWs for about 20 years. I also (briefly) looked at a Mercedes roadster right about when the C6 first came out. BMWs and Mercedes are obviously fine cars, however, I prefer the styling of the C6 and neither BMW or MB have the 'thrill factor' that the C6 does.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 19
From: Santa Clara, CA
The Mercedes I have driven always feel a bit heavy but solid. The C6 feels light and the torque is what I REALLY like. 
I can't think of another car that has that neck snapping grab factor!
I can't think of another car that has that neck snapping grab factor!
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,469
Likes: 20
From: Rockville Centre NY
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 430
Likes: 1
From: San Francisco CA
Are you talking about the early last gen SLs? Or the later model SL500s?
That body style, as a hard top, is striking. If the seating position wasn't the worst of any car in history, I would have to find a way to have one...as a winter car!
That body style, as a hard top, is striking. If the seating position wasn't the worst of any car in history, I would have to find a way to have one...as a winter car!
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 19
From: Santa Clara, CA
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 1
From: Rehoboth Beach Delaware
I was looking at a Mercedes 500SL before buying a vert. Love the lines on the SL, thought it was at the top of the food chain for cruising the strip with the top down. Has great creature comforts and gadgets. But, I liked the C6's torque, price performance, handling and heritage enough to stay with the American icon. What do you folks think?
Why the decision to go for the C6?
Incredible bang for the buck and this is coming from one whose C6 shares the garage with a AMG G55, AMG C43 and a TurboTechnics twin turbo 300CE....
Also where I live SL's are common, Vettes are not
First purchase of an American car since I bought a Vette new in 1975....
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,253
Likes: 265
From: 48th state
They're two very different cars even if they're both two-seaters. The Benz is a GT and the Vette a sports car. The SL500 or the newer SL550 is a great looking car and having the convertible hardtop is fantastic. It's stylish, heavy (overweight) and is essentially a two-door S class though it's not as large as their CL model which is an S-class with only two door.
If you want a sports car you buy the Corvette. If you want a Grand Touring car you buy either the SL or the Vette.
PS: my wife's dream car is the SL550
If you want a sports car you buy the Corvette. If you want a Grand Touring car you buy either the SL or the Vette.
PS: my wife's dream car is the SL550
Racer
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 441
Likes: 0
From: Houston TX
I totaled my C5 and started thinking about a slower car. I looked at the Benz when it first came out. I also looked at the Jag XKR vert. The girl at the Benz dealership said it was a 4 year wait. Long story short I bought the jag on Saturday. She calls me on Monday and said a DR. decided against the Benz and it was available. I rushed down and bought it for $ 97K. The used car manager offered me $ 125K at delivery. This was a limited edition Designio, one of 2000 made, the fourth one in Texas. I said I want to drive it a while and see if i liked it. The color and looks were off the hook cool. They were going for $ 135K on Ebay. I did a shoot out and the XKR won by a huge margin. I sold the Benz for $ 120K a few weeks later. I never made money on a new car before. The SL was MUCH slower, stereo was not as good and although comfy, not fun to drive like the XKR and had no back seat. The C6 came out and I held out as long as I could. This Vette with base suspension rides as nice as both of those cars and is 10 times more fun to drive IMO.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: Johnson County Texas
The Corvette and the Mercedes-Benz are what they are. You can see the difference in the price. Both cars are well made for the price they cost. As someone said earlier one is a sports car and one is a GT. The other major difference is the dealership. This is also part of the price difference. It is like going to different universes when I go to the Mercedes-Benz dealer versus the Chevrolet dealer. But the cars and the dealerships should be different at the prices each charge.
