I live in S. California and have been in the market for an 07 SL55 AMG. I came across a dealer who has a like new 05 SL 600 with less than 5K miles. The 05 SL600 would probably costs about $400-500 a month less than the 07 55. Does anyone have any thoughts on chosing one over the other. I really like the paddle shifts in the 55, the 600 unfortunately does not have the AMG kit. As far as reliability with the SL 600, any concerns that the car is already 2 years old (albeit with no miles) and I would intend to keep it at least another 3? The 05 600 is fully covered under an extended warranty, so I am not worried about paying for the repairs just the inconvenience of having to take it to the dealer. I also test drove a new SL 550 which I thought was nice but seemed a little timid compared to the other two cars. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I have a 2005 sl500. Owned it for about six months and bought a low miles 05 sl600 yesterday. I researched and drove the sl55 and sl65. For the money I went with the sl600. It is a beast. I think definately faster than the sl55. Nothing like the v12 in my mind. On the way back from getting my sl600 had a porsche TT and it could not keep up. I have lorinser wheels and pirelli tires on mine. Drives much better than the crappy michelins. My vote is for the sl600. Just my opinion.
I have owned both a an SL 55 and a 600 and currently drive a 600.
I traded in the SL 55 for a BMW M6 but absolutely did not enjoy it.
I traded the M6 for a slightly used SL 600 with 8,000 Kms .
It is my daily driver and I have approx 18,000 Kms on it.
It is a great car and I would not hesitate in recommending it over the SL 55 from a daily driving point of view.
It is a quieter car and feels slightly heavier but it is a great car for both town and long trip driving.
Again, ignoring the price, deprecation and value in 1 and 2 years from a driving point of view it is a tremendous car.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I test drove both the 05 Sl600 and the 07 SL 55 back to back. Hands down the 600 is the more refined of the two. The 600engine had a nice rumble albeit it was a little subdued when compared to the whine of the supercharger in the 55. It was really a hard choice. Both cars are truly stunning. The new larger paddle shifters on the 07 55 were a defnite plus though. I understand the brake system was updated on the 07 but I didn't really drive the cars long enough to tell the difference. In the end, I chose the SL55 with the designo graphite package as in my humble opinion it seemed the more sporty of the two. The 19" AMG wheels which were standard on the 07 didn't hurt as well. When I get a chance, I will post some pictures.
Low Mile 05 SL600 vs 07 SL 55 AMG 
Linear Mode
