Trading in Sl. Anyone have any input on 2004 BMW 645ci?

[VendettaMB]

Curious about reliability etc. Sick of Sl Bs. Any info would be great. Dont want another lemon $ pit.

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[allenjdmb]

your concern. The 6 is not exactly a Timex. Top issues, tranny issues, electronics and more. 05 is much better in 6, as it is in SL. If you can get to a 650, you would be better offas yu would lwith an 06 SL. Fact is that neither is exactly a panacea out of warranty. I guess it just depends on who's going to fix it for you. In our area, we just happen to have more and better Benz independents than we do BMW. Might be the opposite where you are.
Fact is, cars that have this kind of performance and features are just plain complicated. And as an old wrench used to tell me, "$100k cars just don't have $10 fixes."

[teeth]

My 06 650 had 37 days at the dealer in the two years I owned it. Active steering, fuel pump, etc, etc. Was a rattle box when the top was up. Slow off the line. iDrive infuriatingly slow to go from screen to screen, and takes 4+ clicks to change the radio station. My SL is a much higher quality car.

[VendettaMB]

Appreciate the feedback so far. Seems like nobody makes a decent cat anymore. My sl has been in MB shops for over 2.5 mo of 5 mo ownership. It's sitting there now again! Though Maybe a BMW 6 was an option. Maybe I'll go back to a 3 series or just get a pick up and be done with the stress. Problem
is domestic dealer offering me like
25k on my car and a Honda dealership on the 645ci 10-13k more! Just need out of the sl.
Just picked up the amg sport bumper w/ carlsson spoiler I Wont be putting on. Now get the rims for trade in tomm. To swap my am forged.

[allenjdmb]

if I was going to trade, I would just spend the dough to get up to a newer (05 up) SL. The car is dramatically better quality and has lots of upgrades. The 6 would be OK too, but you need to get to a 650. Motor is so much better. As an alternative, an 06 997 cab.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by allenjdmb

if I was going to trade, I would just spend the dough to get up to a newer (05 up) SL. The car is dramatically better quality and has lots of upgrades. The 6 would be OK too, but you need to get to a 650. Motor is so much better. As an alternative, an 06 997 cab.

not a huge fan or porsche. and def. will never buy another MB again. sad, my first and last. but i bet after many of the new owners who are buying these will leave with a sour taste in their mouths..i dont mind a few repairs..thats to be expected on a car thats a few yrs old..but when yr repairs bills are 3k, 4700k, etc..and dealer dont know issues..blame a subwoofer!? or lrd lic plates..is a joke. i have removed stuff at my expense for them not to get the job done even after 20hrs and 1 month!! its crazy...sad too as i love the look of the car..got all the parts, but now dont want the headaches..i bought a car to drive, not to pay 4k bills and drive a B200 courtesy car LOL!!
thx for input though..gonna look at 3 series, maybe even a small 1 series for my wife and i to share that i wont care about, like a honda. dunno.so confused..depends all on how much dealer gives me on....
even if my car is fixed..its a matter of time till next time bomb...cant drive and own a car that makes u scared to drive it.

[teeth]

Originally Posted by VendettaMB

not a huge fan or porsche. and def. will never buy another MB again. sad, my first and last. but i bet after many of the new owners who are buying these will leave with a sour taste in their mouths..i dont mind a few repairs..thats to be expected on a car thats a few yrs old..but when yr repairs bills are 3k, 4700k, etc..and dealer dont know issues..blame a subwoofer!? or lrd lic plates..is a joke. i have removed stuff at my expense for them not to get the job done even after 20hrs and 1 month!! its crazy...sad too as i love the look of the car..got all the parts, but now dont want the headaches..i bought a car to drive, not to pay 4k bills and drive a B200 courtesy car LOL!!
thx for input though..gonna look at 3 series, maybe even a small 1 series for my wife and i to share that i wont care about, like a honda. dunno.so confused..depends all on how much dealer gives me on....
even if my car is fixed..its a matter of time till next time bomb...cant drive and own a car that makes u scared to drive it.

I learned the same hard lesson you are now learning with my 86 944 turbo. Bought it used in '93 and spent a fortune fixing everything, then sold it at a huge loss in frustration. I will never buy another used car. Now, I always lease and keep the car only within the warranty. My SL55 has had zero problems, but I'm still not willing to risk going down that road again. Buy the best car you can afford the lease payments on. With your repair bills, you could have had a new SL. To me, leasing protects me from these problems as well as the other big complaint about SL's: resale. I couldn't care less what mine is worth. In one more year I give it back.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by teeth

I learned the same hard lesson you are now learning with my 86 944 turbo. Bought it used in '93 and spent a fortune fixing everything, then sold it at a huge loss in frustration. I will never buy another used car. Now, I always lease and keep the car only within the warranty. My SL55 has had zero problems, but I'm still not willing to risk going down that road again. Buy the best car you can afford the lease payments on. With your repair bills, you could have had a new SL. To me, leasing protects me from these problems as well as the other big complaint about SL's: resale. I couldn't care less what mine is worth. In one more year I give it back.

agreed..leasing is great but i cant due to the km's/miles i put on a car. im looking at some 335i cabrios right now..all depends on trade in $..for anything at this point. My car is probaly fine now!, but mentally checked out, and not gonna wait till the next 4k strut bill..which will come! did 1 already .

thx for input

[bobterry99]

Originally Posted by allenjdmb

if I was going to trade, I would just spend the dough to get up to a newer (05 up) SL. The car is dramatically better quality and has lots of upgrades.

Why do you believe this? Except for the tranny and the COMAND the '05 and '06 are basically the same car as an '03. In regard to reiliability, I know of just one published source that shows reliability comparison between the years, and that is Consumer Reports. According to their data the '05 is slightly worse than an '03. The '07 and/or '08 *are* much improved, however.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by bobterry99

Why do you believe this? Except for the tranny and the COMAND the '05 and '06 are basically the same car as an '03. In regard to reiliability, I know of just one published source that shows reliability comparison between the years, and that is Consumer Reports. According to their data the '05 is slightly worse than an '03. The '07 and/or '08 *are* much improved, however.

from what i see from owners on the threads.the 03 have more issues, but all have same issues.
edmunds shows reliability on 2003Sl500 as 10, as well as 04 645ci...so i donr believe that site..03 sl500 scores a 10 for reliability! not after you scroll this site.

[buster11]

Get a used car with a cpo. It will be more expensive, but after a few repairs the warranty will have paid for itself. I had a few issues when I got my SL, all covered with no deductable. Now the car is great and running like a champ. I have no idea what the repair bill would have been, but really don't care.

[allenjdmb]

the right track. An SL is a great car. As with most MB products, newer is better and less troublesome than older. And whether it's the balance of the MB warranty, or just some protection from big trouble, I wouldn't own one out of warranty.
There are many other great cars out there as well. But whether they are new or used, almost ALL great or unique cars have SOME issue. It's a matter of whether or not you can live with it, or have a good shop to reasonably fix it, or if you want to make big payments to own one under warranty.
If you want something that is darn near troublefree, then you are on the right track with a Honda, Toyota, or any number of appliances. They are totally boring and provide no fun whatsoever. Sometimes that ain't all bad. But if you want something that makes you smile, then my dad used to say..and I agree...you can make payments or you can make repairs. Your choice.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by allenjdmb

the right track. An SL is a great car. As with most MB products, newer is better and less troublesome than older. And whether it's the balance of the MB warranty, or just some protection from big trouble, I wouldn't own one out of warranty.
There are many other great cars out there as well. But whether they are new or used, almost ALL great or unique cars have SOME issue. It's a matter of whether or not you can live with it, or have a good shop to reasonably fix it, or if you want to make big payments to own one under warranty.
If you want something that is darn near troublefree, then you are on the right track with a Honda, Toyota, or any number of appliances. They are totally boring and provide no fun whatsoever. Sometimes that ain't all bad. But if you want something that makes you smile, then my dad used to say..and I agree...you can make payments or you can make repairs. Your choice.

I'm
not getting many smiles driving a b200 or corolla ad my car Has been at MB half the time I have owned it. Dropping 50k after all said and done with parts and tax to hve a car you don't see or drive as at shop isn't making me smile. Lol

looking at 2007/08 335cabrio also right now

my car has warranty but does me no good as cat is at shop getting free work for while I look at empty bank account.

[garybc230]

Sorry to hear that you are having so many problems with your SL. I to researched luxury sports cars and kept coming back to the SL. The problems, that I've had with my 06 have been minimal at best. I purchased an extended warranty and have driven 9K since purchasing it in April.

As far as the BMW 335Ic goes, it's a great car and pretty reliable. My neighbor has one and is extremely happy with it. It's not a SL but it is quick, fun to drive and has a hard top.

There aren't many other vehicles out there that embody all the things that the SL does. The BMW is nice, but it's large, doesn't provide the turning radius, and seems slower off the line. I drove both previously before I took the plung for the SL.

Best of luck to you and your decision.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by garybc230

Sorry to hear that you are having so many problems with your SL. I to researched luxury sports cars and kept coming back to the SL. The problems, that I've had with my 06 have been minimal at best. I purchased an extended warranty and have driven 9K since purchasing it in April.

As far as the BMW 335Ic goes, it's a great car and pretty reliable. My neighbor has one and is extremely happy with it. It's not a SL but it is quick, fun to drive and has a hard top.

There aren't many other vehicles out there that embody all the things that the SL does. The BMW is nice, but it's large, doesn't provide the turning radius, and seems slower off the line. I drove both previously before I took the plung for the SL.

Best of luck to you and your decision.

thx for input

[Bam Bam]

what kind of problems are you getting? Are they really serious problems that causes the car not to be driveable?

Try and get yourself a Star diagnosis computer. You could use star diagnosis to figure out the smaller minor problems and maybe fix it yourself rather than taking it to the shop. But I heard it costs like $7000 for the star diagnosis computer.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by Bam Bam

what kind of problems are you getting? Are they really serious problems that causes the car not to be driveable?

Try and get yourself a Star diagnosis computer. You could use star diagnosis to figure out the smaller minor problems and maybe fix it yourself rather than taking it to the shop. But I heard it costs like $7000 for the star diagnosis computer.

Nothing wrong with it now. Buy after fixing strut , a month gone for battery issue, etc. I'm done mentally with it. All I read is guys with issues. As my daily driver I don't have time to worry waist next. Sure good now, but just waiting till next next strut or who knows. For 50k out of my pocket not leased
or financed I want a car that's fun, worry free and not in the shop.

Buy a computer to fix it myself?!!!?!? I'd rather drive a Kia.

Dunno what I'm gonna do, Im just done. I live how it looks and drives, but always scared of next thing to go And the 4k bill.
Maybe a 335, maybe a x5, but it will most likely be a BMW.
I may also drive abit till my ext warranty almost up on this. Bit even with that last issue cost me 1500$ as ext warrnty won't cover 13hrs to FIND a problem and 8 to fix it!! Luck they covered any diag., and a computer won't help that they tore entire car apart to fix it.

*** sucks just got new front end yesterday. Haven't even installed audio equip yet..... I'm sad it looks so good!!!!

[BENZGR]

I have been following your post for some time because I had a problem with my Keyless Go and was very frusturated; however, the issue has been resolved and the auto performs flawlessly. I have an 03 with about 26,000 miles and I'm glad I didn't give up on the car. Seems like most of your issues are resolved, it would be a shame to get the car in great condition and then let someone else reap the benefits. Maybe wait a month and then see how you feel??? Happy trails.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by Bam Bam

what kind of problems are you getting? Are they really serious problems that causes the car not to be driveable?

Try and get yourself a Star diagnosis computer. You could use star diagnosis to figure out the smaller minor problems and maybe fix it yourself rather than taking it to the shop. But I heard it costs like $7000 for the star diagnosis computer.

Originally Posted by BENZGR

I have been following your post for some time because I had a problem with my Keyless Go and was very frusturated; however, the issue has been resolved and the auto performs flawlessly. I have an 03 with about 26,000 miles and I'm glad I didn't give up on the car. Seems like most of your issues are resolved, it would be a shame to get the car in great condition and then let someone else reap the benefits. Maybe wait a month and then see how you feel??? Happy trails.

I think I may just so that especially after looking in paper and seeing cars so cheap. Brand new jeep vehicles for 15k cdn. Good as a second car etc. Less than I have to pay and give my car wrk on a trade. Gonna see how it is for awhile. Got some 07 amg wheels for offseason so I will not rush and drive till next issue.
How bad to drive car past service B as mine is due very soon?!!
Anyone have a list of the parts for a service B?

[BENZGR]

My B Service cost $ 350.00, and included an oil and filter change, TS Filter In; Seal Ring, VL; Seal Ring IN; filter (part number 230-830-04-18 ($ 139.00); however as you know the labor and the filter above were the biggest line items. I don't know if this is typical because all cars are different but that's all I know about a B Service, my next service (A) is due in 3600 miles. In my honest opinion the only thing that really mattered was the oil and filter change. Happy Trails.

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by BENZGR

My B Service cost $ 350.00, and included an oil and filter change, TS Filter In; Seal Ring, VL; Seal Ring IN; filter (part number 230-830-04-18 ($ 139.00); however as you know the labor and the filter above were the biggest line items. I don't know if this is typical because all cars are different but that's all I know about a B Service, my next service (A) is due in 3600 miles. In my honest opinion the only that really mattered was the oil and filter change. Happy Trails.

i need the one with plugs etc..quoted like almost 2k w/ tax i think if i remember correct.

[Gary@EuroDyne]

Didn't you just bought a used AMG front bumper?

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by Gary@EuroDyne

Didn't you just bought a used AMG front bumper?

just picked it up yesterday...sitting in spare room. lol

[Gary@EuroDyne]

LOL...

[VendettaMB]

Originally Posted by Gary@EuroDyne

LOL...

gonna wai abit and see how car is..i think its fine..but dont want the stress of waiting till next big fix. if it seems ok, and i keep it i will get it put on in spring..but i have it listed local for sale.