[persian54]

Originally Posted by Gpwheels

Hey persian54. Probably not the right place, but I don't want to start a new thread for this. Since you own/owned both the sl and z4, how do you find they compare. Which do you like better and are there things you miss about the z4. I love the sl and was considering one when I bought my z. Just curious about your opinion.

Hey man

They are two completely different cars. The SL is in a class of it's own (rightly so, huge price difference).

The SL is more comfortable, more luxurious, has more features than I can remember, faster (V8 biturbo!), engine sounds much better (I love V8s)…. it's a better car overall.

But it has some major cons that are fixed with the SL63 AMG, but that was out of my comfort zone in terms of price.
Cons:
-Transmission is crap. Then again, I find most non-DCT transmission as crap… the AMG one is great, but the regular tranny on the SL550 is slow, laggy, and shifts at Redline.
- Exhaust could be louder, but then again this is supposed to be a touring car, so I can see why they didn't make it louder. the SL63 fixes this…
- Suspension could be stiffer, but then again this car isn't designed for that. It can still handle the twisties very well (I have no had a chance to track it yet).

The Z4 is more fun to drive, as it is lighter, smaller, and the exhaust blips are intoxicating on downshifts. (Especially with the topdown)
DCT and exhaust blips on downshift (which is related to the DCT..) are probably the only things I really miss about the Z4/E93 M3 that the SL does not have.

The Z4 is not nearly as comfortable, classy, luxurious, or refined. The SL63 has become my favorite roadster… but it is out of my comfort range. It turns the great SL into the perfect roadster.

I have yet to drive a Ferrari California, but I do not know of a better hardtop convertible out there right now that would best the SL63.
The SL550 comes second.

The 6 series doesn't count as it's a soft top, 991 included. I am not a fan of soft top convertibles for daily driving.

Some features I love about the SL that the Z4 doesn't have:
- Dynamic seats (side boasters fill in when you turn)
- Massaging seats
- very comfortable seats that can be adjusted almost in infinite ways
- heat scarf (blows hot hair on your neck, perfect for chilly topdown nights on the freeway. My previous 09 SLK300 and this feature as well)
- automatic wind deflector. push of a button and it comes up, unlike needing to have one constantly in place with the Z4 (so I can improve visibility when I need it. or take it down when I want to feel more air, etc)

I can go on….. but I think this should suffice. I loved the Z4, and wouldn't mind owning a Z4 M if they made one, but after two Z4 35i cars, I don't plan to get another. I almost for a 35iS, but decided against it after driving it. It was slower than my tuned Z4 35i and wasn't worth the $700/month payment.

The SL550 worked out great for me.
But there is a huge difference in MSRP.
My Z4 was ~$65k, MSRP on my Sl550 is ~$113k.

Lease on the SL is about 1.5 times more than what the Z4 cost me to lease.