2006 Mercedes-Benz SL350 Reviews

Mercedes has taken a new stance in its first all-new SL sports roadster in 10 years, leaning strongly in the direction of making it a highly competent grand touring machine. Grand Touring (which is what GT really stands for though the meaning has become somewhat twisted over the years) is all about moving safely and surely at high-speeds from one upmarket destination to another in sporting luxury.VALUEThe entry level SL 350 starts from  $225,000 and goes all away to the top of the range SL 500 starting from $304,500. Sophisticated hotrod AMG variants are also available, the V8 63 (from $381,500) goes on sale at the same time as the mainstream SL models, the V12 65 (from $466,500) is coming very early in 2013.TECHNOLOGYPower comes from a choice of a Benz 3.5-litre V6 engine (the SL 350) producing 225 kilowatts of power and 370 Newton metres of torque, or a bi-turbo 4.7-litre V8 (SL 500) outputting up to 320 kW and a staggering 700 Nm.Both powerplants take drive to the rear wheels by way of a seven-speed automatic transmission that runs a sportier state of tune than we have experienced in passenger Mercedes models in recent times.On an environmental note, the engines have trimmed carbon production and petrol usage by about 10 to 20 per cent when compared with those in the outgoing generations of SLs.DESIGNGiven the severe traffic and equally severe limitations on travelling at high speeds in many countries, the designers of the Mercedes SL have worked hard at an interior which is almost a destination in its own right. The interior of a new SL is certainly a pleasant place to spend many hours enjoying the feeling of conditioned air, fine music by way of Mercedes’ longtime partner Harmon Kardon and a generally relaxing atmosphere.Quality materials are assembled in an exacting manner, resulting in a blend of form and function that looks and feels most impressive. You can choose to do your grand touring in a closed coupe, or a coupe that feels semi-open if you choose to use the Mercedes’ Magic Sky Control to let your chosen amount of light through the glass roof, or ultimately do away with the roof altogether by powering it down into the back of the car for a convertible ride.Weight has been trimmed by some 70 kilograms in comparison to the superseded model, the car plus two people and their luggage is still mighty close to two tonnes in weight.DRIVINGSuperb electronic stability and steering systems mean a Mercedes SL can grip the road with cornering loads that the passenger certainly feels as G-forces mount. Yet retains an enormous amount of safety as sensors read the forces on various sections of the car and adjust the suspension, brakes and steering to make the car steer itself on just the right path.The driver can dial out some of the assistance depending on their desires, right down to almost-off settings should they wish to tackle a race track. Not the SL’s intended station in life, but one that can be tackled if you’re interested in something out of the ordinary in weekend entertainment.We sampled both engines over a varied drive route out of Melbourne and back organised by Mercedes-Benz Australia. The SL 350 has plenty of performance and is probably all that is needed by many drivers. The acceleration to overtake or simply to get away from the traffic lights with a bit of verve is satisfying and the exhaust note and air intake sounds are pretty satisfying.But, and we freely admit to being revheads, the twin-turbo V8 has so much more grunt that we simply loved everything it did during our 200+ kilometres behind the wheel of the SL 500. The deep note of the V8 is addictive and the push in the back from that over abundance of Newton metres is brilliant.We spent much of the time with the roofs down on both the SL 350 and SL 500 and found buffeting is minimal when the power operated windbreak is up. Mercedes’ clever Airscarf pumps warm air over your neck and as the heat went out of the sun later in the day made life more pleasant than it would otherwise have been.VERDICTThe big Benz is first and foremost a sporting tourer and can be hammered along in a manner that defies its size and weight.RANGEThe complete new Mercedes-Benz SL is:SL 350 3.5-litre two-door convertible: from $225,000 (automatic)SL 500 4.7-litre two-door convertible: from $304,500 (automatic)AMG SL 63 5.5-litre two-door convertible: from $381,500 (automatic)AMG SL 65 V12 two-door convertible: from $466,500 (automatic)Mercedes-Benz SLPrice: from $225,000 (SL350), $304,500 (SL500)Warranty: Three years/unlimited kmResale: 58 per centService Intervals: 12 months/25,000kmSafety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC, active bonnetCrash Rating: 5 starsEngine: 3.5-litre V6, 225kW/370Nm (SL350); 4.7-litre bi-turbo V8, 320kW/700Nm (SL500)Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto; rear-wheel driveThirst: 8.3L/100km, 192g/km CO2 (SL350); 9.4L/100km, 218g/km CO2 (SL500)Dimensions: 4.61m (L), 1.88m (W), 1.31m (H)Weight: 1685kg (SL350), 1785kg (SL500)

Totally decadent is how we'd describe the new Mercedes-Benz SL and that's the way buyers would like it. Gen’ 6 of the big Benz sports coupe is as much about image as it is about sporty driving and style.The SLS is an AMG product and is hardly “mass production.” We get the SL350 and SL500 initially to be followed by an SL 63AMG and an SL65AMG. If you buy one of these, it tells everyone you are at the top of your game. Why else would you be in a large, two seater, drop top sports car selling from a starting point of $225,000. Beats driving an S-Class limo every day.There's plenty of other new stuff in SL this time around including relatively simple magic view control (wipers fitted with numerous washer nozzles), electric draught stopper (a large screen behind the seats) and ‘Front Bass’ technology developed by Harman Kardon that places sub-woofer speakers in chassis voids within the firewall.Higher up the technology food chain is stuff like hands free access to the boot, and SUNA satnav. There’s also a myriad of goodies like an 18cm info screen, electric park brake button, rear view camera, 40 gig hard disc drive with a 10 gig music register, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and much more.This new car is something special in the Benz family being the only all aluminium mass production model in the lineup. And true to the SL (Super Light) acronym coined back in the early 1950s, this new gen' car actually sheds up to 140kg compared with the previous model. The entire body/chassis is only 256kg.The new model is slightly larger overall than the previous model but is still relatively compact. The interior is up to S-Class Benz standard but in the latest idiom with stitched leather dash, four spoke vent covers and a high tech centre stack.Comfort is boosted by the inclusion of heated seats and the airscarf seat-based neck warmer system. The tiller is chunky in your hands and is equipped with paddle shifters and a number of other controls for the audio, cruise (radar controlled), phone and other stuff. The entire interior is a study in modern function and attractive design.They are all petrol engines starting with a 3.5-litre V6 in the 350, a 4.7 twin turbo in the 500, a 5.5-litre twin turbo in the 63 and a 6.0-litre V12 twin turbo in the 65. Power and torque ratings for the first two are 225kW/370Nm and 320kW/700Nm of the V8. The other two will have much more of both and will cost a lot more too.Fuel economy is better than ever thanks to BlueDirect technology a reference to the direct fuel injection in the V6 and V8 engines as well as auto stop/start and numerous other refinements designed to reduce fuel consumption and cut emissions.Of course, safety is rated at five stars but the SL gets many more active and passive safety systems than a five star rating demands. Pre-safe collision preparation, pop up roll bars, active park assist, blind spot warning, lane keeping assist and an active bonnet for improved pedestrian safety are some of them.Power goes to the rear wheels via a seven speed automatic transmission with multiple modes. Dynamic responses are also dial up offering a range from comfort to sporty. As you'd expect, the SL in either V6 or V8 form is superlative to drive offering convincing handling with luxury at a high level and super performance. The V8 is a missile in a velvet glove.

Buying artwork is generally an emotional experience. The same logic applies to the Mercedes-Benz SL roadster: there's no rational need to own one, particularly as most SL buyers already have an S-Class or CLS (or both) in the garage. If money isn't an issue, the feel-good factor certainly is and few cars in the three-pointed star's stable make drivers.In the rarefied strata of SL candidates, six-figure sums don't mean much. It's the perception - their own and others - that matter. The SL350 starts at $225,000; the bi-turbo SL500 is $304,500. Only early adopters will pay those prices - most buyers will spend more to dip into the "designo" catalogue and customise their car.When the AMG variants arrive later this year, the SL63 will hit showrooms at $381,500; with the V12-powered SL65 at $446,500. You can't sleep in an SL but owners don't need to dream - it's already been realised.If you have a fancy, these cars have a feature for it. Take the top off and the electric draft stop, airscarf neck ventilation and heated ensure the enhanced view isn't sullied by wind. And the windscreen wiper sprayers are mounted on the blades and, with the top down, discharge on the downward stroke to ensure the no mist hits the occupants.The sub-woofers in the Harman Kardon sound system are built into the alloy chassis, literally transforming the car into a boom-box that will drown out any techno-beats from the adjacent lanes. Reach your destination with the top down and a button in the boot - which opens and shuts with a wave of the foot under the rear bumper - lifts the stowed roof to give access to the luggage.Where the SLS is sculpted for sport the SL's silhouette is all style. This is the marque's longest-running and most treasured nameplate - it's been around for nearly 60 years - and the designers have the unenviable task of creating a contemporary interpretation of a classic design. The proportions are key - long bonnet, humped cockpit and truncated tail.That said, every successive model has grown in size from the original SL300 Gullwing and the latest roadster is a mid-sized car at 4.6m long. The inside should put a smile on owner’s dials, from the scalloped seats to the standard of the stitchwork on the dash and the choice of three ambient interior colours that are housed in fibre-opted channels around the interior.Every acronym in the Mercedes range has been shoehorned into the SL but they should be superfluous, given the car's basic driving dynamics. Recycled aluminium has lifted 110kg from the body's weight - only the A-pillars are steel to improve rollover strength - and the car is noticeably lighter changing direction.The SL350 comes with six airbags, a drowsiness-detection feature and an active bonnet to protect pedestrians. Step up to the SL500 and there's adaptive cruise control, blind spot and lane-keeping assistance, tyre pressure monitors, “Pre-Safe” software that prepares the car for an imminent collision and a reversing camera.The SL takes refined ride to a new dimension. Set the adaptive damping to comfort and there's very little jostling over broken roads. Flick the switch to sport and every crease on the bitumen can be felt through the chassis. Acceleration should be measured in G-force, not seconds - though for the record the SL500 hits 100km/h in 4.6 seconds; the SL350 does it in 5.9 seconds.The scary part is both cars are more impressive in roll-on urge - and the AMG variants will up the ante again. The only criticism Carsguide can find is the electric steering is precise to the point of being over-engineered: it doesn't give the on-the-edge feedback of genuine sports cars. That'd be the SLS's role, then. In all other aspects, from driver comfort to noise suppression - top up or down - it justifies the expense. And the look-at-me factor is priceless.Mercedes Australia sold around 1000 of the fourth-generation SL and CL models. That figure grew to 2000 for the fifth-generation, which included the SLS.

We have tested the posers, pretenders and potential stars of open-air motoring. But it's time to reset the gold standard for convertibles and cabrios.We've enjoyed the Mazda MX5-SE and Peugeot 307 CC, puzzled over the Daihatsu Copen and had an unfulfilling fling with an Alfa Spider, but have no doubts about the Mercedes-Benz SL.It remains the best metal-roof convertible.The latest SL is the six-cylinder 350. And it brings everything that has made the heavyweight Benz a benchmark of the droptops.That means good looks, quality design, fantastic finishing and a roof action that still drops jaws after more than 10 years and plenty of copies.But the best comes at a high price.The cheapest of the SL droptops will detonate a $200,000 explosion in your bank account, and the top-line SL 65 – which arrives later this year with a twin-turbo V12 engine – will cause a seismic shift closer to $500,000.So, how can we describe the SL 350 as a bargain?The six-pack SL is $90,000 less expensive than an SL 500 V8, yet its missing equipment adds up to nothing like $90,000.The only things absent from the SL 350 are Parktronic parking radar, high-beam xenon headlamps, Benz's hi-tech Active Body Control suspension, and heated and ventilated seats.It even has the same 17-inch alloy wheels as the SL 500.That means a lot of cars are going to be ordered without a 500 badge on the boot, because only real enthusiasts – or people with a keen ear for a V8 burble – will pick the difference.The arrival of the 350 this year comes after the big impact of Mercedes' SL 500 and SL 55 AMG, and ahead of the twin-turbo V12 SL 65 AMG, which will cost about $470,000 when it arrives later this year.The 350 has taken 60 per cent of SL sales this year, which is good considering 102 cars were delivered by the end of April.Benz expects it to take 50 per cent of all SL business for 10 years.Changes to SL models are far apart for two reasons: high development costs and the car is a fairly timeless machine.The SL has a surprising number of rivals at $200,000, including the Porsche 911 Targa, Maserati Spyder, Jaguar XK8 and the cheaper Lexus SC430, while BMW will rock the boat with a 6-Series convertible.On the roadThe SL has been around for a while, but it still feels new and tight. It looks good, too.It comes fully loaded with everything from electric leather seats to satellite navigation and classy CD sound, just as you'd expect for the price.The downgrading work in the engine room hasn't really hurt the car, which still has enough go from its 3.7-litre V6 to easily keep pace with traffic and breeze past when overtaking.It doesn't have the wham-bam punch of the 500, or the gutsy engine grumble, but the performance is fine and it did well to run13.2 litres/100km consumption during our test.The sweet five-speed automatic with easy touch-change action allows you to keep the engine in the performance band from 3000 revs if you want some fun. It provides plenty, and not just with the top folded into the boot.The SL is a great coupe with the strength of its rivals and plenty of lounging space for two. OK, it's a big car to have only two seats, but that's the deal with the SL. There's a small bench behind the buckets for knick-knacks.Fold down the roof and the SL becomes a great convertible, particularly with the wind blocker fitted inside the fold-up rollover bar. The roof itself still sets the standard for all convertibles, working smoothly and quickly. It would be nice, though, if Benz could get it to work at up to 30km/h – as do some cheaper rivals – so you don't get caught in a downpour at the lights.The SL 350 corners nicely if you glide it around curves and don't try to force all 1700kg into abrupt moves, but it's not immune to droptop wobbles. A couple of undulations and a hidden drain caught it, reminding us that even Benz can't remove all traces of top-down weakness.At the end of our time with the SL 350 we were reminded of all the good reasons for putting one on the Tattslotto dream list.But if the SL 350 is so good, why doesn't it get a perfect 20-point rating? The price, because $209,900 is silly money for a car – particularly one with only two seats.The SL 350 is a mighty fine device and a relative bargain among luxury cars, but we still have to leave a little space in the ratings for the SL 55 AMG – still best in show for the SL – and which rates a 19.The bottom lineIf you win Tattslotto, put this car on your shortlist. It's actually a bargain.