2018 Mercedes-Benz SL500 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down into the back of the car for a convertible ride.Weight has been trimmed by some 70 kilograms in comparison to the superseded model, the car plus two people and their luggage is still mighty close to two tonnes in weight.DRIVINGSuperb electronic stability and steering systems mean a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.

The Mercedes-Benz SL name is synonymous with sports cars and has been since the the middle of last century.Benz has cranked out a succession of delectable, low-slung, two-door, two-seaters bearing the famous nomenclature and now, there's a new one that takes SL to a new level.This time around it's built entirely from aluminium except for the two steel A pillars either side of the windscreen. It cuts SL's weight by 140kg compared to the previous model and boosts safety and reduces noise, vibration and harshness.Not only that, high-tech 3D design makes the new SL more rigid and therefore safer and more dynamically responsive than ever and aerodynamically it rates an impressive 0.27Cd. Benz says the new SL is the safest car in its class due in part to flow down technology from the S-Class range.The interior gets the full leather high tech benz treatment with one of the best sounding audio systems we've heard — even with the roof off. Internet access is provided in-car through the large info screen.It's powered by a range of so-called BlueDIRECT engines with Eco Stop/Start offering more power, more performance and lower fuel consumption and emissions. Our SL500 test car ran a 4.7-litre, direct injection, twin-turbo V8 good for 320kW/700Nm driving the rear wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission complete with blip function on the downchange.There's clever technology too like the "frontbass" audio system that utilises apertures in the firewall to mount a pair of sub-woofer speakers for maximum effect. There's also "magic vision" control which adaptively helps clean the screen with banks of small water jets on each wiper. Hands free boot access makes an appearance as does the optional Magic Sky sunroof with variable tint.It has the requisite body looks that owes plenty to the smaller SLK and, like its smaller sibling, the SL is all about driving fun coupled with everyday useability. It is a car designed as much for local errands as it is for high speed, long distance applications.We had the opportunity last week to drive the new SL500 in Spain at the international launch and thoroughly enjoyed the open-top, wind in your hair experience — who wouldn't. Right away the new car's lighter weight is evident in the SL's behaviour. It doesn't feel big and cumbersome like the previous model.Still, at 1785kg it's no lightweight. Part of the sporty feel is attributable to the SL's direct steering and more to its new suspension, optionable to sophisticated Active Body Control but unnecessary we think. Quantifying the SL500's sporty prowess is a 0-100kmh sprint time of a mere 4.6 seconds.It has super sharp steering response and with the dynamics dialled up to Sport, the drive feel is "fully connected." Other aspects of the car's dynamics are impressive — the monstrous brakes, the wide, grippy tyres, the taut ride control, the rock solid chassis — all contributing to the car's sporty capabilities.It's safe too with a swag of active and passive systems to either help avoid a collision or mitigate injury. Attention Assist, Adaptive Brakes, Pre-Safe and Distronic Plus (radar cruise control) are all part of the package.

The benefits of tighter emissions regulations are obvious enough: less time wasted at the coffee-and-muffin shops that pass for service stations and more time on the road.Cheaper running costs and few compromises, if any, on performance. If you feel the need, you can even convince yourself you're saving the planet.The downsides are less tangible. You don't become an immediate social outcast if you only pack four-cylinders, but you don't get the warm inner glow that a six or eight gives.It helps if a turbocharger is fitted, because that suggests you're still a petrol-head at heart. But light-switch acceleration isn't the goal of turbos any more. Without an air pump, even modern engines must sacrifice economy or driveability; it's virtually impossible to deliver both.Of course, carmakers employ marketing departments that are attuned to the social implications of all this. So while engines get smaller and shed cylinders, model designations stay the same. Mercedes’ AMG-tuned cars badged “63'' used to be naturally aspirated V8s of 6.2-litres capacity rather than 6.3. Depending on the model, outputs were different, and as carmakers go, that's a relatively innocent sleight of hand.Now it's a full-on illusion. Some AMGs keep that engine, some move to a new 5.5-litre V8 with two turbos. But the badge stays. So you can't tell.So I was left wondering what was under the bonnet of the SL500. When the fifth generation was launched 11 years ago, it stood for 5.0-litre V8, naturally fed. Now?This V8 is never very loud, though, and of course the badge gives no clue to the fact that it's now 4.7-litres displacement, not 5.0, with twin turbochargers. All the fuel-saving tricks available have been fitted and the result is impressive average consumption of 9.1 litres per 100km. Helping achieve that figure is an extremely low drag coefficient of just 0.27 and electronic steering.The SLS sits above the SL in Mercedes-Benz sportscar hierarchy and the six-cylinder SL350 will start around half the price. Even the SL500 driven at launch will be about $130,000 cheaper than an SLS.It's easier to start with the letters. “SL'' stands for "super-light'' and this car traces its lineage back to the original 300SL Gullwing from 1954, which was based on a race-car. As the SL evolved, Mercedes forgot what the “L'' stood for and by the time it replaced its fabric roof with a folding hard-top in 2001, the SL500 weighed a whopping 1845kg.No one would describe the new one as lithe, but it has switched to aluminium construction with a soupcon of magnesium and only used steel for the bits that really need it, such as the windscreen pillars. The result is a car 60kg lighter than the 2001 model despite being longer and wider.The SL500  aims to be a luxury convertible with a turn of speed and a degree of style. On those goals, I'd score it two out of three. Its downfall is its design which, like most recent Mercedes, falls well short of its best work. Traditional roadster proportions are retained, with a long bonnet and cabin set well back.There are modern echoes of the original, such as side air vents. But next to earlier SL models, thoughtfully lined up by Mercedes for comparison, the new one lacks grace. It looks best on the move but even then the nose can seem bulbous and headlights too large.On the other counts, it's a significant step forward. It's not easy to make a folding roof convertible seem solid. Mercedes has achieved a more rigid body than before and it's noticeably tighter, with few creaks or groans. It's the first hard-top convertible I've driven that doesn't feel as though you've loaded the boot with flat-pack furniture.The seats are good (with a fast power-forward button for access to storage behind) and the interior feels top-notch premium, with one blemish: black metal arms that support the roof are visible when it would be better if they were not. Round air vents and a miniature gearshifter come from the SLS and at last there's an electronic park brake.This will be one of the first Mercedes with full iPhone integration and it also fits the industry's favourite new trick: a boot that opens or closes with a wave of your foot under the rear bumper.The roof takes 20 seconds to open or close, which is about par for a folding hard-top but slower than most fabrics. This is relevant only because the car has to be virtually stationary for the roof to operate, a disadvantage fabric roofs can avoid.Harsh Aussie roads will prove a tougher test than the tarmac of southern Spain, which has been smooth-paved with Euro-dollars. Even so, the SL's ride and refinement levels stood out. Roof down, a wind deflector keeps the cabin bluster free and conversations are possible at speed. Roof up, you could be in a conventional coupe it's so quiet.One strange result of this is that you hear more of the engine with the roof up than with it down. Usually it's the other way around. The SL500 is effortlessly quick, reaching 100km/h in 4.6 seconds. It never feels remotely like a supercar, thanks to an absence of aural drama and (still substantial) mass.But of course it's not meant to. The suspension copes well but gives priority to comfort over the ability to make rapid directional changes. With light steering and touring priorities, this is a swift cruiser that even in sport mode isn't primed for the starter's gun.

Think before you diss the Merc driver. It's the well-heeled motorists in stratospherically-priced Mercedes sports cars that are paying out big bucks to ensure your safety.Every time a car like the Mercedes-Benz SL finds a new buyer, proceeds of that purchase filter back to the car maker who donates to its safety program.No better example is anti-lock brakes, retractable seatbelts, airbags and so on - all developed by companies like Mercedes who, because of the obscene price of development, first fitted them to ultra-expensive cars like the SL. Mercedes later offers - at no cost - its findings to other car companies.SAFETYThe latest safety widgets from Mercedes are equally as fascinating and are part of the ingenious aluminium-wrapped package that wears the SL badge. For those who came in late, the SL is Merc's premium luxury sports coupe-convertible and has a nameplate that is almost as old as me.It's now in its sixth iteration. Standard fare on the SL500 tested are things like Pre-safe (reckons you're going to have an accident and prepares for the worse); Attention Assist (wake up Sunshine, the road's moved); Active bonnet (protection in pedestrian accidents); and Neck-Pro (protects the neck in an accident).But it isn't all about minimising damage in a prang. The clever SL has an automatic opening and closing boot - just point your foot beneath the rear bumper. The audio's bass sound comes from using the recesses in the aluminium body structure to deliver perfect reproduction.The windscreen wipers have 160 nozzles to squirt water right at the wiper edge, without overspray that obscures driver vision. The glass roof folds tightly in the boot and still allows a generous 364 litres    of storage with the roof down and 504 litres when up. But the best news is the way it drives.This is an entirely new model over the steel predecessor and feels remarkably agile, quick and very comfortable. Just not pretty.VALUEIs in the eye of the beholder, or something like that, as $380,000 for the 4.7-litre V8-engines SL500 is equivalent to a suburban-fringe house. But the technology is breathtaking. It comes up against more rivals now than a decade ago so has to fight hard.Look at convertibles such as the Porsche 911 Carrera ($260,000); Maserati GranCabrio ($330,000); Jaguar XKR-S ($365,000); BMW 650i ($250,000); and Audi R8 ($380,000). Also, the SL 350 V6-engined version may cost about $80,000 less and may be a better buy.DESIGNThe SL is a great piece of engineering. But its styling is at odds with its mechanical acumen and its target buyer. Styling is heavy-handed, especially it's commercial-vehicle grille that looks like an iron gate that does no favours to the SL's (mostly) esteemed ancestors. Particularly, it lacks the elegance expected by an audience that is dominated by women. The tail is too rounded and though it's hard to shape a big tail when there's layers of folded metal and glass roof to hide, there may be a better ways. But the cabin is excellent with kudos to the electric park brake that finally replaces the ancient, US-inspired foot-operated ironwork; the neat, twin-dial instrument panel; small-diameter steering wheel; and the softer hues of the perfectly-supportive and perforated leather seats, use of more personal storage space and yet a sense that the driving compartment is more user friendly than before.TECHNOLOGYSafety ranks as the highlight here though full marks to the all-aluminium body (well, about 95 per cent) that is up to 140kg lighter than the previous car. The 4.7-litre engine is a bi-turbo unit that punches a smooth delivery with a slightly-menacing exhaust growl and sends it all the rear wheels via a seven-speed auto with paddle shifts and three response modes.The suspension can be changed from "comfort'' to "sport'' and the latter makes firmer adjustments to the steering feel. There is also the "magic sky'' translucent glass roof option. It's a good package that is more definitive than most rivals - but you kinda expect that at $350,000-odd.SAFETYThe safety issue is huge, both as standard equipment and as options. No other car company offers as much. Even the aluminium body is stressed not just for handling, but made compliant to absorb crash damage. A five-star rating is expected and the six airbags become almost insignificant when you recognise that this car can automatically either move you out of an accident situation or afford all possible protection should a collision occur. No spare tyre though!DRIVINGOkay, so I'm going to get shot down because I think the styling is a bit like a tank. But behind the wheel, this is a very well balanced machi ne. The engine is strong but cleverly less excitable than is possible with two eager turbochargers. That's because the SL's market is more about luxury sports driving. If you want to be frightened, buy the SLS. The engine delivery is as expected - smooth, fuss-free but with the ability to growl all the way to the redline.The most impressive feature is the suspension. It is soft and yet supportive on its "comfort'' setting but remains supple even when switched to "sport''. At the same time, the steering - an electro-hydraulic system - becomes a tad firmer. Some people have raved about the steering and I'd admit it's good. Good for the SL's market, good for the blend of city parking and country highways. The roof is quick and very quiet to erect and collapse, but I'd suggest the "magic sky'' option that puts a tint through the glass is almost mandatory in Australia.VERDICTI really like this car and while it's a big step on its predecessor, it's not pretty or elegant or as visually appealing as its rivals. As for the engineering - no contest. This is a great piece of mechanical architecture.MERCEDES-BENZ SL500 Price: est. $380,000Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmResale: n/aService interval: 15,000km or 12 monthsSafety: six airbags, ABS, ESC, PRESAFE, drowsiness alert.Crash rating: 5 starsEngine: 320kW/700Nm 4.7-litre V8 bi-turbo petrolBody: 2-door, 2 seatsDimensions: 4612mm (L); 1877m (W); 1315mm (H); 2585mm (WB)Weight: 1785kgTransmission: 7-spd auto; rear-wheel driveEconomy: 9.1 l/100km; 98 RON; 212g/km CO2