Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £59,975 to £153,050
Effortless cruiser, new direct-steer system, superb info-tainment system.
Not sufficiently sporty, poor braking, expensive.
The SL is in a class of its own as a cruising roadster, but go elsewhere for a sporting experience.
The SL is a wonderfully comfortable place to be on the road. It's easy to find a good driving position, thanks to electric seats and a steering wheel that's electrically adjustable for reach and rake. All the major control functions for the infotainment system are also to hand on the steering wheel, meaning less distraction from the road.
The ride is pretty compliant, even on some of the poorly surfaced US freeways we drove the test cars on. The more pronounced bumps and potholes aren't completely soaked up, but they didn't shake the bones as much as we'd expect. Merc's Active Body Control ensures body pitch, roll and yaw are reined in.
The new direct-steer system also works well: the variable ratio steering rack means that cornering requires fewer inputs and there's a good level of feedback, which makes for more accurate turn-ins.
Mercedes is persisting with its Servotronic electro-hydraulic brake-by-wire system for its range-topping cars. As a result the SL's brakes lack progression and smoothness and that is out of character with the car. The company has replaced this system in the E-Class and we think it should consider phasing it out completely.
The new V6 engine in the SL 350 pulls well and will please the majority of buyers who opt for this version. It generates 311bhp at 6,500rpm and revs up to 7,200rpm, produces 265lb-ft of torque and does the 0-62mph sprint in 6.2 seconds. It's not lightning fast, but it'll be more than adequate for overtaking and will be right for most buyers.
The SL 600's V12 is considerably sportier, as you'd imagine. The 509bhp output, peak torque of 612lb-ft and a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds certainly excites, but it's almost £27k more than the standard model and that could put it out of reach of many potential buyers.
The SL is a fun car to drive, but not as sporty as Mercedes-Benz like to think it is. It's not a Boxster and is more of a cruising machine than a truly sporting drop-top. Neither does it offer quite the excitement of the Jaguar XK, which is perhaps its closest rival in a very small group of competitors.
