The sensible six-figure drop-top?
Road tripping? SL serves up room for two full-sized adults, as well as plenty of storage via cubbies behind the seats, a rear shelf, and even belts to buckle your luggage or briefcase in place. There’s a massive centre console, a drawer under each seat, and a big pocket on each door, too. Drivers will find no issue staying organized and clutter-free on the go.
Trunk space is adequate with the roof down, and almost generous with it up. A button press even lifts the stored roof gear out of the way for easy access to your stuff.
Snorty and Sporty
Even in the shadow of its mighty, AMG-powered siblings, the SL 550’s powerplant stands on its own. A 5.5-litre V8 engine with 382 horsepower, the torque-monster engine moves things along with authority, runs liquid smooth, and makes generic Hollywood V8 car-chase sounds every time the throttle is opened. Observed mileage: 12 L/100km.
It’s as classy as the rest of the SL: refined, quietly powerful and silky, but not shy about making a delightful snarl while pinning torsos into the seatbacks when drivers hammer on it. Monster fixed-piston brakes with cross-drilled rotors scrub off speed in a jiff when required. Watch it with this car – it’s seriously quick.
A 7-speed automatic offers paddle-shift control, as well as both Sport and Comfort gearshift patterns. Shift speed and responsiveness from the paddles are far from the market’s best, though they’re still entertaining to use.
Sportiness can be dialed up further with an Active Body Control SPORT button, which firms up the suspension, and SL rides with a slightly stiff but mainly comfortable demeanor with the suspension in its softer setting.
Light and quick steering combined with the powerful, rear-drive setup and a lenient stability control system mean the SL 550 is lively and entertaining to drive hard, and just as willing to deliver world-class comfort when a relaxing cruise is more in order.
This isn’t a machine that reacts to inputs with hyperactive urgency like some comparable rivals, but it is remarkably easygoing to drive in virtually any situation.
Really, when it comes to comfort, power, handling and actual convertible utility, the SL 550 is sort of a jack of all trades. Fantastic nighttime headlight performance, too.
Road tripping? SL serves up room for two full-sized adults, as well as plenty of storage via cubbies behind the seats, a rear shelf, and even belts to buckle your luggage or briefcase in place. There’s a massive centre console, a drawer under each seat, and a big pocket on each door, too. Drivers will find no issue staying organized and clutter-free on the go.
Trunk space is adequate with the roof down, and almost generous with it up. A button press even lifts the stored roof gear out of the way for easy access to your stuff.
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| SL serves up room for two full-sized adults, as well as plenty of storage via cubbies behind the seats, a rear shelf, and even belts to buckle your luggage or briefcase in place. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Snorty and Sporty
Even in the shadow of its mighty, AMG-powered siblings, the SL 550’s powerplant stands on its own. A 5.5-litre V8 engine with 382 horsepower, the torque-monster engine moves things along with authority, runs liquid smooth, and makes generic Hollywood V8 car-chase sounds every time the throttle is opened. Observed mileage: 12 L/100km.
It’s as classy as the rest of the SL: refined, quietly powerful and silky, but not shy about making a delightful snarl while pinning torsos into the seatbacks when drivers hammer on it. Monster fixed-piston brakes with cross-drilled rotors scrub off speed in a jiff when required. Watch it with this car – it’s seriously quick.
A 7-speed automatic offers paddle-shift control, as well as both Sport and Comfort gearshift patterns. Shift speed and responsiveness from the paddles are far from the market’s best, though they’re still entertaining to use.
Sportiness can be dialed up further with an Active Body Control SPORT button, which firms up the suspension, and SL rides with a slightly stiff but mainly comfortable demeanor with the suspension in its softer setting.
Light and quick steering combined with the powerful, rear-drive setup and a lenient stability control system mean the SL 550 is lively and entertaining to drive hard, and just as willing to deliver world-class comfort when a relaxing cruise is more in order.
This isn’t a machine that reacts to inputs with hyperactive urgency like some comparable rivals, but it is remarkably easygoing to drive in virtually any situation.
Really, when it comes to comfort, power, handling and actual convertible utility, the SL 550 is sort of a jack of all trades. Fantastic nighttime headlight performance, too.
 |
| When it comes to comfort, power, handling and actual convertible utility, the SL 550 is sort of a jack of all trades. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |