2009 Mercedes-Benz SL Road Test Review

SL Photos

A revised front end offers a cleaner, crisper SL. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Rear remains totally familiar, although it's still a tastefully elegant design. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Want something with a little more juice? How about this 518-horsepower SL63 AMG IWC Edition? (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Details are exquisite. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Always a highlight of any Mercedes-Benz, the SL's cockpit leaves little to be desired. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

It’s not time for an entirely new Mercedes-Benz SL just yet, but for 2009, the Stuttgart automaker took the usual step of bringing us a “mid-cycle refresh” as it’s known in the industry. Manufacturers commonly update models at the mid-point of their lives and these moves can range from a fancier paint job to an almost total re-work.

In the case of the SL, Mercedes-Benz has given the car a very extensive upgrade for the 2009 model year and it marked the event by staging the world media launch in Hollywood, California. The movie capital was an almost obvious location for an SL launch because the car must be a favorite with very large numbers of people involved in the film business - at least, the more successful ones. There may be a few actors and directors driving around in “token” hybrids, but it’s the SLs and their ilk that prowl Rodeo Drive in sleek, professionally-detailed flocks.

The latest SL benefits from so many cosmetic and engineering changes that it’s almost a new car. Certainly, it should enjoy several years of new life until a replacement comes along some time in the future. There are subtle but effective changes to the headlight design and other bodywork enhancements, all of which seem to work very well from a styling standpoint.

As with earlier SLs the new model has one of those remarkable powered metal convertible tops pioneered by the smaller SLK, or perhaps more accurately the Ford Skyliner of the 1950s. It’s an amazing piece of engineering and compactness and leaves quite a lot of room for luggage in the trunk when folded down. In fact, you can squeeze a surprising 7.3 cubic feet in there. With the top up, you can shoehorn in a couple of medium-size golf bags. It’s fast too. The car can be converted from coupe to roadster in just 16 seconds. The window glass pivots on retraction and cleverly matches the curve of the roof as it all closes up.

For a very exclusive model, there’s quite a wide range of SL variants available. In North America we get the SL550, SL600, SL63 AMG and SL65 AMG. The “entry-level” SL550 is powered by a 382-horsepower V8 and the line-topping SL65 AMG uses an awesome twin turbo V12 developing a highly-impressive 603-horsepower, not far off that of the “supercar” Mercedes McLaren SLR.

Even the SL550 is a superb performer whether you’re talking straight line speed (zero to 60 mph in 5.2-secs) or handling capability. Transmission is a 7-speed automatic with manual option. Without a doubt, the base car has far more performance than those Rodeo Drive cruisers will ever need to call upon. In Europe, the car can be ordered with a choice of two new 6-cylinder powerplants, but the notion is probably that customers on this side of the pond wouldn’t want anything less than a V8 under the hood of car like this.  Interestingly too, the new SL550 has slightly better fuel economy than the previous SL500, despite the extra power.

As always, the AMG high-performance versions sit at the pinnacle of the line. AMG was once an independent tuner, but Mercedes-Benz was so impressed with its work, it bought the company. AMG has been in business for over 30 years and won respect with race successes and a lineup of seriously fast road cars. Today, AMG has an almost legendary reputation among performance car buffs and no automaker comes close to Mercedes in the way in which it has cleverly exploited the one-time tuner’s reputation.

The SL in any form really is an amazingly fast car and although it’s easy enough to drive around town and on the freeway, it would take a very skilled driver to exploit its capabilities to the full. We drove the SL from Hollywood to Palm Springs and anyone who’s traveled in that area will know that there are some very demanding mountain passes between the two locales if you pick an interesting route. The SL was a delight to drive, especially top-down, and although there was lots of snow at the roadside at higher levels, it was easy to keep the cockpit cozy and warm. The SL65 AMG was especially rewarding on a fast run up to Idlewild, several thousand feet above Palm Springs in the San Jacinto Mountains.

The cockpit is beautifully done with lots of fine leather and genuine wood. The latest SL seems to be taking Mercedes in new directions as far as instrument layout goes and it doesn’t slavishly follow the sedans. Some of the layout detailing is the best yet in a Mercedes, and AMG luxury touches include the use of suede on the instrument binnacle and A-pillars.

The SL63 and 65 feature huge 19-inch alloy wheels in a custom AMG style. The downside here is that they’re not that easy to clean; a detailer’s nightmare (or dream if they’re paid by the hour). SL safety features include an automatic roll bar which pops up in a rollover, or you can set it in place with a switch. Seat belts are anchored directly to the seats, which are very strongly constructed. The SL has head and thorax side airbags in addition to the usual front pair. Mercedes claims it’s the world’s safest convertible and they won’t get much of an argument from me on that score.

This much technology and performance doesn’t come cheaply unfortunately, but many would argue that Mercedes-Benz products are a far more reliable buy than some of the more exotic and more costly sports cars available. And with most of these, you won’t get a convertible hardtop.