I drove a lot of nice cars including a 2009 BMW m6 Conv. Nothing got my attention or love as much as a 2006 sl500. I can only imagine how better the aluminum version is. SL is a legend and is the best.
In the US we get a way better spec. SL450 is our base model, and you won't find one without the premium package (HK audio, cooled seats, analog clock, keyless go, airscarf, and a few others. ) Even those are harder to find than the SL550 (4.7TT V8.) Those are by far the most popular (and the gas mileage is very good for such a big engine. )
Yes, I'm glad I bit the bullet and stepped up to the V8. Also, a start button is available and takes seconds to pop in place. Otherwise, the key in the ignition would be a potentially dangerous flaw.
I have the V8 version of this car. It's not a sports car nor is it a track car, but it is a wonderful ride for two people on a long trip. It is quiet and extremely comfortable with great seats and a good sound system. The steering is a little numb but it goes where it is pointed and with 429hp and +500 lbs of torque it's very short list of cars can keep up with it. More over, maybe it's just mine but, I regularly get 28MPG on the highway driving averaging 75-80MPH in the Rocky Mountains. It also gets good mileage around town. This is not a beautiful car, but top up or down, it's a very good one.
Jason tests out the 6th model in Mercedes history, but has mixed emotions about the car. For more fantastic car reviews, shoot-outs and all your favourite Fifth Gear moments, subscribe to our Official Channel - th-cam.com/users/fifthgearuk #FifthGear #mercedesbenz #testdrive
The problem with the ignition key is only present because of the right hand drive conversion for Great Britain; there's no such problem for left hand drive countries. And anyway, it's a simple fix, just get the keyless go option and problem solved.
New S Class Coupe is better long distance cruiser with more luggage space and 4 seats (should u need them) - as long as you don't mind the lack of open air motoring.
A very valid point. I love the S Class Coupe, i think the interior is hands down the best interior in any car ever. But for me there is something about the SL though: just 2 seats, slightly shorter, same engines, and a proper coupe feel. The S also didnt fit in my garage :)
Yea I'm an AMG fan boy but not particularly fond of this generation SL's looks. Also just wanna point out that the SL is an S-Class variant and not an E-Class. Meaning it's not a competitor to the 6-Series Convertible. BMW doesn't have anything comparable to the SL. Although it'd be nice to see them bring back the 8-Series and make a Roadster version sooner. Ok, rant over
Well... JP have 3 main point against the SL and I'll try to ignore them: 1st - The sportines - there is no space on public road to see where the car limits ends - this is not a car for teenage road hooligan 2nd - The key position - there is optional keyless go 3rd - The fire breathing V8 are available for any one interested Conclusion: damn sexy pose-mobile with plenty of sportiness for day to day usage :)
Say as you will, a gorgeous car, super pose mobile with style luxury and total comfort, its a cruiser not a fack machine, I got 1 and love it, no other convertible comes close to these
Why are you so close to the steering wheel like the "Where's the beef" lady? Back up a bit and your knee will clear the key fob, or replace it with keyless fob. Simple adjustments.
If your first thought is to do dough nuts, your second is the cost of the extras makes you immediately think BMW as an option and not being able to drive like pratt is off putting, then you obviously don't have the class to enjoy an SL, The whole review felt like BMW driving boy racer trying to appraise it.BMW driver =ignorant, Mercedes driver=class.
You don't need a V8, it's not a track car it's meant for cruising which it does eloquently. £70K in 2012, I have a 2013 model bought in '22 for a third of the price. Now is a good time to buy the best roof down car, look for low mileage, mine has 27k on the clock with full Mercedes service history.
I always go for AMG V8 when it comes to Mercedes-Benz, but I can definitely make an exception for the SL. Even the 350 is more than enough since it's a cruiser in the first place.
Although I find the knee/key issue silly and probably more due to how you're sitting than MB's fault, I do think for that kinda money, the car should have had a keyless start button to begin with.
It does. No SL comes without keyless go... especially one equipped with magic sky. However, you can remove the keyless go button and use the key in the dash with any mercedes, which is what they did here specifically to make that ridiculous 30 seconds of video. :(
just so you know when the steerin wheel is on the left theres no issues with the knee cap and key and im 6feet tall i have never driven my sl and turned it off with my knee lmfao
No its not really. Ive sat in both, and the SL wins hands down. The jag is unreliable, cramped, cannot recline the seat and sounds shit. Now jump in the SL400 OR SL63 or if ur man enuf the SL65 BLACK and see and feel the intensity you get along with luxury comfort. Slap a bodykit on the SL and youve got a pussy magnet right there. I own the SL400 now, and plan on buying the wide arch kit by MIGA TUNING.. take a look and see 4 urself. The SL400 once remapped exhausts n k&ns added will be enough to shut more than 70% of cars on the road. Get the sl65 and tune that thing and nothing is catching you.. nothing
How can you say it is not a sports car?:)))) are you crazy? It is a sport luxury car, is is based also on comfort, try the SL 500 or SL AMG, i`ll make a proper review for the Amg next month. You would be happy with Recaro seats and massage with road dumps on this car?????????
Would love to have one. Its a comfortable sports cruiser and wasn't meant to be anything else. If you want a real sports car get a Ferrari / Porsche etc.
If you OWN the car, you won't do it. When you review a different car every 2 hours, you are bound to be always confused with buttons and locations of things ...
Yes, I own one and it is absolutely impossible to do this. Fair enough, mine is keyless but to get your knee even close to the key/start socket you need to lift way off the pedals. Not sure how this idiot managed to do it. He is clearly looking for things he can say he doesnt like and in the absense of issues, he is making them up. What a twat.
This guy is such a Pratt. I wonder how he even got this job. A clear reminder of why I prefer Top Gear. He's complaining about things that absolutely nobody else has ever mentioned because they simply don't exist. It's like he's looking for reasons to not like it and what's with all the reference to personal grooming? The SL is an executive sports convertible with the size footprint of a grand Cherokee 4x4, it's not a small hairdresser z4. The key is in the wrong place? Seriously?? Nobody else has this problem because they aren't purposely trying to knee the keys to make a point about a problem that doesn't exist. The only way you can knee the keys like this is if you lift off the pedals and try to do it on purpose (exactly what he was doing). And he didn't even MENTION the roof, it's like he had no idea what he was driving and just thought "I'm clueless so I'll find a bunch of things wrong just so I can look like I know my stuff". What a twat.
I think the 2000s era SLs are cool. Ageless design. The only outdated thing is the infotainment but who cares. You're not buying an SL only for the infotainment lmao, its for the driving experience as a whole.
Riswan Ahmad P. Yes that is all well groovy n said, but who wabts a 5L engine to get to work n back. The s coupe is super hot with white leather interior but its smallest engine is 5L which is bullshit, if they reduced its weight and gave it 3L twin turbo that would be special indeed. A 3L diesel chipped,exhaust and filters nowadays is as fast as ur 4L turbo 100k car... fuck dat shit..
Yes, clearly a twat trying very hard to find bad things about it and in the absense of bad things, he is making stuff up. Dropping the top would go against the essence of the review which is to dislike it even if there is nothing to not like.
Daniel K I just wish it had rear seats but, maybe that's what the C coupes are for, plus the new ones are amazing standard but still don't have this ''homemade'' dream luxury and attention to craft to them =/
The SL needs to have its own uniquely designed steering wheel and not something taken from a C-Class AMG...I mean this is a very premium model in the range after all!
Despite all the safety features of this car equipped, still risks of smash the knee by that physical key and could end with wheel a way rather than walk a way.....this reminds SAAB.
The side and rear look really nice...but that front is so damn ugly. It looks like some honda convertible from the front until you see the mercedes logo.
+RKOAmbroseHDTM Spare a thought for the folk that shelled out 50 -100% their fortune on the mess that was the 2002 version. And thought they looked as kool as fuk with it =((
This car lost its soul to me--the previous model was more sporty as well as it seems a bit more "balanced." This car is super long in the front--it throws off the "sport" lines to me.
Each to their own. I traded the last model in for one of these without even a moment hesitation. Pictures and video don't do it justice. Go visit a showroom and sit in one, you'll change your mind.
Owned a 2013 SL63 for 6 long months...spent 21 days at the dealership for warranty repairs and drank oil like crazy! IT IS NOT A SPORTS CAR!!! Keep it on the interstate and not a road course. I have owned three previous model years of SL's and they simply ruined the styling in 2013. A big disappointment. Had a 2014 Porsche Turbo S and a 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder LP550-2 after that and now driving an Audi R8 V10 Plus . The R8 is my FAVORITE car of all time hands down.
It's not a sports car it'a a gt car, buy a Porsche if you want sport... anyway non is better engineered then this one, no one is goimg to drive it on the trek
Look at that vomit inducing plastic interior with the gaudy silver plastic highlights and Arial 10 Italics themed instrumentation - this is a generation behind BMW and 2 generations behind Audi
Thats bullshit you would have to purposefully take your foot of the pedals at the same time to turn it off utter bullshit no respect for them anymore anything they say ill take with a truckload of salt.
Ionewolf5461// This is exactly what you do in a crash! You take your foot of the gas pedal! But, you right, Jason is not honest at all in many of his videos...
Have you driven a modern Mercedes? They may have lost their way somewhere by the turn of the century, but they've been back on track for quite some years. Check every comparative Merc -> BMW review if you don't want to take my word for it.
In my opinion the SL wasn't designed to be a high performance sports car. It is more of a GT car with a little bit of high performance capability
I drove a lot of nice cars including a 2009 BMW m6 Conv. Nothing got my attention or love as much as a 2006 sl500. I can only imagine how better the aluminum version is. SL is a legend and is the best.
In the US we get a way better spec. SL450 is our base model, and you won't find one without the premium package (HK audio, cooled seats, analog clock, keyless go, airscarf, and a few others. ) Even those are harder to find than the SL550 (4.7TT V8.) Those are by far the most popular (and the gas mileage is very good for such a big engine. )
i love it, it looks like a modern version of the 80's SL !
This car don't feel like claustrophobic . If it was below 1600 kg it would have been perfect daily driving vehicle .
Yes, I'm glad I bit the bullet and stepped up to the V8. Also, a start button is available and takes seconds to pop in place. Otherwise, the key in the ignition would be a potentially dangerous flaw.
I have the V8 version of this car. It's not a sports car nor is it a track car, but it is a wonderful ride for two people on a long trip. It is quiet and extremely comfortable with great seats and a good sound system. The steering is a little numb but it goes where it is pointed and with 429hp and +500 lbs of torque it's very short list of cars can keep up with it. More over, maybe it's just mine but, I regularly get 28MPG on the highway driving averaging 75-80MPH in the Rocky Mountains. It also gets good mileage around town. This is not a beautiful car, but top up or down, it's a very good one.
Jason tests out the 6th model in Mercedes history, but has mixed emotions about the car.
For more fantastic car reviews, shoot-outs and all your favourite Fifth Gear moments, subscribe to our Official Channel - th-cam.com/users/fifthgearuk
#FifthGear #mercedesbenz #testdrive
The problem with the ignition key is only present because of the right hand drive conversion for Great Britain; there's no such problem for left hand drive countries.
And anyway, it's a simple fix, just get the keyless go option and problem solved.
Ah! the grille is so bloody gorgeous! Nailed it Mercedes, that is on of your all time best design features.
New S Class Coupe is better long distance cruiser with more luggage space and 4 seats (should u need them) - as long as you don't mind the lack of open air motoring.
A very valid point. I love the S Class Coupe, i think the interior is hands down the best interior in any car ever. But for me there is something about the SL though: just 2 seats, slightly shorter, same engines, and a proper coupe feel. The S also didnt fit in my garage :)
Yea I'm an AMG fan boy but not particularly fond of this generation SL's looks. Also just wanna point out that the SL is an S-Class variant and not an E-Class. Meaning it's not a competitor to the 6-Series Convertible. BMW doesn't have anything comparable to the SL. Although it'd be nice to see them bring back the 8-Series and make a Roadster version sooner. Ok, rant over
And they did it
Well... JP have 3 main point against the SL and I'll try to ignore them:
1st - The sportines - there is no space on public road to see where the car limits ends - this is not a car for teenage road hooligan
2nd - The key position - there is optional keyless go
3rd - The fire breathing V8 are available for any one interested
Conclusion: damn sexy pose-mobile with plenty of sportiness for day to day usage :)
or you can do it like the civilized world and drive on the right side of the road. That solves the key problem as well.
Say as you will, a gorgeous car, super pose mobile with style luxury and total comfort, its a cruiser not a fack machine, I got 1 and love it, no other convertible comes close to these
Why are you so close to the steering wheel like the "Where's the beef" lady? Back up a bit and your knee will clear the key fob, or replace it with keyless fob. Simple adjustments.
Exactly
If your first thought is to do dough nuts, your second is the cost of the extras makes you immediately think BMW as an option and not being able to drive like pratt is off putting, then you obviously don't have the class to enjoy an SL, The whole review felt like BMW driving boy racer trying to appraise it.BMW driver =ignorant, Mercedes driver=class.
Thumb up for the fairly realistic review.
Right. Where Is The Analog Clock?
*taps window to show*
*Jason stares at it*
Thats £210?!?!
Just Brilliant! Lmao
3:10 - "go and get a brew" haha yea get me a stella please LOL
Well now we are entering 2020, it's just a matter of time.
None of the former SL's was a propper sportscar (ok, nummero uno maybe was). They have always been rich-men-cruisers.
Grand Tourers. NOT Sports Cars. By design.
He was sitting way too close to the steering dash...you're knee shouldn't be that close to the dash anyways.
Honestly, if its just for cruising, I'll just have an E Class or an S Class, or maybe an E Class coupe if you want style.
I would be happy with a Mercedes-Benz SLK 240 Kompressor
You don't need a V8, it's not a track car it's meant for cruising which it does eloquently. £70K in 2012, I have a 2013 model bought in '22 for a third of the price. Now is a good time to buy the best roof down car, look for low mileage, mine has 27k on the clock with full Mercedes service history.
I always go for AMG V8 when it comes to Mercedes-Benz, but I can definitely make an exception for the SL. Even the 350 is more than enough since it's a cruiser in the first place.
C'est normal pour les clé a la base elle est prévue pour la conduite a gauche!
How not to test a convertible: roof on
Wouldn't really made a much difference.
Although I find the knee/key issue silly and probably more due to how you're sitting than MB's fault, I do think for that kinda money, the car should have had a keyless start button to begin with.
It does. No SL comes without keyless go... especially one equipped with magic sky. However, you can remove the keyless go button and use the key in the dash with any mercedes, which is what they did here specifically to make that ridiculous 30 seconds of video. :(
Looking very nice!
Lmaooooo it is 2021 and it doesn’t feel outdated at all in fact i want one now that they’re 40k
just so you know when the steerin wheel is on the left theres no issues with the knee cap and key and im 6feet tall i have never driven my sl and turned it off with my knee lmfao
Car and Driver compared it to the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427. Odd maybe, but perhaps slightly more relevant than a BMW 6 series Cabriolet?
Love all the Merc fanboys getting their knickers in a twist over Jason's comments.
Speaking of fanboys....
This or a jaguar f type V8? That's a harder question than I thought it would be...
No its not really.
Ive sat in both, and the SL wins hands down.
The jag is unreliable, cramped, cannot recline the seat and sounds shit.
Now jump in the SL400 OR SL63 or if ur man enuf the SL65 BLACK and see and feel the intensity you get along with luxury comfort. Slap a bodykit on the SL and youve got a pussy magnet right there. I own the SL400 now, and plan on buying the wide arch kit by MIGA TUNING.. take a look and see 4 urself. The SL400 once remapped exhausts n k&ns added will be enough to shut more than 70% of cars on the road. Get the sl65 and tune that thing and nothing is catching you.. nothing
Very very revealing review. Thanks.
How can you say it is not a sports car?:)))) are you crazy? It is a sport luxury car, is is based also on comfort, try the SL 500 or SL AMG, i`ll make a proper review for the Amg next month. You would be happy with Recaro seats and massage with road dumps on this car?????????
Nice Merc :)
Would love to have one. Its a comfortable sports cruiser and wasn't meant to be anything else. If you want a real sports car get a Ferrari / Porsche etc.
Gooood review
how come even your latest videos look like they're old😦
Yes, because a car with less luxury and power (ehem the 6 series) is OBVIOUSLY better than the SL.
don't think so fella
That is quite some conclusion for a car you can turn of with your knee by accident. Sorry ...
If you OWN the car, you won't do it. When you review a different car every 2 hours, you are bound to be always confused with buttons and locations of things ...
Or you buy the keyless version with probably a start/stop button.
Yes, I own one and it is absolutely impossible to do this. Fair enough, mine is keyless but to get your knee even close to the key/start socket you need to lift way off the pedals. Not sure how this idiot managed to do it. He is clearly looking for things he can say he doesnt like and in the absense of issues, he is making them up. What a twat.
My wife and I are retired. We are the demographic this car is for. This is just perfect for a nice, open air drive on the weekend.
This guy is such a Pratt. I wonder how he even got this job. A clear reminder of why I prefer Top Gear. He's complaining about things that absolutely nobody else has ever mentioned because they simply don't exist. It's like he's looking for reasons to not like it and what's with all the reference to personal grooming? The SL is an executive sports convertible with the size footprint of a grand Cherokee 4x4, it's not a small hairdresser z4. The key is in the wrong place? Seriously?? Nobody else has this problem because they aren't purposely trying to knee the keys to make a point about a problem that doesn't exist. The only way you can knee the keys like this is if you lift off the pedals and try to do it on purpose (exactly what he was doing). And he didn't even MENTION the roof, it's like he had no idea what he was driving and just thought "I'm clueless so I'll find a bunch of things wrong just so I can look like I know my stuff". What a twat.
150 controlled mini-water jets on the windscreen wipers for 0 vision blurring when you need to wash the front.
Here we are 3 years later and it is already outdated.
That’s typically what happens to things over the years....they become outdated
Here we are 6 years later and it’s back in style again. That’s why it’s a classic. Own one and you’ll understand.
I think the 2000s era SLs are cool. Ageless design.
The only outdated thing is the infotainment but who cares. You're not buying an SL only for the infotainment lmao, its for the driving experience as a whole.
Is this review from 2012 ?
Groovy, Jason? Really, you'll be talking about " dolly birds " next. Good video other wise. :-))
I THOUGHT IT WAS A CONVERTABLE .??
For a little bit more you could buy an S-Class Coupé when it's available
Riswan Ahmad P. Yes that is all well groovy n said, but who wabts a 5L engine to get to work n back.
The s coupe is super hot with white leather interior but its smallest engine is 5L which is bullshit, if they reduced its weight and gave it 3L twin turbo that would be special indeed.
A 3L diesel chipped,exhaust and filters nowadays is as fast as ur 4L turbo 100k car... fuck dat shit..
*SL OWNERS, DO NOT WANT 4 SEATS!. **#THEREIFIXEDIT*
He didn't drop the top!
i
k
r
Yes, clearly a twat trying very hard to find bad things about it and in the absense of bad things, he is making stuff up. Dropping the top would go against the essence of the review which is to dislike it even if there is nothing to not like.
Daniel K I just wish it had rear seats but, maybe that's what the C coupes are for, plus the new ones are amazing standard but still don't have this ''homemade'' dream luxury and attention to craft to them =/
I actually like the lack of back seats but I don't have kids and no plans for them either. For me, it balances the car out nicely.
Daniel K I guess it's a special car, as you said. I think well specced new C Class convertibles are meant to be the substitutes now.
Now the big Headline is that Compared to Carbon Fibre body, this aluminium version weighs around 540 Kilograms More..!!
The last time i was in an sl i felt like a dickhead
car comes standard with keyless go. that key should be a button.
I like the 2002
Groovy?
The SL needs to have its own uniquely designed steering wheel and not something taken from a C-Class AMG...I mean this is a very premium model in the range after all!
Chip the V8 SL500 4.7l and you have near enough 510bhp and 580 lb of torque. For £275 [celtic tuning]. It is fantastic..
The car looks good. Pas the complements to the designer.
Looks groovy
It's very difficult to pay that much for a V6 SL. IMO an SL should always be a v8
putz pior que é verdade aquela bendita chave....
Despite all the safety features of this car equipped, still risks of smash the knee by that physical key and could end with wheel a way rather than walk a way.....this reminds SAAB.
Why do i have to comment something this obvious,if you want sport Benz you buy AMG...this is for old guys who cant deal with their age...
The side and rear look really nice...but that front is so damn ugly. It looks like some honda convertible from the front until you see the mercedes logo.
could be better I agree. My dad has one of these and it grows on you, definitely not what you'd expect from a 100k car though
crazy, like totally
It makes all Audi's with their dated slopy front grilles look like weird rhinos.
Geez, haven to deal with that look till 2020 Mercedes wtf
+RKOAmbroseHDTM Spare a thought for the folk that shelled out 50 -100% their fortune on the mess that was the 2002 version. And thought they looked as kool as fuk with it =((
@@netweed09 I think the 2002 version is cool.
What's wrong with the rounded look? A lot of cars from 2000s all went on the round styling tbh.
Sorry but this gen SL is not a looker, at all. The previous gen looked soooo much better
6 series is a pig compared to this
A-motherfucking-greed (agreed)
Pretty stupid comparison u got there, my friend.
look like some blad-shaved lizard
the Merc looks like weekend-sex
PistonHeads not really
This car lost its soul to me--the previous model was more sporty as well as it seems a bit more "balanced." This car is super long in the front--it throws off the "sport" lines to me.
Each to their own. I traded the last model in for one of these without even a moment hesitation. Pictures and video don't do it justice. Go visit a showroom and sit in one, you'll change your mind.
Btw it's good looking xD
Scoot the seat back, you get more legroom 🤔
Again I'd rather get a Tesla Model S
overpriced, boring but sexy as hell
The key issue, is a matter of safety, in case of accident, you can open your right knee in half ! what a ''turn of'' !
nice car... shame that the wheel is on the wrong side. must be another faulty merc
British cars are right-handed.
no they're not, shut up
SL65 AMG is another different league..
this is a car for old (rich) people. i wouldn't want to be seen in one.
That is exactly what young (poor) people say about things they will never be able to afford. pwnd.
Daniel K i'm quite well-off actually. but i'm sure what you say it's true in your world.
Sure you are ;)
Daniel K so predictable ;)
Daniel K, right!
Again bad driving, not up to it.
Owned a 2013 SL63 for 6 long months...spent 21 days at the dealership for warranty repairs and drank oil like crazy! IT IS NOT A SPORTS CAR!!! Keep it on the interstate and not a road course. I have owned three previous model years of SL's and they simply ruined the styling in 2013. A big disappointment. Had a 2014 Porsche Turbo S and a 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder LP550-2 after that and now driving an Audi R8 V10 Plus . The R8 is my FAVORITE car of all time hands down.
It's not a sports car it'a a gt car, buy a Porsche if you want sport... anyway non is better engineered then this one, no one is goimg to drive it on the trek
ugly overpriced
Look at that vomit inducing plastic interior with the gaudy silver plastic highlights and Arial 10 Italics themed instrumentation - this is a generation behind BMW and 2 generations behind Audi
Thats bullshit you would have to purposefully take your foot of the pedals at the same time to turn it off utter bullshit no respect for them anymore anything they say ill take with a truckload of salt.
Ionewolf5461// This is exactly what you do in a crash! You take your foot of the gas pedal! But, you right, Jason is not honest at all in many of his videos...
Mercedes lacks in refinement compared to Porsche or BMW. They used to be number one in the 80's and 90's
Have you driven a modern Mercedes? They may have lost their way somewhere by the turn of the century, but they've been back on track for quite some years.
Check every comparative Merc -> BMW review if you don't want to take my word for it.
ZesPak Yes I agree. I think they are on their way back. Whoever is running the show now is doing good things for this company.
God those headlights are hideous...
No doubt it's one of the best cars in the world
.....so why don't I have any desire to own it?
It just doesn't inspire me at all.
Would rather have a Tesla Model S....
Completely different car.
Yeah, i know, just wanted to see Your reaction haha
Andreas Lie That's fine, I'm a big fan of the S myself.
Tesla? Would rather throw up and eat it... no thanks.
Boring 😴 ,not worth that sort of cash 💸
Ugliest SL in history
How in the world does this car get 37.7 mpg!!? My ass..