Mercedes-Benz SL550 Convertible (2013): Full Review – Part 7

The SL550 is a brilliant automobile. Sure, Comand Online is a train wreck, but it doesn’t ruin the vehicle that Mercedes’ chassis and engine engineers and designers have built around it. There’s just so much to like about being behind the wheel of a big, red Benz that I find myself over 3,000 words into this review and I haven’t even touched on the safety features such as the Mbrace telematics system, the lane-keep assistance system, the precollision warning system, the blind-spot monitoring, and the rearview camera with proximity detection and Parktronic parking assistance. If they never venture into the Comand Online menu, I think most owners will be pleased with their SL550 Roadster purchase — at least until they see someone valeting an SL63 AMG.

Our 2013 model started at $105,500 before adding $900 for its premium leather interior. Illuminated door sills and an analog clock on the dashboard are take-it-or-leave-it options that add $350 and $250 to the bottom line, respectively. The Magic Sky Control glass roof is a nice party trick that will cost you $2,500, but if you’re like me, you’ll be spending too much time with the top down to really take advantage of it. The easy-as-ABC adaptive suspension is a $4,090 option, and a $4,900 Premium package adds Air Scarf, cooled seats, massage seats, keyless entry, and the rearview camera/proximity detection system that will keep you from scuffing the SL’s pretty red paint. Blind-spot monitoring and precollision detection are part of a $2,950 Driver Assistance package and an additional $2,000 gets you the 19-inch AMG wheels with stickier tires and a host of go-faster and look-faster bits. Toss in a $905 destination charge to reach our as-tested price of $124,345.

That’s a pretty penny — certainly too rich for my blood — but cars like the SL550 Roadster are all about a feeling, not a value, and this Roadster feels like it’s worth it.

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Posted by Usman Khalid on Aug 15 2012. Filed under Automobiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.