2014 Mercedes-Benz SL550: Prestige, Performance and Comfort

For years we’ve been explaining that the letters S and L in this car’s name stand for “sport leicht,” which refers to a “light sport” car.  But today these letters more accurately describe “sport” and “luxury” as the 1,785-kilogram vehicle doesn’t exactly qualify as a featherweight. The term “sport” refers more generally to the car’s athletic aptitudes, as opposed to being a true sports car.

This all makes sense when you consider that the starting price of this model shuts out most young buyers. The Mercedes-Benz SL generally attracts the 40+ crowd who are looking for a vehicle that can deliver above-average performance while providing exceptional comfort. A Dodge Viper costs about the same as a base-level SL, but its comfort level doesn’t compare. While the former is a hardliner, the latter is just as fast but pampers passengers. And the ride is totally different, too.

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Classic elegance

The stylists who designed the SL’s exterior really hit the bulls eye. With its long snout, truncated rear, stocky body and silver star emblem in the middle of its grille, this vehicle exudes power, sophistication and prestige. The grille also features a big cross-bar that underscores the massive air intake, giving this Benz a sportier appearance. The air extractors on the front fenders are accentuated with chrome ribs. And, in keeping with current trends, LEDs are used for the indicators and daytime running lights.

The interior is truly opulent with a dashboard layout that closely resembles the ones in the SLK and SLS Class models. The round vents are easy to direct to the left, right, up or down. The centre portion of the dash includes a good-size display and the A/C controls are similar to those used on practically all of the brand’s models. There’s no trouble with legroom, as the bucket seats slide back to accommodate people of all sizes, or just about. The heated and cooled seats are also comfortable.

The centre console is reasonably wide and includes the controls for the various management systems, as well as a big button to manage the display and controls for the main screen. The speedometer and rev counter are relatively small, but they’re easy to read thanks to the silver background. Plus, the multi-function management system makes it possible to display your speed digitally on a small screen located been the two main indicator dials.

Last but not least, the retractable hard-top works essentially on its own. All you have to do is push the button on the centre armrest. There’s no lever to lock; it’s all automatic. However, once the roof is stored, you lose about 30% of the trunk capacity. That’s the price you pay to have the wind blow through your hair!

What do Germans know about math?

For decades, Mercedes-Benz took great care in managing the way its models were named, including the use of letter(s) to identify the vehicle class. This custom is still in place. Then they turned to numbers to indicate the engine displacement. According to this old system, our SL would have been powered by  5.5-litre engine. But that is definitely not the case! The SL550 we tested is equipped with a 4.7-litre V8! Considering it delivers 429 horsepower and 516 lbs.-ft. of torque, you’ve got to believe that the company has stopped caring about what the numbers in the vehicle’s name really mean.

It came as no surprise that the model we tested was fully equipped with all of Mercedes-Benz’s safety features. Most only intervene in the case of a collision or road incident. In everyday driving, the only safety systems that jump into action are the lane-departure and blind-spot detection systems. Oh, and there’s also the drowsy driver alert system that suggests you take a break from driving if it suspects that you’re dozing off.

Luxury, performances and comfort

As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, the SL550 isn’t a hard-and-fast sports car devoid of creature comforts. Quite the contrary! The passenger compartment is luxurious, the soundproofing is exceptional (with or without the roof up), the seats are comfortable and the handling is docile. And if you ever try to defy the laws of gravity with it, a plethora of electronic driver assistance systems will come to your rescue. When needed, a deflector deploys to reduce wind turbulence, allowing passengers to converse while speeding down the highway. And the Air Scarf system blasts warm air onto your neck when you lower the roof to enjoy a fall afternoon.  

But what about performance? The SL550 takes less than 5 seconds to dart from 0 to 100 km/h, and its pick-up is serious enough to sprint from 80 to 120 km/h in under three seconds. Essentially, you just need to tickle the accelerator and you’ll see how spritely the SL is. The seven-speed automatic transmission relays power to the rear wheels. It has proven its worth over the years and the shifting speed changes depending on what mode you select.

The road holding is excellent and the vehicle will warn you when you’re reaching the limit. But before that happens, you’re going to have to break the speed limit by quite a bit. It’s also worth noting that the steering wheel offers good grip and its rim is a good diameter. Like many sports cars, the bottom of the steering wheel is somewhat flat.

There aren’t many bad things to say about this car, but if we had to find fault with it, we’d point to its size and weight. This is a big machine. It’s heavy and wide, two factors that handicap it on fast roads with tight corners. But if you take your SL onto the German autobahn, there shouldn’t be a problem. You can peel the roof back and still ride in total comfort.

The ever-popular SL strikes the perfect balance between luxury, performance, road handling and technological sophistication. It can be your bourgeois roadster or your true sports car (in Sport mode). Few contemporary cars are held in such high regard by the public. In fact, for many, prestige is the number one reason to buy it.