Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Convertible (2012 - 2020) review

At a glance |
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New price | £69,675 - £173,890 |
Used price | £12,510 - £75,330 |
Fuel Economy | 23.2 - 31.0 mpg |
Road tax cost | £265 - £630 |
Insurance group | 48 - 50 How much is it to insure? |
New
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PROS
Powerful engines, quality interior, strong residuals, more efficient engines
CONS
Not as fun to drive as some rivals, vague steering, expensive servicing costs
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Convertible rivals
Sporty, elegant and stylish, the Mercedes-Benz SL has a lot of appeal. Then again, there are hardly any shrinking violets in this sector. Rivals include the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, the BMW 6 Series Convertible and the Jaguar XK Convertible. So what to do? In a bid to keep the pressure on, Mercedes-Benz has put the SL on a diet. Every version has shed up to 140kgs, and now comes with a new range of cleaner and more powerful BlueDIRECT engines featuring stop/start technology to make life more uncomfortable for rivals.
Now largely made of aluminium, the car is lighter than the previous generation and feels more agile as a result. That weight loss has also made the car more efficient and it emits less CO2 than the older models. In terms of handling the SL is still second-best when compared to the Porsche 911, but it is a dramatic improvement over the previous car.