    >Mercedes-Benz SL 550 Roadster. Click image to enlarge |
1st Place: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 550 Roadster
In a sense, the Mercedes-Benz SL 500 Roadster defined this Comparison Test. Prior to picking up the vehicles, we agreed that this would be an evaluation of personal luxury cars (convertibles, in fact, but I think we’ve covered how that turned out).
We consider the priorities in this segment to be looks, prestige, comfort, power, and performance, though not necessarily in that order. I suppose you could say it is something of a heptathlon, and chances are, only people that can afford these cars would know what the hell a heptathlon is. And like any multi-discipline sporting event, you can come in second in every event and win (unless you are cursed by a competitor that comes in first in every category, which was not the case here).
Let’s start with the category that we all agreed the SL 550 dominated: comfort. This is no AMG track missile. The SL simply coasts down the road with the assurance and grace of, well, a Mercedes. Bumps and road imperfections are simply things that you hear other people speaking about, but not while you are in your SL, since the cabin is so quiet.
Even the roar of the 429-hp twin-turbo 4.7L V8 is but a mild, silken rumble as it crests the wave of 516 lb-ft of torque from 1,800 to 3,500 rpm. The 7G-Tronic automatic transmission slips between gears like a ghost. What you feel is like being picked up in a giant baseball mitt and suddenly you are travelling over 100 km/h, though it requires looking at the speedo to gauge one’s speed, so smooth and effortless is its acceleration. Mercedes-Benz lists acceleration times at 4.8 second to 100 km/h, but Car and Driver clocked 0–96 km/h (60 mph) in 4.1, but it still felt the slowest of the bunch because of its smooth power delivery.
While we wouldn’t object to a bit more of that engine’s song, there are two AMG versions of this car (a 530-hp 5.5L bi-turbo V8 SL 63 AMG or 621-hp bi-turbo V12 SL 65 AMG) are available for the price difference that would buy an average family car or another luxury car.
But beneath the comfortable façade is an accomplished and graceful athlete. Mercedes’ went to school on the suspension and came up with Active Body Control (ABC, get it, school, ABCs…), an adjustable active suspension system that can firm up the ride by a whisker, although none of us found that it had any dramatic effect. And being the heaviest of the bunch despite losing over 100 kg from the previous generation meant that the harder you pushed its 1,785 kilos, the more it tended to push wide in corners, and with all that torque on tap, best not to be too frisky with the right pedal in corners. But it is still a car whose limits you cannot safely test in public roads, and Senior Editor Jonathan Yarkony affirms that it will get you to work on time even when running dangerously late.
We definitely did not want to do any damage to that front end—some might find it to blocky and upright, but this jury actually likes that muscle-car effect, and the headlights belong on a pedestal for their artful complexity, although they are also highly effective HID projectors. However, opinion was divided on its back end, especially with the top up, and none of us much liked the way the taillights and trunklid cut into the bumper, although there was no denying it offered decent cargo space among this group, so it gained points for practicality there.
   Mercedes-Benz SL 550 Roadster. Click image to enlarge |
The interior quality and presentation were also universally praised, from the cosseting red leather thrones to the relatively intuitive Comand system and the layout and appearance of all controls and a glass panel overhead that can be changed from translucent to opaque at the touch of a button. A few details worth noting were the beautifully finished wood-and leather steering wheel, the metallic circular vents, although the teensy shifter was a little goofy.
The SL 550 also has an added dimension of resembling the SLS supercar, which garnered Social Editor Mike Schlee a fair amount of attention driving through town. It may not have the outright supermodel looks of the Jaguar, which remains a brand on the fringes for exclusive (and perhaps even contrary customers, if our guest judge was any indication), nor does it have the following of the 911 (one of whom was even on the jury, cough-Yarkony-cough) or its sporting heritage and dedication.
Senior Editor Jonathan Yarkony was particularly smitten with the SL’s gloriously comfortable seats, smooth ride, and luxuriant power, stating: “If I were to pick a car based on what I like and want right now, it would be the SL. However, if I actually had that kind of money, I’d probably buy the car that I wanted as a six-year-old, and that would be the 911.”
But the SL 550 has its own history and loyal following, and it delivers the luxury experience we think many looking for a luxury grand tourer would prefer. Sure, some people want a track toy, but the comfort, refined and functional interior, powerful grace of the SL, plus its adaptability as a hardtop coupe or convertible earn it our top pick in this Luxury Toy comparison.
Pricing: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 550 Roadster
Base price: $123,900
Options: $4,800 (Premium Package), $890 (Diamond White Metallic Paint), ($750) Illuminated Door Sill Panels
A/C tax: $100
Freight: $1,895
Price as tested: $132,335
