In-depth reviews

Mercedes SL convertible (2013-2021): owner reviews

"The Mercedes SL is a convertible two-seater sports car with a focus on comfort over handling. It does a fantastic job"

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by Richard Ingram

8 Aug 2016

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Carbuyer Rating

3.1 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.5 out of 5

Reviews

Owner Reviews

5 out of 5
4 out of 5
3 out of 5
2 out of 5
1 out of 5

83%of people would recommend this car to a friend

Common Problems

Other (5 cases)
Engine (3 cases)
Electrics, Other (2 cases)
Electrics, Suspension (1 case)
Electrics (3 cases)
Gearbox / clutch (1 case)
Suspension (2 cases)
Electrics, Suspension, Other (1 case)

Review 1 of 52

Tell us what you think about your car?

A great second car. Lovely to cruise around the lanes of Oxfordshire with roof up or down. Not fantastically fast, more a refined long distance car. I do very low mileage (1000 per year) so service cost are high but don't buy if money is tight! Build quality very good as expected of this German marque. Depreciation is significant so again don't purchase as an investment!! Overall, I would thoroughly recommend the SL, the 400 being the sweet spot - more expensive models are pointless and have better rivals.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

It is my work car it takes me more then 4 hours a day, it has the best equipment in my car it has wifi for when I have to work away from the office a lot so it is good for that. I am a person how likes to drive my self to the office so it was a great for that.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

despite it's 7 years, so far never had a problem.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Never gone wrong.love Mercedes

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Mechanicals brilliant. Electrics and peripherals unreliable.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Good

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Absolutely brilliant. Exactly what i expected

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

A very good car with lots of style and power, but some of the main dealer prices can scare you.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Sexy, powerful, comfortable, ideal for a man in his 50s that still has life in him.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Until you have owned and driven an SL you don’t realise the quality of this vehicle. I have owned many Mercedes cars over the last 20 years, mainly saloon models..all have been reliable. The SL 400 is the pinnacle of all, drives like my old E 350 CDi , but is more comfortable and has bonus of being a convertible..but still very quiet roof up. Fabulous vehicle . Very inexpensive Mercedes extended warranty, which is always a must as far as I am concerned, to avoid big bills!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Best car ever made bar none!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I've experienced many, many problems with the folding Vario Roof. Fuel tank replacement. Bottom end of gearbox replaced. The engine is superb & the car overall is excellent & a delight to drive & be with. It's a shame that Mercedes-Benz will not support the car as it ought to due to its age - its covered 60100 miles to date. Merc's Mobilolife breakdown cover is truly excellent!!!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

For a car that is almost 16 years old and lives outside the condition and reliability are remarkable. It is built like a tank and a 'super light' sports car it is not! Apart from a few problems with the hood it costs very little to run.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent cross continent tourer a proper gt car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great grand tourer,lacks luggage space but overall most enjoyable

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I brought my SL350 new out of the showroom in 2013, the car is more of a weekend car and not generally used for commuting, the car does everything I need. The naturally aspirated 3.5 V6 is a great engine and sounds wonderful, the car feels well planted and handles well. It’s not a track day car but was never meant to be. I find it easily returns 37mpg. On a steady 300 mile trip averaging 60mph the car returned 47mpg. The boot space is more than enough for a week or two away. I’m 6ft3 and find the car has plenty of space and is a nice place to be. I have had two issues with the car. First was the gearbox module which went into safe mode and the second was that the interior sensors would set the alarm off if I forgot to switch them off. Both were sorted under warranty. Overall I am very pleased with the car. if I went back 5 years and had the option of buying the car again would I yes 100%

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

I have owned this Mercedes just short of a year. The V12 sounds gorgeous, my friend finds it a little costly to run and maintain but personally it is not a problem. Let's be honest, if you can afford a £170k car, you can afford to run it. The handling is fast to respond but can be a little slow at times. The automatic mode is a little slow to respond and you do not always get the response you were expecting. I have never had any problem in my many months of ownership. I have also never put the roof down so cannot comment on that. Having said all that I would not recommend you buy it. If you can afford to buy a 170k car, put in the extra £10k and get a Lamborghini Hurucan.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very impressed with this new SL, the second Mercedes I have owned. The extras on this vehicle are unbelievable, not to mention the standard of finish we expect of a car of this calibre. Does everything I want it to do. Did consider Porsche 911 Cab, SH Ferrari California. I would certainly recommend this car. Looks gorgeous in Palladin Grey.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Car locked in park which is apparently a known fault. Required the gear selector mechanism replaced Ł750 under warranty. Recalled for two front suspension arms to be upgraded due to bush problem.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

No problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

My car has almost every concievable extra and advancement and in its 4.5 life has only needed one minor part for the Active Body Control.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very stylish specialist car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Beautiful to look at,amazing to drive

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

A fantastic car and for the price unbeatable.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Brilliant

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

The SL is an excellently put together machine which is surprisingly economical to run considering the perception the public has of the vehicle. MB servicing is not cheap as everyone knows but the insurance and fuel costs have been very reasonable. The vehicle has had no faults in 4 years and so we can have no complaints. About to replace with SL500.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Not bad for a complex car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Fantastic for a car that is 15 years old. The car has an easy life but apart from fuel it is quite cheap to run.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Great car boot leaks Cannot believe mercedes can be bothered to fix the problem which to quote from dealers "they all leak"

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

I love my car

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Excellent vehicle - owned the earlier model thentraded it for a clk and decided ihad to get another sl - three key faults are uncomfrtable seats, indicator stalks do not cancel after cornering very well and sometimes lose sound from audio system after engine start. I had the same issues with the previous version of the sl350 but looks, performance and cabriolet outweigh these issues.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Apart from an annoying rattle from the roof mechanism that several mercedes dealers were unable to rectify the car has been completely faultless. That said i cover less than 2000 miles/year and though the car is 7 years old it has less than 14k on the clock.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Superb

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Brilliant !

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

The SL has no direct competitor providing the combination of features ranging from sports car to luxury saloon, coupe to convertable, comfort to technology. An SL is an incredibly easy car to live with being at home in a traffic jammed commute as well as long distance touring when it’s class beating trunk allows a realistic luggage load. Perhaps if it’s not the fastest car you can think of and that’s usually the root of any negative comments, but most of fellow SL drivers can’t think of any alternative car that would suit their lives so well. That current SL 400 follows an SL 350 and should be the final recommendation.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

no problems

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

too complicated and not tested enough by MB

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

130K and only routine servicing required in each of last 5 years. Superb reliability

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

This car is a dream. Always enjoyable to drive and simply outstanding with the top down for summer driiving.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

A superbly built car- better than the new ones! Effortless performance from the 5.0 v8 and classic styling. Near classic status now, one of the last proper-built mercs!

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Not cheap to run but 5.5 litres and 500bhp will never be. Acceleration is awesome and makes overtaking safe . Rust on a post 2000 merc is unforgiveable but common albeit cured under warranty.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Perfect cruiser for summer

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Very nice powerful, thirsty, attractive but not for the family.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

A useable classic car that puts a smile on your face whenever you drive it.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

Tell us what you think about your car?

Continues to leak water into he boot from its seals - the roof is fabulous and like macramé but it leaks, always has done and guess it always will!! Not good enough for a premium car of this type.

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Good looks, performance,expensicve to run, but iknew that

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

No Red thumbs down

Tell us what you think about your car?

Generally good

Would you recommend the car to a friend?

Yes Green thumbs up

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