In my opinion the SL wasn't designed to be a high performance sports car. It is more of a GT car with a little bit of high performance capability

I drove a lot of nice cars including a 2009 BMW m6 Conv. Nothing got my attention or love as much as a 2006 sl500. I can only imagine how better the aluminum version is. SL is a legend and is the best.

i love it, it looks like a modern version of the 80's SL !

Jason tests out the 6th model in Mercedes history, but has mixed emotions about the car. For more fantastic car reviews, shoot-outs and all your favourite Fifth Gear moments, subscribe to our Official Channel - kzfaq.info #FifthGear #mercedesbenz #testdrive

In the US we get a way better spec. SL450 is our base model, and you won't find one without the premium package (HK audio, cooled seats, analog clock, keyless go, airscarf, and a few others. ) Even those are harder to find than the SL550 (4.7TT V8.) Those are by far the most popular (and the gas mileage is very good for such a big engine. )

Yes, I'm glad I bit the bullet and stepped up to the V8. Also, a start button is available and takes seconds to pop in place. Otherwise, the key in the ignition would be a potentially dangerous flaw.

3:10 - "go and get a brew" haha yea get me a stella please LOL

Ah! the grille is so bloody gorgeous! Nailed it Mercedes, that is on of your all time best design features.

This car don't feel like claustrophobic . If it was below 1600 kg it would have been perfect daily driving vehicle .

Looking very nice!

Thumb up for the fairly realistic review.

The problem with the ignition key is only present because of the right hand drive conversion for Great Britain; there's no such problem for left hand drive countries. And anyway, it's a simple fix, just get the keyless go option and problem solved.

Say as you will, a gorgeous car, super pose mobile with style luxury and total comfort, its a cruiser not a fack machine, I got 1 and love it, no other convertible comes close to these

Gooood review

Right. Where Is The Analog Clock? *taps window to show* *Jason stares at it* Thats £210?!?! Just Brilliant! Lmao

Yea I'm an AMG fan boy but not particularly fond of this generation SL's looks. Also just wanna point out that the SL is an S-Class variant and not an E-Class. Meaning it's not a competitor to the 6-Series Convertible. BMW doesn't have anything comparable to the SL. Although it'd be nice to see them bring back the 8-Series and make a Roadster version sooner. Ok, rant over

Well now we are entering 2020, it's just a matter of time.

Very very revealing review. Thanks.

Well... JP have 3 main point against the SL and I'll try to ignore them: 1st - The sportines - there is no space on public road to see where the car limits ends - this is not a car for teenage road hooligan 2nd - The key position - there is optional keyless go 3rd - The fire breathing V8 are available for any one interested Conclusion: damn sexy pose-mobile with plenty of sportiness for day to day usage :)

I have the V8 version of this car. It's not a sports car nor is it a track car, but it is a wonderful ride for two people on a long trip. It is quiet and extremely comfortable with great seats and a good sound system. The steering is a little numb but it goes where it is pointed and with 429hp and +500 lbs of torque it's very short list of cars can keep up with it. More over, maybe it's just mine but, I regularly get 28MPG on the highway driving averaging 75-80MPH in the Rocky Mountains. It also gets good mileage around town. This is not a beautiful car, but top up or down, it's a very good one.

Nice Merc :)

New S Class Coupe is better long distance cruiser with more luggage space and 4 seats (should u need them) - as long as you don't mind the lack of open air motoring.

How not to test a convertible: roof on

Honestly, if its just for cruising, I'll just have an E Class or an S Class, or maybe an E Class coupe if you want style.

Love all the Merc fanboys getting their knickers in a twist over Jason's comments.

Groovy, Jason? Really, you'll be talking about " dolly birds " next. Good video other wise. :-))

Although I find the knee/key issue silly and probably more due to how you're sitting than MB's fault, I do think for that kinda money, the car should have had a keyless start button to begin with.

Would love to have one. Its a comfortable sports cruiser and wasn't meant to be anything else. If you want a real sports car get a Ferrari / Porsche etc.

Car and Driver compared it to the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427. Odd maybe, but perhaps slightly more relevant than a BMW 6 series Cabriolet?

He was sitting way too close to the steering dash...you're knee shouldn't be that close to the dash anyways.

C'est normal pour les clé a la base elle est prévue pour la conduite a gauche!

How can you say it is not a sports car?:)))) are you crazy? It is a sport luxury car, is is based also on comfort, try the SL 500 or SL AMG, i`ll make a proper review for the Amg next month. You would be happy with Recaro seats and massage with road dumps on this car?????????

just so you know when the steerin wheel is on the left theres no issues with the knee cap and key and im 6feet tall i have never driven my sl and turned it off with my knee lmfao

None of the former SL's was a propper sportscar (ok, nummero uno maybe was). They have always been rich-men-cruisers.

How in the world does this car get 37.7 mpg!!? My ass..

I like the 2002

how come even your latest videos look like they're old😦

putz pior que é verdade aquela bendita chave....

Looks groovy

This or a jaguar f type V8? That's a harder question than I thought it would be...

You don't need a V8, it's not a track car it's meant for cruising which it does eloquently. £70K in 2012, I have a 2013 model bought in '22 for a third of the price. Now is a good time to buy the best roof down car, look for low mileage, mine has 27k on the clock with full Mercedes service history.

car comes standard with keyless go. that key should be a button.

Groovy?

If your first thought is to do dough nuts, your second is the cost of the extras makes you immediately think BMW as an option and not being able to drive like pratt is off putting, then you obviously don't have the class to enjoy an SL, The whole review felt like BMW driving boy racer trying to appraise it.BMW driver =ignorant, Mercedes driver=class.

Yes, because a car with less luxury and power (ehem the 6 series) is OBVIOUSLY better than the SL.

Now the big Headline is that Compared to Carbon Fibre body, this aluminium version weighs around 540 Kilograms More..!!

I THOUGHT IT WAS A CONVERTABLE .??

Why are you so close to the steering wheel like the "Where's the beef" lady? Back up a bit and your knee will clear the key fob, or replace it with keyless fob. Simple adjustments.

Lmaooooo it is 2021 and it doesn’t feel outdated at all in fact i want one now that they’re 40k

Is this review from 2012 ?

That is quite some conclusion for a car you can turn of with your knee by accident. Sorry ...

The last time i was in an sl i felt like a dickhead

Btw it's good looking xD

The car looks good. Pas the complements to the designer.

For a little bit more you could buy an S-Class Coupé when it's available

He didn't drop the top!

Here we are 3 years later and it is already outdated.

My wife and I are retired. We are the demographic this car is for. This is just perfect for a nice, open air drive on the weekend.

Scoot the seat back, you get more legroom 🤔

The SL needs to have its own uniquely designed steering wheel and not something taken from a C-Class AMG...I mean this is a very premium model in the range after all!

This guy is such a Pratt. I wonder how he even got this job. A clear reminder of why I prefer Top Gear. He's complaining about things that absolutely nobody else has ever mentioned because they simply don't exist. It's like he's looking for reasons to not like it and what's with all the reference to personal grooming? The SL is an executive sports convertible with the size footprint of a grand Cherokee 4x4, it's not a small hairdresser z4. The key is in the wrong place? Seriously?? Nobody else has this problem because they aren't purposely trying to knee the keys to make a point about a problem that doesn't exist. The only way you can knee the keys like this is if you lift off the pedals and try to do it on purpose (exactly what he was doing). And he didn't even MENTION the roof, it's like he had no idea what he was driving and just thought "I'm clueless so I'll find a bunch of things wrong just so I can look like I know my stuff". What a twat.

It's very difficult to pay that much for a V6 SL. IMO an SL should always be a v8

Chip the V8 SL500 4.7l and you have near enough 510bhp and 580 lb of torque. For £275 [celtic tuning]. It is fantastic..

Despite all the safety features of this car equipped, still risks of smash the knee by that physical key and could end with wheel a way rather than walk a way.....this reminds SAAB.

Geez, haven to deal with that look till 2020 Mercedes wtf

The side and rear look really nice...but that front is so damn ugly. It looks like some honda convertible from the front until you see the mercedes logo.

Why do i have to comment something this obvious,if you want sport Benz you buy AMG...this is for old guys who cant deal with their age...

SL65 AMG is another different league..

The key issue, is a matter of safety, in case of accident, you can open your right knee in half ! what a ''turn of'' !

This car lost its soul to me--the previous model was more sporty as well as it seems a bit more "balanced." This car is super long in the front--it throws off the "sport" lines to me.

Sorry but this gen SL is not a looker, at all. The previous gen looked soooo much better

ugly overpriced

6 series is a pig compared to this

Again I'd rather get a Tesla Model S

nice car... shame that the wheel is on the wrong side. must be another faulty merc

overpriced, boring but sexy as hell

Mercedes lacks in refinement compared to Porsche or BMW. They used to be number one in the 80's and 90's

No doubt it's one of the best cars in the world .....so why don't I have any desire to own it? It just doesn't inspire me at all.

It's not a sports car it'a a gt car, buy a Porsche if you want sport... anyway non is better engineered then this one, no one is goimg to drive it on the trek

this is a car for old (rich) people. i wouldn't want to be seen in one.

Owned a 2013 SL63 for 6 long months...spent 21 days at the dealership for warranty repairs and drank oil like crazy! IT IS NOT A SPORTS CAR!!! Keep it on the interstate and not a road course. I have owned three previous model years of SL's and they simply ruined the styling in 2013. A big disappointment. Had a 2014 Porsche Turbo S and a 2014 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder LP550-2 after that and now driving an Audi R8 V10 Plus . The R8 is my FAVORITE car of all time hands down.

Look at that vomit inducing plastic interior with the gaudy silver plastic highlights and Arial 10 Italics themed instrumentation - this is a generation behind BMW and 2 generations behind Audi

Would rather have a Tesla Model S....

God those headlights are hideous...

Again bad driving, not up to it.

Boring 😴 ,not worth that sort of cash 💸

Ugliest SL in history

Thats bullshit you would have to purposefully take your foot of the pedals at the same time to turn it off utter bullshit no respect for them anymore anything they say ill take with a truckload of salt.