Mercedes-Benz has made the ultimate comfort-driven two-seat convertible that has performance figures to match its long list of amenities. Top up, it cuts a sleek physique. Top down, it’s an exhilarating roadster that is characterized by distinctive -- and somewhat polarizing – front-end styling. Mercedes-Benz also makes an even more astute performer in the SL65 AMG.
What's New
The SL550 was all-new in 2013, so there are few changes this year. The Premium Package is now a standard feature.
Choosing Your Mercedes-Benz SL550
All SL550s are equipped with a host of standard performance features and a powerful 4.6-liter V8 that produces 429 horsepower. Fuel economy is better than you might expect: 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.
With the standard Premium Package, any SL550 is well-equipped. The retractable hardtop features a panoramic glass roof, for instance, and it's complemented by dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats with 16-way adjustments, sun-reflective leather upholstery, a Harman Kardon surround sound audio system, an 80GB hard drive, and satellite radio. Also included in the SL550's base price is the popular Airscarf, which vents warm air around the driver's and passenger's necks during top-down journeys in cool weather.
Options include illuminated doorsills, a sport steering wheel, a Bang & Olufson sound system and Magic Sky Control -- essentially a sunroof that blocks UV rays and keeps the cabin cool.
To further customize the ride, look and feel of the SL550, Mercedes-Benz offers the following packages:
- Sport Wheel Package: 19-inch AMG 5-spoke wheels, a sport brake system and a sport steering wheel.
- Driver Assistance Package: adaptive cruise control, pre-safe accident preparedness, active blind spot assist, and active lane keeping assist.
- mbrace Package: a variety of mobile emergency features including automatic collision notification and stolen vehicle location assistance.
Choose your Mercedes-Benz SL550 >>
The SL550 is so accomplished that more expensive AMG-modified models make sense only for those in search of absolute performance limits.