German Car Zone

Testdrove the new SL350 today and I have to say I am totally hooked on this car!


When the revised SL first appeared I was not very attracted to the new front design which included mainly the grille and those contraversial headlights. Even after seeing the SL500 and SL63 AMG upclose at the 2008 Geneva Car Show in Switzerland, I still wasn't attracted to the front. Then the design began to slowly grow on me - but only on the AMG models or an SL with an AMG body kit. But now, today, I actually began to fall in love with the new design. Perhaps it was because of the sexy Obsidianblack color or the sporty rims that equipped this car.



I'm a big guy at 6'4" but I had ample space inside the car once I readjusted the seats to my personal specifications. The interior is well layed out with all the useful controls placed within reach. Quality wise I wasn't disappointed as the interior makes a very upscale and premium impression on you. In this case the color combination was also fantastic. The cabin feels even better with the top down. Today was a very hot day though so cruising around in the dry and hot weather top-down wasn't that enjoyable. At this point it is a good idea to mention that there was so much sunshine that my pictures didn't really turn out how I'd like them too. Taking photographs under these weather conditions is horrible but I had no choice as this car was going to be brought to another dealership after I was done with it. Anyway, the SL350 was comfortable and roomy for a car of its class and just sitting in it already felt good. The drivers view was particularly rewarding as those "massive" power domes on the hood reminded me of the original 300SL "Gullwing" and somehow contributed to the driving feel of the car. There was no need to for them to be on the hood but they're there as a homage to the original SL.



The best was yet to come: the engine, the heart and sould of this masterpiece in metal. Mercedes engineers took the existing 3.5-l V6 and overhauled it big time. The results are even more power, a quicker engine response and more refinement. Having driven a number "old" 272-horsepower V6 Mercedes', I can safely attest to the newfound qualities of this motor. The 316-horsepower coupled to one of the best engine responses I've ever experienced in a Mercedes' make this car extremely fast and responsive (duh) and fun. I always thought the original R230 SL was a very fun car to drive - but the facelifted SL350 takes this to a whole new level! Words can't really describe how good the engine felt. It's very silent and ultra smooth. Even with the top down, the V6 engine was very quiet, hardly audible. Impressive. If you think this engine is all about refinement and silence and therefore a "snoozer", guess again. When I hammered the car the SL350's V6 engine first of all produced such a sexy, such an addicting growl that sounded more "V8" than V6. Not to mention the acceleration which was simply fantastic. There is no doubt in my mind that this SL350 would totally destroy my fathers '89 500SL (R129) in performance. Ah, the progress of technology.



I was particularly fond of the 7Gtronic automatic transmission as it shifted impeccably: smooth and silent and it worked well with the torquey V6 engine under the hood. I even had a few stints of manual shifting where I tried to mix the lower gears with the powerful engine. The results were insanely fast acceleration sprints that brutally pushed me back into the comfortable leather seats. In normal cruising mode the transmission was doing silent background work and this added to an already comfortable experience. By the way, selecting the gears manually also was a very rewarding process as the 7Gtronic response was superbly fast. Another great experience was the roof. When I first operated the button, I thought it wasn't working as I didn't hear anything but soon enough I felt air come into the cabin and when I turned around I saw that the trunk lid had opened and the roof was folding up in order to be stowed in the trunk. Wow, it was so quiet and quick too!



My biggest dissapointment with the SL350 came from two aspects: handling and steering feedback. The steering feedback was simply to light and felt very artifical (no contact with the road could be felt). The suspension was sturdy and could take a high degree of sporty driving but it was also tuned for comfort as body roll in corners was very high. Although the steering response was very quick, the lack of proper feedback coupled to the generally soft suspension meant this car still felt more cruiser than sports car. It has to be said that I only had about 50 minutes to enjoy the car so I possibly missed some suspension adjustment buttons which would have turned the ride into a more sporty experience. On the bright side the steering wheel was well formed and gave some reassurance in terms of control and therefore handling. Don't get me wrong as the car handled confidantly and felt controllable at all times, but based on what the reviews said, I was expecting a bit more.



In the end I still came away very impressed (and addicted) from the testdrive. This really is a fantastic car that showcases top refinement, quality and a high degree of driving fun. The new front design is now appealing to me (I guess driving the car helped!) and I guess once you spend some time with the car it will grow on you. I tried to find some negative things to say about the car but I just couldn't find any. The handling and steering aspect might not be a big deal to the target market of this machine and I suppose the SL63 AMG is the real handler of the SL's. I guess the only really bad thing about this particular car was the price: 98,978 Euros!

Final verdict? 9/10

Very nice review and photos as always.

Lucky man, we don't even have this car in the country yet. The car looks great in this colour and wheel combo. I am surprised to read about the steering and the handling of the SL, how does it compare to the pre-facelift version?

Thanks.


Whoops, I forgot to compare this to the older R230. It literally feels the same to be honest. This is why I was so disappointed because I couldn't really feel an improvement in this department.

So the new direct steering thing doesn't really help. Did you try on the air-scarf?

Is your dad going to get one?

Very nice and informative as always! Thanks Wimmer

PS. You should apply for a job as an automotive journalist at your local AMS office

Great review, seriously love this car and the looks are great Much better than the old SL. Tbh I'd rather the carbon trim instead of wood

Because they handling of the pre-facelifted and facelifted SL are the same, would you rather own the old one and save the money??

Excellent review wimmer! You are at the pro level with your assessments and images and should be doing this professionally. You provide a personal approach often missed in today's reviews.

I could be tempted to move this direction but probably will not. The detractor to me is the "old" COMAND and technology still in this model. A fully refreshed version will be up to date. Also, we will not see a V6 SL here in the US...

Great review Christian!! And awesome photos!! I really start to like the new front of the SL!! Looks great and the colour combination of "your" is stunning. But the price is still…extremely high.

Hey Christian, how does the new V6 stack up to the one in say your E320? Is it smoother, and how does it compare to the older turbine smooth BMW I6s?

Thanks for the review. The SL is still arguably Mercedes' most desireable car. The SL350 could probably make it here in the U.S. with the more power than the SL500 from a few years ago.

M