The current Mercedes-Benz SL-Class luxury roadster has been one of our editors' favorite vehicles of any sort. With a beautifully integrated retractable hardtop that requires just the touch of a button to raise or lower, the latest SL offers the fun of an open roadster along with the security and quiet comfort of a closed coupe.
All current Mercedes-Benz SL-Class models are rear-drive. Even the least potent SL, the SL550, sports a 5.5-liter V8 with 382 horsepower. Next up is the SL63 AMG, which features a honking 6.2-liter V8 making 518 hp and 465 pound-feet of torque. Should these prove inadequate, there is the V12-powered SL65 AMG with its 604 hp and 738 lb-ft, enabling a 0-60-mph sprint of just 3.9 seconds.
Handling is also a strong point, with Active Body Control (optional on some trims) keeping the SL eerily flat when ripping through a set of S turns. This athleticism doesn't come at the expense of ride comfort either, as the SL absorbs nasty bumps in the road without drama or excess body motion.
With its effortless performance, adaptive suspension, fast-retracting hardtop and wealth of luxury and safety features, we've found it easy to fall in love with the latest SL. Our complaints are few, centering chiefly on the SL's older version of Mercedes' COMAND interface, which uses a dash-mounted multidirection button pad rather than the more ergonomic console-mounted knob of newer Benzes.
