We say As a large, good-looking coupe-convertible the SL is hard to fault, apart from its steep list prices.Performance The lowest-rated engine is the 3.5-litre V6 with 276bhp. After that there's massive V8s and a ridiculous V12 AMG with 617bhp and a 0-60 of 4.2 seconds. All are excellent.Emissions As you would expect, the Mercedes SL Cabriolet is not a green car. Running costs are high. But what did you expect?Driving The SL delivers a smooth, refined ride, and while there's not the poise of a smaller sports car it's still great fun to drive.Feel One thing Mercedes does well is keeping out wind and road noise and the SL is no exception. The cabin is well-insulated and even with the roof down wind is not too intrusive.Space There is plenty of space for two people under six foot and decent boot space, unless the roof's down in which case you may be able to squeeze your pants in.Equipment Virtually everything is standard, and there are kits to personalise your SL. Presumably there are no furry dice.Price Insurance, tax and petrol will probably bankrupt you. Choose a larger engine and thrash it and you're storing up even more financial woe for yourself, but you'll grab back a few quid when you sell it because of strong residual values.Quality The Mercedes SL is built to the highest standards and the build quality reflects the price. The folding metal roof is a nice addition and should be reliable.Safety The usual array Mercedes safety equipment is complemented by the edition of a roll-over bar.Pros The SL Cabriolet is exclusive and stylish with plenty of performance to boot.Cons Gearboxes can't handle power from larger engines well and ‘exclusive’ can easily be translated as ‘expensive’.Alternatives Jaguar XK Convertible, Porsche 911
