Starts at $111,800
FAST FACTS
MotorDonkey's proprietary vehicle data identifies every significant version of each model so that you can compare and decide. Ordered by price from low to high, here are the versions of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class that you need to be aware of, along with our expert analysis and recommendations.
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A four-cylinder SL? Well, there's precedent, technically. The first-generation 190 SL from the '50s had a four-banger, too, and the AMG SL 43 blows that one out of the water with its 375-horsepower output. But let's be real: No one dreams about a top-shelf luxury roadster with a four-cylinder buzz coming from the tailpipes. If you want an SL, this isn't the one.
An SL with a V8 under the hood — that's more like it. Any vehicle with Benz's excellent 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood is a force to be reckoned with, but you get to hear the force in all its glory with the top down in the SL 55. You could keep going up the ladder and have even more speed with the SL 63, but it's essentially the same V8 either way. We'd be just fine with the 55.
It used to be more fun to analyze the top-spec SL roadsters, because it ended up being an argument about V8 engines versus V12s. You can't simply reduce that to 0-60 times — you're talking about two very different engine types, each with its own distinctive character. Alas, you can't get a V12 in the SL anymore, and Benz doesn't even bump up the displacement on the SL 63 relative to the SL 55. They both use the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, so the main question is whether you want to go really fast (SL 55) or really really fast (SL 63). We'd keep some extra cash in our pocket and be thoroughly satisfied with the 55.
Publisher and Donkey-in-Chief
Josh has been reviewing cars professionally since joining Edmunds.com fresh out of grad school in 2008, personally driving most new cars on the market every year since. He also served as the project manager for Edmunds' expert vehicle rankings from their inception in 2018, building the product out from the back end to the front end. Josh is a card-carrying member of the Motor Press Guild and a lifelong car nut who has tested, compared and critiqued a ridiculous number of cars in his career.
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