The Mercedes SL is back with refuelled rigour and this time it is the combination of both engine and cabin tech. The 2013 model is dual turbo charged and is fast. The cabin is equipped with all the ample gadgetry like the top of the line audio system. The Comand Online system, Merc’s own signature […]
Aug 15 2012 | Posted in
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With the top up, that cover can be shifted out of the way to increase storage space, but you won’t be able to drop the top until it is replaced. Even getting into the trunk with the top down is a dramatic affair, requiring that the trunklid lift and then the folded roof and rear […]
Aug 15 2012 | Posted in
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With the side windows and windscreen up and the Air Scarf and heated seats keeping me toasty, there’s no situation short of snow or rain that could convince me not to take a moment and drop the top. Wind noise is so low that I was able to have a conversation with my passenger or […]
Aug 15 2012 | Posted in
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Under the SL’s hood hums a 4.6-liter V-8 biturbo engine that’s as much a work of art as the chassis. Direct-injection technology, a defeatable autostop feature, and an Econ shift program on the seven-speed automatic transmission help this mill to average 16 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 19 mpg according […]
Aug 15 2012 | Posted in
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Around town and on the highway in its most comfortable transmission and ABC setting, the SL550 is probably best described as “effortless.” It’s got more power than it needs for sliding between stop lights, so it can keep its revs low and gearing tall without compromising responsiveness. With the minimal throttle inputs required to reach […]
Aug 15 2012 | Posted in
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Selecting the Sport shift program and the Sport ABC mode, the SL550 comes alive. Lower gears are held slightly longer and downshifts are easier to request and predict with the accelerator pedal, sacrificing a few mpgs to have all 429 thoroughbreds on tap when you need them. The chassis also felt more responsive to steering […]
Aug 15 2012 | Posted in
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The SL550 is a brilliant automobile. Sure, Comand Online is a train wreck, but it doesn’t ruin the vehicle that Mercedes’ chassis and engine engineers and designers have built around it. There’s just so much to like about being behind the wheel of a big, red Benz that I find myself over 3,000 words into […]
Aug 15 2012 | Posted in
Automobiles |
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