One of the most iconic Mercedes-Benz models of all time is undoubtedly the SL-Class. SL stands for Sport Leicht or sport light. The first car from the breed was the absolutely iconic and super-rare 300SL Gullwing, and the subsequent roadster. That car is worth millions nowadays, for good reason. After that, Mercedes-Benz put together some other fantastic SL iterations, including the 280 SL "Pagoda," called so because of its unique roof design, and of course, the R129.

By the 2000s, the SL-Class slowly started to transition to a more comfortable cruiser, instead of a driver-focused sports car. Sales started to decline somewhat, but before Mercedes handed over the SL to AMG, they gave it one last shot in 2012, with the R231 generation.

2013-2020 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

7.70 / 10
Key Features
  • Up to 621 hp
  • Folding hardtop
  • Luxury features
Specifications
  • Model: SL-Class
  • Engine/Motor: 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 / 4.7-liter V8 / 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 / 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12
  • Horsepower: 302-621 hp
  • Torque: 273-738 lb/ft
  • Drivetrain: Longitudinal front-engine, RWD
  • Transmission: 7-speed automatic / 9-speed automatic
  • MSRP: $105,500 (base when new)
Pros
  • Great design
  • Excellent powertrains
  • Tons of features
Cons
  • Reliability concerns
  • Two seats only
  • Small cargo area

The Mercedes SL-Class Debut And Competition

Mercedes SL63 AMG Front Quarter Diamond White Metallic Facelift
Mercedes-Benz

The R231 Mercedes SL-Class debuted back in 2012 for model year 2013. Mercedes aimed to refine and improve the formula they had set up with the R230, along with improving the powertrains, the technology, and of course, the look. Like before, the SL-Class was a two-seat roadster, and it retained its folding hardtop from the R230 generation. Mercedes certainly knocked it out of the park with the styling, both with the pre-facelift cars, and the facelift which came along in 2016.

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The front and rear end styling both mirrored Mercedes' current design language, depending on the year. A big grille with the three-pointed star in the middle, and slim headlights. The long hood and short tail look that the SL is famous for remained basically the same, while the rear featured unique angled taillights.

Throughout its life, Mercedes-Benz offered the SL-Class with a whole variety of powertrains, from a V6 to a massive twin-turbo V12. Being the flagship roadster in Mercedes' lineup, the technology and safety features were also top-notch. Obviously, the R231 SL came only one way, as a convertible with a folding hardtop. Mercedes just recently re-introduced the folding soft-top on the latest SL. Due to the big variety of powertrains, the SL's competition was pretty expansive. Anything from the BMW Z4 and the excellent bang-for-your-buck Nissan 370Z, to the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the BMW 6-Series Convertible, to proper sports cars and supercars like the bargain Aston Martin DB9 and DBS, the Ferrari 458, the Ferrari 488, which is a surprisingly great daily driver, the Lamborghini Huracan, which is bowing out with an off-road version, and the list goes on.

The SL65 AMG Puts Out A Colossal 621 HP From A Twin-Turbo V12 Engine

The R231 SL-Class lineup kicked off with the SL400. For the first couple of years, this model used a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 with 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. Beginning in 2014, the SL400 switched to a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 328 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, and later in 2017, Mercedes introduced the SL450, which bumped the turbo V6's output to 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.

Next up was the SL550, which used a 4.7-liter twin-turbo V8. This powertrain put out 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque at first, but in 2016, the horsepower went up by 20, to 449 hp, with torque staying the same. Finally, at the top of the SL-Class lineup, there were the two AMG versions.

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The SL63 AMG used AMG's 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8. In the early years, and in its basic form, the 63 made 530 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, with the AMG Performance Package increasing that to 556 hp and an impressive 664 lb-ft of torque. In 2015, the SL63 received one final power upgrade, up to 577 hp. The absolute peak of the SL-Class lineup was the SL65 AMG, which used the enormous 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 with 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. Every SL was RWD, and the non-AMG cars used a seven-speed automatic transmission, before switching over to a nine-speed automatic. The AMG versions exclusively used two slightly different seven-speed automatics.

2013-2020 Mercedes SL-Class Outdated Interior And Features

Mercedes SL-Class SL63 AMG Interior Driver Side Pre-Facelift
Mercedes-Benz

On the inside, the SL-Class had a very similar interior to most other Mercedes-Benz models at the time of its release. Mercedes took great care to make sure that the quality of materials was absolutely top-tier, but sadly, within a few years of the SL's life, the interior layout started to feel a little outdated. Mercedes was improving technology in their cars very quickly, and eventually they started putting MBUX in all their models.

Still, that's not to say that the SL-Class was lacking in technology. Mercedes introduced a whole catalog of groundbreaking features on the R231 SL-Class. Some of them included the Magic Sky glass roof with the ability to dial in the transparency, Active Body Control suspension, Collision Prevention Assist, DISTRONIC adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition and a lot more. You can get all of these items in most cheap modern crossovers today, but back in 2012 and 2013, this was a huge deal.

In terms of reliability, there are some things to look out for. The SL550 is pretty reliable, but you have to do the expensive maintenance regularly. The AMG models are the slightly more problematic ones, especially the SL65, as is the case with any V12 Mercedes. The R231 SL-Class seats two people, and the trunk boasts a decent 12.6 cubic feet of space.

R231 Mercedes SL-Class Prices Are Low, But They Might Go Up

Mercedes SL-Class Front Quarter Steel Gray Metallic Driving
Mercedes-Benz

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The R231 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is still a pretty solid deal, and most of them have lost a significant amount of value. However, due to it being the last true SL-Class generation, values will likely go up from here, so now is the time to buy. According to Classic.com, values of the SL400 are less than $40,000, the SL550 is somewhere around $45,500, the SL63 is around $70,000, whereas the SL65 AMG is around $90,000. For an underrated, fantastic luxury roadster with up to 621 hp that is certainly the last of its kind, that's pretty decent money.