2025 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG SL

The Mercedes-AMG SL is the latest chapter in a long and enthralling story all about the godfather of luxury sports cars. There’s been an SL gracing the world’s roads for more than six decades, providing a glimpse into the lives of the rich and beautiful. Or transporting you to the grander parts of the city if you’re lucky enough to be one of those people with a rich and beautiful SL.

Mercedes-Benz has decided to make this latest incarnation an all-AMG lineup, emphasizing the car’s sportiness. Although it can still be a wonderfully comfortable cruiser. This generation debuted for the 2022 model year, so it’s still relatively fresh, with plenty of technology available.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of high-horsepower luxury cars, including the Mercedes-AMG SL.

The SL 43 gains 41 horses for a total of 416 horsepower. A soft top in Dark Blue is now available. The top three variants offer black-painted brake calipers. The Manufaktur range expands with two exterior paint finishes and two interior color schemes.

We recommend getting a model with the V8 engine for the burble and rear-wheel steering. The SL 55 and SL 63 are popular choices.

Although the SL has a heritage like no other luxury sports car, it’s not the only choice. The Lexus LC Convertible is more mainstream. The BMW 8 Series Convertible is priced even lower (still in six figures, however). The Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet is priced between the SL 43 and SL 55. The SL also stands up well against much more exotic machines like the Aston Martin Vantage V8 Convertible, Bentley Continental GTC, and Maserati GranCabrio.

Before buying a new SL luxury sports car, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. Resale values are not usually a priority with luxury cars like this — we expect the SL’s to be around average for the class. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

Drivetrains in the 2025 AMG SL go from great to good gracious. The SL 43 flexes its 416 hp (up from last year’s 375) to sprint from a standstill to 60 mph in a perfectly zippy 4.8 seconds. Most SL buyers don’t need to go faster than this. But the ones who do can put the SL 55’s 469 hp to the ground to hit 60 mph a second sooner. Or shave off another 0.3 of a second in the 577-hp SL 63.

Compared with the SL 43, the “base” Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet has 388 hp and is about a second quicker to 60 mph, while the Mercedes beats the BMW 840i Convertible by a small margin. Anyway, it isn’t all about the numbers with an SL.

However, there is another twist with the AMG SL 63 S E Performance, which harnesses electric power as well as combustion to push the SL to extremes it’s never known before. It develops a truly awesome 805 hp and up to 1,047 lb-ft of torque. The 60-mph mark is a fleeting event that happens just 2.8 seconds (gasp) into its rush to a top speed of 196 mph.

In general, we’ve found the SL does a fantastic job of balancing engaging performance with a luxurious ride quality. We could cruise for hours on the highway with no complaints. Yet the SL is equally at home on twisting back roads, thanks to the all-wheel steering system (in V8-powered models) and the well-tuned AMG Ride Control suspension system.

Fuel Economy

It’s unlikely that SL buyers will care too much about gas bills. That said, the SL 43 achieves 22 mpg in combined city/highway driving. Which is fine, we suppose. The BMW 840i Convertible manages 24 mpg combined, which is about as good as this class gets. The SL 55 and SL 63 both run to 16 mpg combined.

We could sit in these front seats all day — they’re so well-shaped and comfortable. Mercedes-Benz invariably impresses us with its superb cabin materials and build quality, and that’s exactly what’s going on here. Everything we touch feels classy. We also appreciate the technology, like the highly customizable digital gauge cluster and the user-friendly infotainment system with gorgeous graphics.

Anyone interested in the pricier Manufaktur cosmetic options might like to know that Yacht Blue/Black and Mystic Red/Black interior decor schemes in fine Nappa leather are now available.

The back seats are an afterthought — we could hardly fit back there without sliding the front seats all the way forward. Maximum trunk space is 8.5 cubic feet — more than the soft-top Lexus LC and less than the BMW 8 Series Convertible.

We’d say the Mercedes-AMG SL is handsome. It looks simultaneously expensive and athletic, with sports-car proportions and stylish wheel options. This current SL forgoes the retractable hard top of previous SL generations in favor of a powered soft top. We think it looks great with the roof down.

On the subject of roofs, Mercedes-Benz now offers a Dark Blue color choice. Other changes for 2025 include the option of black-painted brake calipers in the top three trims, plus China Blue and Silicon Grey exterior paint choices from the Manufaktur personalization program.

11.9-inch touchscreen
The SL’s infotainment system has excellent graphics and user-friendly features, including standard navigation and voice control. We love that the angle of the screen is adjustable to reduce glare.

Airscarf
Warm-air vents in the front seats make the SL more comfortable to drive with the top down in cooler weather. Factor in all-wheel drive (AWD), and the SL could be a car for all seasons.

AMG Performance 4Matic+
This high-performance all-wheel drive system comes standard in V8-powered SL models. It optimizes torque to all four wheels for a sublime driving experience.

AMG Active Ride Control
This sophisticated adaptive suspension system can adjust each corner for ultimate stability, even in tight corners at high speeds. We’ve experienced it and found it does everything Mercedes-Benz claims. It’s standard in the SL 63 and optional in the lower trims.

AMG Dynamic Select
The standard AMG Dynamic Select system includes Comfort, Slippery, Sport, and Sport+ modes, plus an Individual setting that drivers can fine-tune to their liking. We’ve found that each one has its own distinct feel.

Driver Assistance Package
This optional package adds an array of safety tech such as adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assistance, active lane-keeping, active emergency stop assistance, and route-based speed adaptation. We think it’s worth choosing.

A 4-cylinder engine in an SL might seem uncharacteristically humble. But remember these are all AMG models, and the updated unit in the 2025 SL 43 now develops 416 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engines in production. Gotta love that kind of stuff.

Back to more predictable specifications, the SL 55 has a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 (handbuilt in the usual AMG fashion), generating 469 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The same engine in the SL 63 pushes output to 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque.

The SL 63 S E Performance takes that V8 and drops an electric motor into the mix to create an absolutely massive 805 hp and up to 1,047 lb-ft of torque. This makes it the most powerful plug-in hybrid in production — certainly the most powerful SL ever. The battery is designed for quick energy delivery rather than a long electric-only range, one of the road-going benefits of Mercedes-Benz’s highly successful involvement in Formula One racing.

All-wheel drive comes in as standard at the SL 55 level, and every SL has an AMG-tuned 9-speed automatic transmission.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

The new-vehicle warranty Mercedes-Benz offers lasts four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. This covers the powertrain as well. Most European luxury car companies have the same terms. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t offer any free scheduled maintenance, which BMW does. And Lexus has a 6-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty.

Safety

High-end cars like the SL aren’t usually crash-tested outside their manufacturer’s development programs. However, the SL comes well-stocked with standard safety features, such as automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, a 360-degree camera system, parking assistance, and adaptive front lighting. Optional safety tech in the Driver Assistance Package includes adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assistance, and traffic sign recognition.