California John

Motor Trend's Review

There are many salient points from a 3.1 0-60 to a 11.3 @ 124mph ¼ mile to a whole lot of analysis - pros and cons. Have at it gents!

chassis

Positives:
- 4.0L TT V8 remains
- absence of stillborn and failed 48V EQ Boost system

Tifoso48

First of all thank you for sharing this Motortrend Review.

There is little to disagree with and at least in my mind it confirms that I made a good choice buying this car. For 7 1/2 years I was the proud owner of an AMG GTS that was mentioned quite a bit for comparison, and this SL is every bit as fast and nimble. I do have to smile at the comment of a bit of " a hard ride" in the SL. Compared to what ? I assure you that compared to the GT S, the SL handles bumps and potholes infinitely better - the roads of Washington DC truly are beyond terrible!!!!

Yes, I suppose fastidious at times is the right description for some of the instruments and technology, and it took me quite some time and effort to master them - but assuredly, it can be done.

My biggest "beef" is the absolutely awful fuel consumption, however, I did discover that when you put the car in "slippery" mode it really improves consumption and I have not noted a significant improvement, and maybe its the optimist in me speaking that I am hoping with time that fuel consumption will improve.

Net - net, the SL is a great looking and great driving car and I am happy to own one.

Wolfman

Nice read! I am still wondering about their statement: Advanced as the chassis is, nothing hides its size or 4,239-pound curb weight.

I can't imagine the car to be nimble at that weight but still no cars here to test drive. Since you also had the GTC roadster, what are your thoughts?

California John

Yes I did have the GTC convertible for 3 years. It was a much smoother ride than the GTS (had for 2 years) as the GTS was just plain - well, rougher. True, the SL63 is a couple of hundred pounds heavier but it is also AWD wheel and that definitely helps. And of course it continues with the rear wheel drive that the GTC had. At a later time I will post more comprehensive impressions, but there is one test spot that I have for cornering ability. In my area of Orange County there is a very nice sweeper that I have used in the past to test the car's cornering ability and ability to stay planted on a constant radius sweeper. The measuring stick is my exit speed at a particular marker. The actual sweeper itself is the transition between the 405 north and the 133 south towards Laguna Beach next to Quail Hill in Irvine where I live. The other day I got to 57 miles an hour in the SL63. I am convinced that I can get to 60 miles an hour at that exit. [I forgot to mention originally here that in the GTS my best was 54mph and in the GTC it was 56mph.-edit]

Interestingly enough, when I first got the car and was just getting used to it the first time I tried it I only got to an exit speed of 44 miles an hour! I thought damn! This thing must be a pig! Of course I realized that I didn't have any game at the moment, but it still felt slow and unwieldy. For the last 22 months since I turned in my GTC (thinking that the new model would be arriving quite soon) I have been driving my wife's Chevrolet Bolt EV! I needed to get my sea legs under me and start to trust the car in lower gears at higher speeds. The car definitely has a lot of room in it in cornering ability. And in the Motor Trend article they got 1.03 g on the skid pad. That is very very planted for a production car.

I don't have a problem with weight in itself - the question is always what does the car do with it. In my racing days in SCCA for 10 years, if you won in the class I raced in (S2) you had to push your car onto the scales and then jump in it and you had to hit minimum 1320 lbs! The spec motor was a 2 liter Pinto engine. They usually had about 140 hp and a 4 speed crash box. So I am familiar with horsepower to weigh ratios! Remember that the SL63 is an AMG designed and produced car from the ground up....not just a tarted-up regular Mercedes Benz production car. Other aspects of the car I'll comment on at a later time - including a persistent and as yet unsolved issue with the charging system for which Germany doesn't yet have a solution. Nice to have my old GTC trickle charger.

TJ Dallas

Thanks for the quick summary and comparison. And while I can't compare a ride with a GTS I can compare it to a 2017 M5. The M5 rode like a log truck compared to this car. The SL is a little harsher than my 2018 Panamera when in Comfort mode, but not much. I find the SL ride to be smooth enough and sporty enough, but not necessarily a cruiser. Sorry you are still having issues with the charging system and hopefully they will get it resolved for you quickly. I've had no issues after 5 weeks of driving, knock on wood.

Surge

Thanks for the details @California John But I wonder if you still had the GTC, with the same tires as the SL63 on the same day what would happen. There is no question the GT has better weight distribution and is lighter, and it has a better power to weight ratio - so undoubtedly the GTC would be faster.
Not a knock on the SL, as it's trying to be more luxurious and has 4 seats.

I am tempted to order the SL63 (although the pricing is pretty crazy), but I'm never selling the GTC (coupe).

Has anyone compared the SL63 with the 992 4S or GTS cabriolet? I was a bit disappointed to read a less than stellar review of the SL63 in Car and Driver:"Handling isn't as agile as key rivals."
https://www.caranddriver.com/mercedes-amg/sl55-sl63
Can anyone comment?

js_cls

The key rival they compare to is the Porsche, so of course it does not handle as well. The Porsche is smaller and lighter than the SL, but also will be more uncomfortable. They just posted an Instrumented Test today which was very favorable.

Wolfman

Here is a comparo from the UK. The logical comparison for the SL63 is the Turbo cab, not a 911 4S or GTS. Consumers compare by price and spec, not 0-60 and the SL63 is the more expensive car here...
As in other reviews, there are some complaints about quality.

https://drives.today/articles/1039/c...iolet-992.html

California John

The tires on my GTC were the same as the SL63. Hard to know about the same day...but the temps are largely the same - at least when I am pushing it on that sweeper. True there is horsepower to weight ratio but that's not all there is to it. The SL63 has AWD and is always flowing traction to wherever it is needed the most so that helps with cornering and keeping the nose and tail where they belong. But yes, it would be interesting to do back-to-back tests. I think a most of the extra weight of the SL63's is the AWD - so the weight gets put to good use vis-s-vis cornering, "hole-shots" and the like.These things are always largely a matter of taste. The more I use it the more I uncover nice, usable considerations designed in. And some of my initial frustration is ameliorated in discovering where things are located. I loved my GTC and the only reason I got rid of it was my lease was up (2 years ago) and I expected a new version quite soon. I didn't have any idea of the effect of Covid on manufacturing and the war in Ukraine as well. The war removed most all the previously ordered seat leather choices. And I didn't know that the next version would come out thru the Mercedes SL line. No idea. I thought it'd be another AMG release on its own side. Anyway, the new SL follows in the line with a purely AMG creation as was the SLS and the GT.

Wolfman

The new SL is a great car and looks much better than its predecessors. Clearly a true AMG car although some are hanging themselves up on those rear seats and soft top. We also leased our GTC Roadster but decided last year in September that there was nothing on the horizon that could equal the car. Still love it and enjoy what makes the car unique. Imagine an AMG weighing less than the 992 Turbo cab

On paper, the new SL is very much like our E63s with its engine/transmission/variable AWD so your feedback on the suspension is very helpful as the Air Body Control (which wasn't much more than Airmatic with the pressure dialed up to 11) left much to be desired. Am looking forward to your continued impressions

Surge

911 Turbo is in a different league, sorry. For one thing, it's much much faster.

Good points overall though. I'm looking forward to driving the new SL63!

Wolfman

The 911 Turbo isn't in a different league at all. The Turbo is quicker, not faster but that's of no relevance to a good portion cab buyers. The ones in our neighborhood are driven by professionals/physicians with no inclination for testing the performance of those cars. It's a top-line model and that's it.
Something pretty normal for Turbo models. 911 GT3's, different story...

Surge

The Turbo is in a different league because it’s Significantly faster. And its handling limits are much higher.
Has nothing to do with who or how it’s driven. The fact is the performance is on a different level.
(and I’m not even a big fan of the 992)

Wolfman

I guess you are not getting my point. They are both $200k+ cars and that's the league they are in and will be cross-shopped. The performance aspects are only relevant to those that care.
So let me re-phrase, the 911 Turbo is in a different league for you

Also, the 911 is not significantly faster (top speed). Both are 200mph cars...

Surge

Ah, ok, now I see your point!

If the SL63 maintains the excitement of the AMG GT, with added practically and luxury, it’s a winner in my book.

I would like to see more color options though - I guess that will come later. For instance, where is the tan roof? The GTC cabrio in black/tan was a stunning combo.

California John

From what I understand tan was not popular enough to continue.

Surge

At this level, MB need to offer more choice, not less.
Look at the 911 color customization options.
To not be able to get a black and tan cab is a miss.
I bet more choices will be coming…

Wolfman

MY23 adds a gray soft top and more interior choices, so at least it looks like the initial limitations are disappearing. Mercedes does a decent job with the G63 color options and the SL have more than other models but they are nowhere close to Porsche.

Wolfman

The GTC came only with the older Michelin Pilot Super Sports. Did you put PS4s on yours?
Tried to get them several times for ours but they are still back ordered these days…

California John

Yes I did put PS4s tires on my GTC after I went through the first set - went through them rather quickly. The 4s tires were grabbier. I think my old GTS came with Contis. But I could be mistaken.

Wolfman

Good to know! Definitely good for a proper comparison with the SL. We had to get new rears and ended up with PSS again which I believe were the only stock tires available for the GTC. Good tires, but older tech and inferior to the PS4s.