2008 Mercedes-Benz SL Class Review

As it is a Mercedes-Benz, the SL-Class, as you would expect, sports a superlative degree of refinement, comfort, and build quality. For 2008, Mercedes-Benz doesn't disappoint, offering one of the finest, most comfortable interiors on the road today.

Cars.com writes that all 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class vehicles feature a "two-person cockpit" that they describe as "intimate." However, they are able to "get comfortable in the car," thanks in large part to the "firm cushioning" found on the "highly supportive" seats. ConsumerGuide agrees, finding that occupant seating is "hard to fault, with stretch-out space and supportive, comfortable seats." One thing they do point out, though, as did many reviews read by TheCarConnection.com, is that the Mercedes-Benz 2008 "SL's low-slung body and long doors complicate entry and exit." Kelley Blue Book offers the highest praise, saying, "you'll be hard pressed to find a more comfortable set of seats."

Like most convertibles, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has reduced storage space when the top is down. Unlike most convertibles, this 2008 Mercedes-Benz still boasts a decent amount of trunk room. Kelley Blue Book is impressed that the "ingenious folding top design doesn't take up the entire trunk when retracted," while ConsumerGuide provides some hard numbers, saying that the "trunk has 10.2 cu ft with the roof raised and 7.3 with it lowered, enough for two small golf bags." Inside the cabin, testers at ConsumerGuide note "storage is pretty meager overall, but it does include covered bins behind the seats." In a nod toward practicality, for 2008 Mercedes-Benz has upped cargo space in the trunk by making "the luggage cover in the SL's trunk...removable, significantly improving the amount of usable cargo space," according to Road & Track.

Materials quality and assembly on Mercedes-Benz's 2008 SL-Class is top-notch, which is befitting for a car with the SL's sticker price. Edmunds reviewers find that "a choice of three wood trims (Walnut, Chestnut, Black Ash) are available in the SL550 and SL600, while AMG versions feature carbon-fiber accents instead." ConsumerGuide also adds "the cabin's high-grade materials are mostly appropriate for the lofty prices," with the exception of the "flimsy sun visors and a few bits of hard plastic cabin trim." Other than that, Cars.com notes that for Mercedes-Benz, 2008 brings an interior that is bathed in "soft leather," which makes its way into the seats, "steering wheel, dashboard, center console and doors." Differences between the trims are minimal, though Edmunds says that the "SL600 upgrades with napa leather."

One of the benefits of high-quality construction is that road noise is generally well contained. This is especially true on the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, which ConsumerGuide says is "as quiet as most any luxury coupe, with little wind noise and almost no tire roar" with the top up. Motor Trend adds "a new exhaust system eliminates an unpleasant drone" and describes the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class as "a sublime cruiser, top up or down."