2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Reviews, Pricing & Specs
























































































































































































































































































































































































































































What owners say
"Overall, owners of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class are impressed with its performance and luxurious design. Many love the powerful engine and smooth driving experience, but some express concerns about the lack of modern safety features and potential repair costs due to complex engineering. The hardtop convertible style is particularly favored, though some wish for additional options like Bluetooth and heated front seats."
Performance.. needs more hp on the base model. its a heavy vehicle.. so the power to wt ration is mediocre at best. Appearance.. gorgeous, beautiful line.. Interior is fine.. its a convertible.. so the interior needs to be a bit more durable than what i would expect from a Coupe or a Sedan from Mercedes. Its wonderful to drive.. I love it.. the electronic throttle has a bit of lag between the time you punch your foot down. and the car responds.. about 1 sec or so... But then its is a Luxury sports car and not a Racing roadster. If you need a bit more punch to your drive to go up against the Rice burners.. then step up to the SL55 or SL65.. if you have the deep pockects of course
April 4, 2009A nice cruiser. Absolutely love the hard convertible top. However, with the classic German (over)engineering, repairs can get expensive pretty quick.
May 7, 2021I’ve previously owned two SL 500 convertibles prior to this purchase. I love the body style and performance and prefer the look of a hardtop convertible.
April 19, 2021What owners say
Performance.. needs more hp on the base model. its a heavy vehicle.. so the power to wt ration is mediocre at best. Appearance.. gorgeous, beautiful line.. Interior is fine.. its a convertible.. so the interior needs to be a bit more durable than what i would expect from a Coupe or a Sedan from Mercedes. Its wonderful to drive.. I love it.. the electronic throttle has a bit of lag between the time you punch your foot down. and the car responds.. about 1 sec or so... But then its is a Luxury sports car and not a Racing roadster. If you need a bit more punch to your drive to go up against the Rice burners.. then step up to the SL55 or SL65.. if you have the deep pockects of course
April 4, 2009A nice cruiser. Absolutely love the hard convertible top. However, with the classic German (over)engineering, repairs can get expensive pretty quick.
May 7, 2021I’ve previously owned two SL 500 convertibles prior to this purchase. I love the body style and performance and prefer the look of a hardtop convertible.
April 19, 2021Outstanding. Bought certified pre-owned in January of '08 with 15k miles on it. Car now has 85k on it. I take good care of it, drive it hard and still look forward to getting in it every day. Handles great, extremely comfortable (I'm a big guy) and performance second to none I've driven. Have had cops stop me and say, "Well, you were speeding. I'll give you a warning. Just wanted to get a closer look at your car."
September 25, 2009A car guys dream, loads of power plenty of mods available and a bulletproof engine (with proper maintenance). For the price you can’t beat it!
April 22, 2024The SL55 AMG is high performance, well built luxury car. Much of the interior features are taken from the top of the line S Class car. The SL is a very popular 2 door that new cost in the $125k to $140k range, but are widely available in the used market. These cars can be purchased for half to one third of their sticker price and will run trouble free to well over 100,000 miles.
August 6, 2013Fantastic automobile with exceptional performance. The longer I drive the more I appreciate the car. Interior is spacious and designed well with guages that are easy to read. Acceleration is very fast and the car also accelerates well at high speed. Be warned that 80 mph feels like your at 40mph.
June 30, 2009The 2005 Mercedes Benz SL500 received only threadbare updates from its 2003-2004 predecessors, primarily in the media and navigation centers going to a widescreen screen and DVD navgation format. Nothing remarkable otherwise, in the cockpit. The drivetrain has a bit more to boast about; going from the 5-speed to 7- speed transmission which added considerably noticable zest, to what is already a very spirited driving experience. The general consensus is that the 2005 was built more soundly than the 2003 in the way of Illuminating fuel pump noise and convertible top rattles. Additional color choices also came available in 2005. Unless you were one of the Unlucky Souls that received a lemon from the factory; there is just nothing derogatory that can be stated about the Mercedes-Benz SL series roadsters. Incredibly nimble, noticeably quick, and truly sexy, are words that come to mind, when talking about this car. The truly beautiful thing is the price of these vehicles in the used car market... original 1st time buyers endured the drastic depreciating value, where some, paid well over 100k new and sold at 10k. (Lucky for us). Theres plenty of enjoyment left in these classics, and when you are purchasing at such a discount, DIY repairs and maintenance are much more approachable by a typical person with average mechanical capabilities.
December 7, 2020Bought the car pre-owned 2 years ago. Love it today as much as the first day I bought it. It is really fun to drive. It had 18K miles on it when I bought it and it now has 37K miles and there have been no issues. Gas mileage on highway is great but if you want to have fun with the car then keep your wallet ready at the pump. Performance is wonderful and ride quality is great. Don't regret the purchase at all.
May 23, 2008Awesome, great in every way, (apart from fuel economy)
January 14, 2008Trims & specs
Base MSRP $92,020 | Seating 2 |
Engine 5.0L 302 hp V8 | Cargo Capacity 11.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 17 | Drivetrain RWD |
Base MSRP $130,120 | Seating 2 |
Engine 5.5L 493 hp V12 | Cargo Capacity 11.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 14 | Drivetrain RWD |
Base MSRP $182,820 | Seating 2 |
Engine 6.0L 604 hp V12 | Cargo Capacity 11.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 14 | Drivetrain RWD |
Base MSRP $124,020 | Seating 2 |
Engine 5.4L 493 hp V8 | Cargo Capacity 11.2 cu ft |
Combined MPG 15 | Drivetrain RWD |
Pricing trends
MSRP range
$92,020 - $182,820
Current avg. market price
$14,748
Trending down by 5.1% this month
May 2026 - October 2026







