2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class SL550 Roadster

Interior Features

The COMAND operating system has a new look for 2009 and additional functions. It comes with a 6.5-inch color screen and an SD card slot, and it incorporates the radio, six-CD changer, and telephone controls. The radio preset buttons are arranged in a phone-like pattern on the right side of the screen. While the COMAND system has a lot of buttons, it is pretty easy to use after some acclimation. Comand now includes a universal media interface in the center console that accepts not only iPod but also USB sticks and most other popular portable music players, and can display the music information on the screen and speedometer face. Optional is COMAND APS, which adds a 40-gigabyte hard drive that holds navigation map information and music files. Mercedes says that only four gigabytes are devoted to music, which is enough for about 1000 songs. COMAND APS also has voice activation and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. The Harman/Kardon surround-sound system uses 10 speakers and packs 510 watts of sound power. Mercedes trumpets the quality of this sound system. We found it to be good, but we've heard better in cars costing much less; great sound is hard to achieve in small, two-seat sports cars.

The SL has seating for two, but both occupants are sure to be comfortable thanks to 12-way standard adjustments. The view from the driver's seat is unobstructed with the top down and is good even with the top up, unlike with many convertibles. Getting in the SL requires a step down and getting out requires some torso strength to pull yourself up. You won't want to drive your grandmother around in the SL.

Airscarf is an optional neck-level heating system designed to expand the times you can drive with the top down. The system incorporates heating vents into the headrests. We could only feel a little warm air on our necks, and we didn't find Airscarf to be effective enough to allow driving with the top down in, say, 55-degree weather.

Like the last model, the 2009 SL has a pop-up roll bar and a wind blocker behind the seats. The wind blocker works well, redirecting air around the passengers and allowing for a quieter cockpit. The roll bar is covered in leather and the driver can opt to put it up whenever he/she wants.

Cargo room and small items storage is in short supply, though we know that's part of the deal with a sports car. Both the center console and the glove box are small. There are no convenient trays in which to drop a cell phone or the like. There are two cupholders and they are both over-engineered units that pop out beneath the COMAND screen. Unfortunately, the cupholders only accept soda can-sized containers, and when used your beverage blocks the COMAND controls.

The trunk offers 10.2 cubic feet of cargo room with the top up, but that shrinks to 7.2 cubic feet with the top down. That said, there is enough room for two small suitcases even with the top down. So pack light for that weekend in Vegas and you can drop the top for an evening drive through the desert.