2001 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

Baba on October 31, 2019

So so. Great for fishing trips. Or grocery shopping. I take my dog to the park every day, he seems to love it. He even pup in it few times. Is great.

tcs on October 24, 2013

In my opinion, the 1999-2002 SL500's represent the very best two-seater convertible in the world at any price. Sure there are now metal-retractable-top convertibles, and they're very slick - however, as far as classic rag-tops go, there is nothing that beats the SL500 in all six categories... In the under $100K price-range, there was nothing at the time to beat it - the Jaguar XJS and XK8 are both nice, but the SL is just more solid, more subtle and engineered to perfection. Whether it's competing with a Porsche Cabriolet, a BMW Z8, a Jaguar or any number of other prestige-brand luxury two-seaters, the SL holds its own against convertibles even in a higher price-range, such as late-90's early 2000's Aston-Martins, Maserati's (99-2002), and even the comparable Ferrari's (355 Spyder)... To find a car more competent, fast, stylish AND comfortable is not easy - at any price. I bought a '99 SL500 with 42K miles on it - it has been just stellar. I bought in 2009 for $20K (less than a fifth of its almost $100K new-car cost). Fast, fluid, fun - and safe, reliable and efficient... People don't buy these for the gas-mileage, but they are as efficient as anything new in the same class - I get over 20mpg average, and that's with a 300hp V8... Even the brand-new models don't do much better. In any case, I cannot fault this car in any category - the styling, both inside and out, is timeless, elegant and sporty. The car rides beautifully, is hushed at all speeds, handles nimbly (especially for such a heavy car) and feels solid as a vault. Although I had to do a fair amount of maintenance to get the car perfect when I bought it (such as power-top actuators, etc.), there were no surprises, as we had the car inspected. A properly-maintained car is incredibly reliable and durable - they are built to deliver lots of trouble-free motoring, and they are just about the classiest thing out there. Although this model (99-02) is now passing the ten-year mark, it is still so modern in every respect - from performance to comfort and safety... The only thing it doesn't have is Navigation and parking sensors - two things I've never missed, as the car is a very modest size (easy to park), and it's easy to use a smart-phone for navigation... Bottom-line: the safest, most reliable convertible of this genre - a beautiful, elegant car that still holds its own thirteen years later...

Seijinvet on March 24, 2011

I bought a 2001 500sl that had been babied throughout its life. Just broken in at 36K mile. Biggest suprise was when I stepped on it and the front end started to come up a bit! Two small problems. I think the rear visibilty could be better. The suspension lowers a bit when the engine is switched off. If you have parked so that the front spoiler is over a curb or one of the concrete blocks in a parking lot it will lower down onto the block. Then you have to put blocks behind the front wheel to back up and raise up the car off the concrete block. All in all I love this car!

Performance Car Enthusiast on December 11, 2010

I've Owned Many Performance Cars in My Time. The SL-500 Rates Up There With The Best of Them. Engineering, Reliability, Styling, Performance, Handling. I Would Recommend The SL-500 To A Friend.

paul on May 24, 2010

Car was was baught used with 77,000miles Dec of 2008 I'm using the car commuting back and forth from Las Vegas to Bakersfield,California. I don,t have any probem except the battery and crankcase sensor was changed March 2010.

chicago SL on April 28, 2010

Best SL ever made, reliable , performance and most value you can get from a luxury sports car. Had a Porsche S4, SL delivers.

Baba on October 31, 2019

So so. Great for fishing trips. Or grocery shopping. I take my dog to the park every day, he seems to love it. He even pup in it few times. Is great.

tcs on October 24, 2013

In my opinion, the 1999-2002 SL500's represent the very best two-seater convertible in the world at any price. Sure there are now metal-retractable-top convertibles, and they're very slick - however, as far as classic rag-tops go, there is nothing that beats the SL500 in all six categories... In the under $100K price-range, there was nothing at the time to beat it - the Jaguar XJS and XK8 are both nice, but the SL is just more solid, more subtle and engineered to perfection. Whether it's competing with a Porsche Cabriolet, a BMW Z8, a Jaguar or any number of other prestige-brand luxury two-seaters, the SL holds its own against convertibles even in a higher price-range, such as late-90's early 2000's Aston-Martins, Maserati's (99-2002), and even the comparable Ferrari's (355 Spyder)... To find a car more competent, fast, stylish AND comfortable is not easy - at any price. I bought a '99 SL500 with 42K miles on it - it has been just stellar. I bought in 2009 for $20K (less than a fifth of its almost $100K new-car cost). Fast, fluid, fun - and safe, reliable and efficient... People don't buy these for the gas-mileage, but they are as efficient as anything new in the same class - I get over 20mpg average, and that's with a 300hp V8... Even the brand-new models don't do much better. In any case, I cannot fault this car in any category - the styling, both inside and out, is timeless, elegant and sporty. The car rides beautifully, is hushed at all speeds, handles nimbly (especially for such a heavy car) and feels solid as a vault. Although I had to do a fair amount of maintenance to get the car perfect when I bought it (such as power-top actuators, etc.), there were no surprises, as we had the car inspected. A properly-maintained car is incredibly reliable and durable - they are built to deliver lots of trouble-free motoring, and they are just about the classiest thing out there. Although this model (99-02) is now passing the ten-year mark, it is still so modern in every respect - from performance to comfort and safety... The only thing it doesn't have is Navigation and parking sensors - two things I've never missed, as the car is a very modest size (easy to park), and it's easy to use a smart-phone for navigation... Bottom-line: the safest, most reliable convertible of this genre - a beautiful, elegant car that still holds its own thirteen years later...

Seijinvet on March 24, 2011

I bought a 2001 500sl that had been babied throughout its life. Just broken in at 36K mile. Biggest suprise was when I stepped on it and the front end started to come up a bit! Two small problems. I think the rear visibilty could be better. The suspension lowers a bit when the engine is switched off. If you have parked so that the front spoiler is over a curb or one of the concrete blocks in a parking lot it will lower down onto the block. Then you have to put blocks behind the front wheel to back up and raise up the car off the concrete block. All in all I love this car!

Performance Car Enthusiast on December 11, 2010

I've Owned Many Performance Cars in My Time. The SL-500 Rates Up There With The Best of Them. Engineering, Reliability, Styling, Performance, Handling. I Would Recommend The SL-500 To A Friend.