2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 550

Description

Here's the deal on this 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL550: it's a virtually new car at a fraction of the original price. Sure, $44K grand is a lot of money, but with just 21,323 actual miles and a look that's still contemporary today, this is a car that can make you look like a player for pennies on the dollar.

There won't be any sneaking around in this bright Alabaster White roadster, and let's be honest: if you're looking at this car, you're not intending to keep a low profile. In typical Mercedes-Benz fashion, it's simply beautifully built, with paint that absolutely looks like it belongs on a car that originally cost more about $100,000. It remains as new in every measurable way and although we've gone over it pretty carefully, we haven't succeeded in finding any notable flaws in the finish; it's just stunning. The R230 SL underwent a significant facelift just a year prior to 2009, giving the SL55 a much more aggressive look that paid homage to the classic 300SL with a large grille featuring a big 3-pointed star, twin 'power domes' on the hood, and new headlights equipped with Merc's 'Intelligent Light System'. Add those styling changes to the super-cool mesh grilles up front, the fender 'gills' air, and speed streaks on the sculpted profile, this hot convertible roadster looks fast just sitting still. Why someone would purchase such a spectacular car and drive it so infrequently (this car has only averaged about 1,600 miles a year since new), we can't say, but we will say that the new owner of this car will be incredibly lucky, because this SL is the pinnacle of automotive engineering rendered as a 2-seat convertible. Man is this a cool car!

The interior is sumptuous, every bit what you'd expect of the Mercedes-Benz flagship. Beautiful light tan leather upholstery covers almost every interior surface, contrasting nicely with the darker tan on the door panels, center console, steering wheel, and dash, which kills excess glare in the windshield. The interior, like the bodywork, is unmarked and pretty much as new in every way, with only a wrinkle or two on the driver's seat to suggest that it's ever been driven. Of course, everything was standard on the SL, including dual climate control, power everything, a spectacular stereo system, a navigation system, and, well, you get the point. It's all here and it all works properly. The burled walnut trim you see is real burled walnut and the seats have a thing called an "air scarf" which circulates conditioned air around your neck to make the SL comfortable deeper into the cool season. The convertible top is an incredible piece of articulating steel and glass that disappears completely but seals up as well as a coupe and gives the SL a very dashing look, top up or top down. With the top up, there's a decent-sized trunk, too!

The SL550 is powered by a 5.5 liter DOHC V8 that makes a rather shocking 382 horsepower and is capable of yanking the 4200 pound SL through the quarter mile in about 13 seconds. Nice! It's also virtually silent when you're just commuting and it never, ever gets cranky. Most of the cool stuff is hidden under a big plastic shroud, but you can see just how clean this car really is under the hood and there are no signs of deferred maintenance or other issues that plague low-mileage cars. The 7-speed automatic transmission almost reads your mind to find the right gear, and the hydro-pneumatic suspension is firm when you bend it into a corner but supple over broken pavement, the best of both worlds. Massive vented and cross-drilled disc brakes with silver calipers were an extra-cost option, as were those gorgeous AMG wheels wrapped in performance rubber.

If any car can be considered a bargain, it's this 550SL. It's everything you thought it would be, and now it's within reach. Call today!