Interior
Mercedes didn't stint on luxury when it came to the SL55's cabin. Unique perforated AMG leather covers the sports seats with extra bolsters for added support, while Alcantara is used on the instrument binnacle and front edge of the gear lever. There's aluminium trim for the centre console and door trims, and it's also used for the door sill plates with AMG logos.
The SL55 was offered with three interior options for the leather. They covered black and graphite, alpaca dark grey and alpaca grey, and black and berry. For the instruments, AMG's unique script is used for the numbers on the main dials, which have silver faces and red needles, and there are 'AMG' and 'V8 Kompressor' logos on the lower part of the dials to remind the driver of what's under the bonnet.
From launch, the SL55 came as standard with Mercedes' Audio 30 stereo system, twin front and side airbags, electric windows and climate control. All of these have proved to be trouble-free and the electrically adjusted leather seats are hard wearing. However, it's worth tipping the seat backs fully forward to check the well at the rear of the seats for damp. This is another area where water collects if the rear windows seals are faulty. Also be sure the central locking and alarm function properly as their controls are in the boot next to the roof's motor that is susceptible to water ingress from leaky window seals.
Most of the electronics in the SL55 are reliable, but press every button to be sure. The optional Comand satellite navigation may seem outdated now, but it's worth checking it works. The Linguatronic voice recognition system was never the best at understanding voices and accents and it's worse when the roof is lowered at higher speeds.
Some of the warning beeps in the SL55 can ping on, but several are over-sensitive, such as the alarm to tell you the bonnet and boot are open. A good specialist with resolve these issues, and plenty of owners tell us Mercedes dealers have improved their customer service considerably from the early days of the SL55.
Owner's view:
"On the inside, it's typically Mercedes: everything is close to hand and the fit and finish and switch quality are superb. It's a tad Germanic-dull if you have sat in a Ferrari 360 or 430. If you feel the SL is lacking in occasion opt for the panoramic roof that adds a special touch, but equally I love the Alcantara headlining with matching Alcantara on the pillars and instrument binnacle."
TKH