Still Superior After All
by David Morgan (10 Nov 04)

All is not well at Mercedes-Benz. Quality issues have dented global sales, and Germany's premium car maker is having to look seriously at its product range. Stuttgart has become synonymous with quality. I've often described Mercedes as the purveyor of some of the best cars in the world. Now I'm not so sure. There is still much for Stuttgarters to be proud of - but there is a gnawing reliability problem with some of their cars, and indifferent quality on others.

The SL has largely escaped criticism. This supercar icon has a rich past. Created as a link to the company's legendary racing years and the fabulous gullwing 300SL, it is regarded as a supreme example of the automotive engineer's art.

The iconic R129 SL was the fifth generation of the mighty roadster and slipped into history in 2001 after 12 years of production. Around 200,000 were built, and its departure was a body blow to its fans.

Its R230 replacement, unveiled at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, was hailed as a quantum leap ahead, and in many ways it is. In roadster terms it represents the best in luxury, power and design in the "grand touring" tradition - but look closely and it's easy to see how Mercedes has built a replacement for the Amazonian handsome R129 while saving money.

I was horrified to find my £60,630 SL 350 test car had a flimsy plastic grille in place of the R129's crafted fluted metal; bemused to understand why the stainless steel kick plates of the predecessor had given way to tacky plastic trim and  "silverised" aluminium; sickened by the lucky-bag look of the wood trim and disappointed to find cheap plastics used for the dramatically styled and comfortable cabin.

The full-size steel spare of the old R129 has gone too - replaced by a deflated space-saver which needs the electric pump cradled in its centre to blow it up before it can be used. These savings have had another effect - the new SL, despite more power and a better ride, is significantly lighter than the R129's battleship construction. While the old entry-level SL 280 tipped the scales at 1.81 tonnes, the kerb weight of the smallest-engined SL, the 3.7-litre 350, is only 1.75 tonnes including its graceful power folding metal roof.

The sleek new model is 1½" longer than before, ¼" taller and 2½" wider between the door mirrors. The SL 350 offers more headroom than the old car but, curiously, the cabin is not as wide. There was an inch more to play with in the R129. And where the previous model offered at least some restricted space for two small passengers behind the front seats, the new SL is designed strictly for two.

But it's not all bad news. The SL is still the graceful queen of the luxury grand tourers. It drives beautifully and can devour mile after mile of sinuous Highland single-track with the disinterested ability of Michael Schumacher on an afternoon drive in the country. It may be more brash than its predecessor, but it towers above the competition in its ability to cover distance.

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