I wrote this in a story a few weeks ago, but it bears repeating: Mercedes, in the form of the SL Series, not only created the category of the luxury GT roadster but also is literally the only true player in the segment. Yes, Lexus, Cadillac, and a few others have both tried to compete, but all have pretty much abandoned the idea because the Mercedes-Benz SL has always been the single best car in this class and remains so today. Our AutoHunter Spotlight is one of these: a 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500 located in Phoenix, Arizona. The auction will end on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. (MST).
Having owned a number of different SLs and driven every generation, I can say they are perfection incarnate in the eras in which they were produced. Of the examples I owned, R230s were among the best Mercedes ever built, in my opinion. The company firmly stepped into their tagline of “The Best or Nothing” with these cars.
According to the seller, this SL500 is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Finished in black with a power-retractable hardtop over a matching leather interior, this low-mileage German roadster is offered by the selling dealer with a clear title.
With only 28,989 original miles on the clock, this car looks to be a truly excellent example. It is equipped with just about every option available, including heated and cooled seats and Active Body Control suspension.
The black paint appears to be immaculate, with no fault to be seen—likely because this SL500 has had three owners since 2004 and has such low mileage. In addition, the CARFAX report shows no accident history whatsoever.
The interior is just as nice, with the black leather seats showing no wear, not even on the seat side bolsters. It is also nicely optioned with wood trim, power everything and a factory infotainment system that includes Bluetooth connectivity. Having owned the AMG version of this car myself, I can say the seats are incredibly comfortable. The instrument cluster looks amazing, and the performance of even the standard SL500 model is more than adequate. People seem to forget it was the SL500 that really brought high performance back to the SL Series cars. In period tests, it was capable of a 5.8 second 0-60 time, a quarter-mile time of 14.3 seconds, and a top speed of a true 155 mph. Not only is this model comfortable, but it can also progress quite rapidly when asked—just the thing for a cross-country trip.
The view under the hood is as immaculate as the rest of this car, with everything looking as good as it did when it rolled off the assembly line in Germany. I simply could not find anything wrong with any part of this SL500.
So, if you did not get what you wanted for Christmas this year or need to buy a gift for a special someone you forgot, why not bid on this car and make this the perfect Christmas gift for you or someone you love? I know I would love it. The auction of this 2004 Mercedes-Benz SL500 ends on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. (MST).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
