2018 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Life is good at the top, especially when you have the means to afford a car whose price is six figures but whose interior has seats for just two.

That's what you get with the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, a luxury roadster whose starting tag is a few thousand bucks north of $100,000 -- and we think that's a deal for the upscale image this convertible projects.

Last year, the SL got new, more aggressive styling and an expanded range of powertrains. For 2018, the SL largely carries over with four trim levels available but with some new standard and optional features.

All models gain standard logo projector puddle lamps as well as a backup camera, a feature that will be required in every new car sold in Canada starting in May 2018. There are also new naming conventions for some of Mercedes-Benz's active safety systems, which begin to come into effect this year, though some cars will carry over with last year's terminology.

The SL 450 and 550 models add 19-inch wheels and a night package to their list of stand-alone extras. Meanwhile, the AMG-tuned SL 63 and SL 65 get silver and red seatbelts added to theirs, and the SL 65 also gains the option of silver brake calipers.

Elsewise, the SL remains a beautiful and swift roadster each trim of which comes with its own engine. SL 450 models use a 3.0L turbocharged V6 and the SL 550 gets a 4.7L turbo V8. So does the SL 63, only this hand-built, 5.5L mill makes 577 hp and 664 lb-ft, which the SL 65 is powered by a 6.0L V12.

SL 450 and 550 models come with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and the AMG cars use a seven-speed better suited to their engines' prodigious power output. All SL variants are rear-wheel drivers.

The SL is fitted with a folding hardtop that effectively turns this roadster into a coupe when it's in place but has a sunroof built into it to add light to the cabin no matter the weather. Leather seating is standard along with automatic climate control and smartphone integration, while options include ventilated front seats and the airscarf system, which pipes warm air around your neck to keep you warm during cool top-down drives. Elsewhere on the options list are Nappa leather upholstery and soft-close doors.

By the time you reach the SL 65, its nearly $250,000 price not only includes V12 power but also most of the luxury, comfort and convenience items that cost extra in lesser variants. At this point, the only extras are a series of stand-alone options like carbon ceramic brakes, some carbon exterior trim pieces and forged wheels -- all expensive things meant to make an already-pricey car look and perform better.

Fuel consumption estimates rise with the SL's price: the SL 450 and 550 come with reasonable-sounding 11.5/8.4 and 13.6/9.5 L/100 km (city/highway) figures. Even the SL 63 is capable of efficient motoring, at 14.7/9.5 L/100 km, but the SL 65's numbers are 17.6/10.8.