Mercedes-AMG SL 63 Driving Review in Tenerife

Landing in Tenerife brings a familiar rush of warm air and holiday anticipation. We picked up the keys to the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 and immediately dropped the fabric roof. The island offers a unique testing ground for a high-performance roadster. You have everything from smooth coastal motorways to ancient volcanic climbs, all packed into a relatively small landmass. We wanted to see exactly how a large, powerful convertible feels when you take it away from the valet stand and push it across real, varied tarmac.

The SL 63 is a heavy, complex machine. It carries a twin-turbo V8 engine and a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. Driving it here is an exercise in contrasts. You feel like royalty cruising past the beaches, but you must stay sharply focused when the roads turn into single-lane mountain passes. Over three days, we covered the south coast, the volcanic center, the western cliffs, and the damp northern forests to give you a complete picture of what this car is actually like to drive on the island.

How it drives on Tenerife roads

Starting out on the TF-1 motorway along the south coast, the SL 63 feels completely at home. The long fast sweepers allow the V8 engine to stretch its legs comfortably. The ride in comfort mode is supple enough to absorb expansion joints, and wind noise is well managed even with the top down. You can easily hold a conversation at highway speeds of 100-120 km/h. The power delivery is smooth and relentless, making overtaking slower traffic a simple thought rather than a calculated maneuver. The cabin remains a calm place, isolating you from the crosswinds that often hit the southern shoreline.

Turning inland, we took the TF-21 climbing to Mount Teide. This is where the engineering of the car becomes obvious. As you climb to 2,100 meters, the air gets significantly thinner and the temperature drops rapidly. In naturally aspirated cars, you feel a distinct loss of power up here. The twin turbos in the Mercedes compensate perfectly, maintaining that massive wave of torque all the way up the mountain. The temperature drop is easily handled by the heated seats and the neck-level heating system, allowing us to keep the roof down even as the dashboard thermometer showed single digits. The wide, sweeping corners of the lower TF-21 suit the long wheelbase of the SL, and the all-wheel-drive grips the volcanic ash-dusted tarmac with absolute certainty.

However, the environment changes drastically when you head north to the Anaga forest roads. These routes are often damp, twisty, and frequently misty. The thick tree canopy blocks out the sun, leaving the road surface slippery for most of the day. Here, the SL 63 feels very wide. The steering is precise, but you are constantly aware of the sheer size of the vehicle taking up the entire lane. The heavy weight means you must respect the braking distances on wet leaves. It is a capable car in these conditions, but it demands your full attention and a gentle right foot to keep the traction control from working overtime.

Where this car shines (and where it does not)

This roadster shines brightest when the road is wide and the sun is out. Coasting between luxury hotels or sweeping up the wider mountain routes like the approach to Vilaflor, it feels spectacular. The exhaust note bounces off the rock faces, and the suspension keeps the heavy body remarkably flat through medium-speed corners. It is a grand tourer designed for a sunny climate, offering exceptional comfort and immense speed when the conditions permit.

Where it does not shine is on the TF-436 into Masca. This road is famous for extremely narrow cliff hairpins and blind corners. Small cars have a massive advantage here. Taking the SL 63 down into Masca is a stressful experience. The bonnet feels impossibly long when you are staring over a sheer drop, and the width of the car leaves almost no margin for error when you meet an oncoming local bus. The turning circle is respectable thanks to rear-wheel steering, but you will still find yourself holding your breath, folding the mirrors in, and inching past stone walls. If your Tenerife itinerary heavily features these tiny, ancient goat paths, a massive V8 roadster is simply the wrong tool for the job.

Practical notes

Living with the SL 63 in the busy resort areas requires some planning. In Los Cristianos, Costa Adeje, and Playa de las Americas, the streets are crowded and parking spaces are tight. The doors are long, making it difficult to get in and out when squeezed between two rental hatchbacks. You will spend a lot of time hunting for blue-line meters that are long enough to accommodate the car. We highly recommend using underground parking garages, though you must watch the low front splitter on steep ramps.

Fuel consumption is exactly what you would expect from a heavy V8 being driven up mountains. The tank drains quickly when you use the performance. Fortunately, petrol stations are plentiful along the coast and major routes, but you should always fill up before heading into the Teide National Park or the Anaga mountains, as stations are rare in the high altitudes.

Luggage space is a significant compromise. If you are renting the Automatic, 4.0 L, 2 seats variant, you must pack light. The boot is awkwardly shaped and shrinks further when the roof is folded away. Soft bags are essential. You can squeeze two weekend duffel bags into the trunk, but large hard-shell suitcases will not fit. The rear seats are practically useless for adult passengers, but they serve as an excellent shelf for jackets, cameras, and extra shopping bags.

Verdict

Driving the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 in Tenerife is a deeply memorable experience. It transforms a simple drive to dinner into a special event and turns the wide mountain climbs into an absolute joy. It is loud, fast, and incredibly comfortable on the smoother roads.

You just have to accept its physical limitations. It is too big for the narrowest cliff roads and too thirsty to pass many petrol stations without stopping. But if you plan your routes to stick to the TF-1, the wider ascents to Teide, and the coastal boulevards, it is hard to think of a better way to experience the island. It feels expensive, capable, and perfectly suited to the grand touring lifestyle. We handed the keys back wishing we had just one more day to listen to that V8 echo off the volcanic rocks.

Where to book the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 in Tenerife

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