Wednesday 29th April 2015

Mercedes SLK: Guilty Pleasures

Dan expands on his bold theory that the Mercedes SLK is an overlooked gem ... which is brave

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If you've watched the recent episode of PHTV the revelation of my previously secret crush on the Mercedes SLK is now out there. Time to defend myself. I'd best make it quick too, I think I'm about to be escorted from the building...

Pre-facelift cars are the nicer looking ones

If you're expecting me to mitigate this declaration by saying it's restricted to the much overlooked AMG versions then, sorry, no. I'm talking normal SLKs. Even the four-cylinder ones. Over a Honda S2000 or Porsche Boxster though? Really?

Erm ... kind of.

Look, hands down those two win on the 'proper sports car' credentials. I'm not about to pretend otherwise; the Honda has one of the best engine/gearbox combinations ever and still looks fresh today. And it goes without saying (even though I'm just about to) that the equivalent 987 Boxster is a lovely steer and the charismatic howl of its flat-six is a proper neck hair tingler.

Looks are wheel sensitive - bigger the better

But I think the SLK is the better looking car. Honestly. And if its dynamics aren't quite as razor sharp it's actually a lot better than you might imagine. Look at this way - walk up to a Boxster and your expectations are going to be pretty damned high and deservedly so. The same with an SLK and it's likely you can only be pleasantly surprised.

This isn't a sympathy vote though. I like the second-gen SLK's more traditional configuration, especially before the typically heavy-handed mid-life facelift. OK, the SLR-lite nose isn't especially beautiful but the wedgey profile, short rear overhang and discreetly pumped up arches are actually rather nicely balanced and classically handsome. The later Sport models with their split six-spokes and deeper side skirts really show this off well, particularly from the rear three-quarter view. Indeed, from any angle the SLK looks fundamentally well proportioned. Try a Boxster in profile for comparison...

Classic proportions are classically appealing

And few cars carry off the dual personality coupe/roadster thing quite as successfully as the SLK. It helps that it was always intended thus but roof up or down it looks equally good and works just as well in either configuration too. Genuinely it's the best of both worlds. The cabin is comfy, well built and, if more functional than stylish, genuinely a nice place to be.

But it's still a girl's car to drive, right? Actually no. The 350 is actually a bit of an overlooked gem, the M272 V6 having a beautifully smooth character, honest to goodness Boxster S chasing punch thanks to its 272hp output and a creamy power delivery topped off with a willingness to pile on the revs. Sounds good too. It's not as knife-edge or hardcore as either the Honda or the Porsche but it's not trying to be either and the steering and chassis are nicer than the Z4's. But it's not inert or boring, the 350 in particular backing up those classic proportions with a muscularity and classic rear-driven balance few would credit, the more so in 305hp post-facelift cars. And you can get it as a manual which, in a further confounding of expectation, is actually entirely pleasant to use. Most will be 7G-Tronic autos though and this gearbox suits the car and has an acceptable manual override too.

AMG there if you need to prove your manliness

Obviously the 5.5-litre V8 AMG version does the proper over-engined muscle car thing and may be the only SLK a red-blooded PHer might be willing to be seen driving in public. The pumped up looks work, the soundtrack is - naturally - awesome. If a blunt tool it's actually rather amusing to drive. And if you think it suffers from the lack of a locking diff the Black Series version proves not all cars are necessarily improved by such a thing, snapping from defiant understeer to terrifying oversteer with wild and not especially enjoyable abandon.

So the AMGs are great. But I'm going to fight for the right to drive a 'civilian' SLK350 and not be laughed at. It may be a lonely battle...

 

[lewisf182]

I've always rated these, people often trot out the z4 3.0 but these SLK's seem to get overlooked. I assume due to their more feminine image but how anybody can think a small roadster with a 3.5 litre engine be feminine I don't know. Post face lift 3.5 would be my ideal choice for 305hp, they sound pretty fruity too!
For me the interior kind of lets them down though, really not a fan of merc interiors.

[Gorbyrev]

Courageous and well argued. Bit like the group theory thing from a beautiful mind, it is good to have options that provide a good, in not optimal, solution.

[ManOpener]

The idea of a manual SLK350 in an interesting colour really appeals to me actually.
I think they're generally very nice looking cars, but yes- they're hugely wheel sensitive.

[tomglibbery]

I've owned an R171 SLK55 for 6 months ago and the more I get to know it the more I love it. One of the things that swung me towards the SLK was that fact it really is a best of both kind of car, looks fantastic roof up and down and with it being a metal roof means that it is entirely uncompromised when used solely as a coupe (which given that most of my ownership has been winter is principally how I've used it!).

I set out to purchase a Cayman, which is undoubtedly dynamically superior, but what the SLK lacks in handling precision it makes up for in character - something which even the most ardent Cayman devotee could argue the car has much of. And, as mentioned in the article, it's really not as far behind the Cayman as you think it is.

And then there's the noise... nothing beats the grin from a roof down blast through a tunnel!

[kambites]

When I was test driving sports cars before buying the Elise, I felt the SLK350 was simply a better car than the 3.0 Z4. I never understood why the Z4 with its woeful steering and poorly damped, over-spring ride is rated as a drivers' car but the SLK is overlooked. It's also, to my eyes, far better looking than the Z4 or indeed the Boxster.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 29th April 13:19

[leedsutd1]

I have owned 3 of the original SLK"s first one about 10 years ago ,last one 4 years ago ,I bought them for a bit of fun in the summer ,They all over 100k on the clock and are well built. one year I bought a boxster but was always thinking about if the soft top got damaged and the cost of Porsche parts . Have owned a few BMW 3 series soft tops but although well built felt under powered . I like the look of the current SLK, I expect some will say its a girls car

[Dan Trent]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Hang on, wrong article - this isn't Tell Me I'm Wrong, this is FACT!

To be fair the reaction to this has been way more generous than I expected. So far at least. And I'll cut and paste all of your comments to the third-gen car and wholeheartedly agree with you. Here we'll have to agree to disagree!

Cheers,

Dan

[P2 DJX]

When I was looking to change cars I had 2 in mind - a 54 plate Boxster or a 06 plate SLK. I opted for the latter due to a nicer interior IMHO , 2 years newer , and the hard roof. Yes I know you can get a hardtop for the Boxster however you need to store it when not in use, and Ive had a few cloth roofs in my day , more than enough to know the upkeep they need to stop going green and to stop fading. The SLK offered the best of both worlds , hard roof , added security , a more comfy feeling and then being topless within seconds.
Impressions after 6 months so far are that I made the right choice. The car I got was the SLK 200K . Its more than enough for my needs , however when on a hoon I wonder if I should have held out for a 350.
The car hasn't missed a beat to date. Mods so far have included changing most of the interior lights to white LED and ditto with the licence plate lights - makes it look a bit more 'fresh' . Next up is the ghost puddle lights and the chrome fins for the bonnet vents ( AMG styley ).
Fuel consumption can be up and down depending on how heavy my foot is , plus Ive just stepped out of a diesel so trying to adjust. Road Tax is a sore point circa £150 for 6 months hurts. the previous owner to me seemed to be very careful with the car , the bodywork is mint, services when due and I think they have upgraded the brakes . I have drilled and grooved disks front and back - I don't think Ive seen these on another 200K.
The Interior plastics marks quite easily from touch and I don't have the air-scarf option , although I haven't missed it. If its quite chilly and the roof is down I just switch on the heated seats and out the heater on.
Road holding feels fantastic , it feels very sure footed with no body roll. The exhaust note even for a 4 pot sounds nice when giving it some beans.
Im delighted with the car so far , I wanted one since the 2nd R171 gen came out . Im now convinced my next car will be the newer R172 variant , whether I go for bigger petrol engine or the diesel option Im not sure - that's about 18 months away so in no rush.
To me the Boxster was a stunning car when it was introduced however starting to look a bit dated \ ropey around my price range. Don't get me wrong if I could afford a lot newer Id be sorely tempted.
Ive had the obligatory "where do you plug in your straighteners ?" and "are you doing any perms" - but hey , when the suns out , the roofs down and that stunning long bonnet is in front of you - who cares ? haters gonna hate as they say.

[unsprung]

"Dan expands on his bold theory..."

lol! Most amusing.

At PH HQ does one write one's own headlines and sub-headlines? Or is it sort of "Everybody pass your work to the person on your right" and he/she does the editing and intro bits for you?

[Krikkit]

The 2nd-gen's looks are a bit odd - why does it have to have an F1-style nose? Never could quite understand that...

The 55 is a fantastic thing though, all that drama in a little drop-top.

[Rumblestripe]

I've never understood how (comparatively) the Z4 gets an easier ride than the SLK?

Probably as I get older I get less bothered about the tired old "hairdessers" thing. Like a car, drive it. Also not sure why people are voting on this article like they are voting on the car. The article is well written and thought provoking. 9 for the article, maybe a 7 for the car.

[andybu]

They are better than many give them credit for. You stick in there, Dan!

My ex had the first-generation SLK; seats as hard as a park bench is my memory of that car. Then she had the facelift generation 1 car but this time the 320 V6-engined version. That was surprisingly competent. She still has it; it's now 12 years old & nothing major to say. Just routine services & consumables. Not the last word in dynamism but cheaper to run than any of the Porsches I've owned..

[soad]

Girly car. Caprice Bourret springs to mind.

[sideways sid]

tomglibbery said:

I've owned an R171 SLK55 for 6 months ago and the more I get to know it the more I love it. One of the things that swung me towards the SLK was that fact it really is a best of both kind of car, looks fantastic roof up and down and with it being a metal roof means that it is entirely uncompromised when used solely as a coupe (which given that most of my ownership has been winter is principally how I've used it!).

I set out to purchase a Cayman, which is undoubtedly dynamically superior, but what the SLK lacks in handling precision it makes up for in character - something which even the most ardent Cayman devotee could argue the car has much of. And, as mentioned in the article, it's really not as far behind the Cayman as you think it is.

And then there's the noise... nothing beats the grin from a roof down blast through a tunnel!

^^^^^^ This!
13 months for me rather than 6, but I completely agree.

[Frimley111R]

Just bought one, an SLK200 like this. We had a Mk1 which looked nice but felt like it was built in Italy on a Friday.

Nice car, feels very big and solid, not sporty but tbh 99% of owners don't care. Much nicer (IMO) than the later ones with the awful 'bolted on massive grille' effect.

[hwajones]

[Bluebottle911]

I wholeheartely agree. A fine everyday sports car for the real world. Like you, I would go for the 350 over the AMG, which seems to me to be a bit overkill.

[Otispunkmeyer]

ManOpener said:

The idea of a manual SLK350 in an interesting colour really appeals to me actually.
I think they're generally very nice looking cars, but yes- they're hugely wheel sensitive.

Interesting colour...

Good luck with that. Like every other german machine it seems no one has any imagination. Its black or silver or lump it.

[anonymous-user]

ManOpener said:

The idea of a manual SLK350 in an interesting colour really appeals to me actually.
I think they're generally very nice looking cars, but yes- they're hugely wheel sensitive.

Here's my old manual 350. It was a great car to own and drive.

[ManOpener]

Otispunkmeyer said:

ManOpener said:

The idea of a manual SLK350 in an interesting colour really appeals to me actually.
I think they're generally very nice looking cars, but yes- they're hugely wheel sensitive.

Interesting colour...

Good luck with that. Like every other german machine it seems no one has any imagination. Its black or silver or lump it.

Black's fine. There's a red one and a weird off-gold one on Autotrader, everything else is silver. The red's quite nice but the seller is a no-go for anyone with a brain. There's also a comedy £13k Mk1 SLK.

I've seen a couple in colours that aren't black or grey/silver. Not many, mind. There's a nice dark blue I've seen at least one it.

garyhun said:

ManOpener said:

The idea of a manual SLK350 in an interesting colour really appeals to me actually.
I think they're generally very nice looking cars, but yes- they're hugely wheel sensitive.

Here's my old manual 350. It was a great car to own and drive.

That's a lovely lookingthing. Particularly with the AMG alloys.