RE: Shed Of The Week: Mercedes-Benz SLK
Discussion
A thousand quid for a supercharged 2 seat hardtop convertible that doesn't rust like a mx5 , don't judge by the bodywork boys , ive paid more for a cam belt service on a nice car !
And with the upgrades I mentioned before they are faster than anyone believes , and the remap and pulley cost 300 quid , I kept a v8 m3 honest until Adenauer , he only got past me by crashing over the grass as all the newcomers do , but still , a thousand quid , I bought a coat the other week that cost more than that !
And with the upgrades I mentioned before they are faster than anyone believes , and the remap and pulley cost 300 quid , I kept a v8 m3 honest until Adenauer , he only got past me by crashing over the grass as all the newcomers do , but still , a thousand quid , I bought a coat the other week that cost more than that !
moustachebandit said:
The R170 SLK is an utter turd of a car.
Its also the reason why I would rather eat handfuls of my own s
t then own another Mercedes.
Quite literally the sttest car I have ever had the misfortune to own or drive. 8 years ago the OH was set on owning one and I couldn't convince her otherwise. Cant even give it away now.
Stupidly rusty.
Unreliable.
Poorly built.
Expensive to repair (even when buying parts from a scrap yard because mercedes either dont stock it or what your soul in exchange)
Literally no aftermarket support.
Non existent knowledge base within the owners clubs.
Self destructing interior.
Cheap plastics ... everywhere.
Substandard fixings used everywhere (almost every job that requires removing bolts is touch and go as to whether they snap off or round with the lightest of force).
Mind bendingly moronic design of drain channels means means they block and then redirect rain into the cabin or boot
Leaks petrol
Dash is design for LHD cars but adapted for RHD - so the central console is facing away from you.
Creaks and rattles over anything other than polished glass. Huge amount of road noise too.
Terrible ride quality - rock hard suspension that crashes over everything, yet wallows and falls over as soon as you get to a corner.
The steering feedback is comparable to a xbox controller.
It has the most useless 4 speed auto, which cant ever seem to work out what gear you need so just gives you all of them, interspersed with neck snapping gear changes.
The exhaust note is terrible - it sounds like someone trying to play the didgeridoo.
Interior seats are as comfortable as a park bench.
Super sensitive traction control that is so savage in how it cuts power its actually dangerous. Cant be turned off.
Its also crap on fuel.
I dont think I can convey exactly how much I hate this car. Avoid at all costs!
Sounds grim! But I bet you paid loads for it. I don't like them much either, but for a grand you become far more forgiving.Its also the reason why I would rather eat handfuls of my own s
t then own another Mercedes. Quite literally the s
ttest car I have ever had the misfortune to own or drive. 8 years ago the OH was set on owning one and I couldn't convince her otherwise. Cant even give it away now. Stupidly rusty.
Unreliable.
Poorly built.
Expensive to repair (even when buying parts from a scrap yard because mercedes either dont stock it or what your soul in exchange)
Literally no aftermarket support.
Non existent knowledge base within the owners clubs.
Self destructing interior.
Cheap plastics ... everywhere.
Substandard fixings used everywhere (almost every job that requires removing bolts is touch and go as to whether they snap off or round with the lightest of force).
Mind bendingly moronic design of drain channels means means they block and then redirect rain into the cabin or boot
Leaks petrol
Dash is design for LHD cars but adapted for RHD - so the central console is facing away from you.
Creaks and rattles over anything other than polished glass. Huge amount of road noise too.
Terrible ride quality - rock hard suspension that crashes over everything, yet wallows and falls over as soon as you get to a corner.
The steering feedback is comparable to a xbox controller.
It has the most useless 4 speed auto, which cant ever seem to work out what gear you need so just gives you all of them, interspersed with neck snapping gear changes.
The exhaust note is terrible - it sounds like someone trying to play the didgeridoo.
Interior seats are as comfortable as a park bench.
Super sensitive traction control that is so savage in how it cuts power its actually dangerous. Cant be turned off.
Its also crap on fuel.
I dont think I can convey exactly how much I hate this car. Avoid at all costs!
Early 2.8 Z3's are down to this now as well I hear.
imy85 said:
subevo said:
Wife's ran one for 11years. Rust is now evident around the front arches.car cost £24000 when we bought it. It has never broken down.replaced about 3 batteries.broken suspension spring.abs sensor twice.ive never changed spark plugs air filter and only done 2 oil changes and still going strong.wife loves it to bits.i keep saying to get rid as it's £300 road tax and low 20's to the gallon in the town.plus side it's quite quick 0-60 supposed to be 7.2 secs.mercedes tested roof 10 thousand times approx to 10 years frequent use.so roofs are rarely a problem .id say to get one for a grand is a bargain.
You have owned a car for 11yrs and only ever changed the oil twice??? thats nothing to boast about.
iSore said:
for a grand you become far more forgiving.
Early 2.8 Z3's are down to this now as well I hear.
Interesting you mention the Z3. I think the Z3 is better loved than the SLK and will gain classic status more quickly. It has a simple canvas roof and retro styling, and well proven mechanicals. Early 2.8 Z3's are down to this now as well I hear.
I helped my dad look for a used Z3 last spring. He ended up buying a nice low mileage car with the 2.0 straight six.
The Z3M cars have fetched big money for a while now, but even a half decent 2.8 or 3.0 Z3 sells for a good few grand.
I just looked on eBay and Autotrader and only found one Z3 on there, and that was a Cat C with the 1.9 engine.
Quentin Wilson was tipping decent examples as a better alternative to a mgb last year in a magazine I read . Amg 32 , I didn't buy one a couple of years ago for 5k , 40 thousand miles one owner fsh , I also sold a z3m coupe just before for 7.5k , it was cat d though !
I personally don't think a normal z3 drives any better or worse than a slk in the real world , I've owned a couple of examples of each , they are both pretty bad to be honest .
I personally don't think a normal z3 drives any better or worse than a slk in the real world , I've owned a couple of examples of each , they are both pretty bad to be honest .
Leins said:
CaptainRAVE said:
Leins said:
Another point to mention is that for those of us slightly on the lanky side, the SLK affords much more room in the driving position than most of its rivals. Z3/4, Boxster, MX5, early TT, etc are all a bit of a no-no for me, but I can quite comfortably fit in the Merc
Actually, is an SLK32 now the cheapest way into an AMG? Must go and check the classifieds
A 'cheap' AMG probably isn't the best way to go tbh.Actually, is an SLK32 now the cheapest way into an AMG? Must go and check the classifieds
FWIW I don't really hanker after convertibles myself, but do fancy a C32 Sport Coupe despite being LHD only and a bit on the rare side
Mrs C has had hers for fourteen years and loves it. I get to clean it, put petrol in it and take it for the occasional Italian tune up. I've always thought it an underrated car.
It's a late '98 SLK230 we bought from a main dealer early in 2003 for £23,000 with FMBSH. It is now on 80,000 miles and is worth about 16p.
There is no rust to speak of.
It's perfectly reliable.
It's well built.
We've spent a bit on it but then we've had it for years. A cracked manifold was replaced under the warranty. I complained about the wheels blistering, MB supplied four new ones, we kept the old ones and now have a winter and summer set which are refurbished periodically. We had trouble with the gearbox which MB couldn't cure effectively - but charged a fortune for - so we took it to the tin sheds that are the local auto transmission specialists who, after a bit of head scratching, cured it with a new switch for £80 (MB answered my letter of complaint with 'glad the problem is resolved' - yeah, thanks). A minor fault with the roof that would have been a major problem if I hadn't stopped lowering the roof when I did. All the major components are original; all body panels, the engine, supercharger, gearbox and diff, even the exhaust(!) are original.
MB are okay but have become less interested as the car gets older.
Usually able to find pointers on the internet for problems.
Apart from the seats the interior is not good. It is painted plastic. Underneath the paint the plastic is black but even the black interiors are painted and show wear. There are numerous articles on the internet about how to restore the interior and there's a company on the Isle of Wight who estimate £600 to refurbish the whole interior.
Everything is pretty durable. The switchgear and whatnot are still all original.
Drain channels need clearing every so often. As do the voids behind the wings and the bits of sill you can get at.
It has never leaked - no drips anywhere. It doesn't use any oil; the service interval is 2 years or 10,000
miles and although I check it regularly I've never had to top it up between services.
There's no getting round it, the car is stiffly sprung. Road noise depends a lot on tyre choice.
The ride is okay though. Even though it isn't really, just tell folk it's a sports car. They'll understand.
The steering is okay. The car has phenomenal dry road grip but the worst slippery road behaviour of any car I've ever driven. I managed a full 180 degree spin at walking pace on black ice as the car and I disagreed about how to tackle the loss of grip and traction. As mentioned, we now have winter and summer tyres. The winter tyres improved things.
The 5-speed automatic was very smooth but now is just smooth. You can now feel the changes. It's fine.
The exhaust note isn't my favourite.
The seats are comfortable; we've taken it on two holidays in Europe, one to the South of France and one to northern Italy. You couldn't do that in a car with uncomfortable seats.
The traction control is fine other than the woeful slippery road behaviour mentioned above.
On the long fast runs in Europe the car returned 34mpg. On a relaxed 400 mile round trip recently to Manchester and back it returned 37mpg.
We love it; it's a keeper. As I clean it by hand fairly frequently I can see rust spots as they appear and dab paint on it to keep the tin worm at bay.
I have always liked the shape. To my eye the proportions are good and, compared to the later SLKs, the lines are fairly simple. Because of this I think it will age well.
Having said all this, the cars which haven't been cared for will suffer. I was surprised to read the list of maladies afflicting the shed most of which ours hasn't had. My guess is the early SLK is at the bottom of its value curve right now. Consequently a lot will be scrapped but in ten or fifteen years the few that remain will be sought after. It's the way the world turns.
It's a late '98 SLK230 we bought from a main dealer early in 2003 for £23,000 with FMBSH. It is now on 80,000 miles and is worth about 16p.
There is no rust to speak of.
It's perfectly reliable.
It's well built.
We've spent a bit on it but then we've had it for years. A cracked manifold was replaced under the warranty. I complained about the wheels blistering, MB supplied four new ones, we kept the old ones and now have a winter and summer set which are refurbished periodically. We had trouble with the gearbox which MB couldn't cure effectively - but charged a fortune for - so we took it to the tin sheds that are the local auto transmission specialists who, after a bit of head scratching, cured it with a new switch for £80 (MB answered my letter of complaint with 'glad the problem is resolved' - yeah, thanks). A minor fault with the roof that would have been a major problem if I hadn't stopped lowering the roof when I did. All the major components are original; all body panels, the engine, supercharger, gearbox and diff, even the exhaust(!) are original.
MB are okay but have become less interested as the car gets older.
Usually able to find pointers on the internet for problems.
Apart from the seats the interior is not good. It is painted plastic. Underneath the paint the plastic is black but even the black interiors are painted and show wear. There are numerous articles on the internet about how to restore the interior and there's a company on the Isle of Wight who estimate £600 to refurbish the whole interior.
Everything is pretty durable. The switchgear and whatnot are still all original.
Drain channels need clearing every so often. As do the voids behind the wings and the bits of sill you can get at.
It has never leaked - no drips anywhere. It doesn't use any oil; the service interval is 2 years or 10,000
miles and although I check it regularly I've never had to top it up between services.
There's no getting round it, the car is stiffly sprung. Road noise depends a lot on tyre choice.
The ride is okay though. Even though it isn't really, just tell folk it's a sports car. They'll understand.
The steering is okay. The car has phenomenal dry road grip but the worst slippery road behaviour of any car I've ever driven. I managed a full 180 degree spin at walking pace on black ice as the car and I disagreed about how to tackle the loss of grip and traction. As mentioned, we now have winter and summer tyres. The winter tyres improved things.
The 5-speed automatic was very smooth but now is just smooth. You can now feel the changes. It's fine.
The exhaust note isn't my favourite.
The seats are comfortable; we've taken it on two holidays in Europe, one to the South of France and one to northern Italy. You couldn't do that in a car with uncomfortable seats.
The traction control is fine other than the woeful slippery road behaviour mentioned above.
On the long fast runs in Europe the car returned 34mpg. On a relaxed 400 mile round trip recently to Manchester and back it returned 37mpg.
We love it; it's a keeper. As I clean it by hand fairly frequently I can see rust spots as they appear and dab paint on it to keep the tin worm at bay.
I have always liked the shape. To my eye the proportions are good and, compared to the later SLKs, the lines are fairly simple. Because of this I think it will age well.
Having said all this, the cars which haven't been cared for will suffer. I was surprised to read the list of maladies afflicting the shed most of which ours hasn't had. My guess is the early SLK is at the bottom of its value curve right now. Consequently a lot will be scrapped but in ten or fifteen years the few that remain will be sought after. It's the way the world turns.
Edited by DickyC on Friday 20th January 23:00
I drove an SLK for 13 years and it gave me almost no problems as you would expect from a MB, and certainly none of the ones that you mention, aside from the electric roof packing up towards the very end.
It was always completely reliable across the 110k miles that I had it for so your article comes across as just sniffy.
It was always completely reliable across the 110k miles that I had it for so your article comes across as just sniffy.
moustachebandit said:
The R170 SLK is an utter turd of a car.
Its also the reason why I would rather eat handfuls of my own st then own another Mercedes.
Quite literally the sttest car I have ever had the misfortune to own or drive. 8 years ago the OH was set on owning one and I couldn't convince her otherwise. Cant even give it away now.
Stupidly rusty.
Unreliable.
Poorly built.
Expensive to repair (even when buying parts from a scrap yard because mercedes either dont stock it or what your soul in exchange)
Literally no aftermarket support.
Non existent knowledge base within the owners clubs.
Self destructing interior.
Cheap plastics ... everywhere.
Substandard fixings used everywhere (almost every job that requires removing bolts is touch and go as to whether they snap off or round with the lightest of force).
Mind bendingly moronic design of drain channels means means they block and then redirect rain into the cabin or boot
Leaks petrol
Dash is design for LHD cars but adapted for RHD - so the central console is facing away from you.
Creaks and rattles over anything other than polished glass. Huge amount of road noise too.
Terrible ride quality - rock hard suspension that crashes over everything, yet wallows and falls over as soon as you get to a corner.
The steering feedback is comparable to a xbox controller.
It has the most useless 4 speed auto, which cant ever seem to work out what gear you need so just gives you all of them, interspersed with neck snapping gear changes.
The exhaust note is terrible - it sounds like someone trying to play the didgeridoo.
Interior seats are as comfortable as a park bench.
Super sensitive traction control that is so savage in how it cuts power its actually dangerous. Cant be turned off.
Its also crap on fuel.
I dont think I can convey exactly how much I hate this car. Avoid at all costs!
So overall, what's your verdict?Its also the reason why I would rather eat handfuls of my own s
t then own another Mercedes. Quite literally the s
ttest car I have ever had the misfortune to own or drive. 8 years ago the OH was set on owning one and I couldn't convince her otherwise. Cant even give it away now. Stupidly rusty.
Unreliable.
Poorly built.
Expensive to repair (even when buying parts from a scrap yard because mercedes either dont stock it or what your soul in exchange)
Literally no aftermarket support.
Non existent knowledge base within the owners clubs.
Self destructing interior.
Cheap plastics ... everywhere.
Substandard fixings used everywhere (almost every job that requires removing bolts is touch and go as to whether they snap off or round with the lightest of force).
Mind bendingly moronic design of drain channels means means they block and then redirect rain into the cabin or boot
Leaks petrol
Dash is design for LHD cars but adapted for RHD - so the central console is facing away from you.
Creaks and rattles over anything other than polished glass. Huge amount of road noise too.
Terrible ride quality - rock hard suspension that crashes over everything, yet wallows and falls over as soon as you get to a corner.
The steering feedback is comparable to a xbox controller.
It has the most useless 4 speed auto, which cant ever seem to work out what gear you need so just gives you all of them, interspersed with neck snapping gear changes.
The exhaust note is terrible - it sounds like someone trying to play the didgeridoo.
Interior seats are as comfortable as a park bench.
Super sensitive traction control that is so savage in how it cuts power its actually dangerous. Cant be turned off.
Its also crap on fuel.
I dont think I can convey exactly how much I hate this car. Avoid at all costs!
TwigtheWonderkid said:
moustachebandit said:
The R170 SLK is an utter turd of a car.
Its also the reason why I would rather eat handfuls of my own st then own another Mercedes.
Quite literally the sttest car I have ever had the misfortune to own or drive. 8 years ago the OH was set on owning one and I couldn't convince her otherwise. Cant even give it away now.
Stupidly rusty.
Unreliable.
Poorly built.
Expensive to repair (even when buying parts from a scrap yard because mercedes either dont stock it or what your soul in exchange)
Literally no aftermarket support.
Non existent knowledge base within the owners clubs.
Self destructing interior.
Cheap plastics ... everywhere.
Substandard fixings used everywhere (almost every job that requires removing bolts is touch and go as to whether they snap off or round with the lightest of force).
Mind bendingly moronic design of drain channels means means they block and then redirect rain into the cabin or boot
Leaks petrol
Dash is design for LHD cars but adapted for RHD - so the central console is facing away from you.
Creaks and rattles over anything other than polished glass. Huge amount of road noise too.
Terrible ride quality - rock hard suspension that crashes over everything, yet wallows and falls over as soon as you get to a corner.
The steering feedback is comparable to a xbox controller.
It has the most useless 4 speed auto, which cant ever seem to work out what gear you need so just gives you all of them, interspersed with neck snapping gear changes.
The exhaust note is terrible - it sounds like someone trying to play the didgeridoo.
Interior seats are as comfortable as a park bench.
Super sensitive traction control that is so savage in how it cuts power its actually dangerous. Cant be turned off.
Its also crap on fuel.
I dont think I can convey exactly how much I hate this car. Avoid at all costs!
So overall, what's your verdict?Its also the reason why I would rather eat handfuls of my own s
t then own another Mercedes. Quite literally the s
ttest car I have ever had the misfortune to own or drive. 8 years ago the OH was set on owning one and I couldn't convince her otherwise. Cant even give it away now. Stupidly rusty.
Unreliable.
Poorly built.
Expensive to repair (even when buying parts from a scrap yard because mercedes either dont stock it or what your soul in exchange)
Literally no aftermarket support.
Non existent knowledge base within the owners clubs.
Self destructing interior.
Cheap plastics ... everywhere.
Substandard fixings used everywhere (almost every job that requires removing bolts is touch and go as to whether they snap off or round with the lightest of force).
Mind bendingly moronic design of drain channels means means they block and then redirect rain into the cabin or boot
Leaks petrol
Dash is design for LHD cars but adapted for RHD - so the central console is facing away from you.
Creaks and rattles over anything other than polished glass. Huge amount of road noise too.
Terrible ride quality - rock hard suspension that crashes over everything, yet wallows and falls over as soon as you get to a corner.
The steering feedback is comparable to a xbox controller.
It has the most useless 4 speed auto, which cant ever seem to work out what gear you need so just gives you all of them, interspersed with neck snapping gear changes.
The exhaust note is terrible - it sounds like someone trying to play the didgeridoo.
Interior seats are as comfortable as a park bench.
Super sensitive traction control that is so savage in how it cuts power its actually dangerous. Cant be turned off.
Its also crap on fuel.
I dont think I can convey exactly how much I hate this car. Avoid at all costs!
Steve Morse said:
it gave me almost no problems as you would expect from a MB
I can't believe people still say and believe this, it has been quite literally 20 years since Mercedes started producing crap with no end it sight. What I expect from an MB is endless niggles, creaky poor quality trim, and apparently now crabbing and creaking when you go round corners!! I also thought they'd stopped them rusting now, but not judging from the 4 year old people carrier van thing I saw the other day.Edited by dme123 on Saturday 21st January 10:34
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