Caporegime
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Biggest bargains...SLK 350?
- Thread starter The Running Man
- Start date
Well 0.4s at 5.5s to 60 is almost 10%. Also the DE HR's are known to drink oil.
Plus one has a nissan interior and one a Mercedes interior. And the 7 speed auto option in the MB is also better than the Nissan equivalent. Just tips the scales towards the mb.
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Never been inside an R171 then. It's fairly terrible.
Soldato
I wanted one of these and two things made me change my mind:
Firstly, a friend said they all seem to be driven by middle aged women, and afterwards every single example I spotted was being driven by a middle aged woman.
Secondly, the kind folks here on motors pointed out there's a convertible hard top available on the mazda mx5, so I got one of those. Admittedly, it isn't as powerful but it's a lovely car and really fast if you wring it's neck.
Firstly, a friend said they all seem to be driven by middle aged women, and afterwards every single example I spotted was being driven by a middle aged woman.
Secondly, the kind folks here on motors pointed out there's a convertible hard top available on the mazda mx5, so I got one of those. Admittedly, it isn't as powerful but it's a lovely car and really fast if you wring it's neck.
The only thing more strange than allowing this to dictate to a purchase is to allow it to encourage you to buy an MX5 instead
Sounds like you’re just posting this thread to get people to agree with you so you can justify the purchase?
Just go and drive one, if you like it then buy it.
Also find the comments RE female/hairdresser quite funny when the SLK is renowned for getting similar remarks.
Just go and drive one, if you like it then buy it.
Also find the comments RE female/hairdresser quite funny when the SLK is renowned for getting similar remarks.
Caporegime
I'd say the SLK is above the MX5 hairdressers.
It's more the beauty salon owners car but it's actually paid for by daddy.
but you seem certain you don't want one over a slk.
Caporegime
We’ve already established hairdressers drive Audi TTs now. Only greying old men with baseball caps drive MX5s now
Associate
I had one of these 6 years ago. Not sporty at all, but they are definitely quick and comfortable on long journeys. More of a GT car feeling (If that's a thing?) than a sports car. Autobox is smooth, but slow, feels like an age waiting for it to kickdown, especially from 7th when it had to do 2 changes.
I swapped that for an Mx5, which I drove for 4 years and absolutely loved. It is true that not much quite drives like one. I had completely dismissed them as too slow when I had the SLK as well.
Last April I then purchased a 2008 135i convertible, funnily enough for 8k. BMW warranty was a godsend mind, as I've already racked up over £2000 of repairs at BMW. Great engine when it's working mind, feels much quicker than the SLK due to the torque.
Unsure if I'd have another R171 SLK. The 55 AMG is an event itself being a V8, and the noise could possibly make me forget that it's not really sporty. Then again, not everyone wants a sporty drive!
*EDIT - All of the above talk about not driving an SLK because it's not manly is going to give me a complex looking at my vehicle history
I swapped that for an Mx5, which I drove for 4 years and absolutely loved. It is true that not much quite drives like one. I had completely dismissed them as too slow when I had the SLK as well.
Last April I then purchased a 2008 135i convertible, funnily enough for 8k. BMW warranty was a godsend mind, as I've already racked up over £2000 of repairs at BMW. Great engine when it's working mind, feels much quicker than the SLK due to the torque.
Unsure if I'd have another R171 SLK. The 55 AMG is an event itself being a V8, and the noise could possibly make me forget that it's not really sporty. Then again, not everyone wants a sporty drive!
*EDIT - All of the above talk about not driving an SLK because it's not manly is going to give me a complex looking at my vehicle history
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It pains me to agree with Fox. Preferred my 350z interior over my SLK55. COMAND was just a bazillion and one buttons smacked around a screen.
Plus the 7G auto is nothing to write home about. Give me the 350's manual anyday.
No, just pointing out where I see the benefits if one vs another. As you would in a comparison thread.
As for slk 350s being driven by women, I suspect they all drive slk 200s or diesels not necessarily the 350 but I am happy to be corrected!
Yea it's funny. For some reason the MX-5 gets the "hairdresser" comment, yet far more of them drive Mercs and Audis
Caporegime
350Z, Audi TT 3.2?
Associate
While it may be 7.5% difference it’s still only 0.4s which in the real world will be hardly perceptible to most people. The only model that I’m aware of that drank oil as an issue was the rev up which was only made in 2006. Having owned a DE and a HR neither one ever used any oil between services.
in response to the auto situation I would have thought that the sort of person looking for a 300hp V6 RWD car would be much more interested in a manual option, which is apparently rubbish in the merc compared with a decent one in the 350z.
Both these cars and a number of others mentioned are great value at this price point but the SLK isn’t alone here.
It depends what you are expecting. If you are after a proper sports car then yea they are a bit sloppy as it's compromised to make it a comfortable cruiser. More engaging than the TT, but that isn't saying much.
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Caporegime
If you want a comfortable cruiser surely something like an SL would be better anyway or something with 4 seats to offer something practical like an CLK350. I never understood the SLK in that respect as it didn't really fit in.
It was the 'budget' 2 seater Merc sports offering. Don't forget that when new the SL cars were £60k-£100k and that was 10 years ago. The SLK was in the £30-£45k market.
Virtually nobody shopping for an SLK new would have been looking at the SL too.
Soldato
Yep I was promoted to head stylist .
The SLK is a nice what I would call cruiser and not a sports car . The 987 came up at to good a price not to say no -£7500 , 85K full history, IMS and rear main seal done 18 months ago at a cost of £2500 . The Boxster is such a drivers car .
if you have 8k to dump then swerve the SLK and get a Boxster , if you have 4K the SLK it an awesome car for the money but at 8k give it a miss .
The SLK is a nice what I would call cruiser and not a sports car . The 987 came up at to good a price not to say no -£7500 , 85K full history, IMS and rear main seal done 18 months ago at a cost of £2500 . The Boxster is such a drivers car .
if you have 8k to dump then swerve the SLK and get a Boxster , if you have 4K the SLK it an awesome car for the money but at 8k give it a miss .
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