Re: SLK?

Has anyone on the board had experience with the Mercedes SLK? I see older models are still available with a manual transmission.

i rented one years ago and drove to the south of france and onwards to barcelona for a week or 10 days (i don't remember exactly)
this was just before i bought my 2000 Boxster S so it was probably 1999 and thus the first generation SLK. The difference between the two could not be more extreme. The driver is anesthetized from any road feel. zero feedback from the steering wheel. the trunk was small and bordering on non-existent with the top down as the top goes into the trunk area. and obviously, no front trunk.
it was pleasant enough with the top down. the belt line seemed much higher than the boxster so I felt like i was deeper down in the car with only my head sticking out.
if you're not too worried about handling or carrying stuff, and just use it to get from here to there in comfort, then it's okay. i would imagine that the smaller engine ones are dirt cheap.
but it is no replacement for a boxster.

I drove one a few years ago as well. major pass. just a difference thing altogether

Before I bought my first Boxster (986 S), I rented a Boxster for a day and and SLK for a day. Then I bought the Boxster. Things may have changed since then, but I didn't even consider an SLK before I bought my second Boxster (981 S).

It won't give you the same driving experience as a Boxster. If you like your old car, but want more peace of mind, 986s are dirt cheap right now...all you have to do is find one with the IMS situation addressed (DOF, LN bearing, etc.), and you should be fine. Good excuse to get an 03 or 04 S model with the little upgrades like the glass rear window.

Had an '05 SLK350 with 6MT. Special-ordered it, as finding one with a manual transmission was essentially impossible. As already noted, a completely different flavor than the Boxster but a very comfortable tourer. The folding hardtop made it nearly as quiet and comfortable for long-distance travel as a fixed-roof vehicle. My wife and I did several multi-1000 mile trips in it, and other shorter trips closer to home. Not as much room for luggage as the Boxster -- just adequate. You do have to take care in packing the trunk if you at all plan to put the top down -- there's a luggage shield that eats up some space. Still do-able, though. Even worked well in (MI) winters with a good set of winter tires. Never ever, ever sounded as good as our 981BS... or handled as well... yadda, yadda, yadda. Apples and oranges.

About that trunk - on your 'multi-1000 mile' trips, with your luggage packed in, were you able to put the roof down?

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Roger987
About that trunk - on your 'multi-1000 mile' trips, with your luggage packed in, were you able to put the roof down?

Yes, but you had to be judicious about packing. We traveled with two long, narrow-ish suitcases (L.L. Bean), a daypack, two pairs of hiking boots and two pairs of (collapsible) hiking sticks. Light or flat stuff (GoreTex rain shells, maps) could go on top of the bags. If we couldn't have put the top down it wouldn't have been worth taking this car.

Thank you, SciGuy, for the reply and pics.

Tidy and effective job of packing.

It has a lot of power and she drives like a mad woman so I just have to hang on.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2017 09:46PM by Jeff (Philly). (view changes)

The SLK has several weak points that you should research if you are serious.

A better deal is a 2004-2009 CLK. It has a soft top and four seats. Much better luggage capacity and just like the SLK it is a cruiser. The CLK 500 has a little less power and oompf than a Boxster S, and the CLK 550 has addles of power. I own a CLK350 with the sports suspension and wheels as my daily driver. A super comfortable car for daily driving and long trips. The 2008 and 2009 CLKs are the best deals. The earlier ones had issues with the balance shaft and the 2008 and 2009 have that resolved, but the prices are still suppressed because of the reputation hit from the problem.

We'll see. I miss my Boxster, but I also miss the idea of an almost affordable Porsche; Porsche seems less interested in the low end of the spectrum than they were. I've got my eye out for the new Z5.

Get both, that's what I did. 2004 Boxster S and 2009 CLK 350. They complement each other really well. The Boxster is a blast to drive on windy, narrow roads. The CLK is ultra comfortable on the highway. And the top comes down on both of them!

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JackintheBoxster
We'll see. I miss my Boxster, but I also miss the idea of an almost affordable Porsche; Porsche seems less interested in the low end of the spectrum than they were. I've got my eye out for the new Z5.

JackintheBimmer?

Seriously though, wouldn't an 09+ Boxster (without an IMS to worry about) still cost less than a new Z5 with a front engine layout? I know you said you were tired of the repairs on your 986, but not all 986/987/981s have that problem. I've had mine for 16 yrs now, and hardly any repairs, but lots o' fun.

Hate to say it, but my mechanic, who is very good, only does German cars, replaced the engine on this one, and has kept our BMW 3 series alive for well over 200K is advising me away from replacing this with another Porsche. He says they look great and are hot, but that repairs are too frequent and expensive compared to BMWs and Mercedes. We'll see, I have some time before I can afford to replace this car, and I really miss driving it. There are alternatives, though, including the SLK or a BMW 1 or 2 series. We'll see. I'm not happy to have reached this juncture.

I don't know where your mechanic has his statistics from. Porsches are actually very reliable cars. Some Mercedes models are very bad. Check out Consumer Reports for reliability data and do a Google search on car reliability.

I'm not gonna try to argue with your trusted mechanic, but from my personal experience owning a BMW 3 series and a CLK Benz, they aren't any cheaper to repair when things go wrong, and I've actually had less go wrong with my Porsche than the Bimmer. The CLK had a lot of electronic issues, and a relative's E series sedan has had lots and lots of problems since bought new. My wife has a 12' ML350, and I'm doubtful there won't be things that pop up. Plus, the all of these benzes I spoke of drive like marshmallows. I actually traded the CLK in for my Boxster because the CLK nearly bored me to death. Bottom line is none of these cars are cheap to maintain unless you do some work yourself (or have friend help), and you just need a little luck on your side too. Like I said, my 986 has been almost trouble free for 16 yrs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/2017 04:22PM by boxtaboy. (view changes)