Mercedes SLK reviews

Just purchased an SLK following 10 years ownership of a 2001 Jaguar XKR convertible. I'm a looks & heart man. I need to feel the urge to 'look back with a smile' each time I park. The Mercedes does this ten times over.... in less than a month, I love the car. The earlier reviews point out the boot space problem, but I can never understand an owner who criticises a feature that is endemic to the model. Just don't buy! For me the car is LOOKS & LOOKS. The first few days became necessary to understand the systems. At the least a full day's reading. The car I purchased doesn't have a mark on the coachwork or chrome. Black leather Interior almost as new. Extras I like. Hands free phone, GPS. Garage door opening facility, Ten parking sensors, sixteen pages of air conditioning and climate control. (They should put the Mercedes designers on the global warning problem - but four pages devoted to changing a light bulb!) Body work fitting gaps close to paper thin, wing mirror heating, back and bum ditto, crash cushioning everywhere, cruise control & memory facility, electrical & manual adjustable steering wheel ... steering wheel heating! (out of breath but must continue) parking display both visual & aural. (rear parking display behind seat looking to rear) headlamp cleaning, headlight range adjustment, standard remote locking and alarm (top up & down) and ABS/ESP, warning lamps for every system failure, on board engine diagnostic indicator, 12volt outlet, Then all the other extras fitted to my earlier XKR. Now pause for breath. But cars are for driving ... big fat tyres give reasonable road holding on corners, possibly skittish in the wet. Perfect & responsive steering, but under two-litre acceleration not in the XKR league. Beefy roll bars for those going too fast. Big drop down from raised kerb for entry. rear viz not 100% (use yer mirrors * parking sensors) I'm told the handling over 100mph is still good. Handling in town at low speed only average ... fuel consumption to date has been 560 statute miles for 98 litres ... say 40p per mile. Altogether a fine car for a two person family and the SLK 100 series will become a classic surely. I had a convertible E Type from new a few years back but technically the Jag specification wasn't even a close match to the SLK. (but now worth 20 times more!) I'm surely am happy with my purchase. A gorgeous looking car, and fun to own & drive. Would I buy the later versions for looks. NO. I'm too old to want more performance. Dennis Kenyon. Ross-on-Wye.

I've had my little Mercedes SLK 230K for about 9yrs. and in all this time it's never actually broken down on me.There have been a number of electronic faults over the years, and one major fault with the gearbox, but all in all it's been pretty reliable.It has developed some rust points on various body panels, but again nothing major. The looks and styling are still very modern even though there has been facelifts and new models introduced over the last few years, and I personally think that it will be a minor "classic" in the future. Performance is still very good with 0 to 62 still around 7.4 seconds and well over a 100mph. with ease.Fuel consumption is not very good with around 24mph. on urban driving. Handling is good but can get "twitchy" on twisting roads particularly in the wet when the tail has a tendency to "break" out of line fairly easily, but easily controlled.Interior is still fairly comfortable and has worn well. Everything on the car still works perfectly including switches and instruments etc. Insurance for me is very good, with last renewal coming in at £140.00 for fully comprehensive annually. Tax is higher (unfairly in my opinion) and comes in at around £215.00 per year. Having had the use of some brand new cars long term with my work, I have had the opportunity to compare these with my SLK and I would still have my car first every time. Some of the "new" features appearing on these new cars, have been fitted to my 2001 car since it was built. I have no desire or plans to change my car anytime soon.

Although I have only had this car a short time I am very pleased with it. Very smooth running, the instruments on the dashboard are easy to read and conveniently located for ease of use when driving. The seat adjusts vey well for short people (like myself) so that I am able to drive with confidence. There is excellent all round visability and the wing mirrors move very smoothly when adjusted. Although not as economical as a small car, I still find that the petrol consumption is not high especially when driving on faster roads (dual carriageways etc) which I do everyday. Obviously it is not a family car but for one or two people it is ideal, there is a surprising amount of room in the boot especially for the size of the car which is good as there isn't really any space for luggage in the car itself. Mercedes parts are always quite expensive but they do tend to last a long time. All in all I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a 2 seater model.

Surprisingly copious boot for this class of car even with the electrically operated roof taking up space. With the roof down and with a moderate amount of sunshine and the heater operating, comfort levels are perfectly satisfactory, contrary to the opinion of many who think that convertibles are not for this country. Fuel consumption in my case is in the mid thirties according to the car's computer but I'm no boy racer! On longer mixed road journeys 40+ mpg is easily achieved. Comfortable seats, nicely arranged instrument panel and a radio, CD player and telephone all add up to a great driving experience, in my opinion. Just two more observations: there are those admiring glances from the public and the magnificent reflections in the shop windows!

Purchased new March 2015, extremely pleased with car , slight negatives, boot size is problem sometimes but to be fair roof has to go in, drinks more petrol than official figures ,but every car I have had never ache vied official figure , quality is very good ,leather ,trim , shut lines as you would expect on a Mercedes at this price. Purchased from Mercedes at Brookland and very pleased with the treatment we received when purchasing and when car was serviced , would always return to Brookland , have purchased from many dealers over fifty years but none as professional as Mercedes Brookland . One last comment , the info/entertainment system could be more user friendly ,thank goodness for "youtube".

Saved up for this car, wanting an open top, but not a cloth top. I took a long time to find the specification I wanted -sports pack, wheel size, etc. So far, am not going to have a love affair with this one. I have found it to be very sluggish; the weight of it means it is very slow to pick up, and also greedy on fuel. It's much better for cruising/motorway driving and long journeys. I am used to a small boot space with a sports car, but with the retractable hard top, there is not much of a gap to pass items through into the boot. I suppose the answer is the SL55, but then we wouldnt get far on a gallon.

I really don't want to trade my baby in.It's white and beautiful and the AMG styling really makes a difference to its looks.I would only change it for a newer version noy the newest blunt nose style as they have lost all the looks of the mcclaren styling.It's speedy and hugs the road like glue.Very little extra noise when the top is down and with air scarf in winter I have it down unless wet!!.Lots of boot space-enough for 2 for a week.Running costs are ok so far-low insurance and great m.pg-25-27 on short runs but 45 approx. on long trip on Mway etc.

Only had this car for 2 years as second hand. A really nice sports car, drive it sensibly and I get about 34 MPG, drive it fast ie allow the turbo to kick in and hello to just 25 MPG. Have a big problem with rust that has appeared, the manufacturer refuse to deal under the 20 year warratee as it's not got a Mercedes full service history. Tried everything but they refuse. Expensive repair costs if something does go wrong but its really rare that something does. Touch Wood! Would I get another one? No... next one will be another make..

A great car with the choice of top up or down motoring. The car is a powerful machine that can be driven smoothly whilst returning a good fuel consumption. I like the folding metal roof which I consider to be vastly superior to a rag top but it does steal half the boot space when open. A comfortable versatile car that fulfils the role that it was created for and oozes quality. I tend to do a number of 6+ hours trips to Kent and up to Yorkshire and unlike my Audi TT I find the SLK a lot more comfortable and less tiring to drive.

I nver had a sports convertible when I was younger. My wife said "get a 2-seater convertible, it'll make you feel better, and you won't be constantly asked to give people lifts" No children at home, just the two of us, boot big enough for weekly shop etc. and the "hard top" convertible gives the car a secure feel when the roof is up.It is comfortable , pleasant and easy to drive. The down side is highish running costs. Reliability is good (It's nearly 10 years old).Overall I am very happy with it.

I downsized when the children left home - a lovely little fun car for short journeys with the added bonus of a convertable for good weather - even in winter as good heating system. No good for large shopping trips and only suitable for overnight and weekend breaks as boot too small. Great for me and the dog (and husband occasionally). We do have a 4x4 as other car so have the best of both worlds.

The SLK280 is a fast and comfortable 2 seat car, but is more of a cruiser than a sports car. Driving is comfortable and the steering very responsive but the suspension can be a bit harsh on poor road surfaces. Acceleration is a little better than average although not overly fast. Boot storage is poor. Reliability thus far has been good. I enjoy driving the car, particularly with the roof down.

Its a fab little car for someone who does not need to drag the family around with them - not the most comfy on long journeys but performance makes up for that - it is not economical and road tax is rather expensive but I knew all that when I bought it. Like any vehichle you buy with your heart and not your head most of the time and this was certainly one of those buys - but I still love it

It's a great car to drive and has excellent features such as cruise control which I use a great deal even at 30 mph to keep within the speed limit. It goes very well with ample power and comfortable. It's great to have a hard top convertible although when the roof is down there's not much space remaining in the boot.

I found the company + staff very friendly helpful not at all pushy jumping on you as in so many of the other garage sales courts I’ve been to they keep a good selection of quality used vehicles + I cannot fault them in anyway many thanks to Fiona + her husband well worth a visit by any prospective purchasers

Responsive on motorways, comfortable at speed, not practical bumpy at town speeds, easy to park, terrific acceleration and braking, excellent grip, antisocial, impractical, brings out the worst in other drivers, a hoot to drive, wish I'd bought one earlier.Does 16mpg short runs in town, 29-31 on long runs.

Stunning looks, good performance. Get the highest spec car you can find, one with full history and all the toys.Very tail happy in wet and greasy conditions if one is a press on driver. Expect around 19mpg if driven briskly with the roof down or 30 on a good run roof up driving within speed limits.

A lovely small runabout but not that comfortable for long distance journeys. Only ideal for small shopping excusions due to boot and even less space when roof down but a great second car

As the cost of maintenance and fuel escalate, I am being more careful to reduce using my car. However, I love my car, and am not prepared to trade it in for a more economical model.

Least practical car on earth but I love it! Good performance but guzzles petrol. Looks great', roof lifts off electronically. Boot pretty small but just about sufficient.