2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 Reviews

WE turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering - would you buy one?This is the new generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster, the 3.5-litre petrol model, one from the top when the AMG version arrives next year.A competitive $118,900 ... with a hefty tax component.Porsche's Boxster 3.4S (cost a lot more), BMW's long nose Z4 35is, Audi's TTS Roadster (a lot less).Runs a sweet sounding, naturally aspirated, smooth as silk, 3.5-litre, V6 petrol engine with direct injection driving the rear wheels through a slick seven speed automatic, with paddle shift and multi-modes.Like a rocket, good for a 5.6 second 0-100kmh sprint and offers stupendous performance across a wide engine speed range. Best in M  (manual) mode if you want the full sporty experience. Handles like you'd expect - sharp as a tack, fast responses.Pretty good at 8.3-litres/100km combined but you'll need premium, of course.Gets a 4.5 rating in the Green Car Guide.Engineered for a five star crash rating.Cabin could be tight for larger types but otherwise - the lap of luxury with plenty of flow down stuff from the SLS model and the multi drive mode system gives you choices in dynamics from comfort through to full-on sporty.Superb, trumpeting exhaust sings a sweet song, quick, composed, razor sharp steering, snappy gear changes in M for manual mode. A real sports car. Love the new Magic Sky Roof  with variable tint or fold it right down for open tp motoring.Right in the middle of the price range of its competitors. Bear in mind there's a hefty Luxury Car Tax imposition on this (and many other) cars.Yep, in red.

If you are looking for wind-in-your-hair motoring this summer and you've got your eye on the Mercedes-Benz SLK, keep looking. The two-seat roadster is a classy car on a sunny day but it has been engineered to keep all but a light breeze out of the interior. Hit the go pedal and the new 3.5-litre V6 will still ruffle your feathers, though.VALUEThe two-seat hardtop plays on the same street as the Porsche Boxster, Audi TTRS and BMW Z4. At $118,900 it sits mid-pack in terms of pricing and performance: it can’t match the Boxster’s back road prowess and isn’t as practical as the TT for everyday transport but is the pick of the crop in terms of comfort. The four-cylinder SLK200 is a relative bargain at $82,900, though that's still $6000 over the entry level BMW Z4 20i.DESIGNCloning the look of the SLS AMG gives the SLK presence inside and out. That wide single-bar grille defines the front end and gives an instant expectation that this car will go hard. The dash is dominated by the aircraft-style chrome air vents, giving the cabin an open feel with the roof up or down.  Boot space is 335 litres with the roof up or 225 when it's down, enough for a pair of mid-sized suitcases packed on their sides.TECHNOLOGYSunroofs on convertibles make as much sense as underground solar panels but the SLK350 has two versions, a regular panoramic model and the "Magic Sky control" version. The "magic" system uses crystals embedded in the sunroof that react to an electric current to adjust the amount of light entering the cabin. Here's a tip: fold the roof down. A pair of clear wind deflectors behind the rollover bars can be manually moved to block draughts depending on the angle of the wind. Simple but it works, especially in combination with the Airscrarf vents build into the headrests.SAFETYThe SLK hasn't been officially crash-tested but a five-star rating will be the only acceptable outcome for Benz. An Attention Assist system alerts drivers if the software detects their concentration is waning and the Pre-Safe software automatically pre-tensions seatbelts and closes the windows if it detects a crash is imminent. If you do hit, no less than six airbags will deploy to protect the occupants.DRIVINGThe SLK is a stealth missile. It sidles up to Aussie-built V8s at the lights, whose drivers dismiss it as a hairdressers' car ... right up to the point where the lights go green and the SLK goes feral. The smooth mechanical purr from direct-injection 3.5-litre V6 pitches into a meaty howl as the seven-speed automatic launches from rest to 100km/h in 5.6 seconds. With the top down, you even get to appreciate it (the hardtop does a credible job of muting outside noise). Fuel use is a low 8.3 litres/100km with CO2 emissions at 194g/km. Steering feel is vague at low speed or in a straight line but the response and weight pick up with pace and turn-in angle. The only thing stopping it from being an outrig ht sports car is our roads, with the top down the Merc faithfully transfers the impact from scarred bitumen into the cabin. It still hangs on with the tenacity of a two-year old, but respect for the passenger should see the pace lowered a little off the freeways.VERDICTThe SLK350 doesn't have the poise to match its pace, but it's not designed to. If you need to corner like Michael Schumacher, buy the C63. If you want to look good, be looked at and enjoy a cruise without setting speed records, sit in the SLK.RATINGMERCEDES-BENZ SLK350Price: $118,900Warranty: Three years/100,000kmResale: 53 per cent after three years (Glass's Guide)Safety: Six airbags, Attention Assist, Pre-Safe, stability and traction control, ABS with brake assist and brakeforce distributionEngine: 3.5-litre V6, 225kW/370NmTransmission: Seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveEconomy: 8.3 litres/100km, 194g/km CO2.

Four models will wear the SLK badge before the end of the first quarter of 2012. But for now, there's two - the SLK200 and SLK350 - separated by power, features and a wide $36,000 gap.VALUEThis is in the eye of the beholder and yet even the "cheap" SLK200 is well kitted out. Standard is a seven-speed automatic attached to a 1.8-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine. The electric steel roof goes down (and up) in less than 20 seconds, there are 17-inch alloy wheels, iPod/USB friendly audio, heated seats, solar-reflective leather seats and a 147mm colour screen. It's only when you factor in the extras in the SLK350 ($118,900) such as HDD sat-nav, multi-media Comand system, bi-xenon headlights and that big engine that you recognise the reason for the price difference.DESIGNThe SLK is basically the previous model with some heavy styling changes to the nose. It picks up the SLS design for the grille and the aluminium bonnet. From behind it looks a lot wider than the outgoing model, yet appearances deceive because the difference is only 33mm.The single-bar grille looks more masculine - an image Mercedes admits was the aim, yet was coy about putting that in words - and the use of LED running lights literally sparkles up the front. The cabin also takes hints from the SLS - big, round air vents, for example - and while it looks good straight out of the box, looks a whole lot better with the optional AMG kit.TECHNOLOGYThe supercharger in the Kompressor models of the previous SLK has been given the flick. Now it's a turbocharger doing all the blowing. And the whole car is better for it, particularly the reduction in engine noise. The Magic Sky roof - which changes from clear to heavily tinted at the switch of a button - is a $4550 option. Perhaps it's worth it for cities with extreme climates.The Airscarf, which blows warm air on your neck, gets approval for its value, as does the flip-out acrylic panels behind the head restraints that dramatically reduce cabin turbulence. The seven-speed auto - there's no manual unless you make a specific order - is an important inclusion . Same applies to the AMG package option which is $5900 for the SLK200 and $3200 for the SLK350.SAFETYFive star crash rating, six airbags (including a proper head-protecting curtain bag that rises from the top of the door) and all the best electronic aids for the chassis and brakes are standard Mercedes fare.DRIVINGThe package of a front engined, rear driven two seater pretty much indicates how the car will drive. The SLK and BMW Z4, for example, are similarly balanced. But the detail splits them apart. The SLK200 impresses with its strong little engine and impressive power spread from around 3000rpm to 6500rpm. The seven cogs in the auto play a big part in getting the best from the engine, but it won't disguise engine noise - which can get raspy despite a special acoustic box that introduces a more dramatic sound into the cabin.Ride and handling are designed for smooth roads - something lacking on the test route around Ballarat - so rutted bitumen really shakes the body (YOUR  body). Roof down in the SLK200 without the deflector is too breezy to hold a conversation. Steering is very good and, road surface dependent, the little car hangs on really well through fast corners. But though there's a huge financial yawn between the SLK200 and the SLK350, the later is a completely different car. It's fast, sounds like a sports car, has wind deflectors that allow comfortable roof-down touring and has a (slightly) better ride. Slightly, probably because of the weightier V6 eng ine up front.VERDICTAn improvement on the outgoing model but still a specialised purchase which puts it in the same league as the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4. But its powertrain offering - four cylinder, V6 and from early 2012, a 5.5-litre normally-aspirated V8 - widens its market and creates a convertible for nearly all needs.MERCEDES-BENZ SLKPrice: $82,900 (SLK200), $118,900 (SLK350)Warranty: 3-years/100,00km, roadside assistResale: 56% (est.)Service interval: 15,000km/12 monthsSafety: 5-starEngine: (SLK350) 3.5-litre V6, 225kW/370NmBody: 2-door 2-seat convertibleWeight: 1540kgTransmission: 7-speed auto, rear driveThirst: 8.3L/100km, 95 RON, CO2 194g/km"Family nose is only part of the evolution of this desirable roadster"

A bunch of scruffy blokes once told me the Mercedes-Benz SLK was a 'hairdressers' car'. From the look of them, none had been near a hairdresser in years, of course. And none of them have been near the new SLK, or they'd be changing their views.Metal roof up or down, this is a great little two-seater, and a sheer joy to get around in.The entry-level price of $82,900 gets you into the SLK200, with a 135kW/270Nm 1.8-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed automatic, with fuel economy of 6.9L/100km. Base spec includes heated seats with sun-reflective leather, brushed aluminium trim, 147mm colour nav/info screen and 17-in alloy wheels.Of course it gets a five-star crash rating, with an arsenal of safety equipment including door-head airbags among the six on board, acceleration skid control and the Pre-Safe system that preps the car if it's in danger of crashing.The $118,900 SLK350 tested here has a 225kW/370Nm 3.5-litre V6 also with the seven-speed auto and fuel economy of 8.3L/100km. Sure, the more powerful engine adds some extra dollars, but the $36,000 price difference also bridges you to Merc's multimedia Comand entertainment/info/comms system, HDD satnav, internet browser, intelligent bi-xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, neck-level heating, electronic memory packages for both seats, ambient lighting and 18-in wheels.The new SLK has been heavily restyled around the nose, and picks up some extra jewelry to dress up the new face and interior. If there's not enough bling for your personal taste, the AMG accessories shelves will help you out.You sit deep in the car, with the cockpit wrapped around you, and there's plenty of luxe to enjoy.The body has a distinct wedge shape, and the high-ish bootline at least allows for a reasonable luggage capacity for a roadster. Opening the roof – a 20-second job -- cuts the 335 boot capacity down to 225 litres, but that's still enough to fit a suitcase.Right from the first tap of the accelerator, the SLK350's V8 opens its throat and promises great things. And it lives up to that promise with prompt throttle response, sharply honed and weighted steering, and the unbeatable combination of a big engine in a little car.It corners brilliantly, rides smoothly and only tends to get upset when you hit rough bitumen. Patchy surfaces give it a touch of the jitters and the noise intrudes on what is otherwise a fairly quiet cabin – even with the roof down, the deflectors keep wind rush under reasonable control.You'll need that, because it's dangerously easy to get the SLK350 up to – and well beyond – legal speed limits.Hairdressers' car? You'll be lucky to find a hairdresser that can ever get your 'do' back in place if you've been out in the SLK350 with the top down. Step this way: two chairs, no waiting.