Mercedes SLK reviews

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.

What a car..........great for the summer we've just had being a convertible. Lots of power when you need it but easy to drive even in town.

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.

Great car, easy to drive, looks good, very reliable

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.

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!

A superb car with affordable running costs for a sports car.

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.

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..

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.

My car is my baby & I love it but the costs surrounding it eg. car tax, repairs & servicing, petrol MPG & insurance are horrendeous. I still love my car!!

Best convertible under £5000 ( Ive tried them all!)

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.

Wonderful local & national level car. Poor handbake performance & thristy on the air conditoning.

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