Mercedes-Benz SLK

spokes · July 2005

Problem seems to have been fixed properly, and everything put back together correctly. I did the research on the MSRP, but, the Caspian Blue is almost impossible to locate, and it was equipped just right. Wife is happy...bottom line! I will say it handles like few other sports cars I've driven, with the exception of my past 2000 Viper. So far, the 7 speed tranny has performed flawlessly; but, will report any problems. Thanks for the feedback.

habitat1 · August 2005

I've never leased, so can't help you there. But the SLK is offered through the European Delivery program for 7% off MSRP. That's at least a good starting point for negotiations. If a dealer has the car you want in stock, I suggest you "threaten" to go ED unless he makes it worth your while to buy the stock car.

I would not tell the dealer you need to do a deal by the 17th of August. Tell him you would like to, but have another car available in the meantime, if it takes longer. The European Delivery process takes at least 2-3 months and the dealer will know that if you really need a car by August 17th, he's in the driver's seat, so to speak. Also, don't go ga-ga over a stock car. Even if it's exactly the color and option combo you want, keep them thinking that you still might prefer to order a 2006 to your exact specs and take a trip to Europe for that 7% discount.

I believe you can lease thorugh European Delivery as well but you might want to check out the Mercedes website first.

FWIW, I'm no expert at this, but I've gone from having a dealer claim they didn't have any reason to discount a 2005 Porsche Boxster S in early July to now having an offer of $6,000 under MSRP. I had told them that I'd just as soon order a 2006 to my exact specs than pay full MSRP for a 2005. Which, in my case, was true. Now they finally are making it worth my while to take a new 2005. And I didn't have the advantage of a European Delivery discount to use as a negotiating tool. Those obnoxious Porscheons charge an extra $2,000 to show you the factory!

Claires · August 2005

Folks, this topic is intended for the discussion of features, atributes, and owner experiences with the SLK. If you'd like to talk about prices, buying experiences, etc., please take it to the Mercedes-Benz SLK: Prices Paid and Buying Experience discussion. Thanks.

ClaireS, Host
Coupes & Convertibles | Vans & Minivans

topspin628 · August 2005

I think this is the correct board to ask for advice. I am interested in a convertible sports/sporty car that I can use as a daily driver and won't punish me on rough roads nor be miserable to drive in city traffic. It should also be a car that can be used for 12 mos. in the NE, not one that goes into storage for winter months. I know that this is a tall order. I am not asking that it can plow through snow storms but I know a friend of mine had an M3 that was unusable once the roads got slick. I also need room for a set of golf clubs and it should be able to handle just a bit of luggage.
The Boxster looks like a good starting point and I will test drive but not sure about the noise level. Sometimes I can be in the car for 2 hours plus and I don't want to walk out with a headache. I am also considering going back to a stick (have not been there for a long time) and just wanted to know if the trade offs of city congestion are worth the pleasure of the drive on open roads.

Thank you for any input and suggestions.

jproc · August 2005

The SLK handles okay in rain but snow and ice-terrible.I use my slk as a 12 month a year car but when the weather says snow I use my daughters car and she goes to school either via bus or a friend

greasykid1 · August 2005

It will handle poorly if you keep the "summer" tires that it comes with. Am changing mine to "all season" for the winter months. Other than that your thoughtest requirement will be golf clubs;though it can be done.

merc1 · August 2005

Does anyone here have a SLK280 yet?

M

jproc · August 2005

What kind of "all season" tires do you use? Is the handling ok than in snow?
Thx in advance

greasykid1 · August 2005

There are not a lot of tires that qualify for the SLK. Am going to put on Pirelli P Zero Nero's. Just put these on my E320 about 2,000 mi. ago. Have no winter experience yet but they come well recommended by Tirerack. Go on their website for details. They are a much better ride on my E320. Even my wife noticed it and tires are very low on her list of priorities.Forgot to mention that my E320 had Michelin XGT4 's.

artchi · August 2005

I got my SLK350 6 days ago and have 503 miles now. Yesterday while driving home on the freeway, the outside temperature reads 144 degrees fahrenheit. It doesn't seem to be that hot because that will be a major news on the radio. Anyways I think it is about 90 instead. Few miles to home, my Check Engine Light came on. I parked the car overnight and this morning started the engine and the light is still on. It is now in the hands of the mechanics at the dealer.

spokes · August 2005

Does anyone have information on the total number of SLKs that will be shipped to the U.S.? I've been told by the local dealer that only 350 will be shipped; the rest of the production staying over seas. This seems suspect. Any numbers out there?
Thanks.

merc1 · August 2005

Only 350 SLKs to be shipped to the U.S.? That is beyond incorrect. MBUSA's goal for the SLK in this country is 10K units. 350 is a bogus number because they'll ship more than that in SLK55 AMGs too, so I know that number can't possibly be right for the high volume (relative to the AMG model) 280 and 350 models.

At that number each dealer would only get one SLK to sell. The dealer here has 4 SLK280s and 2 SLK55s.

M

cagney · August 2005

What do the hood louvers on the SLK55 do? One opens to a rubber-sealed box and the other is closed off by a plate w. a 1" hole at the rear.
I've only put 1300mi. on the car so far, but it seems simply AMAZING!!

cagney · August 2005

Got one more Question. The SLK55 lists two different sets of tire pressures, one inside the gas flap, one on the door frame. Which one do I use? I'm following the door info: 33# front, 39# rear.

dgm4488 · August 2005

I believe even MB has stated that they plan to sell 1,000 - 1,500 55's in the US, so obviously, the no. of straight 350's would be much higher. I'd wonder about that dealer!

spokes · August 2005

Yea, that's what I thought. I'm really unhappy with this particular dealer in NORCAL. I was suspect of the number as soon as the sales rep gave it to me. However, I had no other way to confirm what the correct shipments were going to be. Thanks for your help. I'll include this information in my letter of complaint to the GM.

dgm4488 · August 2005

Delighted to hear that you like your car so much.........I have one on order and am excited to say the least. Q: Did you order yours and if so how much time elapsed between order date and delivery? Thanks.

cagney · August 2005

dgm;
Excited? I have never experienced an automobile as stunning as this SLK55. Even tho I read about it for months, it is far more car than I thought it would be; every time I drive it, I discover some neat new thing Mercedes has done. (Now, if it only doesn't break down.)
Dare I use the word "bargain"? It cost me about $65k, but seems well worth it. Far less than a Viper, and a Vette convertible, loaded to match, would cost about the same, and you'd STILL only have a cloth top.
I took delivery in June and had ordered it in Feb. I'm told that if one were ordered now, delivery would be next May.

cagney · August 2005

At the dealers the other day, a service mgr. commented about having a bad day. Seems a lot of SLK V6s were coming in smoking. This is a brand-new engine; they're too young to smoke. I wonder what's going on. Since I just bought a new Mercedes, I was hoping they had got their quality control act together.

dgm4488 · August 2005

Thanks again..........I thought about it for a long time then decided to go with the AMG version. Among other things I too felt like it was well priced for what the car offers in terms of performance etc. And your information about the delivery schedule is more good news - apparently (and not unexpectedly) it has lengthened a great deal since my order was placed. The article in Car & Driver may have intensified the interest in the 55 and thus the length of the wait list.

I too hope we don't have reliability problems!

cagney · August 2005

I always read everything I can about a car before taking the plunge, but I have been following Car & Driver since the late 60s and trust their opinions. They also write very well; I think I would enjoy reading what they had to say about canopeners.
The 55 AMG is the one to have, no doubt about it.It's more car than you can imagine! The way I add it up, an SLK350 optioned like the AMG would run about $52k, 10k under the AMG. But, you STILL would not have the magic V8, the stiffened 7 speed, the upgraded tires and wheels, and those huge Brembo brakes. Not that i'd call $65k cheap, but you do seem to be getting your money's worth.

slk350_florida · August 2005

I bought a 2005 SLK 350 just a few months ago - only have 2,000 miles on it. Already, the ESP and Run Flat Tire indicator (in the computer) have needed a new sensor; and the other day, the Retractable Roof wouldn't go down, and said I needed to "Visit Workshop". Finally, this morning, the roof went down. Not sure if I should go to dealer or not, but I'm beginning to wonder if the quality control in engineering this car, was futal. In only two months, for a customer who paid 50k for a car, to have to visit the service dept. twice already - that's really bad news. I had a Maxima for 5 years prior to this, and NEVER went to the service dept. one time!!!!! What's up, Mercedes lovers? Can anyone shed light on this?

slk350_florida · August 2005

Just had this very same problem with my new SLK 350 - the faulty ESP, and the Run Flat indicator went bad. Result was, MB put in a new sensor. But c'mon, after only a short time driving, this is pretty ridiculous. Like you, I love the car, but I wonder how long I'll have it with these problems continuing...

dgm4488 · August 2005

My reasoning (or rationalization if you like) went much the same way..........i.e. the step-up just didn't seem 'that' great for the V8 and all the other things that come along with the 55. And I believe the AMG is likely to be (on a relative basis of course) considerably more valuable and the back side.

I asked my dealer about the transmission probs. that had apparently plagued last years 350 and he felt that much of the electronic stuff had been ironed out. I sure hope he's right 'cause no one wants to pay 60K for a car only to see it return to the shop on a regular basis.

habitat1 · August 2005

AMG engineers could solve a lot of "transmission problems" by putting their horsepower fetish aside and build a damn manual transmission for the SLK55. It might still not get me to switch from my top two choices - the Boxster S and 911 S Cab - but at least it would a little tempting.

It's really beyond me that AMG can put 602 hp into a family sedan, but apparantly can't figure out how to put a manual transmission into a so-called sports car? As I have been shopping around for the past few months and doing my anecdotal research, I have not found a single serious driving enthusiast that would consider the SLK55, primarily because of the lack of a manual. It seems Mercedes/AMG have all but punted that demographic over Porsche and BMW's Motorsport division.

Too bad, because I do think the new SLK is a huge improvement over the prior version. It's just not a sports car and that's what I am shopping for.

amgnut · August 2005

I guess a SL65AMG isn't a sports car either?

habitat1 · August 2005

Not in my opinion, assuming it will only come with an automatic transmission. I just don't find much "sport" in pointing the steering wheel and stomping on the gas with 600 hp under the hood. This didn't excite me 30+ years ago when friends were souping up muscle car Pontiac GTO's and Buick SS's to break 11 second quarter miles. I was much more interested in watching Porsches and Ferrari's fighting it out over the curvy streets of Monaco.

But please understand, that's just my opinion. And in fairness, the SLK55/65 are infinitely better handlers than the GTO's of the 60's and 70's. I just happen to think that - at least for me - a big part of any sports car has to be the driver input that comes with a true manual transmission, clutch and all. Hell, I've never been able to bring myself to buy an automatic equiped family (sport) sedan in 30 years, so the likelihood of my opinion changing relative to a full blooded sports car is nill. I can accept that others have different opinions and AMG appears to be content catering to them and not my demographic.

bor1 · August 2005

Would like any info re price negotiation with EDP. supposed to go to dealer today to give deposit, etc and wonder if one can negotiate the EDP price (7% off). I am also concerned with all the tranny problems. Any options one cannot live without?
Thx for any and all replies

bor1 · August 2005

Sorry, model is SLK280

Claires · August 2005

bor1, the place to ask this question is in the Mercedes Benz SLK: Prices Paid & Buying Experience discussion. The folks there will be happy to help you figure this out.

slk350_florida · September 2005

Has anyone here ever heard of Mercedes buying back a car which the buyer is totally dissatisfied with? Say it has 2,000 miles on it, and has already been into the shop THREE TIMES for different electric work - what will Mercedes do, if anything?

laurasdada · September 2005

Just MHO, but Mercedes probably won't do much initially. I'd suggest first researching Florida's Lemon Law and then start talking to your dealer/MBUSA. Good luck.

shark715 · September 2005

I have an '05 SLK55 that is 5 months old and has 9K miles on it. Love the car but it has not been trouble free. The Comand system shuts off on very hot days when the retractable roof is down, and the transmission valve body had to be replaced. It's well documented that MB's quality has been well below par for several years, and of course an SLK has a lot more to go wrong with it than a Maxima, besides the fact that Maxima's frequency of repair history is terrific. As a very general rule, the more expensive a car, the more attention you can expect the car to need. Just ask someone who owns a $200K Ferrari what level of attention their car requires versus a $15K Hyundai. I have not had trouble with my retractable roof, but I'm not shocked to hear that someone is experiencing problems...it's a VERY, VERY complicated mechanism (but it's also one of my favorite features on the car).

greasykid1 · September 2005

When the new E car was introduced there were several thousand--Yes Thou-Bought back. This was in one of the leading auto mags about a year ago.

spiritinthesky · September 2005

"As a very general rule, the more expensive a car, the more attention you can expect the car to need."

I am glad you catagorized this as a general rule. It is my opinion - based upon the experience of friends, relatives and business associates, as well as third party research reports - that Mercedes has fallen well behind BMW and Porsche, to name just two luxury brands. Both ot those brands have made significant improvements to their reliability records. Mercedes, on the other hand, has dropped significantly. My brother in law had an SL500 bought back by Mercedes 18 months ago, gave them a second chance on an SL55 which he then dumped himself at a significant loss and is now happily driving a new 911. His first Mercedes was a 300 SEL 6.3, so it should pain AMG/Mercedes that he has been permanantly lost as a customer nearly 30 years and at least 8-10 cars later.

I could give numerous other examples, but I am not here to bash Mercedes. I happened to click on this forum by accident. But I couldn't help but think after reading about some of the problems that this is not the same Mercedes that prided itself - almost arrogantly - on their penchant for quality.

jcat707 · September 2005

I remember that. Didn't it have something to do with the COMAND system? The nav systems weren't ready when the new E-class was introduced and the dealers and Mercedes-Benz thought they could add the nav system to the cars after the parts became available but they were wrong. Isn't that what happened?

greasykid1 · September 2005

Don't believe that any one problem was the cause.Mainly a variety of electrical malfunctions

mbd · September 2005

Has anyone driven both a regular SLK 350, and one with the sports suspension (now the AMG package)? I would like to know if you can tell the difference in everyday driving, and if the sports suspension is worth the $4,000 for the package.
Thanks.

shark715 · September 2005

I drove both, and ended up buying an SLK55. The AMG suspension is significantly stiffer, but not to the point of being punishing IMO...although I'm sure some people might say it's too stiff. The base SLK handled very well, but the AMG optioned cars handle noticeably better. You need to remember that much of lot of the cost of the option is due to the cosmetic upgrades, which IMO very much enhance the look of the car. But there's no denying that it's an expensive option as most MB options are. The one option that I assumed would be more expensive than it is is the Airscarf system.

merc1 · September 2005

I really hate that MB bundled the sport suspension in a 4K package. There must have been a low-take rate on just the sports suspension for them to do that, imo.

The AMG package does jazz up the SLK considerably so for someone that wants that package the sports suspension is a nice bonus, but for those that just want the suspension it kinda sucks.

M

jeanne4 · October 2005

Can someone with a 2005 SLK 350 please verify something for me? Set your display to show temperature and not speed. So the temperature should display just under the gear selection in the lower multifunction display. Set your cruise control, initially the speed appears in the upper multifunction display. But after that goes away, do you see the speed displayed in the lower multifunction display just under the temperature?

My car used to display the cruise speed under the temperature but after they installed my iPod Adaptor, that feature went away. The dealership claims it never should have displayed anything under the temperature in the lower display. We took out a 2006 SLK 350 and it didnt display the speed. So now the dealership thinks Im crazy. Im hoping that someone out there has seen this and can take a picture of it for me.

Thanks for your help

landsalmon · October 2005

I wanted to post a caution to anyone who might be considering buying some of the clear bumper lights off of EBay for their SLK, from a seller known as Trivisionauto.

I concluded an auction purchase from this seller on 10/06/05 and paid immediatly with Pay Pal, and can't get any responses to my many email inquirys about the lights I bought . I have also been unsuccessful trying to reach him by phone. He always seems to be out.

He has a few negatives in his feedback,all for communication, or the lack thereof.He still carries a 97% positive although.

I'm not slamming the guy yet, just issuing a caution to anyone else looking to buy from Trivisionauto.

I'll post more information as I learn more.

cathy6 · October 2005

I have had this same problem with my 2005 350 SLK. I have had it in the dealership 3 times and they just keep telling me they can't find anything wrong with it. It only happens once in awhile but to me this problem is very dangerous. I was once accelerating on to the freeway with a huge truck coming up behind me and my car went into neutral. I pulled off quickly and after I stopped shaking turned the car off and re started it and it went back into gear. I would like to return this leased car as I am scared to drive it. Does anyone know how to do this?

bkman · November 2005

Does anyone have any thoughts on how best to prepare the slk 350 for winter storage? Storage will be in an attached but unheated garage. Any suggestions about tires, electronics, etc will be appreciated. I was told by the dealer that there shouldn't be any problems, just unhook the battery and maybe inflate the tires an extra 10 psi or so.

Thanks.

bgrsbtr · November 2005

Has anyone else experenced a loud bang noise from the right front suspension? It happens at different times and no one thing seems to set it off. All of a sudden there is just a loud bang like something major breaks
Thanks
Glenn

greasykid1 · November 2005

Do what you mentioned but I also used a large sheet of plastic drop cloth covering the cement under the car to stop moisture coming up through the floor,

bkman · November 2005

Thanks for the tip.

bkman

greasykid1 · November 2005

Am interested in 5 spoke wheels to replace the 10 spoke factory wheels. Has anybody found a good replacement wheel ? Have shopped Tirerack but I don't want to pay $500 per wheel. Also because of the oversize brake calipers many wheels won't fit on the front. In addition to all this need 7.5/17 on the front & 8.5/17 on the rear.If I do find what I'm looking for then I want to sell the OEM wheels.

gwd717 · December 2005

Own a 2001 SLK230.
The other day my fuel indicator light started to blink and then the next time I started the car the Check Engine light was illuminated (which, according to the manual, suggests a possible Fuel System issue). First thing I'd like to do, though, is reset the computer to check that the Check Engine light still illuminates, can one of you tell me how to reset it?

Second question is then any thoughts on what may have caused this problem, before I end up taking it to the dealer and shelling out money for a diagnostic.

Thanks much.

greasykid1 · December 2005

Do not know how to ck the light itself although I believe that if the light is good that it should glow when you first turn the key on. If your gas cap is on tight and there are no other problems the computer in most cars will reset itself after a given number of starts. Usually in the 25plus range.

Mercedes-Benz SLK

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