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Mercedes-Benz SLK

245

Comments

  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    A few questions:

    What was the actual invoice on the car you purchased? Why did you order the Consumer Reports price guide - Edmunds has complete invoice pricing for free at this website?

    According to Mercedes website, it appears that the lighting package is not avialable with the AMG sport package?

    Was your car brand new (i.e. less than 5 miles on odometer) or did it have some test drive miles?

    Thanks.
  • stroudmanstroudman Member Posts: 192
    Yes it is, absolutely! For one, the Z is built stateside, so there aren't any tarif-type/exchange rate costs built into the MSRP, which the German built SLK does, unfortunately. But in addition to the points you made about the top, trim, and layout, is the overall quality. I have traded people out of year old or so Z4's with anywhere from 1,000 to 12K miles on them, and they're just coming apart inside. A deal can definitely be had on one, they are cold, and getting colder, but I think you'll have more fun and better resale from the SLK, if it suits your budget.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    In my opinion, the Z4 isn't worth $10k more than the Honda S2000.

    I am looking at the SLK350, Boxster S, 911 S Convertible and a couple of others. But having owned a 2002 Honda S2000 for 2.5 years, I do not see any appeal to the Z4. It's not as performance oriented (or well built) as the Honda, nor as civilized (or well built) as the SLK.

    Don't get me wrong, I am generally a BMW fan. I think the new 2006 330i will be a hit and the 530i/545i are the best handling sedans at almost any price. But the same low rpm engine that is perfect for the 3 series and 5-series (and even the X5) is pretty boring in the Z4. And the car feels way too heavy for it's size compared with the nimble S2000 or even the larger Boxster S. If the price of a Z4 3.0 was $30k, it wouldn't find its way into my garage.
  • mikestevensmikestevens Member Posts: 17
    Well that certainly explains why they're are so many of them available, and at serious discounts. As far as the SLK goes, I'm just concerned about the reliability problems that have plagued the E series, and whether similar issues will begin popping up with the SLK. OTOH, the reviews I've read have been glowing.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Yeah when the new SLK appeared Z4 sales tanked big time. I'm not sure if they've recovered or not, but this is a rare instance in which BMW was really caught out bad by a new Benz product that is built better, more powerful, and even handles as good or better (depending on the source). Also for some reason BMW doesn't seem to see a point in doing another M Roadster to combat the awesome SLK55 AMG. You just know a facelift is coming for the Z4 and I bet an Motorsport model.

    M
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    Yes - we have free pricing info on the site: Invoice, MSRP, TMV (True Market Value) which is "average" price being paid in your region for the vehicle specified.

    Click on the Edmunds.com link at the top of the page > New Cars tab and navigate from there.
  • amgnutamgnut Member Posts: 16
    I didn't see the C&D review of the SLK 55 AMG, although the ride may be slightly stiff - it takes a pretty bad road before I get irritated. The ride is really quite good compared to other cars in its class, but not Sedan like.

    Jolting through deceleration in a misnomer. The 7sp really responds more like a stick, during deceleration and the subsequent downshift, engine compression slows the car very quickly (i.e. like a stick). The solution is come off the accelerator slowly, and be ready to throttle up (even when slowing). In fact the most common comment from friends who have driven my car is the way the transmission responds like a stick. It will catch you off guard for the first drive.

    After my 800 mile tranny trouble I have been problem free. I will be scheduling my first service in the next couple weeks.

    Mileage? I can still get 20+ on my San Diego trips, but now that I'm over 1000 miles and broken in I've been down to 13 - 14 mph in town, in manual or sport mode and really testing my 0 - 50 from light to light. It’s hard to keep the mileage that low, because I really have to drive like an [non-permissible content removed]. 16 around town would be a closer average. Overall I think the mileage is great for 2 reasons. (1) - I mostly have trucks, and I'm getting better mileage & (2) - 20 mpg from 355HP, I can't complain, I didn't want a Metro.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Thanks for the response. How many total miles do you have now?

    M
  • amgnutamgnut Member Posts: 16
    1800 miles - first service recommended between 1000 to 3000.
  • hgileshgiles Member Posts: 66
    2006 changes courtesy of a poster on another board (info verified with MB rep):

    Orion Blue and Everest Green are gone
    Pewter (used on the "launch" edition) is available

    Blue leather is gone
    Brown Nappa leather is available

    The sports suspension is NO LONGER available as a stand-alone option. You MUST purchase the AMG kit on the SLK 350 to get the sports suspension.

    Pricing is not finalized yet to my knowledge.

    I believe this pretty much sums up the 2006 SLK 350 options.

    As everyone knows the SLK 280 will be available. I haven't heard about the pricing on it yet.
  • hgileshgiles Member Posts: 66
    The Entertainment option and Entertainment with Nav both come with Sirius (6mos. free) installed and Ipod pre-wiring.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Thats an interesting color combo, Pewter/Brown leather. Usually Brown leather doesn't look so hot imo, bu on the launch edition it was just right.

    M
  • stroudmanstroudman Member Posts: 192
    It would probably not look too shabby with black or obsidian black, either.
  • johntrackerjohntracker Member Posts: 11
    Hi,

    My SLK350 (12/04 build, on road 02/05) has also had the "check oil level at next refueling" message displayed. First at about 1000miles, I added about 1 litre of oil then twice more over the next 800 miles (about another 1.5 litres added).

    There does not appear to be anything wrong with the sensor as the oil level was actually falling.

    I'm monitoring the consumption (it does seem to have slowed down) and will repost.
  • amgnutamgnut Member Posts: 16
    Here I go again. SLK 55 AMG: :sick:
    May 6 2005, 1838 miles. I was driving back from the store and had transmission slippage in 2nd gear. I immediately started shifting manually. 1st gear was o.k. & I short shifted through 2nd to third. I was able to keep driving until I arrived home (short drive, couple miles max.).

    I restarted the car about 30 minutes later. The problem had now changed. Now the tranny was stuck in third. Definitely third. I tried to shift manually, but the display showed third gear & I could not shift below – or – above. When at speed the tranny would not downshift. It was very strange driving with only one gear.

    I had to make one more stop and decided to visit my dealer before they closed Friday night. When I restarted the car it was shifting fine. I was going in anyway, because of the previous problem I had at 795 miles and I didn't want to take any chances.. I jumped on the freeway to go to the dealer and got a “Check Engine” light.

    Now the dealer is going to do a complete diagnostic. I also spoke with the mechanic who replaced the valve body in the tranny at 795 miles. He said I definitely had transmission problems and that he would order a new transmission for me, eta 1 week (from Germany).

    I love my car - but 2 times to the dealer in less than 2,000 miles & 3 months is hard to take.

    Maybe I’ll rate the ML350 loaner for Edmunds!?!
    (Its better than the C240 loaner last time)
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Ouch! Sorry to hear about your problems, but I would be less concerned about the inconvenience and more concerned about the long term prospects for this car. Frankly, if I had dished out $65k +/- for an SLK55 and I was being told that I needed a new transmission after 795 miles, I'd be negotiating a buyback. I'd have litle confidence that driving an AMG around stuck in third gear might not have caused other problems, as your "check engine" light may be indicating.

    Too bad the SLK55 doesn't come with a 6-speed manual transmission. Sure beats a 1-speed automatic.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Oh No! Really not happy to read this. A week apart from the SLK55? Not acceptable. Something tells me they should have replaced the tranny the first time.

    M
  • stroudmanstroudman Member Posts: 192
    I still think that tranny has no place in an AMG car...it hasn't been troublesome in any other vehicle, that I know of.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Yeah I was thinking the same thing. A car with AMG-level power really doesn't need 7 gears, 5 does just fine or maybe 6 for all except the V12 Bi-Turbo models. I haven't heard or seen anyone on Edmunds mention anything about an E500, S430, S500, CL500, CLK500 and so far any CLS500s with any problems and they use the same tranny, but with slower shift programming.

    M
  • cflyercflyer Member Posts: 4
    I see I'm not the only one having these problems. I've had the car in three times since the 1k check up for the transmission.

    Lurching and surging are bad in "S" mode. It behaves better in "C" mode, but not consistently. It's been reprogrammed and the valve body has been replaced. The dealer say there was nothing wrong with the components, but I can't believe this is how it's SUPPOSED to work.

    Half of the time it reminds me of when I taught my sister how to drive a manual transmission. The difference is I could get her out of the drivers seat. This transmission has a mind of its own. I'm really disappointed since otherwise I love the car.

    Any suggestions?
  • amgnutamgnut Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for the post - Your the third other person I've read about with tranny problems. I'll let you know if the new tranny in my car fixes the problem.
  • bpraxisbpraxis Member Posts: 292
    Hello everyone and I hope that you are having a great day.

    Automobile Magazine this month has a short note saying that the SLK with be available with a smaller 6 for approximately $5000.00 less than the 350SLK for 2006. The new SLK300 will start at around $42,000.00 with approximately 228 horsepower. This makes a great deal of sense from a marketing perspective.

    Does anyone have more detail on this new model? Specifically the gas milage and specs.

    I test drove the new Vette today and it was a ball but the interior was a real letdown for a $50,000.00 vehicle. But the acceleration was amazing.

    Cheers
  • jcat707jcat707 Member Posts: 169
    I've heard of the smaller engine model but I thought that it was going to be called the SLK280. It has been talked about on this board before I believe.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Yeah actually it will be the SLK280, 228hp 3.0L V6. Why they aren't calling it the SLK300 I'm not sure.

    M
  • mbdmbd Member Posts: 12
    The SLK needs a real red color (i.e. a real, bright sports car red, instead of the ugly, mute Mars Red).
    They need to move the CD changer out of the glove compartment (we need the space).
    The vents on the front hood at least need to be color coded (the black plastic ones are obvious and ugly).
    And why would they eliminate the Sports suspension option? Now you have to order the entire $4,000 AMG package just to get better handling. How tragic! Maybe I'll just get a Boxster.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    I'll take:

    Bright yellow, to help ease the pain of having traded my Spa Yellow S2000 last year. However, I can live with Mercedes silver / grey palatte.

    I agree on the sport suspension. It went from a couple of hundred bucks to being only available in a $4,000 insanely priced cosmetic package.

    But absolutely most of all, a 6-speed short throw manual transmission in the SLK55. This still perplexes me that Mercedes can't seem to get a real manual transmission in its high performance AMG models. Could you imagine not being able to get a 6-speed in a Boxster S?

    Just when Mercedes almost gets the SLK up to being a real sports car, they can't quite get out of the chickmobile mentality. And even my wife continued to drive a stick during pregancy, and following knee surgery. It would be very easy for Mercedes to separate me from $60k+ with the SLK55, but they apparently don't want my money.
  • bunnyliciousbunnylicious Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone ordered the 2006 SLK 280 yet and know anything about the pricing and when it will be available in the U.S.?
  • bunnyliciousbunnylicious Member Posts: 2
    For all you current SLK 350 drivers, which options would you consider a must??? Would you recommend getting the premium package?

    Thanks.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    I agree, Mercedes should at the very least consider a manual for the SLK55, C55 and maybe even the CLK55. I can't see much of a market for a manual in any of the AMG cars, those models are too biased towards luxury for a manual, imo.

    M
  • hgileshgiles Member Posts: 66
    Regarding the sports suspension I completely agree. I came very close to not ordering a 2006 SLK 350 because of the need to get it with a $4000 AMG kit. In the end I sucked it up and ordered it with the kit. :mad: I definitely would have ordered an SLK 55 if it had a manual transmission. I'll just have to enjoying rowing my own gears in the 350.
  • alsalahalsalah Member Posts: 3
    if youre gonna get one, get the 350, its the best deal. too bad the engine sounds like a toyota
  • pfeifferpfeiffer Member Posts: 4
    <<A few questions:

    What was the actual invoice on the car you purchased? Why did you order the Consumer Reports price guide - Edmunds has complete invoice pricing for free at this website?

    According to Mercedes website, it appears that the lighting package is not avialable with the AMG sport package?

    Was your car brand new (i.e. less than 5 miles on odometer) or did it have some test drive miles?

    Thanks. >>

    Answers to your questions:

    Invoice and price paid was $56,354. I ordered the Consumer Reports price guide because Edmunds does not show the dealer holdback. I wanted to know if there was a holdback, and how much it was. Otherwise, you are at a disadvantage when negotiating. (Holdback was $1,365.)

    The lighting package is available with the AMG sport package, only you don't get the lights that aim around the corner. Read the brochure instead of the website; it's clearer.

    The car had 15 miles on it.

    Now to continue my story...

    The dealer couldn't figure out why the engine was consuming so much oil. A team of engineers from Germany was at the dealer that day, and wanted to take my engine back to Germany with them to dissect it and figure out what was wrong. So, they replaced the engine at almost 4,000 miles. When I finally got it back however, the transmission was performing miserably. They have tried to reinstall the software with no luck. It looks like we may be negotiating a buyback soon. Sad.

    pfeiffer
  • pfeifferpfeiffer Member Posts: 4
    Yes, it was definitely not the sensor. The oil level was down to minimum very quickly. They've replaced the engine now at 4000 miles, but I immediately began having serious transmission problems. It has been there all week, and they can't figure out how to fix it. The service rep. is recommending we negotiate a buyback.
  • merc1merc1 Member Posts: 6,081
    Any update?

    M
  • mbdmbd Member Posts: 12
    Have you driven a SLK 350 manual shift? Which one (with or without the sports suspension)? I should like to know if anyone can tell the difference (i.e. is the AMG package worth the 4 grand?) Does the handling really feel better? Has anyone driven both? Thanks.
  • cflyercflyer Member Posts: 4
    After taking the dealer shop transmission specialist for a ride in my car and then driving another identical SLK350, he agreed that there was a problem.

    They took the car in on Tuesday to "play with some values" as per the factory recommendation. Apparently they found that they could not get the trans to work right. They've ordered me a new transmission and I'll hopefully get to try that out by Friday.

    New problems - oil sensor is showing low oil at 4k miles. Steering seems to get heavy and groan near limits like my 1983 Camero did. Oh, and the damn thing seems to surge (but that may have been another symptom of the trans).

    I'm starting to think on invoking the NJ Lemon-Law.

    Stay tuned.
  • kkmiakkmia Member Posts: 1
    I am going to be negotiating order of SLK280 with the options I want I figure it will be around $48,000 to $49,000. I want a 36 month lease. What would be a good money factor or interest rate and projected 3 year residual value? Is there a website that shows actual dealer invoice of what they paid for each car?
    Thanks for any info. Just deciding whether it is worth the savings to go for the 280 . Main reason I decided was because of the problems I read here with the 350. KK
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Welcome to the Forums, kkmia! You might also want to check out the Mercedes Benz SKL: Prices Paid & Buying Experiences Forum to ask what kinds of deals others have gotten. The folks in the Lease Questions: Ask Here Forum might be able to answer your lease questions too. To see/compare invoices, go to Edmunds.com and click on "Prices, Reviews, & Information" for New Cars.

    ClaireS, Host
    Coupes & Convertibles | Vans & Minivans

    MODERATOR

    Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.

    Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review

  • cflyercflyer Member Posts: 4
    :lemon: The dealer alledgedly replaced my 7-speed transmission last week. Now the car is doing the same thing......and other problems. Now it has trouble downshifting at higher speeds. It still shifts harshly when coming to a stop and is almost impossible in the S mode. Either they never changed the transmission out and gave me the flim-flam, the transmission is faulty by design, or I got another bad one (what are the chances).

    The power steering is still making a groan (which the dealer can't seem to detect) and they had to add a quart of oil. I don't even have 5k miles on the car yet.

    Anyone have a suggestion? I've had 5 other MBs and never had any problems, so I don't think it's me.
  • jjmslkjjmslk Member Posts: 3
    Just ordered 280 SLK - August build.
  • blueslk2kblueslk2k Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone converted their SLK230 to the new LED tail and break lights? I would like to know if it is as easy as replacing a light bulb or do you need to know intricate tricks to get this job done?

    Bill
  • traveltravel Member Posts: 2
    get the premium package, comfort, trim, entertainment and sport packages.
  • traveltravel Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone heard of a pressure value problem? Apparently none of the dealers across the country have heard of it..
    I have 5,000 miles on my car and it's been sitting at the dealership since Sunday..
    If they can't fix it, they're going to replace the engine.
    -- oh and the crappy rental car they gave me. I paid for a Mercedes and I'm driving a chevy..
  • trantitranti Member Posts: 51
    Hello!
    I am 54 years old. My net is empty now. I like a SLK 230, year 1998 with 70000 miles. I am worried about maintenance. What kind of maintenance I have to do with a car at that age? Replace Timing belt, water pump, etc...? How much does it cost? Thank you for your answer.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Tranti, click the Maintenance Guide on the Tips & Advice tab at http://edmunds.com to get an idea about maintenance costs for the SLK in your area.

    MODERATOR

    Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.

    Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review

  • greasykid1greasykid1 Member Posts: 336
    My wife recently came to a stop & when she tried to start up the trans had was no longer in gear.She jigled the shift lever & trans returned to normal.

    Anyone experienced this? Suggestions? Took to dealer but no codes.
  • spokesspokes Member Posts: 14
    After driving many different convertible models by various badges, my wife fell in "lust" with the SLK 350 which was delivered the prior day to the local MB dealer. After paying full MSRP, it was in our garage. Since this is our first Mercedes, we weren't (still are not) sure what to expect. The next morning, she fired it up to go to work and a "FAULTY ESP" message appeared (96 miles on the odometer). Off to the shop where the dealer had to pull the steering wheel and air bag to replace the steering angle sensor. This does not instill a strong feeling of confidence for me; however, my wife still loves her new car. I've never had a significant failure on a vehicle within 24 hours of driving it off the lot. I'm hoping this was an anomaly and not a sign of things to come! I'll be watching all the postings carefully. Thanks for all the useful information.
  • amgnutamgnut Member Posts: 16
    On 5/18 with 1838 miles my tranny was replaced. Within 5 minutes of leaving the dealer I received an "SRS" warning light. I turned around and went back to the dealer. They pulled the steering wheel and replaced a sensor, I was on the road again in an hour. I believe they already knew of the problem, possibly a TSA, the parts were in stock and the tech knew exactly what needed to be done.

    Well - 2 months have gone by and 1800 more miles. No troubles. Tranny has been problem free. Having a tranny replaced with less than 2000 miles is hard to take, I've never had this severe of problem with a new vehicle.

    If I understand CA lemon law, the third strike would have to be on the same part. So I'm 2 for 3 on the tranny - beside's the problem seems to be fixed. My other troubles have been slight, and fixed rather quickly.

    Bottom line - I still love my car. Even after me troubles, I walk by the car in my garage and say " I can't believe that's my car!"

    As a footnote - I do notice a slight groan from the power steering at idle as noted from another post. At this point its only a slight irritation and not causing any real trouble.
  • habitat1habitat1 Member Posts: 4,282
    Ouch - that is lust - full MSRP for an SLK350! If the dealer can't easily fix your problem, try to get your money back. At the very least you should be able to get 5-7% off MSRP with about 30 minutes of research and negotiation. Not enough to buy a vacation home, but perhaps a decent vacation.
  • dgm4488dgm4488 Member Posts: 8
    Would be very interested to know (and it may be way too early for this determination) if the 2006 models (both 350 and 55) have remedied the problems mentioned here, e.g. trans., and warning lights. I'm thinking about getting this model but am concerned about the reliability factor. As a follow up, wondering too how successful MB dealers were in making Germany aware of these rather glaring problems (and that may only be revealed as the 2006's are on the street for a while).
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