By Steven D. Gatt, Automotive Editor
It is wonderful to bear witness to the resurrection of the roadster in America. It all began with the Mazda Miata. Today, Porsche offers the Boxster, BMW has the South Carolina-built Z3, even Plymouth has the outrageous Prowler and evaluated here is the Mercedes-Benz of roadsters, the SLK 230 Kompressor.
The interior is fairly simple with no frills: no wood can be found
inside the SLK, just a carbon fiber appliqué. The leather
seats are manually adjustable, the cupholders are actually flimsy
and the tilt/telescoping steering wheel is manual as well. The
rest of the rather small interior is well appointed with dual
zone climate controls, integrated garage door opener, and a wind
deflector to quiet turbulence during top-down cruising. This is
a technological leap for a two seater. It has quad airbags to
protect from frontal and side impact, yet you can use a specific
Mercedes-Benz rear facing child safety seat. The car recognizes
the child safety seat and automatically deactivates the airbags.
The convertible top is also a technological marvel. While the
top is up you'd never realize it is a convertible; with the top
stored neatly into the trunk you'd never believe it is so solid
with the top up. With the push of one button the windows automatically
go down then the trunk tips open backwards, the top then releases
from the windshield, folds in 2 pieces and disappears into the
trunk in a 25 second ballet. And this car does a graceful dance;
it is one of the most balanced tossable car I've driven.
It isn't all that fast but it is surprisingly agile. Hampering the performance ability of the SLK is the automatic transmission with which it has been relegated. Oddly enough the European version of this car can be had with a manual transmission, but not the US spec. The supercharged 4-cylinder engine produces 185hp, which is good power, yet I think this car could use more. If you're wondering about the name 'Kompressor,' it means supercharged in German. At idle the SLK makes a funny puttering exhaust sound but up around 70mph it sounded much better and less like a 4-cylinder.
The exterior is a beautifully sculpted car. The styling borrows
from Mercedes-Benz' of the past, especially the hood bulges. These
bulges make the front end very visible. The only flaw in the styling
may possibly be the small rear end. This small rear not only looks
a bit odd but creates a trunk space problem. The trunk with the
top up can hold a fair amount of luggage, with the top down luggage
space is extremely limited; enough space for a couple of small
duffels.
The base price for the SLK is $39,700, a reasonable price for what you get. Options on the evaluated car include: heated seats; $595, and CD player and phone; $1,495. The total price-as-tested came to $42,385 including $595 destination. I spoke with the Ann Arbor, MI Mercedes-Benz dealership who informed me that there is a three-year waiting list for the SLK. Mileage ratings for the SLK are 22 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. After hundreds of miles of driving we averaged a modest 26 mpg.
It is the absolute best of both worlds. It is a convertible. It is a hard top. It isn't practical but that in-and-of-itself is reason to love it. The Mercedes-Benz SLK is one of the best cars in the world. Think about it, pack enough clothes for a weekend trip, head to your favorite spot in the country and just simply enjoy the good life, and with the Mercedes-Benz SLK it is a very good life.