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Mercedes SLK 280 Review

Click on the image to see a larger version

I used to think that it didn’t matter what a car looked like so long as it got you to where you wanted to go reasonably efficiently. Then, in the grip of some sort of mid - life crisis, I bought a sports car – an old one it has to be said but even so, I can appreciate its looks, its performance and the brief attention it receives particularly with the roof down.  I thought my little sports car was the bee’s knees….until that is, I took a test drive in a Mercedes SLK.  It was so beautiful!

I won’t dwell on the technicalities  – details as to specification, speed etc. have all been done elsewhere – it’s a Mercedes – we all know the standards we expect and always get from them. But this is a truly beautiful car – sleek, comfortable and guaranteed to turn heads. It’s a luxury sports car and it certainly feels like one.The glove box and boot are not huge but compared to many, they’re more than ample – as someone recently said to me– if you wanted lots of space for shifting things you’d buy a van.

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That isn’t to say that this is not only a truly great sports car, but also a hugely practical one that is equally a delight to drive in traffic and around town as it is powering around the country lanes and along the motorway. For a car that has a 0 to 60 speed of 6.2 seconds and a factory limited top speed of 155 mph you might imagine that it would be a bit of a handful in stop start traffic but this certainly isn’t the case. Combined with the 7 speed (yes 7 speed!!) automatic gearbox especially if set in the comfort mode (as opposed to the sport mode) the SLK is as easy to drive around town as any medium powered family hatchback for instance. Far easier in fact as, while it is nice and docile when you want it, it also has all that readily available smooth power on tap should you want it for junctions and roundabouts and so on. It is a car that is a bit daunting when you first get in it as you are aware of its powerful performance and clearly its stunning looks but after the first few tentative minutes it makes you feel perfectly at home and at ease and wanting to explore just what it is capable of – and it is capable of an awful lot! I am sure that it would more than satisfy the demanding “sporty” driver, but it is also a very safe yet thrilling drive for the more ordinary amongst us.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO GO TO A PHOTO GALLERY OF THE SLK

It puts the fun back into driving even on todays roads and we found ourselves looking for excuses to take the car out even to places that are normally a less than pleasurable experience. Unfortunately I have to confess that posing in the SLK (especially with the roof down) did play some small part in the enjoyment. It really is such a beautiful car to look at from every single angle, truly a piece of automotive sculpture, and one that got admiring looks everywhere we went in it. Other drivers were unusually polite at junctions, stopping to let us out in places you normally get stuck at in a more ordinary car, presumably as the SLK is just so eye catching.

The electric metal roof deserves particular mention. In a mere 22 seconds it transforms the car from a stunning sports car to an equally stunning full convertible with the roof and rear windows neatly folded and stowed into the top of the boot area, all at the simple touch of a button. Now take it from me this really is excellent for posing but quite apart from that it is just so easy that even on the shortest journey you can take full advantage of the SLK’s open top delights.

Click on the image to see a larger version

Click on the image to see a larger version

The SLK also bristles with all the latest gadgets and technology to get you where you are going in the best possible comfort and safety. The car we were testing had several non standard options fitted as extras but the standard level of equipment is already high. Unlike some cars and gadgets, once you used the different bits of kit a couple of times they all proved very easy and intuitive to use which again just added to the enjoyment and fun experience. It was even quite economical for petrol given the type of car and performance, returning consumption in the high 20’s mpg from mostly around town and the odd bit of harsh acceleration and high speeds. I’ve had family hatchbacks do no better and I am sure that on a longish journey a much higher mpg would be easily achievable especially given the 7 speed gearbox. It would also be very comfortable and a nice place to be for such journeys.

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All in all a sensational looking car with performance to match its looks in a highly usable, practical and hugely enjoyable package. It most certainly achieves all that it sets out to and it does it in great style.

One final thing. I am sure that all Mercedes dealers are of a very high standard, but Mercedes of Birmingham at Lawley Middleway, that supplied the test vehicle do deserve a special mention. Apart from the fact that they were very pleasant and helpful towards us, their dealership and its facilities are second to none with a huge selection of both new and used Mercedes to look at. The couple of photos that we took to illustrate this don’t do the place justice – much better to pay them a visit if you are interested in any of the Mercedes range.