Mercedes-Benz SLK (2004 – 2011) Review

Mercedes-Benz SLK (2004 – 2011) At A Glance

4/5

+Georgeous jewel like looks reminiscent of a miniature McLaren SLR. Electric folding hard top. A much desired and aspired to car.

-Apalling ride on 19-inch rear alloys. Not as together to drive as a Nissan 350Z or Porsche Boxster.

Insurance Groups are between 40–47
On average it achieves 94% of the official MPG figure

In its day, the SLK was probably the most exquisite piece of street jewellery you can buy. It's a ‘must have' ‘want one' kind of car on its looks alone. A bit girly, if you had to get critical, but Clarkson smoked an SLK55 so it must be okay for blokes too.

It has all the bits of the original SLK, most importantly the electric folding hardtop. But it looks vastly better. A bit like a shrunken Mercedes McClaren SLR with better proportions. Come to think of it, personal preferences aside, there probably isn't a better-looking car than the new SLK anywhere on the planet.

Mercedes Benz SLK280 2006 Road Test

Mercedes Benz SLK350 facelift 2008 Road Test

Real MPG average for a Mercedes-Benz SLK (2004 – 2011)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

94%

Real MPG

18–38 mpg

MPGs submitted

232

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

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Ask Honest John

What do Tiptronic and Kompressor mean?

"I've been doing lots of research on Mercedes before I buy. What's Tiptronic and Kompressor mean? Currently investigating private sale, sounds good. 1.8 SLK Tiptronic 2008 £8995. Only 21500 miles 2 owners, fsh. Any advice as I've leased Audis for last 16 yrs. Think I'd barter as buying from garage gets you warranty and sometimes RAC cover. Any hints and tips?"
Tiptronic is a type of automatic gearbox fitted to a variety of cars that operates just as a conventional automatic, but also offers the facility to shift manually using the gearlever or paddles, where fitted. 'Kompressor' was applied to some Mercedes-Benz vehicles to indicate that the engine was supercharged. Although less common on new vehicles, this was a way of producing extra power from a smaller engine, in a similar way that many manufacturers today use small turbocharged engines. You can read in more detail about the Mercedes-Benz SLK in our used review here: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/mercedes-benz/slk/2004/ When negotiating with a dealership, we would always advise doing your homework in terms of vehicle valuation, have a budget and stick to it, and always be prepared to walk away if you don't think you're getting a good deal.
Answered by David Ross

How is water getting into my Mercedes-Benz SLK?

"I have a 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLK 200, which I bought last year for some much-needed fun after the first pandemic lockdown. Recently, I have noticed a large amount of water in the boot (spare wheel well) with the carpets soaking wet. After some head-scratching, I could only put it down to the high-pressure hose used by a car wash attendant in a supermarket car park a few days before. However, for some weeks now it has been in the garage and not been out in bad weather or been washed. On checking the boot prior to releasing it from the garage for the warm weather I found the spare wheel covered in droplets of water. My only explanation could be severe condensation. Is this likely or a known issue?"
Unlikely to be condensation, most likely a leak somewhere. The easiest way to find the source is to dry the boot out and then use a watering can or hose to pour water over the rear of the car (when the boot is shut) to find the ingress point. Check the two drains that lead from the lower edge of the rear windscreen to drains inside the boot (one on each side). If the rubber has perished or developed a hole then this may be the cause.
Answered by Dan Powell

The subframe of my car is cracking from corrosion. Does the manufacturer have any responsibility?

"I've owned a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK from 2006. It's done 100k miles and is generally reliable. However, it needed the brake pipes replaced due to corrosion and, while doing this, the garage discovered cracking in the subframe from corrosion. They say it needs replacing as it's dangerous. No issues with previous MOTs. Never had this on any car before. Mercedes refuses to help out, saying the car is too old and not maintained in the dealer network. It seems like a problem on this model from the owners' forums. Does Mercedes have any responsibility?"
I'm sorry to read about the problems you're experiencing with your SLK, but Mercedes-Benz has no legal responsibility for a 15-year-old car (the statute of limitations ends at six years in England).
Answered by Dan Powell

Should I buy a Mercedes-Benz SLK or a Mazda MX-5?

"I'm looking to buy either a Mercedes-Benz SLK or a Mazda MX-5. My budget is £2500. What are the pros and cons of both, please?"
Pros and cons of the MX-5: https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/mazda/mx-5-mk2-nb/buying/ And the SLK: https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/mercedes-benz/slk-r170/buying/ We'd recommend the Mazda. They're mechanically simpler and are very cheap/easy to maintain. There's also an excellent support network and more on the market – so you can be picky about condition. Watch out for rust, though. As an alternative, look at the excellent Toyota MR2.
Answered by Andrew Brady
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