The name might be rather unimaginative but, on the surface at least, it certainly seems to be accurate. Naturally, Mercedes also wanted a slice of the pie and the R170 SLK, or ‘ Sportlich Leicht Kurz’ – Sporty Lightweight Short, to you and me – was what they came up with. Models like the Mazda MX-5, MGF and BMW Z3 all performed well on showroom forecourts far better than their modern-day counterparts do. Once upon a time, small convertible sports cars were the rising niche in the automotive market. View model report on this vehicle.The Mercedes SLK was part of a mid-90s flurry of convertible sports cars but has a very different personality to most of its peers But, heck, if you've got the money, why not buyan SLK 230? Life is short. In fact, for the price of an SLK 230, youcould buy two Miatas.and have nearly $2,000 left over to pay your annualdues at the country club. It's absolutely the coolest convertible top that we've ever seen!Because it's a hardtop, the SLK 230 will also be very secure in the off-season. The SLK 230 has a foldable hard top that automatically lowers the windows,folds up, opens the trunk, puts itself into the trunk, and clamps itselfdown. One cute addition? The SLK has a button that, when pressed, washes the headlights. Thankfully, theSLK 230 does not have the annoying cruise-control design of some of the other '99 Mercedes, in which the cruise stalk is located in a place where it was likely to be hit accidentally. The fan and ventilation switches are excellent, with "0" to "5"settings and additional increments between the numbers. The controls are all good, though we found the radio to be slightlyByzantine. The gauge packages in the SLK 230 are thoughtfully laid out and easy toread. As a result, rear visibility is not too bad. The rear window is glass-a big step up from the typical sheet of plastic found in the rear window of most convertibles. There is, however, a commodious trunk for a car of this size (at least when the top is up-when its down, that trunk space virtually disappears). But styling is obviously a big factor here. By adding another inch of height and allowing a little more seat travel, Mercedes could make the SLK230 a whole lot more comfortable. There's not quite enough up-and-down seat travel, plus the roof is a little low, due to the styling and shape of the car. We found it a little difficult to get completely comfortable in this car. Thanks, guys.) But, hey, if you're spending $42,000 for a Mercedesconvertible, chances are pretty good you'll be driving something elseduring the cold months. (Mercedes was thoughtful enough tomake sure we had an opportunity to test-drive this convertible in thewinter. Even with traction control, we found that the SLK 230's rear-wheel drive made it difficult to get out of snow-covered parking places. Definitely thumbs up on the driving experience!ĭon't expect the SLK 230 to be stellar in the snow. It doesnt have the heavy feel of most Mercedes models. It drives like a really-well-put-together sports car. The SLK shifts really well and is quite powerful. We liked that, though, if for no other reason than it wassomething a little different. The shifting is a little unusual, with reverse located down and to the left ofsecond gear. We were pleasantly surprised to see that this car comes with a manualtransmission-the first manual transmission Mercedes we've ever driven. Of course, it's several steps up in quality in just about every respect-which had better be the case if you're going to be shelling out an additional $22,000. The SLK 230 is a fun-to-drive, sporty convertible that's about the same size as a Miata. If Mercedes set out to build its own Mazda Miata, this is what they'd end up with.
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