Mercedes-Benz SLK: Impractical, But Loads and Loads of Fun
By Ben Miller
Contributing Editor
HIGHWAY 6, COLORADO - How can anything so impractical be
so much fun?
That's the big question when you get behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz
SLK. The fun starts with the decision to take advantage of the
recent mild weather. You push a button in the center console of
the SLK and the hardtop magically retracts and ends up in the
trunk of the car. The whole process takes less than 30 seconds,
and transforms the SLK from a sturdy hardtop into a fun-loving
convertible.
If you've ever driven to the casinos in Central City and Blackhawk,
Colo., you've probably endured the trek from Golden to Central
City on Highway 6 along Clear Creek. With the top down on the
SLK, the 30-minute drive on a clear day becomes one to be truly
savored.
The SLK eats up the twisty, curvy highway in a hurry, with the fun
ending only when you catch up with a smelly bus or Winnebago heading
to the casinos. And if you like attention, you'll love driving the SLK with the
top down. Kids on their way to school will stop and stare; construction
workers slowing you down will give you the thumbs up signal. You
will certainly turn some heads when you're behind the wheel of
an SLK and that's the way it's been since Mercedes-Benz introduced
the SLK in 1997.
Underneath the hood of the SLK is a 185-horsepower, 2.3-liter
supercharged four-cylinder engine. Mercedes-Benz calls the engine
the Kompressor, and the supercharger doesn't have the annoying
turbo "lag" associated with some turbocharged engines.
Gas mileage is rated at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 30
mpg on the highway with the standard manual five-speed transmission;
if you're a sports car purist, you're not even thinking about
getting the available automatic.
Purists will love the SLK's interior. Gauges are highlighted with
traces of aluminum and chrome, just like sports cars from the
'20s and '30s.
It's not all just fun in the SLK. The driver and passenger are
surrounded by both front and side air bags. Traction control is
standard on the car, as is a "brake assist" system that
automatically determines a panic braking situation, and applies
full braking power faster than a human being could accomplish.
There are only a couple options you can order for the car, including
an automatic transmission (NO!), metallic paint, CD/telephone
and a sport package. The pricey ($3,990) sport package includes
a snazzier exterior and larger (17-inch, compared with 16-inch)
wheels. Also, the rear tires with the sport package are larger
and have a lower profile than the front tires.
Other than the price, there's a little bit more bad news. If you're
taller than 6 feet, you're going to have a bit of trouble fitting
in the SLK and you'll really appreciate sunny days, because you're
really going to want to have the top down for the head room. The
next bit of bad news is that with the top down, there is virtually
no trunk room, because that's where the hard top goes to hide.
Maybe a bag or two of groceries will fit under the top in the
trunk, that's all.
The base price of the test SLK was $40,000. Added were the sport
package, trunk-mounted CD changer ($865 - but you can't load any
compact discs into the changer when the top is down - the top
gets in the way), and heated front seats ($595), bringing the
total, with destination and delivery charge, to $46,045.
Practical? No way. But fun? The Mercedes-Benz SLK230 Kompressor
is unbelievable amounts of fun for those who can afford it.
