unless he says they're not good. everyone hated on the RCF so the market was flooded with used models for cheap. picked up a 2015 back in 2020 for 30k, now they're worth about 10 grand more for low mileage ones. thanks doug lol
Fake stitching in plastic probably were never that common in North America than Europe. I think people do tend to forget that Doug lives in USA and people in USA never seen stuff that we see in Europe.
"The dude had it like straight piped because there are no rules in South Carolina, and I drove it around, and it was way too loud, and I just loved it."
I had a 370Z in Los Angeles with long-tube headers. None of the cops cared that I had no catalytic convertor, a car that smelled like raw gasoline and a decibel level greater than a Harley. All you have to do is find someone's cousin who will give you a pass on your smog check for a $100 tip and you're golden.
some quirks and features for Doug: - it's possible to control these quarter-windows. You need to double press down roof button, like you want to put it down, but don't hold it. All windows will go down, even quarter-windows. Then you can rise up windows with window contol buttons and only quarter-windows will be left down. -central console storage area is a locking storage, so you need to repair it if you want to store something valuable with roof down.
Also- the “vents that do nothing” actually do! Move the center vent dials to the mid position and the “ears” will produce air! Can’t believe Doug missed these quirks and features!!
I have this exact car. Same year same everything. Mine’s black/black. I have absolutely loved this car. Only mod is I took out the diffuser and put in an x-pipe for a more throaty sound. Never once had an issue with it. The transmission is a 7 speed and does take some time between shifts but it’s not bad. Great car.
@@TheFalseShepphard ya that is is arguable ... performance wise ...its 100 percent better , reliability ..this car doesn't have much problems ..so stfu hondas are lame as shit and kinda just piles of shit
I'm in the UK. Bought one of these for my 60th birthday nearly four years ago. I've had an enormous amount of cars, mostly sports and coupe. This is the best I've ever owned. It's lightning quick, comfortable and reliable. Not only that but it's now worth a lot more than when I bought it. What's not to like?
It's my car! I knew the day would finally come, but Doug finally reviewed the car that I drive! I got it a few months ago and it's been a blast so far.
@@DaCheezerz I've had it for over a year now, and it's been pretty reliable. No problems with the top (biggest concern), probably been about 1-2k in maintenance costs in just over a year I'd say. It's such a fun car and sounds incredible.
Doug you've made my day! Owned one for a few years, they're so underated yet so rare. Such a fun ownership experience, people always react positively to the car as you just don't see them on the road especially in the UK.
Nobody is gonna say anything about Doug reviewing the interior while he’s holding the center console storage open with his shoulder? even after he reviews the center console storage it’s still open and resting on his shoulder. Lol
@@all-caps3927 true, but i would MUCH rather a car fall apart and break down from use over a car just sit there in perfect condition never getting driven.
I owned a 2008 SLK200 R171. it was one of the best cars I've ever driven. good on fuel, fun to drive, cold AC, best xenon lights so far, boot of a decent size for all luggage for a 2 weeks vacation, I even mounted ski carriers on it. SLK R171 is really that good!
Hey, the glovebox and armrest storage ARE lockable. They lock with the car. And you actually can controll the little triangle windows when the top is up - double tap on the roof button will close or open all windows - including the triangles.
@@donmic7620 when I was looking for one I've seen some examples listed for sale ale most of the owners had no idea about half the car's features 😂 i was blowing their minds just by having read the manual beforehand 🤦🏼♂️
@@MrTypowy1 I finally bought 350 version about like 6 months ago and let me tell you, that kind gentleman that was selling this car, he had NO idea. Since R171 is sort of dream car for me, he was shocked about what that car can do 😂 Had no idea about triangle windows, no idea where hydraulic pump was, where was your "emergency roof valve", hidden storage in trunk, he even had no idea about that multi-link suspension, he didnt even know about DVD player... How, literally how... 🤣Somehow there is a lot of car "enthusiasts" that have no clue about what their car is capable of.
@@donmic7620 Haha, We bought an SLK200k 1.8 Supercharged 2009 model about 2 weeks ago. Were still figuring out new quirks with it! But yeah i was also coming to say the same thing about the windows.
Doug is blessed. This is a man who loves his job so very much. It is a treat to see him laughing and so animated when he is telling us about the quirks and features of the cars he is reviewing. Stay blessed Doug and thumbs up to a man who is truly living the dream.
Someone that lives locally to me has a silver one that has seemingly been in his/her driveway for years. Every single time I drive by, without fail, I say “That’s an AMG? That’s an underrated car!” Every. Time. Glad you do it too Doug 😀
I have a SLK350 with 240.000km that I currently rebuild. Love it. A 3.5L V6 is also a huge engine for such a small car, torque and power is also more than satisfying - It also got an original AMG exhaust system, and the V6 sounds awesome with it. Love those cars - just fun little roadsters
There is basically no difference whatsoever. What is "secure and cozy" about a thin sheet of metal vs. multi-layer fabric? Which do we wear in the winter to keep warm, metal or fabric? Metal-roofed cabrios are totally overweight, and the cabrio feeling is gone as they have to design the windscreen to stretch so far back over the driver's head and the rear has to be designed really high. Then there's no luggage space.
"Not a Boxster v8 ". Yes, and also not an IMS. For those who may wonder, I do have one, and to my mind they are an homage to the model SL500 (R107)from the late 70s. When I bought mine I had considered getting an S 500, but with the AMG model I got all the power without the dreaded ABC system and all the other things that can go wrong with it. It is a delightful car, and has the best sounding pipes this side of the Jaguar F type.
You should drive it to appreciate these wonderful cars, handling and agility is amazing,it is one of the most underrated cars ever, drive it to believe all Doug’s words.
You couldn't be more wrong...well, ok, FWD cars are worse. But Mercedes managed to make a pretty horrible car out of such a great idea, it's quite an achievement to screw up a small RWD roadster... Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive. About the performance: Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing! They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!!
@@markladenheim5352 extremely reliable from my experience. The gearbox is a little slow which is a shame. That's the only thing that stopped real drivers from queuing up to buy it but it's still so much fun to drive and made much better if it has paddle-shifts fitted
For the record (per my dad who used to work at MBoA) the American market "had to have" the cup holder. The German engineers were asked to redesign the interior with a cup holder and this was their solution which was a pretty clear FU to the cup holder crowd.
Been daily driving my '09 SLK55 for 13+ years, with a smile for every mile (all 133k of them)! The "facelifted" '09-'10 55s cured some of the niggling problems you identify in your review. Good review, thanks!
@@zalansz9450 I agree. Since Timestamps were added, I've asked @Doug DeMuro to add them. He of course, ignores it, thinking he knows what we want/need...
The "ear vents" next to the infotainment have are functional. You have to reduce the airflow of the upper vents and the "ear vents" are getting some air.
Amazing under-rated high performance cars like this shows how most of car buying public don't really know their cars - they always wanna get the popular BMW or Porsche, when something like this has a unique factor through the roof, would blow the doors off of their little sports car while sounding amazing and with no engine lag to speak of.
@@itslucienEven in US? Because I really think that american cars are better than brazilian ones. To prove that, search for the brazilian version of the Golf and Jetta and compare them,, you'll see what I mean.
I bought mine new in 2007 and still drive it everyday!! Never been tempted or interested in selling it!! It's really beautiful to drive!! and reliable!! From city driving or cross country drives!!
Its a monster indeed. Doug reviewed one a few years ago( an sl65 amg black series with 640 hp) crazy torque and speed, truly dangerous if you dont know what you're doing
@@jaya1000 2 metric tons = 2000kg = 2.2 NA Miatas = 0.98 of a (FWD) new Chrysler Pacifica = 133,330 empty Pepsi cans = 0.05 of average American house. How is that light?
Actually Doug, double tap the roof button to control the rear window function. AND double center console storage under that broken lid. More storage in the spare tire well too. By the way, green air intake filters, remove two of the four cats, with an x pipe you get close to 400 horsepower. 0-60 in 3.9
I've had a 55 AMG for year and it's a great daily. Very comfortable and capable. I love it. A few things: - You can control the small quarter windows using the roof switch. If you push the switch back twice quickly all windows will go down regardless of the roof position. You should read the manual ;) - The CD/DVD changer is in the trunk of my European SLK 55 AMG so there's room in the glovebox for... gloves. - You absolutely want paddle-shifts if you're going to buy this car. They are a rare option but can be fitted aftermarket if they weren't spec'd. They're actually the same paddles as the Mercedes SLS. It's just not a driver's car without being able to shift quickly on twisty roads. - Make sure the brake discs aren't too worn or have been replaced. The rear discs are about $800+ each but they last a long time. - You can fit an X-pipe exhaust which is probably illegal in the US but it sounds incredible. - You can fit a factory SL 500 supercharger to this engine, among other upgrades, which can produce 600+bhp and is good for 200+mph. There's a video of this from Germany on UA-cam.
Great video as always! Two things to mention. Glovebox does lock, it automatically locks when you lock the car. The center of the hood is shaped to mimic F1 car on both SLR and SLK models.
I bought an SLK 55 AMG this year and it has been my summer daily driver. I'm not looking forward to going back to my e92 BMW winter beater :D. I really love this car. It's faster than most cars in my city yet people have no idea what they are looking at. And I love that. I've certainly dusted enough dudes who probably laughed at me at first and then left them with emotional scarring and a feel of inadequacy. It's 0-60 in 4.3, most cars aren't that fast. Pretty much the only cars that are faster are brand new cars that are well over $100,000. So in my second owner, low miles, 15 year old, v8 I feel great! Most convertibles look like crap with the top up. I'd argue that this car actually looks better as a coupe! What I dislike about this car is that there's too much weight ahead of the front axel, and when the top is down all that weight is behind the rear axel. However I do like that with the top up or down I get a slightly different driving characteristic, which means I get to enjoy the car in two ways. Air scarf is awesome. I can drive the car when it's quite cold out. I just crank up the heat, turn on the seats and the scarf. If it's very cold I can just put the windows up and it's like I'm not even exposed to the elements. Practicality wise. I can fit my bag of golf clubs with the top down. I even went camping with my girlfriend. We packed a tent, sleeping bags, air mattresses, clothes, tarps, an axe, everything else you need for camping, yet I could still get the top down!
p.s. I just left home depot with 75 feet of drainage tube and a case of beer in the trunk. I can still get the top down. I think a 2 on practicality is harsh considering how truly impractical some of the cars he's reviewed are!
Also, it’s the only 55 AMG car that ever got the more modern 7 speed 7G tronic gearbox and not the old and lumpy 5 speed that every other AMG of this era got. Basically the R171 slk 55 had the best of both world : the bulletproof m113 5.4 V8 and the better 7 speed gearbox that was going to be featured in the early 6.3 cars. It also featured a conventional suspension, unlike the complicated and unreliable system the SL and CL had, and a conventional brake system as well. The R107 SLK55 really featured the best of every Mercedes parts at the time.
I understand that the idea of those cars seems cool, based mostly on the badge and looks, if you have no idea of the tech and if you are not a person interested in the driving experience whatsoever...or performance. Reality is very different, when you know what they're like under the skin and how poorly they perform, and how un-fun they are to drive. Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive.
The SLK 55AMG's gearbox is really bad, is no fun at all. It's still slow, ponderous and clunky. And the engine goes to waste with such a poor chassis and layout, as well as the overweight metal-roof-cabrio configuration. About the performance: Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing! They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!!
My step-dad had this generation SLK 350 and I always mocked how my dad's 350Z had more power but he taught me that because the car was much lighter that it was able to not only be faster, but handle much better. Also whenever I got picked up in Middle School in that thing all of my classmates thought I was rich lol, so the cool factor among teenagers is definitely higher than a 5.
The SLK much lighter? What? Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive. About the performance: Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing! They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!! Of course the SLK 350 was WAAAYYYY slower than the Z4 3.0si and even the 2.5 versions Sport Auto had tested earlier (but on a different day). Sorry, but performance-wise the SLK was not good.
I own one of these. I've got an aftermarket screen and Doug was right about the condensation from the cup holders. The touchscreen doesn't work anymore but still displays. Also, the center console and glove box do lock with the car when the roof is down. At least on mine they do. This car is missing the cover for the center storage area but it does lock if you have it
@@kindnessisalie5411 bought mine 4 months ago with 72k miles, I'm getting close to 100,000 now. Three trips across the country and countless late night drives with the top down. Super fun car. I'll never get rid of it either
@@TheFalseShepphard But neither was the CLK DTM sold in North America, which Doug was still able to obtain and review. So my request is still plausible.
The 2012 SLK55 (3rd gen) had a different motor; it had the N/A version of the M157 V8TT, designated as the M152. The 2nd-gen SLK in the review is powered by the M113, which is the same as the motor found in the C55, or N/A version of the M113K.
Hey, Doug, I've always loved the sound of the engine starting when hearing what it sounds like. Can you shoot a clip of the exhaust on engine tick-over to idle to rev, instead of already idling? It gives me an idea of how loud the exhaust note is compared to the loudness of the starter motor. Thanks!!👍🏾
the air scarf is absolutely fantastic, huge for enjoying a convertible even in the winter. The cargo lid is also a fantastic design so you could use the whole space with roof up, and it prevents anything from being crushed.
Omg I have one of these!! Well the 350 anyway, not the 55. I don’t know anyone whose centre console lid isn’t somehow broken lol, also when the central locking is locked then the glove box does in fact lock. Not that you can really fit anything in there as you pointed out. ALSO you can control the “back” windows. A lot of slk owners don’t know this but if you “double tap” the roof switch down then the little triangle windows will open. I do this sometimes to get that “pillar-less” driving feel but always forget to do them back up!!
350 owner here too - the thinking person's choice (85% of the power, 50% of the price and maintenance costs). Smart top is the best money you can spend on your slk if you don't have it.
Owner feedback: 1) Love it that you've featured the NA "Slick" 55. 2) Yep, NA V8 hand-built reliability 3) F1 Safety (Pace) Car for two years - I originally coveted it in Indy "What the heck is that little Benz rocket?" 4) Two sets of golf clubs top up, geez, only one with top down 5) drink holders are perfect, SCARF is awesome 6) My gentleman's German Viper. I'm a Bimmer lover and started looking for a Z3 or 4 M - landed on a much more enjoyable SLK55. Thanks, Doug!
@@LawrenceMarkFearon Missed this earlier, sir. No problems for me. Not a lot of condensation with bottles - mostly bottled water and my gal's iced tea. It sticks out perfect distance - well away from lower controls. Keep a lid on those drinks, of course!
That was an American thing. Most of the world didn't have that, which is why it was always something unique and special to see a V8 in europe f.e. V8s were always made for luxurious rides, or for performance. Which is what we will always associate with a V8. In america you even had V8s pushing around 150-200hp, which was kind of useless.
Having owned a Boxster S and selling it for a SLK55 AMG the Porsche obviously clobbers the SLK in handling but no doubt the SLK has the power and would beat a Boxster any day all things being equal. It's the reason why I've stayed with this car. To me it's a worth while trade off. I also see the value raising more with them especially sense there so few of the AMGs out there only a few hundred for my year.
Spot on Doug. I owned one new from 2007-2010 (and I chose it over a Cayman as I was moving from MN to AZ and top-down capabilities won out) The low end torque of the NA V8 made short work of some very wide rear tires. And you are right, the air scarf was brilliant - any haters have never driven with the feature.
@@pistonburner6448you are hell bent on talking poorly about this car. did you get beat by one of these in a lame BMW? it also has many great attributes. M113 , one of the most reliable mercedes engines ever. handles amazing. perfect visibility. still keeps up with modern sports cars on the freeway. appearance aged great for how old it is. looks like a mini slr. i could go on and on about how well it performs in canyons.
I own one of these, 2006 and my engine was built by mirko wald (same guy who worked on the SLR engine apparently) and it really is an interesting underrated car, so cool to see doug review one
If MB did manual transmissions on AMG versions, the SLK55 would be the perfect car...I've had multiple SLK350s with the 6MT and the fun+style+value cannot be beaten for a weekend car. Nothing comes close.
No dude, it really does suck. My first gen SLK has them too and I always have to keep paper towels in the car to line the cupholder so condensation doesn't drip on my stereo.
Finally!!!! Sad it wasn't mine but good to see it featured! I love this car. I have the 09 facelifted version and it has been nothing short of stellar, and so responsive to mods. Everything I didn't like about it was fixed by the aftermarket. As an aside, I'd like to see how that console lid got ripped out. Those things are in there pretty good.
The bigger question is: "How the hell did they manage to make their AMG special version with a huge 5.4 liter V8 slower on track than the non-M Z4 3.0si??"
In 2010 I was in my E46 M3 on the Grand Central Parkway in NYC. Doing 70 mph minding my business and one of these pulled up next to me. I didn’t know what it was, but we went at it. He floored it, that motor came alive, and he took off and I’ve wanted one ever since. Stock for stock he was much faster than my M3.
I'd like to know how it is that the other car-reviewing magazines and shows need special tracks, professional drivers and days of testing to evaluate handling and performance but Doug can ascertain it with a 15 minute spin on the freeway
@@Jaqen-HGhar I mean I'm being a little cheeky in my question, but I do sometimes wonder like how Doug can tell how well a car handles going around town. Maybe it's more "how sporty it feels driving around town and taking an on-ramp turn fast", which I guess is what we really care about anyway.
@@MattWalshs I think it’s easier to compare cars he’s driven then it is to describe the car on its own without referencing other cars (which he does a lot)
Mercedes managed to make a pretty horrible car out of such a great idea, it's quite an achievement to screw up a small RWD roadster... Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive. About the performance: Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing! They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!!
SLK (not AMG) owner here, lets get some stuff right + some facts, if you're interested: About the blank switches in the U-Shape: Roofbutton - left side would be a button for the indoor observation of the alarm (optional, just doesn't have it) and center of the mirror button would be for power folding mirrors (also doesn't have them, so much to "great options" ;) ) About the cupholders: Actually kinda genius, no condensation dripping for me yet, but even if...omg water droplets in a convertible, it will never survive that! ;) ...the bottom of these cupholders are shaped in that star-form some bottles have at the bottom, so they sit in there without twisting themselves, so you can actually open and close the lid (thats a real quirk here not many know actually)... also they're in front of the vents, so in summer cool air from the AC blows directly on them, keeping your drink cool (or in winter warm). The only real downside here is, that bottles tend to block your view a little bit.. If you dont want them, there was also a small storage for that area, so you could choose between storage or cupholders The vents left and right from the center ones DO work, the dial for the center vents has a small "step" in between..if you dial them all the way up, the side ones don't get any air, if you dial it a bit down you feel a small click and now all vents are open and are open all the way until you dial fully down. So Doug just had them cranked at maximum and didn't even try.. CD changer, ofc an option, might be standard with the AMG though, usually its an okay-ish sized glove box Storage locks with your center locking system, so theres just no keyholes anymore but they do lock Tech is actually even from 2003/04, in '08 it got a facelift, with slightly upgraded center screen, but still old by todays standards. Whats interesting here is, that the navigation system displays the direction also in the little screen upfront (you can see it when he's scrolling through the menus, where it just shows the current direction (SE - South East)) which in my opinion is pretty high tech stuff for the early 2000s The "neat trick" of this hardtop back then was the rear window, that also twisted inside the frame, allowing for slightly improved storage compared to the 1 Gen (but also more maintance 🥴) you can see that effect in the lid in the trunk being "higher" in the center You CAN control the quarter windows by "double tapping" the roof-down-button all 4 windows roll down. Only want the rear ones to be down? Then you need to raise the front ones after that again. You can not close the quarter windows with the roof down though (there are aftermarket roof control modules available, that can enable that function + a lot more) If you want a manual transmission with somewhat similar power check out the facelifted ('08+) SLK 350 with a ~300HP V6, and a 6-speed manual Actually the SLK is a car where it's really good to check out the manual cause theres a lot of "quirky hidden features" 😉
It's so cool to see your emotions, Doug. I doubt any electric vehicles could bring so much joy and excitement. This 14 years old car still deliveres! SLK 55 AMG is great little roadster. Kudos to Mercedes-Benz!
Kleeman and Renntech made superchargers for the M113 NA V8. The Supercharged SLK32 AMG with a smaller pulley and DCAI easily outperforms the R171 SLK55 AMG. Their numbers stock were 349/354-355. The R172 SLK 55 was a completely different V8 engine contrary to what Ole Dougie Fresh said in his video. Then they changed nomenclature for the R172 and discontinued the V8 SLK55 with an AMG SLC 43 that had a 3.0L twin turbo V6. Also the new “AMG” engine was not hand made like the previous iterations of the SLK AMG’s.
These cars are fun… until the 7-speed transmission goes nuts, and you have to drop the entire thing to get to the conductor plate that’s on the TOP of the transmission for some reason. MB opting to not have the good ol’ 5-speed was such a mistake.
The 7spd shifts significantly faster but it’s a shame about the early ones reliability issues. One of my buddys has an SLK55 and is getting the 7spd out of a C63 (non MCT) swapped into it, stronger than the ones they used in the SLK despite being a variation of the same box. Believe it or not the 7spd they used in the SLK55 is identical to the one from the SLK350. Weird in between phase where the 7spd was coming out but the 5.4 M113 was being phased out
I replaced my conductor plate.... on the bottom! Took 1 hr 10 mins minutes start to finish.... including reprograming the new plate and adding trans fluid.
Had to do it on my 2007 E550 at 147k miles. Never had that problem on my 5 speed 2003 E500. Mechanically the transmission is as good as the 5 speed though. It’s an electrical issue and not really that difficult of a job
@@SamAbraham I have a SLK 55. The valving, torque converter, TCU, and gearing are different for the SLK55, vs the 350. The reliability is actually pretty good (on-par with other MB transmissions of the same era).
I had a SLK 350 7-speed with 170.000km on it. I drove the car pretty hard with a lot of "manual" shifting with high revs and load. I never ever had any issues with this insane durable gearbox. Just give it new oil every 80.000km.
I was fortunate enough to have a SLK55 on a 55 Plate (here in the UK)...and it was one of, if not, the best car I have ever owned. Yes, there were lots of comments about how the hairdressing business must be good to afford such a car and all that. Once those who said such things were taken out in it, they seemed to have changed their minds!!!
I had the 1999 Slk230 Supercharged. Daily driver for 8 years, very fun and reliable. Had to rebuild top cylinders. Got run over by an 18 wheeler. Miata and test drove Miata and it had no power you had to rev the guts out of it to go and was so noisy and felt like a tin can kind a like my old Bugeyed sprite. Wife said no way you’re going to get another Mercedes that car saved your life. Wife is always right! Replaced with 2013 SLK250. This one is so much more refined than the first. This doesn’t have the big power but it’s still a 155mph car. I used to have a Ferrari 308 GTSI, and this car almost gives you the same feeling when you’ve had a bad day. hop in and take the top down, not such a bad day after all. I really enjoy this SLK I’ve had this one for five years.
There is one big issue with these compared to a Miata: maintenance costs. The Mazda is bulletproof and more of a guilt free drive, but the Mercedes is a Mercedes.
It's funny every time Doug operates a convertible roof, his mouth also opens and closes with the roof!
such an animated guy lol
I read this before that part and lost it. lmao thankyou
LOL
9:27
Doesn't yours? ;)
Doug is single handedly on a mission to raise the price of every car 😂
My thought before clicking
Yep. Every hidden gem in the car world jumps in price when he talks about them
unless he says they're not good. everyone hated on the RCF so the market was flooded with used models for cheap. picked up a 2015 back in 2020 for 30k, now they're worth about 10 grand more for low mileage ones. thanks doug lol
Hard to believe Doug could not feel the center seat console cover on his shoulder. That would have drove me crazy.
He literally talk about it, looked at it, and still didn’t closed it.
Guessing it wasn’t locking
You can notice in the drive test that the lid was dickerd. 😬
I was annoyed as fuck just watching it. Why not just leave it open??
I think I went grayer during this video because of that.
Doug: "I never saw fake stitching in plastic... very weird."
Chrysler: *Am I a joke to you?!*
That's fairly common in Europe, we don't have enough cows to kill but stitching looks cool.
my long departed 1983 Mazda 626 comes to mind.
Kia Sportage had it, too
Honda has done this on a few models in the past few years on the dash.
Fake stitching in plastic probably were never that common in North America than Europe.
I think people do tend to forget that Doug lives in USA and people in USA never seen stuff that we see in Europe.
"The dude had it like straight piped because there are no rules in South Carolina, and I drove it around, and it was way too loud, and I just loved it."
I had a 370Z in Los Angeles with long-tube headers. None of the cops cared that I had no catalytic convertor, a car that smelled like raw gasoline and a decibel level greater than a Harley.
All you have to do is find someone's cousin who will give you a pass on your smog check for a $100 tip and you're golden.
@@yungboicontigo9278 false. Sounds like you don’t live in CA.
@@yungboicontigo9278 yes, Cali has an exhaust law. It’s a $25 ticket.
@@yungboicontigo9278 Yes and for the past 100 years your natural water source is the colour of a elderly humans blood.
@@yungboicontigo9278 Go drink white mans altered natural Michigan water from over a century of chemical automotive waste dumping.
some quirks and features for Doug:
- it's possible to control these quarter-windows. You need to double press down roof button, like you want to put it down, but don't hold it. All windows will go down, even quarter-windows. Then you can rise up windows with window contol buttons and only quarter-windows will be left down.
-central console storage area is a locking storage, so you need to repair it if you want to store something valuable with roof down.
Was hoping for a comment like yours. Thanks
Also- the “vents that do nothing” actually do! Move the center vent dials to the mid position and the “ears” will produce air! Can’t believe Doug missed these quirks and features!!
center console storage has a double opening with 1 small and 1 big compartment
my slk300 you can just hold the window button after lowering the main window to lower the quarter window- same process to raise it
@@Rat-King sounds logical, but didn’t work with mine))
I have this exact car. Same year same everything. Mine’s black/black. I have absolutely loved this car. Only mod is I took out the diffuser and put in an x-pipe for a more throaty sound. Never once had an issue with it. The transmission is a 7 speed and does take some time between shifts but it’s not bad. Great car.
@@TheFalseShepphard lol, yeah it is far better 🥲
But does yours have a center console lid?
@@TheFalseShepphard ya that is is arguable ... performance wise ...its 100 percent better , reliability ..this car doesn't have much problems ..so stfu hondas are lame as shit and kinda just piles of shit
How many miles does it have? Cherish it lol!
Yeah mine’s in good shape. Not having that lid would be annoying af because the lid is exactly where you rest your right arm/elbow.
I was wondering if you were ever going to review this car. Man this car just looks so good regardless of which era it was from.
really one of the most timeless mercs i’ve ever seen
Am I the only one who finds it ugly?
I like the looks in general but i hate that nose. Makes it look like squidward. Thats why i never liked peugeots with that similar nose too.
@@Mr.Marbles yes
@@prinpupper7846 no dont like it too
Doug has a weekend score of 2, but a reliability score of 8.
I think weekend-score should be better, because that guy have so many cool cars... 😄
Doug’s wife: “Starting in the weekend categories with styling…”
@@JS-1983 no weekend score is lucky to be a 2
so like a toyota?
@@deuteriumjones lmfao
I'm in the UK. Bought one of these for my 60th birthday nearly four years ago. I've had an enormous amount of cars, mostly sports and coupe. This is the best I've ever owned. It's lightning quick, comfortable and reliable. Not only that but it's now worth a lot more than when I bought it. What's not to like?
It's my car! I knew the day would finally come, but Doug finally reviewed the car that I drive! I got it a few months ago and it's been a blast so far.
Man lucky…. I’m still waiting
How has it been for you reliability-wise? 2 door convertible with a 355hp v8 for under 30k sounds pretty fuckin sweet to me
@@DaCheezerz I've had it for over a year now, and it's been pretty reliable. No problems with the top (biggest concern), probably been about 1-2k in maintenance costs in just over a year I'd say. It's such a fun car and sounds incredible.
Doug you've made my day! Owned one for a few years, they're so underated yet so rare. Such a fun ownership experience, people always react positively to the car as you just don't see them on the road especially in the UK.
You should buy one again, The prices on these are going to go up so much. One of the last NA v8 amgs in a miata size car
Bids and Cars, doug's mortal enemy
Jay Leno runs Bids and Cars, right?
Automobiles & Auctions
@@TheDomeHepot010 Brings and Trailers
Trucks and Retail
Carry a lorry
Nobody is gonna say anything about Doug reviewing the interior while he’s holding the center console storage open with his shoulder? even after he reviews the center console storage it’s still open and resting on his shoulder. Lol
The interior looks like it's falling apart.
@@mmjackk that means the owner actually uses his car :D (I hope, would be nice if it wasn't just shoddy care)
I wanted to point out the same thing lol
@@abysswalker2403 using a car doesn’t mean that it should fall apart if you actually take care of it🤦♂️
@@all-caps3927 true, but i would MUCH rather a car fall apart and break down from use over a car just sit there in perfect condition never getting driven.
"Air Scarf", the option for people who love the feeling of someone breathing down their neck.
Joe Biden Mode
Pls it's just a joke, don't kill me for this
@@straightbusta2609 Sleazy Joe
Joe Biden loves this car then…
Jeffery Epstein definitely owned one then.
Sleepy Joe picks kids up with this car…
“There’s no rules in South Carolina” *Understatement of the year.*
Awww Doug.. I’m am disappointed we didn’t get to enjoy the “ convertible top music”
He had to leave the top up, otherwise you wouldn't be able to hear him talking. Also exhausts do not make music, they make sounds.
@@automation7295 You're so confidently wrong hahaha. OP was talking about the convertible top timelapse music
@@automation7295 Exhaust make real music.
Leaving us to sing it ourselves:
"I wear two t-shirts all the time.
Please check out Cars & Bids today.
I'll have a lemon popsicle..."
@@samdagorilla19 Except, exhaust can't sing, nor does exhaust has a music genre. So your exhaust make RnB or pop or even heavy metal?
I owned a 2008 SLK200 R171. it was one of the best cars I've ever driven. good on fuel, fun to drive, cold AC, best xenon lights so far, boot of a decent size for all luggage for a 2 weeks vacation, I even mounted ski carriers on it. SLK R171 is really that good!
Hey, the glovebox and armrest storage ARE lockable. They lock with the car. And you actually can controll the little triangle windows when the top is up - double tap on the roof button will close or open all windows - including the triangles.
Thanks for mentioning it, I came to say the same thing!
Only those of us who have had one knows.
@@donmic7620 when I was looking for one I've seen some examples listed for sale ale most of the owners had no idea about half the car's features 😂 i was blowing their minds just by having read the manual beforehand 🤦🏼♂️
@@MrTypowy1 I finally bought 350 version about like 6 months ago and let me tell you, that kind gentleman that was selling this car, he had NO idea. Since R171 is sort of dream car for me, he was shocked about what that car can do 😂 Had no idea about triangle windows, no idea where hydraulic pump was, where was your "emergency roof valve", hidden storage in trunk, he even had no idea about that multi-link suspension, he didnt even know about DVD player... How, literally how... 🤣Somehow there is a lot of car "enthusiasts" that have no clue about what their car is capable of.
@@donmic7620 Haha, We bought an SLK200k 1.8 Supercharged 2009 model about 2 weeks ago. Were still figuring out new quirks with it! But yeah i was also coming to say the same thing about the windows.
Doug is blessed. This is a man who loves his job so very much. It is a treat to see him laughing and so animated when he is telling us about the quirks and features of the cars he is reviewing. Stay blessed Doug and thumbs up to a man who is truly living the dream.
Someone that lives locally to me has a silver one that has seemingly been in his/her driveway for years. Every single time I drive by, without fail, I say “That’s an AMG? That’s an underrated car!” Every. Time. Glad you do it too Doug 😀
I also bet every time you drive by, you want to steal it.
You think he would sell it?
I actually have a 2008 slk55amg and its the best. Never going to sell it
Fun fact: you CAN control the rear small windows a little. When the roof is up, just double ”tap” backwards the roof switch and they go down!
Only if you added a SmartTop
I own one of these and I never knew that! Just went and checked on my car and it works! Thanks for sharing.
@@habsa420 no problem! I randomly found that when doing something in my car :D
Pouring one out for Doug's diamond left shoulder holding up that back storage door for the whole internal review.
Ha ha yeah. The funny thing is that the lid is closed in the external shots. Maybe Doug broke the lid between those external and internal shots.......
I noticed that too, LMAO!😂
I have a SLK350 with 240.000km that I currently rebuild. Love it. A 3.5L V6 is also a huge engine for such a small car, torque and power is also more than satisfying - It also got an original AMG exhaust system, and the V6 sounds awesome with it. Love those cars - just fun little roadsters
When you drive in winter or stormy weather, it feels like a secure, cozy coupe. Precisely what makes the MX-5 RF appealing!
@Johnson Long I drive a Mercedes with very... Not useable cupholders and tbh you get used to it😂just use a bottle and put it in the door bin
There is basically no difference whatsoever. What is "secure and cozy" about a thin sheet of metal vs. multi-layer fabric? Which do we wear in the winter to keep warm, metal or fabric?
Metal-roofed cabrios are totally overweight, and the cabrio feeling is gone as they have to design the windscreen to stretch so far back over the driver's head and the rear has to be designed really high. Then there's no luggage space.
"Not a Boxster v8 ". Yes, and also not an IMS. For those who may wonder, I do have one, and to my mind they are an homage to the model SL500 (R107)from the late 70s. When I bought mine I had considered getting an S 500, but with the AMG model I got all the power without the dreaded ABC system and all the other things that can go wrong with it. It is a delightful car, and has the best sounding pipes this side of the Jaguar F type.
You should drive it to appreciate these wonderful cars, handling and agility is amazing,it is one of the most underrated cars ever, drive it to believe all Doug’s words.
@@yungboicontigo9278 good engine too
@@bcc5701 Reliable?
@@markladenheim5352 m113 amg motor are very durable motors
You couldn't be more wrong...well, ok, FWD cars are worse. But Mercedes managed to make a pretty horrible car out of such a great idea, it's quite an achievement to screw up a small RWD roadster...
Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive.
About the performance:
Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing!
They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!!
@@markladenheim5352 extremely reliable from my experience. The gearbox is a little slow which is a shame. That's the only thing that stopped real drivers from queuing up to buy it but it's still so much fun to drive and made much better if it has paddle-shifts fitted
For the record (per my dad who used to work at MBoA) the American market "had to have" the cup holder. The German engineers were asked to redesign the interior with a cup holder and this was their solution which was a pretty clear FU to the cup holder crowd.
Doug is literally dripping with sweat. I think he used the air scarf way too much
Been daily driving my '09 SLK55 for 13+ years, with a smile for every mile (all 133k of them)! The "facelifted" '09-'10 55s cured some of the niggling problems you identify in your review. Good review, thanks!
0:00 Intro / Cars & Bid
2:18 _Begging to borrow your car_
2:28 Quirks & Features
15:54 The Drive
20:26 The Doug Score
The hero we needed
Should be standard feature in all his videos.
@@mixmixed.comics3002 😊😊 I'm no hero.
Just someone who's been telling Doug to do this since ... it started.
@@zalansz9450 I agree. Since Timestamps were added, I've asked @Doug DeMuro to add them.
He of course, ignores it, thinking he knows what we want/need...
The "ear vents" next to the infotainment have are functional. You have to reduce the airflow of the upper vents and the "ear vents" are getting some air.
It's not rocket science is it?
I’d love to see Doug review all of the -55 AMG cars, especially the CLS
Same. They’re all awesome really
First gen CLS was a beautifulual car
What if some of the -55 AMG cars aren't even sold in US or Europe specific only?
What do you mean? All the 55’s were sold in the US, the C55, CLS55, E55, ML55, S55, CL55, CLK55, SL55, and of course the SLK55
@@mr_sparkly_face4087 *"All the 55’s were sold in the US"*
Not the Black Series models, that's only sold in Europe and other markets.
Amazing under-rated high performance cars like this shows how most of car buying public don't really know their cars - they always wanna get the popular BMW or Porsche, when something like this has a unique factor through the roof, would blow the doors off of their little sports car while sounding amazing and with no engine lag to speak of.
Fax
Doug: “I never saw plastic stitching in plastic items, it’s so weird.”
Me: “Oh Doug, you really need to review the Brazilian’s cars”.
He would completely bash and make fun of them
Would be nice to ser him review a Troller T4, Puma, SP2…
i'd love to see a puma gts
i found that comment a little odd because there’s so many cars that put fake molded stitching in like the dashboard and stuff lol
@@itslucienEven in US? Because I really think that american cars are better than brazilian ones. To prove that, search for the brazilian version of the Golf and Jetta and compare them,, you'll see what I mean.
Era when AMG was actually special before MB started to look all alike and tossing that badge on anything
me: Oh wow, the SLK55 amg is an interesting car… and it’s affordable!!
Doug: *makes this video*
SLK55 AMG prices: 📈📈📈📈
They were too expensive already, nice engine but heavy and slow gearbox.
That is why I bought a red one yesterday.
i bought mine like 10 years ago and im just waiting for prices to go up lmao
I bought mine new in 2007 and still drive it everyday!! Never been tempted or interested in selling it!! It's really beautiful to drive!! and reliable!! From city driving or cross country drives!!
Don’t ever let it go!
This is around the same time they had a twin turbo v12 in the sl65 amg. Which is only slightly bigger. Absolutely bonkers it must be a rocket.
And that car has the same engine as a Pagani Huayra
the SL65 weighed exactly TWO METRIC TONNES!!!
Its a monster indeed. Doug reviewed one a few years ago( an sl65 amg black series with 640 hp) crazy torque and speed, truly dangerous if you dont know what you're doing
@@piuthemagicman that's not bad
@@jaya1000
2 metric tons = 2000kg = 2.2 NA Miatas = 0.98 of a (FWD) new Chrysler Pacifica = 133,330 empty Pepsi cans = 0.05 of average American house. How is that light?
Actually Doug, double tap the roof button to control the rear window function.
AND double center console storage under that broken lid. More storage in the spare tire well too.
By the way, green air intake filters, remove two of the four cats, with an x pipe you get close to 400 horsepower. 0-60 in 3.9
Thats an amazing colour, ive never seen it on an slk before and it fits it so well
I've had a 55 AMG for year and it's a great daily. Very comfortable and capable. I love it.
A few things:
- You can control the small quarter windows using the roof switch. If you push the switch back twice quickly all windows will go down regardless of the roof position. You should read the manual ;)
- The CD/DVD changer is in the trunk of my European SLK 55 AMG so there's room in the glovebox for... gloves.
- You absolutely want paddle-shifts if you're going to buy this car. They are a rare option but can be fitted aftermarket if they weren't spec'd. They're actually the same paddles as the Mercedes SLS. It's just not a driver's car without being able to shift quickly on twisty roads.
- Make sure the brake discs aren't too worn or have been replaced. The rear discs are about $800+ each but they last a long time.
- You can fit an X-pipe exhaust which is probably illegal in the US but it sounds incredible.
- You can fit a factory SL 500 supercharger to this engine, among other upgrades, which can produce 600+bhp and is good for 200+mph. There's a video of this from Germany on UA-cam.
I miss the music you used to play when you would open and close the convertible tops
Same!
Me too =(
Great video as always! Two things to mention. Glovebox does lock, it automatically locks when you lock the car. The center of the hood is shaped to mimic F1 car on both SLR and SLK models.
Thumbs up on the F1 hood style, was surprised Doug didn't mentioned haha
Never clicked faster on these vids. Ridiculously underrated.
I bought an SLK 55 AMG this year and it has been my summer daily driver. I'm not looking forward to going back to my e92 BMW winter beater :D. I really love this car.
It's faster than most cars in my city yet people have no idea what they are looking at. And I love that. I've certainly dusted enough dudes who probably laughed at me at first and then left them with emotional scarring and a feel of inadequacy.
It's 0-60 in 4.3, most cars aren't that fast. Pretty much the only cars that are faster are brand new cars that are well over $100,000. So in my second owner, low miles, 15 year old, v8 I feel great!
Most convertibles look like crap with the top up. I'd argue that this car actually looks better as a coupe!
What I dislike about this car is that there's too much weight ahead of the front axel, and when the top is down all that weight is behind the rear axel. However I do like that with the top up or down I get a slightly different driving characteristic, which means I get to enjoy the car in two ways.
Air scarf is awesome. I can drive the car when it's quite cold out. I just crank up the heat, turn on the seats and the scarf. If it's very cold I can just put the windows up and it's like I'm not even exposed to the elements.
Practicality wise. I can fit my bag of golf clubs with the top down. I even went camping with my girlfriend. We packed a tent, sleeping bags, air mattresses, clothes, tarps, an axe, everything else you need for camping, yet I could still get the top down!
p.s. I just left home depot with 75 feet of drainage tube and a case of beer in the trunk. I can still get the top down. I think a 2 on practicality is harsh considering how truly impractical some of the cars he's reviewed are!
@@HomeAwesomation proof: ua-cam.com/video/iugnWRQImMA/v-deo.html
I love how you start every video with an iconic "tHIs".
Purchased a 2005 SLKk55 with low mileage for a song. One of the best bargains around. If you like muscle cars this will be right up your alley.
Also, it’s the only 55 AMG car that ever got the more modern 7 speed 7G tronic gearbox and not the old and lumpy 5 speed that every other AMG of this era got. Basically the R171 slk 55 had the best of both world : the bulletproof m113 5.4 V8 and the better 7 speed gearbox that was going to be featured in the early 6.3 cars. It also featured a conventional suspension, unlike the complicated and unreliable system the SL and CL had, and a conventional brake system as well. The R107 SLK55 really featured the best of every Mercedes parts at the time.
m113 not m106. The old 5G could take more torque though.
the 1st version of the SLK 55 even had 6 pistons brake calipers on the front wheels, the 2nd gen only got 4 pistons
I understand that the idea of those cars seems cool, based mostly on the badge and looks, if you have no idea of the tech and if you are not a person interested in the driving experience whatsoever...or performance. Reality is very different, when you know what they're like under the skin and how poorly they perform, and how un-fun they are to drive.
Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive.
The SLK 55AMG's gearbox is really bad, is no fun at all. It's still slow, ponderous and clunky. And the engine goes to waste with such a poor chassis and layout, as well as the overweight metal-roof-cabrio configuration.
About the performance:
Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing!
They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!!
@@pistonburner6448go away BMW fanboy 🙄
I owned one years ago and remembered the glove box locking simultaneously when you lock the doors. Great video! Just subscribed and thumbs up
My step-dad had this generation SLK 350 and I always mocked how my dad's 350Z had more power but he taught me that because the car was much lighter that it was able to not only be faster, but handle much better.
Also whenever I got picked up in Middle School in that thing all of my classmates thought I was rich lol, so the cool factor among teenagers is definitely higher than a 5.
The SLK much lighter? What?
Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive.
About the performance:
Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing!
They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!! Of course the SLK 350 was WAAAYYYY slower than the Z4 3.0si and even the 2.5 versions Sport Auto had tested earlier (but on a different day). Sorry, but performance-wise the SLK was not good.
I own one of these. I've got an aftermarket screen and Doug was right about the condensation from the cup holders. The touchscreen doesn't work anymore but still displays.
Also, the center console and glove box do lock with the car when the roof is down. At least on mine they do. This car is missing the cover for the center storage area but it does lock if you have it
THIS IS NO TOUCHSCREEN! 😁
Never sell the car, the prices are going to skyrocket. Im keeping my slk forever.
@@stootsievonsalzburg7769 I KNOW IT'S NOT A TOUCHSCREEN! 😁
I already said in my comment it's an AFTERMARKET screen.
@@kindnessisalie5411 bought mine 4 months ago with 72k miles, I'm getting close to 100,000 now. Three trips across the country and countless late night drives with the top down. Super fun car. I'll never get rid of it either
Apparently having the center storage lid resting against your arm for the first third of the video is normal?
Never seen it in that colour before. Love to see a review on the Black series version.
@@TheFalseShepphard But neither was the CLK DTM sold in North America, which Doug was still able to obtain and review. So my request is still plausible.
Alright boys let’s watch the prices skyrocket
This was the last amg I could afford and I was saving up for it😭now I'm gonna have to hope I can find a c32 amg that's not beat to shit
yup one of the last NA v8 amgs that was put in a miata sized car. Im going to keep mine and sit back and watch the prices go up
fine for me i own one :P
The lid for the centre storage area between the seats really wanted to be part of this video.
The 2012 SLK55 (3rd gen) had a different motor; it had the N/A version of the M157 V8TT, designated as the M152. The 2nd-gen SLK in the review is powered by the M113, which is the same as the motor found in the C55, or N/A version of the M113K.
Anything with a 55 engine is underrated
M113 and M113K were the best engines Mercedes ever made. Although my personal favorite will always be the M156
I love these kinds of mercs, one of my teachers had one (not the amg one) and I would always walk past it and I’d be hypnotized by it
Hey, Doug, I've always loved the sound of the engine starting when hearing what it sounds like. Can you shoot a clip of the exhaust on engine tick-over to idle to rev, instead of already idling? It gives me an idea of how loud the exhaust note is compared to the loudness of the starter motor. Thanks!!👍🏾
the air scarf is absolutely fantastic, huge for enjoying a convertible even in the winter. The cargo lid is also a fantastic design so you could use the whole space with roof up, and it prevents anything from being crushed.
Omg I have one of these!! Well the 350 anyway, not the 55.
I don’t know anyone whose centre console lid isn’t somehow broken lol, also when the central locking is locked then the glove box does in fact lock. Not that you can really fit anything in there as you pointed out.
ALSO you can control the “back” windows. A lot of slk owners don’t know this but if you “double tap” the roof switch down then the little triangle windows will open. I do this sometimes to get that “pillar-less” driving feel but always forget to do them back up!!
350 owner here too - the thinking person's choice (85% of the power, 50% of the price and maintenance costs). Smart top is the best money you can spend on your slk if you don't have it.
@@inscrutablechicken how much does the smart top cost? Including installation?
Owner feedback: 1) Love it that you've featured the NA "Slick" 55. 2) Yep, NA V8 hand-built reliability 3) F1 Safety (Pace) Car for two years - I originally coveted it in Indy "What the heck is that little Benz rocket?" 4) Two sets of golf clubs top up, geez, only one with top down 5) drink holders are perfect, SCARF is awesome 6) My gentleman's German Viper. I'm a Bimmer lover and started looking for a Z3 or 4 M - landed on a much more enjoyable SLK55. Thanks, Doug!
No problem with drink condensation dripping on the console nav? People often wonder about that.
Same for me I was looking for a Z4M and I got the SLK55 instead, Love it and this V8 makes the heads turn
@@LawrenceMarkFearon Missed this earlier, sir. No problems for me. Not a lot of condensation with bottles - mostly bottled water and my gal's iced tea. It sticks out perfect distance - well away from lower controls. Keep a lid on those drinks, of course!
I miss the days when almost every car on the market had a V8
in America maybe :P my Peugeot never came with V8 :P
That was an American thing. Most of the world didn't have that, which is why it was always something unique and special to see a V8 in europe f.e. V8s were always made for luxurious rides, or for performance. Which is what we will always associate with a V8. In america you even had V8s pushing around 150-200hp, which was kind of useless.
@@matteiasm.3618 It was also an Australian thing.
@@matteiasm.3618 man, wish I was in the US in those days
ok boomer .....remember when we all said that? I miss those days
Having owned a Boxster S and selling it for a SLK55 AMG the Porsche obviously clobbers the SLK in handling but no doubt the SLK has the power and would beat a Boxster any day all things being equal. It's the reason why I've stayed with this car. To me it's a worth while trade off. I also see the value raising more with them especially sense there so few of the AMGs out there only a few hundred for my year.
This is one of my favorite cars. One of the best bulletproof AMG engines MB made.
Spot on Doug. I owned one new from 2007-2010 (and I chose it over a Cayman as I was moving from MN to AZ and top-down capabilities won out) The low end torque of the NA V8 made short work of some very wide rear tires. And you are right, the air scarf was brilliant - any haters have never driven with the feature.
Finally some appreciation for this car! I've been telling my friends the same thing about this generation SLK. It is a great car!
How exactly is it great?
@@pistonburner6448 you've really added a lot to this comment section, thanks.
Of course it's a great car. All the negative reviews of the 55 are Boxter owners.
@@pistonburner6448you are hell bent on talking poorly about this car. did you get beat by one of these in a lame BMW? it also has many great attributes. M113 , one of the most reliable mercedes engines ever. handles amazing. perfect visibility. still keeps up with modern sports cars on the freeway. appearance aged great for how old it is. looks like a mini slr. i could go on and on about how well it performs in canyons.
Lol i just saw one of these yesterday and started looking at prices, cant wait to see how they jump up after this 😂 Thanks Doug!
I own one of these, 2006 and my engine was built by mirko wald (same guy who worked on the SLR engine apparently) and it really is an interesting underrated car, so cool to see doug review one
Great to finally see a SLK on the channel. I would love to see the SLK32 AMG on the channel as well, as the R170s are aging great.
I always wanted to see the Train in the background. FINALLY today the day.
You can actually double tap the roof button to make the rear windows go down, and then hold the roof button to close to make them go up again.
You should do more property reviews/car spotting!
They are skyrocketing in value in recent years in Europe. You don’t get such a powerful V8 in a small Cabriolet anymore. Fun car!
Sweating Doug always looks like he's trying to roast the shit out of a car lol
HAHAHA laughed way too hard at this xD
I loved my SLK. The previous generation 32AMG was great too. Around 4sec from 0-60!
If MB did manual transmissions on AMG versions, the SLK55 would be the perfect car...I've had multiple SLK350s with the 6MT and the fun+style+value cannot be beaten for a weekend car. Nothing comes close.
For real. Imagine the E55 with a manual.
@@ImmortanDan I've been researching and considering trying to do a swap for a few years now. It would be the ultimate weekend car.
Had a silver one of these for 10 years. Reliable, refined, really fun to drive, but hellish thirsty
“Smiles per Miles” well worth it.
Those cupholders are lowkey genius - having your drink right in front of the vent makes your drink nicely hot/cold the old school way
No dude, it really does suck. My first gen SLK has them too and I always have to keep paper towels in the car to line the cupholder so condensation doesn't drip on my stereo.
Finally!!!! Sad it wasn't mine but good to see it featured! I love this car. I have the 09 facelifted version and it has been nothing short of stellar, and so responsive to mods. Everything I didn't like about it was fixed by the aftermarket. As an aside, I'd like to see how that console lid got ripped out. Those things are in there pretty good.
Do you know any site to buy and sell cars from 80s and up?
If only there was such a site! It sounds like an amazing idea
@@fitnesswithsteve yeah for vintage cars too!
I bought one of these 3 years ago with around 30K miles. I thought they were overpriced even back then. Now they go for *CRAZY prices!!!!*
to quote Jeremy Clarkson: "How the hell did they manage to fit a 5.5lit V8 in a car the size of a shoe?"
Ls-swapped Miata
Do u know the season/episode number where they reviewed Slk55amg?
The bigger question is: "How the hell did they manage to make their AMG special version with a huge 5.4 liter V8 slower on track than the non-M Z4 3.0si??"
Because unlike Clarkson they are skilled at what they do.
In 2010 I was in my E46 M3 on the Grand Central Parkway in NYC. Doing 70 mph minding my business and one of these pulled up next to me. I didn’t know what it was, but we went at it. He floored it, that motor came alive, and he took off and I’ve wanted one ever since. Stock for stock he was much faster than my M3.
I'd like to know how it is that the other car-reviewing magazines and shows need special tracks, professional drivers and days of testing to evaluate handling and performance but Doug can ascertain it with a 15 minute spin on the freeway
because they have different standards and they aren't judging it with the same experience. They usually get trained drivers to do those evaluations.
@@Jaqen-HGhar I mean I'm being a little cheeky in my question, but I do sometimes wonder like how Doug can tell how well a car handles going around town. Maybe it's more "how sporty it feels driving around town and taking an on-ramp turn fast", which I guess is what we really care about anyway.
@@MattWalshs I think it’s easier to compare cars he’s driven then it is to describe the car on its own without referencing other cars (which he does a lot)
Doug is the type of demuro who says “Miata” more times than “SLK55” in a video about the SLK55
Nice review. I agree, the SLK 55 is definitely underrated for what it is.
Mercedes managed to make a pretty horrible car out of such a great idea, it's quite an achievement to screw up a small RWD roadster...
Just because they look like a fun, sporty car doesn't mean that's what they are. The engine is set pretty high up and actually is placed very far forward! That gives it poor weight distribution. At the other end the cabriolet system increases weight high up in the back. The chassis is not too good, and the suspension certainly isn't. The steering is horrible, engine is pretty ok I guess but the gearbox is not only junk but also makes it un-fun to drive.
About the performance:
Sport Auto, the German performance testing experts had several tracks (nowadays they've switched up their track use) that they tested an incredible amount of cars on (main ones were Nürburgring and Hockenheim!!) and provided a massive amount of detailed data in an open manner, and standardised their testing very well. They're really superb: they really just specialised solely on performance testing!
They tested the BMW Z4 3.0si, Z4 M as well as the Merc SLK 350 and 55 AMG all together (issue 06/2006), and the results were astounding: even the "base" Z4 3.0si was faster than the Mercedes SLK 55 AMG!! Imagine, the "base" version absolutely murdering the "special" AMG version with its massive V8 engine!! It's telling about the quality of the car's engineering that the BMW with its about 265 hp and 315 NM from the 3.0 six cylinder easily outperformed Mercedes' 5.4 liter V8 model with 360hp and 510 NM of torque!!
SLK (not AMG) owner here, lets get some stuff right + some facts, if you're interested:
About the blank switches in the U-Shape: Roofbutton - left side would be a button for the indoor observation of the alarm (optional, just doesn't have it) and center of the mirror button would be for power folding mirrors (also doesn't have them, so much to "great options" ;) )
About the cupholders: Actually kinda genius, no condensation dripping for me yet, but even if...omg water droplets in a convertible, it will never survive that! ;) ...the bottom of these cupholders are shaped in that star-form some bottles have at the bottom, so they sit in there without twisting themselves, so you can actually open and close the lid (thats a real quirk here not many know actually)... also they're in front of the vents, so in summer cool air from the AC blows directly on them, keeping your drink cool (or in winter warm). The only real downside here is, that bottles tend to block your view a little bit..
If you dont want them, there was also a small storage for that area, so you could choose between storage or cupholders
The vents left and right from the center ones DO work, the dial for the center vents has a small "step" in between..if you dial them all the way up, the side ones don't get any air, if you dial it a bit down you feel a small click and now all vents are open and are open all the way until you dial fully down. So Doug just had them cranked at maximum and didn't even try..
CD changer, ofc an option, might be standard with the AMG though, usually its an okay-ish sized glove box
Storage locks with your center locking system, so theres just no keyholes anymore but they do lock
Tech is actually even from 2003/04, in '08 it got a facelift, with slightly upgraded center screen, but still old by todays standards. Whats interesting here is, that the navigation system displays the direction also in the little screen upfront (you can see it when he's scrolling through the menus, where it just shows the current direction (SE - South East)) which in my opinion is pretty high tech stuff for the early 2000s
The "neat trick" of this hardtop back then was the rear window, that also twisted inside the frame, allowing for slightly improved storage compared to the 1 Gen (but also more maintance 🥴) you can see that effect in the lid in the trunk being "higher" in the center
You CAN control the quarter windows by "double tapping" the roof-down-button all 4 windows roll down. Only want the rear ones to be down? Then you need to raise the front ones after that again. You can not close the quarter windows with the roof down though (there are aftermarket roof control modules available, that can enable that function + a lot more)
If you want a manual transmission with somewhat similar power check out the facelifted ('08+) SLK 350 with a ~300HP V6, and a 6-speed manual
Actually the SLK is a car where it's really good to check out the manual cause theres a lot of "quirky hidden features" 😉
Miss our old SLK ! Best car ever ❤️
It's so cool to see your emotions, Doug. I doubt any electric vehicles could bring so much joy and excitement. This 14 years old car still deliveres! SLK 55 AMG is great little roadster. Kudos to Mercedes-Benz!
I always thought these V8 SLK’s were supercharged like the other AMG 55’s. Imagine this with that blower on it…
Kleeman and Renntech made superchargers for the M113 NA V8. The Supercharged SLK32 AMG with a smaller pulley and DCAI easily outperforms the R171 SLK55 AMG. Their numbers stock were 349/354-355. The R172 SLK 55 was a completely different V8 engine contrary to what Ole Dougie Fresh said in his video. Then they changed nomenclature for the R172 and discontinued the V8 SLK55 with an AMG SLC 43 that had a 3.0L twin turbo V6. Also the new “AMG” engine was not hand made like the previous iterations of the SLK AMG’s.
That blue is EVERYTHING!!! 💙🥶
These cars are fun… until the 7-speed transmission goes nuts, and you have to drop the entire thing to get to the conductor plate that’s on the TOP of the transmission for some reason. MB opting to not have the good ol’ 5-speed was such a mistake.
The 7spd shifts significantly faster but it’s a shame about the early ones reliability issues. One of my buddys has an SLK55 and is getting the 7spd out of a C63 (non MCT) swapped into it, stronger than the ones they used in the SLK despite being a variation of the same box. Believe it or not the 7spd they used in the SLK55 is identical to the one from the SLK350. Weird in between phase where the 7spd was coming out but the 5.4 M113 was being phased out
I replaced my conductor plate.... on the bottom! Took 1 hr 10 mins minutes start to finish.... including reprograming the new plate and adding trans fluid.
Had to do it on my 2007 E550 at 147k miles. Never had that problem on my 5 speed 2003 E500. Mechanically the transmission is as good as the 5 speed though. It’s an electrical issue and not really that difficult of a job
@@SamAbraham I have a SLK 55. The valving, torque converter, TCU, and gearing are different for the SLK55, vs the 350. The reliability is actually pretty good (on-par with other MB transmissions of the same era).
I had a SLK 350 7-speed with 170.000km on it. I drove the car pretty hard with a lot of "manual" shifting with high revs and load. I never ever had any issues with this insane durable gearbox. Just give it new oil every 80.000km.
I was fortunate enough to have a SLK55 on a 55 Plate (here in the UK)...and it was one of, if not, the best car I have ever owned.
Yes, there were lots of comments about how the hairdressing business must be good to afford such a car and all that.
Once those who said such things were taken out in it, they seemed to have changed their minds!!!
Me still waiting on that Pontiac vibe review
Oh yeah! I forgot he teased one of those a long time ago!
I had the 1999 Slk230 Supercharged. Daily driver for 8 years, very fun and reliable. Had to rebuild top cylinders. Got run over by an 18 wheeler. Miata and test drove Miata and it had no power you had to rev the guts out of it to go and was so noisy and felt like a tin can kind a like my old Bugeyed sprite. Wife said no way you’re going to get another Mercedes that car saved your life. Wife is always right! Replaced with 2013 SLK250. This one is so much more refined than the first. This doesn’t have the big power but it’s still a 155mph car. I used to have a Ferrari 308 GTSI, and this car almost gives you the same feeling when you’ve had a bad day. hop in and take the top down, not such a bad day after all. I really enjoy this SLK I’ve had this one for five years.
Miata people are loyal and stubborn. You can never convince them this is more fun
There is one big issue with these compared to a Miata: maintenance costs. The Mazda is bulletproof and more of a guilt free drive, but the Mercedes is a Mercedes.
@@12ealDealOfficial Mazda is ugly
The only reviewer that gives you the true language that went into car production
When he said there’s no rules in SC he wasn’t lying