Mercedes-benz SlK (2004-2011)

Transcription

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Which? Car review
Mercedes-Benz SLK (2004-2011)
Jul 2004 Class: Sports/convertibles
New price: £31,285 - £54,368 Used price: From £6,225
On sale:
Performance:
Ride comfort:
handling:
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Boot & Storage:
Safety:
★★★
★★★
Reliability:
★★★★
Total score:
77%
Solid and secure folding hard-top roof. Powerful engines and strong brakes. Reasonable boot. Poor visibility, roof-up. Expensive to buy and run.
Thirsty engines. Recommended models
in the range
Which? Car Top Choice Model
SLK 200K 2dr Tip Auto
New price: £32,845
Used price: £9,750
Fastest Model
SLK 55 2dr Tip Auto
New price: £54,368
Used price: £14,695
4.9 secs
0-62mph:
Most Efficient Model
SLK 200K Grand Edition 2dr
New price: £33,615
Used price: £11,895
Combined fuel economy:
36.2 mpg
Cheapest Model to buy new
SLK 200K 2dr
New price:
Overview
The Mercedes-Benz SLK was one of the first roadsters with a metal folding hard-top roof, and
has been since refined ever-further to combine a highly comfortable roof-up ride with proper
sports car thrills top-down. The larger-engined version are more exciting, but the SLK is a good
long-distance cruiser and some of its optional gadgets are very tempting.
Buying second-hand, few used SLKs of this 2004-2011 generation can be found outside
of the Mercedes-Benz dealer network, which isn’t such a bad thing – dealers can confirm the
service record and there are useful guarantees with used cars that you won’t necessarily find
at independent retailers. That said, prices tend to be high.
The SLK was updated in 2008, with a new-look nose and some engine improvements.
If you fancy the wind in your hair as you’re driving, but are worried that you might get chilly,
the SLK’s Airscarf option could be what you need – a vent pumping out hot air at neck level to
keep both driver and passenger cosy. Other tempting options include nappa leather and an
AMG body styling kit (if you don’t go for the SLK 55 AMG itself).
The SLK is a joy to drive, with steering and handling to match its sporty image. Its cabin is
well designed, and although it’s narrow, the seats will accommodate people up to 6ft 6in tall.
The entry-level supercharged 200K model is just about powerful enough to have fun, though
it’s not as quick as a basic Audi TT.
Mercedes-Benz has an average reliability rating overall, but this generation SLK is one
of the better-performing models, scoring four stars in the latest Which? Car Survey. The most
commonly reported issues are with the rainwater seals, ventilation system and springs.
£31,285
Cheapest Model to buy used
SLK 350 2dr
Used price:
£6,225
Cheapest Model to Run (new)
SLK 200K Grand Edition 2dr
New price: £33,615
Running costs: £23,490
(3 years/36,000 miles)
Owner’s View
Tremendous fun to drive.
Excellent handling, superb
performance with all the
sensible gadgets you’d
need, e.g. Airscarf. Smooth
gearbox and surprisingly
economical considering the
3.5 litre engine. It’s superb
engineering, especially the
folding roof mechanism.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
On the road
How we test
The SLK gives a lively ride, as you’d expect in a sports car like this, but it is comfortable for long
journeys. Entry-level versions use the 1.8 supercharged engine (200K) which we tested; it’s
sufficient to have some fun.
Performance
★★★★★
The 1.8 supercharged engine (badged 200K) may seem like the poor man’s option but it
provides plenty of power. From 2008, power went up from 163bhp to 184bhp, a useful boost.
This engine remains smooth at all revs. The manual transmission isn’t that nice to use, as it
doesn’t appreciate being rushed and requires quite a lot of effort to shift between gears; most
Mercedes buyers prefer an automatic gearbox anyway, and this is invariably smooth and
intuitive. Model tested
petrol 1.8 (163bhp) manual 2-door (2006)
Ride comfort
Acceleration (37-62mph)
4.9 secs
4.2 secs
3.3 secs
We use the sophisticated electronic timing
equipment to record standing-start and
in-gear acceleration, and repeat each test
several times.
Ride comfort
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
The sporty, stiff chassis strikes a good balance for a sports car, and it’s sufficiently
comfortable over long distances despite its firmness. Model tested
Performance
Rating
★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Ride comfort is assessed by our laboratory experts who have driven hundreds of
thousands of miles in a myriad of different
models.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
On the road continued...
How we test
Handling
★★★★★
Handling
There’s little body roll when cornering, and directional stability is very good – the SLK achieved
a high speed through our emergency obstacle avoidance test without losing control. The
communicative steering helps here, and it’s geared quite highly so small inputs result in big
changes in direction, great for a sporting car such as this.
Model tested
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
On-the-limit handling is explored well
away from public roads to ensure a fair
test. Our obstacle avoidance test is one of
the harshest tests in the industry..
Brakes
★★★★★
Brakes
Stopping power in the SLK isn’t a problem, and the brake pedal is perfectly weighted. The
average stopping distance from 62mph in our tests was 38m.
Model tested
Braking distance (62-0mph)
38.0m
34.5m
35.5m
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
The Which? Car braking test measures
stopping distance from 62-0mph and is
repeated ten times in quick succession to
highlight any brake fade issues.
Refinement and noise
★★★★
Refinement and noise
You can tell Mercedes-Benz engineers spent quite a lot of time ensuring the SLK remains
quiet. With the hood up, it’s easy to forget you are in a convertible car – although there is a hint
of wind rustle around the windows. The engine stays pretty quiet at all times, even at high revs.
Model tested
Cruising noise
70dB
70dB
70dB
Rating
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
The Which? Car experts use a decibel
meter to record interior sound levels
at common UK motorway speeds, and
combine this with subjective assessments
to arrive at an overall score.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
On the road continued...
How we test
Cabin and controls
★★★★
Cabin and controls
The SLK’s seats are well designed and comfortable, although if you want leather trim you’ll
have to spend extra. Instruments are clear and the controls are simple to use although the
radio can be a bit baffling at times.
The cabin has a suitable display of opulence although things will appear quite bare without
spending some money on options such as the upgraded stereo, wood-and-leather gearknob
and wood-and-leather steering wheel. Even cupholders cost extra.
Model tested
★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Rating
Visibility and parking
★★★★
Visibility in the SLK is quite poor. The pillars are necessarily large (to contain the electric folding
mechanism) but this makes the windows quite small and there are noticeable blind spots fore
and aft. Optional parking sensors can help with parking, and the 10.4m turning circle is quite
good in this class.
Model tested
Turning circle
10.4m
10.3m
10.4m
Rating
★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★
We penalise cars with difficult controls,
and we look for things like backlit light
switches and easy-to-use heating and
ventilation adjustments.
Visibility and parking
Visibility is a major issue for motorists
today, so each car gets a 360-degree
swivel view test to reproduce the driver’s
eye view and any obscured areas.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
Comfort and practicality
How we test
As a two-seat roadster, the SLK isn’t going to be immensely practical, but it does have a
decent-sized boot - when its roof is up - and excellent seats. It’s comfy for long journeys, and
we love the optional ‘Airscarf’ neck-level heating system. Getting in and out
Getting in and out
★★★★
The SLK sits low on the road and it can be a struggle to climb in and out of.
Model tested
Seat space and comfort
Rating
★★★★
★★★★
★★★★
★★
Mercedes-Benz seems to be particularly proficient on seat comfort. The SLK’s seats are firmly
padded, but comfortable over long distances. Side support is quite good too, although if you
want soft leather and power adjustment for the seats you’ll need deep pockets. The driving
position is suitable for drivers up to 6’ 6” and the seats are height-adjustable. The SLK is quite
narrow inside though, so if two tall people are sitting in it they might be rubbing elbows.
If there’s one option you must have, it’s the‘Airscarf’ seat ventilation system. This blows
warm air around your neck, reducing stiffness on long journeys.
Model tested
Rating
★★★
★★★
★★
We take measurements all around the
driver and passenger’s door apertures
and note the height of the seat, door sills
and step down onto the car floor. The
best cars don’t require too much bending
or stretching to get in and out.
Seat space and comfort
We assess seat comfort subjectively,
using our road testers’ expert knowledge
and experience from thousands of different cars. And we measure the head-, legand elbowroom on offer in every seat, to
see how well the car caters for people of
all shapes and sizes.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
Comfort and practicality continued...
How we test
Boot and storage
★★★
Boot and storage
The 240-litre boot is quite good by two-seat roadster standards, but the folding roof lives in
the boot once folded, reducing capacity to 175 litres. Cabin storage is limited, with a small
glovebox and few cubbies.
Model tested
Heating and ventilation
Boot space (seats up/down)
240 litres / litres
240 litres / litres
240 litres / 240 litres
Rating
★★★★
★★★
★★★
★★★★★
Climate control is standard in the SLK. The engine warmed up swiftly from -10deg C in our
tests, and the air conditioning system is powerful and effective. The ‘Airscarf’ system channels
warm air to the neck area of both seats, and it’s a worthwhile option as it allows comfortable
motoring even in low external temperatures.
Model tested
Carmakers give official stats for boot
space, but our tests are more realistic. We
load the boot up with measuring blocks
only as far as the rear window line, so
that luggage is well secured and won’t
obscure rear visibility. We repeat the test
with the rear seats up, and folded down
(where possible).
Heating and ventilation
Rating
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
Feel sorry for the tester who has to warm
each car up from a frosty -10 degrees in
our climate chamber. Starting with a cold
engine, we measure how long it takes to
warm up the front and rear of the cabin.
Diesel cars usually take longer. We also
check the effectiveness of air conditioning, where fitted.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
Running costs and depreciation
How we test
The SLK’s expensive purchase price is offset somewhat by great residual (resale) values; it’s
still quite thirsty, though.
Insurance groups for the SLK start in Group 16, rising to Group 19 for the SLK 55 AMG; VED
(road tax) and BIK company car tax are reasonable for the SLK 200K, though the top-banded
SLK 55 AMG’s another matter. Servicing at Mercedes main dealers is expensive, too.
Fuel consumption
The 30.4mpg figure we measured for the SLK 200K is a bit disappointing, especially
considering it had a manual gearbox. Mercedes’ claim is for 36.2mpg, so we were a long way
off this. Both SLK 280 and SLK 350 are said to return under 30mpg, and you’ll be lucky to see
the claimed 23.5mpg in the SLK 55 AMG.
Petrol (combined mpg, claimed)
23.5 mpg - 36.2 mpg
Diesel (combined mpg, claimed)
-
Model tested
Urban (claimed/measured)
22.4 mpg/21.6 mpg
20.8 mpg/20.8 mpg
18.2 mpg/18.7 mpg
Model tested
Extra urban (claimed/measured)
43.5 mpg/42.2 mpg
42.2 mpg/41.5 mpg
36.2 mpg/34.9 mpg
Model tested
Motorway (measured)
31.7 mpg
32.5 mpg
26.6 mpg
Model tested
Combined (claimed/measured)
32.5 mpg/30.4 mpg
30.4 mpg/31.0 mpg
26.7 mpg/26.4 mpg
Fuel consumption
We test fuel economy under strict lab
conditions – using realistic test cycles – to
reveal the facts behind the figures. Our
figures rarely match manufacturer claims
as, unlike the official mpg test, we measure economy with both a hot and cold
engine, and on the motorway.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
Running costs and depreciation continued...
How we test
Emissions
Emissions
Carbon dioxide emissions start from 184g/km for the SLK 200K manual and 187g/km for its
automatic counterpart, but all other versions put out more than 200g/km - 288g/km, from the
SLK 55 AMG.
Petrol (CO2, claimed)
184g per km - 288g per km
Diesel (CO2, claimed)
-
Model tested
Emissions (claimed/measured)
209g per km/219g per km
While testing fuel economy, we also
collect exhaust gases to enable us to
measure the amount of carbon dioxide
(CO2) emitted. We also check whether
particulate filters are effective at removing
sooty emissions from diesel engines.
Safety
Safety and security
We rate cars for safety using Euro NCAP
crash test scores (where available),
alongside our own comprehensive safety
checklist. Uniquely, we also feed in results
from our accident avoidance test – after
all, it’s far better to steer around a crash
than rely on the airbags...
Euro NCAP score
No results available.
Which? safety rating
Security
Active (crash avoidance)
Passive (crash safety)
Child
Pedestrian
-
Security
Theft of car: Theft from car:
★★★★★
★★★
Security scores come from the security
experts at Thatcham, who break into
hundreds of cars each year. Most modern
cars are very difficult to drive away, but
are still too easy to steal from.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
Which? Car Survey results
About our survey
The Which? Car Survey is the UK’s most robust reliability and owner satisfaction survey. In
2015, drivers told us about 58,000 cars, covering more than 484 million miles in the previous
12 months (that’s equivalent to driving to the moon and back a hundred times). This unique
feedback allows us to rate satisfaction and reliability for hundreds of new and used cars.
Note: Star ratings below are from 1-5 (1 is very poor and 5 is very good). Percentages
shown under ‘Most common faults’ indicate the proportion of owners reporting each problem
in the past 12 months.
Brand
Sample size: 2,292 people
Mercedes-Benz ratings
Overall owner satisfaction for this brand
Brand reliability
Dealer Servicing & repair
Model: Mercedes-Benz SLK (2004-2011)
Sample size: 86 people
Ownership ratings
Overall owner satisfaction for this range
Ease of driving
Comfort
Dash layout and controls
Practicality
Value for money
Running costs
In-car technology
-
Everyone who takes part in the Which?
Car survey tells us about their car and
the dealers who sell and service it. We
analyse this feedback across all cars to
give top-level satisfaction ratings for each
brand, including the brand’s reliability
record over the last eight years. All star
ratings are out of five.
Model ownership ratings
★★★★
★★★★
Dealer Sales Service
Driving enjoyment
83%
Brand ratings
These show how owners score this car
in 12 different areas, from performance to
heating. Owners’ ratings are subjective –
so may differ from Which? Car test scores
– but they give a good idea of what the
car is like to live with. Where relevant, cars
are scored against other cars in the same
class (e.g. for space).
83%
★★★★
★★★★
★★★
★★
★★★
★★★
★★
★★★
-
Owner’s View
A joy and pleasure to drive.
What motoring used to be
all about.
Owner’s View
Secure folding hard-top,
excellent seats and a good
boot, but SLK 200 needs
more power.
Which? Car review
Sports/convertibles
Which? Car Survey results continued...
About our survey
Reliability ratings
Reliability ratings
Overall Reliability
Petrol cars
Reliability
Breakdowns
Average annual repair cost
Diesel cars
Reliability
Breakdowns
All cars
Reliability
Breakdowns
★★★★
Up to 3 years old
4-8 years old
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
★★★★
2%
£203
We split reliability into breakdowns (including failure to start), faults (where parts
need replacing) and problems (minor issues e.g. squeaks and loose trim). Where
the car has been on sale for some time,
and we have numerous survey responses
from owners, we also split scores by the
age of car and fuel type. Star ratings are
out of five – the more stars, the more reliable the car.
Most common faults
Breakdowns: Percentage of cars suffering a breakdown in last 12 months
Average annual repair cost: Average annual cost of repairs (not servicing), in past 12
months
Most common faults
Up to 3 years old
-
-
-
4-8 years old
-
-
-
Rainwater seals
Springs
Ventilation - Other
Exhaust System
Fuel System
Failure rate: The proportion of owners reporting this problem in the last year
5%
5%
5%
2%
2%
Want to know what’s most likely to go
wrong as the car gets older? These are
the five most common faults reported by
owners, grouped by age into new, recent
and older cars. A score of 40% means
four out of 10 owners reported problems
with that part of the car over the previous
12 months. Engine electrics and non-engine electrics (e.g. windows, stereo) cause
more headaches than mechanical parts in
most modern cars.

Mercedes-benz SlK (2004-2011)

Transcription

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