Should You Buy an R171 Mercedes Benz SLK350 over a Boxster? Here's Why You Might

Today I drive one of the R171 generation of Mercedes' venerable baby convertible, the SLK. Often overshadowed by the more powerful and pricy SLK55 AMG, does the 350 have anything to make it stand out?

#Mercedes #SLK350 #NotanAMG

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[davy-downtheroad]

Hi everyone. this is my SLK which James has reviewed. I would like to say a few things.
1st is that I previewed this about a month before and having pointed out a few bits missing from the comparison James has acknowledged this and changed it slightly to include some footage not previously included. Credit to him for for that. Nice honest bloke and that goes for his integrity in getting things as good as he can.
2nd. This is quite an honest review. The R171 SLK 2004-2010 is not perfect (having driven a Z4 convertible and Coupe). I'm sure the Boxter is a better sports car, and if I had a spare £16k+ to get a SLK55, I probably would upgrade, but I purchased this for £6500 in 2017, and they are good value. Personally I would not compare this with a Boxter, but with a Z4 as I see this as a mini GT and not an outright sports car. As a side note I am 6ft3 and I fit into this with the roof up and down. When I looked at a early Boxter, I could not even fit behind the wheel.
3rd. The faults are there, no car is perfect. I am happy, others would not be. I asked James to do this review as there is no real footage for this car on YouTube. If you are looking for one, this is a very good grounding for you to start the hunt for one in the classified's.

[LawrenceMarkFearon]

For me, the fact that the SLK's have a real hard roof and not a flimsy cloth concoction put it head and shoulders above the competition.

[edricpostins]

I've got a SLK350 but have also owned a Boxster, TTS and Lotus Elise 111s and the SLK is by far the best day to day drive as far as marking all relevant categories (economy, reliability, comfort, speed etc) there are definitely other cars that do things better but this car does all things well and is definitely the best looking car.. Absolutely a future classic 👌

[kenxiong]

When shopping for a used convertible, I was split between the BMW Z3 & Z4, Honda S2000, Jag XK8, and SLK350. I’m glad I went with the SLK350. Nothing beats a hardtop convertible when it’s winter time. Plus the SLK350 had more power than the other options and was the cheapest

[VitalPointAcupuncture]

It took me 8 months to find a low mileage SLK 350 with a 7 speed manual transmission. Worth every minute of the wait. Very few out there, but it's a LOT of fun and can be used as a daily driver. So far she hasn't had any issues and I bought her 2 years ago.

[nicholasbabeaux]

I think that this SLk has aged very gracefully, The SLK 350 is plenty quick with some publications when they were new stating 0 to 60 in around five seconds, I have driven a few and they have an excellent exhaust note, for some reason though this particular one doesn’t sound as throaty as some of the ones I’ve driven here in the states, even though they were unmodified…. Great review as always Jay thank you👌🙏💯

[OneFatStatue]

Pre-2007 cars had a balance shaft issue in the M272 engine (SLK280, 300, and 350). This is potentially catastrophic. It was fixed in the 2007 facelift (the one with the inverted V in the front bumper) and also got a bump to 305bhp. Oh, and proper flappy paddles.

Also, the boot spoiler was optional on all R171 cars, not just the AMG55, just look for the 'sports pack' option.

[jamiegavin]

Just picked up an slk350 on the cheap a year after watching this video and I’m pleasantly surprised at how well it drives and it’s engine is strong. Definitely feels quicker than my v6 Alfa and 350z I had before! Yeah the gearbox is a bit slushy but kinda suits it as an open top cruiser.

Was after a 987 boxster S but for the same mileage and year the slk was a third the price so took a gamble. No complaints thus far 💪

[jacquesmartin]

I do love the McLaren influenced front end on the R171's...

[skyalex]

I must say I do not agree with most of the comments in this clip about the SLK350. I own one myself (SLK350 2008 model) and was considering a Boxter or Z3/Z4 as well. I am glad I decided to buy the SLK as it is a comfortable sportscar. The suspension is fine (I live in Far North Queensland/Australia with most roads demanding) hard, but not too hard to get shaken all up. Also the power is strong enough for such a little car. The mileage you will get out of one tank is really good for such a car as well. Ah, and, the interior in the Boxter or BMW look a lot more "plastiky" than in the 350. It looks a lot more stylish in the 350 in my opinion.

[Amir-kcyu]

I changed my 2008 SLK55 for a 981 Boxster GTS. The Porsche was a better car from a driving and interior point of view. But I did miss that silly glorious V8.

[Wytnucls]

Bought a neglected 2007 SLK350 a few years ago, as I wanted a black one with red seats, which was hard to find. The interior was in good condition, with 110, 000 km on the clock. Soon after, many gremlins appeared, mostly engine and gearbox related, which cost the same amount as the purchase price to fix at the dealership. I'm happy to say that the car is now in near perfect condition and is a joy to drive on smooth roads. I initially also considered the Z4 and the boxter, but I preferred the interior layout and the hardtop of the SLK. The plastics may not be of the highest quality, but they hold up pretty well in the hot sun of South Africa. The 55 was tempting, but I already had a V8 in my Cayenne and decided that a V6 was ample enough for such a small car.

[stefandsc]

I used to have the 2009 facelift SLK200 R171 with manual gearbox. great fun and reliable car. It was my only car for a few years and it just worked. boot space is there at the limit for a 1-2 weeks vacation, which means it's quite decent actually. if there wasn't the kid, I would definitely buy again a SLK350 or SLK55. and yes, I find the R171 gorgeous

[mcesarey]

For me, the fact that the Boxster has 2 trunks (boots) puts it head-and-shoulders above the competition. I've had a 981 and now a 718 that I have previously used as daily drivers and they're fantastic

[eclecticcars]

Little known fact about these cars: the 3.5 V6 in this car made a little over 300 hp, whereas all other “350” cars in the Mercedes range made 268hp until around 2014

[chrisperry]

The R170 is a masterpiece! I have one, love the look, the ride, and how reliable it is

[bobjones]

My '06 SLK 350 was mint when I got it. I found the power to be fine, the 7 speed transmission makes for truly excellent effortless acceleration and it's routinely run up past 200 KPH and it's very smooth. I have the 16" tires with no sport suspension so the ride is very good. I did find the body wallowed a LOT in corners at 130K+. I fixed that by installing AMG sway bars front and rear. On the transmission, it has sport and comfort and I added the A mode. That gives you way earlier downshifts, way higher RPM before upshifting and when manually shifting it will hold it at the red line and not shift unless you go past. You can also turn off the torque reduction 'feature' when cornering. All of this, coupled with very modern Michelin tires, means you will not be embarrassed by anything. There is also more power to be had by changing the fuel setting to 94 octane and using it.

[richiesorge]

I always loved the amount of sound coming from an SLK55, considering the size of the car.

[garicogray]

I own a 55 here in Germany, and Volkswagen boxters and Z4's tend to get very small in my rear view mirror. And I will go toe to toe with the big boys...oh after 450, 000 km. I had a Carlsson motor put in. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

[walterplant]

Front wings where they meet the bumper is the area to watch for rust