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230 Sport Convertible
San Francisco: I don't get
to test too many sports cars, what with my limited schedule, but somehow I seem to luck
out every now and then. This year my luck held and I got to drive a Mercedes Benz SLK 230
Kompressor Sport Convertible for a week. Sometimes life is just too good.
For those of you unfamiliar
with the SLK, it is Mercedes Benz's two seat roadster. The 230 refers to the engine, a
2.3-liter, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, four-cylinder. The Kompressor is just what it
sounds like, a compressor, or supercharger. Just like they put on hot rods. It isn't the
highest horsepower four cylinder engine out there, but at 185 hp @ 5,300 rpm, it does okay
for itself. And having 200 ft./lb. of torque from 2,500 rpm to 4,800 rpm certainly helps
move the just under 3,000 lb. SLK along quite nicely (M-B says that 0 - 60 mph comes up in
7.2 seconds).
This is the first year that
the SLK is offered with a five-speed manual transmission. M-B expects 20% of SLK buyers to
opt for the manual transmission, the balance will go for the optional five-speed
automatic.
When I first drove the SLK
I thought the engine seemed a little weak on take off. You know, not much grunt down low.
But the more I drove, the more I realized that was deceiving. Maybe it was the engine's
sound, or almost lack of sound that made me think I'd have trouble in San Francisco. But
not to worry, I drove the SLK up some of San Francisco's steepest hills and found that it
pulled away from a stop with more torque and fewer shakes than my old 5.0 ever did.
And speaking of San
Francisco, while I had the pleasure of the SLK's company, I attended a fund-raiser /
birthday party for a state senator at the Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill. Not wanting to
hassle with finding a parking spot, I opted for valet parking. Imagine my surprise and
delight when the night was over to find the SLK parked front and center, "no
charge." I guess that means that someone values the image of the SLK, doesn't it?
This being winter in the
San Francisco Bay area, the weather is what you'd expect for this time of year - cool and
wet. As the SLK has a retractable hardtop, inclement weather isn't a problem. If it's cold
and rainy, you drive the coupe version. When the sun's out, push a button, and drive the
convertible. It's really that easy. (Some of you may remember Ford's retractable hardtop
of 1957, 58 and 1959. Forget about it. Mercedes Benz's actually works.)
I really liked the SLK, not
so much for its sportiness (although with the Sport package it could be hustled about very
easily) but more for how easy and pleasant it is to drive and its looks. I like cars that
show their heritage and the SLK does, from the familiar M-B touches on the outside (the
grille, 3-pointed star, and "power domes" on the hood) to the retro gauges on
the dash with their polished aluminum bezels, ivory faces and red pointers.
Yet the SLK was anything
but retro in operation. Even with the massive 17" tires of the sport package
(225/45ZR-17 front, 245/40ZR-17 rear) the SLK rode very well. Yes, the tires did want to
tramline a bit (follow lateral grooves in the pavement) but for a car with such a short
wheelbase (94.5") and with those tires, I found the ride comfortable. (So comfortable
in fact that my brother fell asleep in the passenger seat on a late night ride home from
Petaluma.)
Was there anything I didn't
like? A couple minor points. Like most two-seaters, there was a shortage of storage room
in the passenger compartment. And when you put the top down, trunk space suffers. These
are problems you'd encounter with almost any roadster. No real biggie. I did miss cruise
control. What can I say? I'm spoiled. I like cruise. Sometimes it keeps me from getting
tickets.
So how about some numbers?
Fuel economy is rated at 21 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway. Pretty decent. Price
is not bad either at $40,000 for the base model (remember, this is a Mercedes-Benz). There
are only five options; a 5-speed automatic transmission ($900), heated seats ($595),
metallic paint ($600), portable telephone / CD changer combination ($1,595), and the Sport
Package ($3,990). All in all, a pretty nice convertible sports car with a unique
disappearing top. By Bruce Hotchkiss © AutoWire.Net - San
Francisco
Mercedes Benz Home Page
Byline: By Bruce Hotchkiss © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Column Name: SLK - Sporty, Light & Kompact
Topic: '99 Mercedes Benz SLK 230
Word Count: 750
Photo Caption: '99 Mercedes Benz SLK 230
Photo Credits: MB Public Relations
Series #: 1999 - 13
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