Used Mercedes-Benz SLK 2011-2016 review

Before the present Mercedes-Benz SLC, there was the SLK. Like the newer car, it was a two-seater drop-top premium sports car of diminutive size, first launched in 1996 and designed to sit beneath the larger and more expensive SL convertible model in the Mercedes’ range. Its winning looks won it many fans, and it was replaced in 2004 by an updated second-generation model with even edgier styling.

This one was the third generation car, introduced in 2011 and all new from the ground up. Like the first two, it was compact and luxurious, with a folding hard-top roof. It offered a choice of not only petrol but, for the first time in the SLK, a diesel engine, and you could also choose from four cylinders or six and you could even have a manual six-speed gearbox on the basic models, the more usual option being a seven-speed automatic. For those who desired speed above all else, there was the super-sporting SLK 55, which could whisk from 0 to 60mph in just 4.6 seconds and run up to a limited 155mph top speed.

Trim-wise, factor in either the standard trim or the (substantially more expensive when new) AMG Sport option. Both are well equipped, with air-con, cruise control and alloy wheels, among many other goodies, although the AMG trim does add some rather special sports seats.

On the road, the SLK has never been known as an out-and-out sports car, more a lightweight grand tourer with the ability to provide some wind-in-the-hair fun at the same time. Within that definition, it’s good to drive, whichever engine you opt for, although the diesels are distinctly gruff. The performance of the bottom-line SLK 200 petrol engine is adequate rather than scintillating, but the larger-engined SLKs 250 and 350 don’t lack for outright puff. The SLK 55, meanwhile, will set fire to Tarmac and make your undergarments tingle.

In corners, the chassis provides the car with plenty of grip, but the steering is a little unexciting, despite being quite quick, and its handling is not the sort to please an enthusiast. It doesn’t ride particularly well, either, whether you find a car equipped with the optional adaptive dampers or not. However, you might think that a price worth paying for owning a relatively heavy and nicely trimmed convertible car. Sharp bumps and potholes can catch it out, though, making it feel less the able grand tourer, while still not quite a sports car.

Inside, the driving position is good, with reasonable adjustment built into the steering wheel and seat, although taller drivers will find it cramped. Sit in the snug cockpit and you are met with brushed aluminium switches and vents, and leather on every surface that isn’t metal or a colour screen. It’s an interior that leaves you thoroughly convinced of the Mercedes’ premium status. The optional ‘vario-roof’, a clear glass panel set into the folding electric roof, sounds like an underwhelming detail but it adds a lot to the ambience of the cabin and is something no other direct rival offered at the time.

There’s a good size boot, too, not much shortened when the roof is lowered into it, so there should be enough space for luggage for two for a week away.

You’ll need around £9000 to get into the driver’s seat of this generation of SLK. This will buy you an early 2011 or 2012 car in good condition with an average mileage for the year, from a trader or an independent dealer. Up the folding stuff to between £10,000 and £12,000 and you’ll find plenty of nice 2013/14 models, while think of between £13,000 and £15,000 for a neat 2014 or 2015 car. A 2016 car, just at the end of the SLK’s lifespan, bought from an independent dealer should set you back little more than £16,000.

The diesel-engined car is the most economical, not surprisingly, with an official figure of 56.5mpg, under the older NEDC method of testing. This equated to a CO2 emissions figure of just 132g/km, which kept the yearly car tax (VED) outlay low. The top petrol is the SLK 200, which produces an official 43.5mpg.

Insurance costs are roughly average for a convertible car of this type, and Mercedes will service your old SLK, although the cost is likely to be higher than if you took it to an independent Merc specialist.

We’d still go for the SLK 200 model, equipped with the seven-speed automatic rather than the rare manual gearbox, as it suits the car’s suave nature better. We’d seek out the more handsomely equipped AMG Sport version too, as it adds more kit and shouldn’t be too pricey on the used market.

Our favourite Mercedes-Benz SLK: 200 AMG Sport

The Audi TT consistently wins at our What Car? Car of the Year awards, and it’s easy to see why. It’s stylish, comfortable, brilliant to drive, has a stunning interior and is refined with the roof up or down. There are plenty to choose from on the used forecourts, too.

The BMW Z4 is an old-school roadster that is great to drive, with a range of interesting and efficient engines, as well as excellent handling. Like the TT, there are plenty to choose from.

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