2004 Mercedes-Benz SLK320

Even though the Mercedes-Benz SLK has been a tidy fixture on the American highways for some time, it remains one of the favorites of the small, two-seater crowd. While the lower end of the price spectrum, such as the Mazda Miata, Toyota MR2 and Honda S2000, tend to get the enthusiasts, the younger, and the wannabe boy-racer crowd, the little Benz has carved out its own domain for those interested in some open-top, two-seat motoring while still behaving, most of the time, like an adult.

There are no surprises here. The fit, finish and build quality is impeccable.

There are three choices in the SLK line. The "base" model (if a Benz can be called "base") is the 230, powered by a 2.3-liter, supercharged inline four of 192 horsepower and 200 lb.-ft. of torque; it carries a base price of $40,320. At the top of the list is the SLK32 AMG, the hot rod, which hides (barely) under the hood a 3.2-liter, 18-valve V-6 that's been supercharged, intercooled and otherwise hopped up to make no less than 349 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque, and carries a sticker of $56,170. If you want to carry enough horsepower to alter the course of an aircraft carrier, this might be the one to do it.


The 320 version (what we drove) is fitted with the 3.2-liter V-6 that's in a more normal, non-supercharged trim than that of the AMG model, and it's a model of etiquette. It makes 215 horsepower and 229 lb.-ft. of torque, and is more than enough to squirt the SLK along with traffic at a rate as prodigious as the driver feels like chasing. Normally matched with a six-speed manual gearbox, the one we drove had the optional five-speed automatic with "Touch Shift," which is one of those things that lets boys shift gears and play race car driver.

Standard equipment on the SLK 320 includes everything you would expect from Benz.

Standard equipment on the SLK 320 includes everything you would expect from Benz. Leather upholstery, wood trim, power seats, AM/FM/cassette/CD, six-speaker Bose sound system, dual-zone climate control, power windows and mirrors, dual front airbags, side airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock, and so forth. Options on ours included heated front seats, and what Benz calls the "SLK Special Edition package, which includes seven-spoke wheels, bigger tires, a rear spoiler, sport seats with softer leather, a trunk-mounted six-CD changer, and "calyptus" wood trim. (We don't know what "calyptus" is; maybe it's a stunted-growth eucalyptus.) Base price for the SLK 320 is $46,650, but when ours was all done it landed at $51,670.


There are no surprises here. The fit, finish and build quality is impeccable. This is one of those cars that feels like you climb in, shut the door and some guy comes along and welds it shut. Everything on it works perfectly and feels great while doing it. Of particular note is the one-touch power top. Push a button and the whole shebang springs into action; the deck lid pops up from its rear edge, the windows go down a little, the top moves up and then tucks back in, the deck lid shuts, and in less time than you'll spend watching a 30-second spot on TV you've gone from solid, tight, snug coupe to open, breezy roadster.