Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Convertibles, Euro, Mercedes-Benz, AMG
Review: 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG
by Dan Roth on Jul 18th 2008 at 7:00PM 
2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG – Click above for high-res image gallery
It sits there, all tension and sinew, ready to pounce on lesser cars. Start it up and it barks with a clear V8 voice that thumps off the neighbor's house, setting them discreetly peeking from behind their lace curtains. This is an SLK? Oh yeah. No longer a blocky Benz with dwarfism, the SLK55 AMG ripples with muscle and delivers speed like a spin kick to the temple. A bad-ass Mercedes, indeed.
Gallery: Review: Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG
Photos Copyright ©2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.
Of course, the SLK55 AMG is still relatively small – about the size of an MX-5, with a bit more nose. Ignoring the hand-built 5.5 liter V8 for a moment, there's plenty of Mercedes-ness to make you happy, if that's your thing. COMAND is without humor, but tries to compensate by having lots of buttons and a clunky GUI. Once you figure out how to work it, COMAND isn't actually that bad, but we'd be plenty happy paying more to just get the ease and simplicity of single-function switches for commonly used items and stripping out all the multimedia gimcrackery.
Leave the nav and the Harman Kardon stereo at the dealership. As nice as that stuff is, even a fully loaded iPod plugged into the glovebox-mounted interface will go unused from the first moment the smart key is twisted around clockwise. Corvettes sound like this, hot rods too. But a Mercedes? The muscular voice AMG has bestowed upon this roadster is even more of a surprise than the Jaguar XK's rorty tone. The multitudinous speeds in the automatic transmission are slapped around by wheel-mounted paddles, and the snappy sport shift mode is the one to use. Fuel economy? Who cares? For the record, the EPA thinks it'll do between mid-teens to mid-twenties; numbers which assume you'll be able to keep your boot out of the throttle. Not bloody likely.
A sharp two-tone color scheme of black and red leather adorned the eight-way power seats in the SLK55 we tried. The black outer and red inner cowhides are also accented by black alcantara, and the comfortable seats have built-in neck warmers to complement their heaters, making alfresco motoring possible into deepest Autumn. The beltline is high, though, so while the seat feels good on the rump, us shorties would like a little more height from the power adjustments. Overall, materials and fit and finish seem right on the mark for the price Mercedes wants.
When the weather does turn frosty or moist, or you need to arrive at your destination without that windblown chic look, the SLK deploys a folding hardtop that doesn't eat up the entire trunk, but does make loading and unloading difficult when stowed. Convertibles aren't introverted cars, and the SLK55 does draw a certain amount of attention to itself by virtue of its bold styling and assertive sounds. Power tops can also be good for drawing crowds once you've reached your destination, and the nicely trimmed top in this Benz is definitely conspicuous in action.
It's hard to gripe about a car that has a great V8 wallop underhood, heroic brakes, prodigious grip, and even brings a dash of style to the typically serious idea of a German car, but we do have a few complaints. Let's start with an ongoing problem for many European cars. Cupholders. German cupholders are often the most amazingly engineered things that manage to utterly fail at holding a cup. Such is the case with the SLK. Not only is the cupholder a flimsy apparatus with about a demitasse of capacity, its location up high on the center stack and in front of dash vents is not ideal, either. Also poorly located is the cruise control stalk. It was located exactly where your hand expects a blinker stalk (that's located lower), and it makes for some excitement halfway through a slow, residential turn. You think you've been holding the blinker down, but no, you've been telling the cruise to accelerate, and it really lays on the throttle halfway through the turn. Whoa.
Dynamically, the ride is stiff, but not tooth-rattling. There's a suppleness missing from the chassis that large rollers and Z-rated rubber help agitate. Those 18-inch wheels wrapped in 225/40s up front and 235/35s in the rear do serve up enough grip to get you in serious danger if you suffer from an underdeveloped sense of self-preservation. Overdo it, and a tap of the firm brake pedal squeezes cross-drilled rotors up front with four-piston calipers, and two-piston calipers in the rear. We never got the SLK frisky enough to engage the stability control, but it's there. Looking at how much of the V8 hangs over the front axle's center line, we'd surmise that the SLK's at-limit behavior is resolute understeer that can be cajoled into powerslides with the throttle. Oddly enough, there's a bit of road feel that comes through the rack and pinion, a recent development at the house of Mercedes. It's no BMW, with that brand's delicate finesse, but it's not some numb, slow recirculating ball steering box like Benzes of yore. They're getting there.
While the roughly 3500 pounds isn't featherweight, we were surprised to learn the SLK was that light. Maybe it's the solidity of the R171 platform, but the SLK feels substantial – more like it weighs 4,000 pounds. It's likely a combination of the structure and its tuning that leads to this impression, were the suspension less flinty, the angry little AMG might have felt lighter on its feet. The price, too, starting at $65,000 and reaching the $72,000 of our test unit, is surprisingly lighter than you'd guess at first. No, it's not inexpensive, but it's surprising to see a Mercedes rocket in Corvette territory. Just like the 'Vette, there's so much power and capability here that it's easy to scare yourself, and that fright can be addictive. The ability to turn 0-60 runs in the 4s will transform even that guy with the tweed porkpie hat into Rat Fink.
Gallery: Review: Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG
Photos Copyright ©2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Zane 7:21PM (7/18/2008)
Wow, awesome review AB! Who cares about cupholders and cruise control when you have a 360hp roadster to play with? Overall, I think the SLK55 AMG is an awesome deal but there's just one gripe. When the top's up, the car looks really weird.
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Joce03 8:33PM (7/18/2008)
Really? I think it looks amazing with the top up. Especially the curve over the rear wheel arches. Different tastes I guess : )
But, like you said, 360hp. Sounds like fun!
knifetramp 6:14AM (7/19/2008)
Top up or down, this car is gorgeous.
8189720 1:57AM (7/21/2008)
I care about cup holders and cruise control. It's been a peeve of mine for years and it's like saying that the car is fast, but with steel rims and hubcaps, but who cares, it's fast and has 360 hp.
Just because you can build it, doesn't mean you should, and just because in America we expect cupholders in a car, perhaps it's best one of the Germans said "no, sorry, you can't have them because we don't know how to make them." rather than put in these flimsy excuses of for a cupholder.
Aetius 7:23PM (7/18/2008)
Absolutely stunning photography, Dan. But I guess that's a pleasure when you have a subject as beautiful as this car. Wow. Can someone email BMW Design these pictures?
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dea911 2:29AM (7/19/2008)
really? i find the lines on the z4 coupe sexier. might i ad the fact that that body style has been on the shelf since 2002, and it still looks stunning
imho of course
Aetius 3:27PM (7/19/2008)
There is not doubt the Z4 is also a beautiful car. But in a certain way, it's over-designed and the front and rear lights let it down. The taut-lines on the sides are stunning but the full package is not cohesive. And that design issue has become standard through-out the BMW line-up. I think only the 3 Series Coupe manages to complete all it's design lines. MB, Audi and Mazda design seem to get that right across their line-ups.
Jo A. Borras 7:24PM (7/18/2008)
You should come drive one of ours ;)
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TKOsoccer03 7:57PM (7/18/2008)
The SLK has always been my favorite Benz.. there is nothing that can even begin to compete with it. It is truly a class of its own.
One of my neighbors has a 2004 SLK 350 and it is a pretty fun car. The handling is by no mean superb, but it's fairly quick, and grips the road fairly decently.
Great car.. great review.
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LloydChiro 8:12PM (7/18/2008)
"there is nothing that can even begin to compete with it."
How can you say that when there is the Boxster, Z4 and TT to consider?
I love the SLK, but for my money I'd still get the Boxster or Cayman.
TKOsoccer03 8:33PM (7/18/2008)
First of all, the Cayman & the Boxter are both mid-engines .. completely different cars in every respect.
Secondly, my dad has a Boxter.. it is bar none one of the most over-priced vehicles on the road, and the only reason he bought it was because he got a really, really good deal on it.
Both the Boxter S and the SLK 350 have 300 hp and the Boxter costs another $5,000. You get a 7-speed auto with the SLK, and with the Boxter you get a Tiptronic.. whooptydoo.
Ask anybody who has experience with both cars .. SLK > Boxter.
As for the Audi TT? You're joking right .. don't need to say anything. That is probably Audi's worst vehicle, and least reliable. It's a POS.
And the Z4 .. The SLK is also superior in every way. More power, better handling, more room, etc.. The Z4 M has a rather lazy and gutless 3.2L V6 with 330 hp. On the contrary, the SLK 55 has a 5.5L V8 with a 355 hp on tap, and even more torque to make you feel like your driving a fun car.
Like I said.. the SLK is superior to everything out there. The Boxter & Caymen is its best competition, however it is undoubtedly over-priced.
TKOsoccer03 8:33PM (7/18/2008)
Oh.. and for your money, lol .. you should really look at what your money is buying. I'm a Porsche fan, but the simple truth is the Boxter is not worth the cost.. it just isn't.
LloydChiro 8:59PM (7/18/2008)
You think the Boxster is overpriced when it is 90% of the 997 at a fraction of the cost, with better (sublime) handling?
captainslow 9:25PM (7/18/2008)
LloydChiro is right.
I hate it when these little boys come on here and talk about their dad's cars.
TKOsoccer, first of all there is no such thing as a Porsche Boxter or Caymen. The Boxster/Cayman is actually a great bargain for being one of the best handling cars on the road.
Also, the Z4 M has a fantastic inline-6, not a V6.
All of this aside, the SLK is still a great car.
TKOsoccer03 1:10AM (7/19/2008)
little boy .. that's funny.
i've driven more cars at the age of 20 than you will have driven in your entire life and i've drive both cars many times.. the SLK is superior. just ask anyone who's driven both, or read the magz reviews if my personal opinion isn't enough, which it obviously isn't.
You guys can think what you want, but I'm just speaking from experience, which is certainly biased towards Porsche. But the Boxster is their worst car without question and it is subpar.
innoc3nt 12:01AM (7/19/2008)
TKO, you have no clue.
EchelonBob 12:03AM (7/19/2008)
TKOsoccer03:
>First of all, the Cayman & the Boxter are both mid-engines .. completely different cars in every respect.
>Secondly, my dad has a Boxter..
I hope one day your daddy lets you drive his Boxster, so that you can truly appreciate just how unintentionally accurate (in the opposite sense) your first statement happens to be.
They're both nice cars, but I don't think many people buying a Boxster S would cross-shop a SLK350, because such folks are looking for the ultimate Porsche handling. However, someone buying an SLK300, looking for a pretty convertible, might possibly also check out a Boxster.
Re: the cupholders: German car manufacturers intentionally put them in front of the vents so that you can heat or cool your drinks. Unfortunately, this doesn't make as much sense in a convertible sometimes, as you tend to run the heater more often.
captainslow 3:50AM (7/19/2008)
Why don't you take a break from driving all those cars and take an English class.
I also love how you're so quick to point out manufacturers' "worst" cars. By Porsche standards, I suppose the Boxster is their least capable, which is why it is so cheap compared to their other models.
>But the Boxster is their worst car without question and it is subpar.
Subpar compared to what? Please explain your basis of comparison, since you make yourself out to be Autoblog's resident car expert.
Ken Stamper 6:57AM (7/19/2008)
I think that's your problem right there- a real Porsche has a manual transmission. Might as well be a rental Sebring with the tiptronic
PJ 1:07PM (7/19/2008)
"You get a 7-speed auto with the SLK, and with the Boxter you get a Tiptronic.. whooptydoo."
No! Bad consumer! No biscuit!
The correct response for either car is "you get the six-speed manual."
If both are automatics, you're missing out on half their character.