Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster (04-11) - Review

Review by Dan Harrison on
Last Updated: 20 April 2009
The Mercedes-Benz SLK is a feel-good convertible. Every one of its engines is a pleasure to drive, it looks stunning and has a party-piece in its folding metal roof. Inside it’s well built, comfortable and well equipped. As a result it’s been a hit for Mercedes-Benz and used prices have stayed high. But while it's undoubtedly desirable, the more powerful models are expensive to run and the manual gearbox - standard on smaller engined versions - isn't pleasant to use. Plus in terms of driver involvement it can't match the likes of the Porsche Boxster. But for refinement and style - few convertibles come close.
4 out of 5

Other Mercedes-Benz reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

Although expensive to initially buy and costly to service and insure, the SLK isn't too bad on all other cost fronts. Depreciation is slow, so you're likely to hold on to a large chunk its value. For its type, fuel consumption is reasonable and models registered after April 2008 are cheaper to tax as CO2 emissions were lowered.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Variable according to on board computer.

Warranty

Three-years/unlimited miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£215.00 - £460.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
    184
  • J
  • K
  • L
    255
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

Pre-2008 cars have an average of 229 g/km CO2 across the line-up, which is a little high for a sports roadster. There were significant changes on the eco front in early 2008 as Mercedes-Benz sought to bring down the emissions of its entire range. CO2 for the 200K drops 27g/km to 182g/km, the 280 decreases 11g/km to 216g/km while the 350 is down 23g/km to 219g/km. Fuel consumption improvements range from 1.3mpg to 4.2mpg across the range.

Find the exact engine and CO2