A car's looks can drag you in or drive you away; it's as simple as that. Vehicles tend to be fairly polarizing, there's no grey area, no unknown. Either you like it, or you don't. Just like a house or an article of clothing, a car can elicit some pretty deep feelings and opinions in people, especially when you're going to drop tens of thousands of dollars on it.
When it comes to cars like the brand new, redesigned, 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350, it's all about the looks. Now, that's not to say the SLK 350 has nothing to offer behind the wheel or under the hood, but it is most definitely the car's design that initially grabs your attention and holds onto it.
So let's take a closer look at this sexy beast of a convertible. I had a few commenters over the course of the week who remarked on how feminine the SLK 350 was. Looking at the SLS-inspired front facade and grille, I'm not sure how that's possible. That nose alone is so full of aggression and masculinity, it's hard to call the SLK 350 girlie after spotting that schnoz.
Top up or down, the SLK 350 has a powerful stance. The two-seater loses none of the appeal with its fully electric, retractable hardtop in the closed position. And besides, in just 20 seconds you can expose the modern, sleek interior to the outside world and your arms and shoulders to the summer sun. And even with the roof up, this Merc still has an open, airy feel (despite being only big enough for two) thanks to a tinted panoramic vario-roof (which is a special polycarbonate blend that lets in sunlight during the day while also reducing insulation).
And if you really want to add to the “special” on your SLK 350, you can spring for the MAGIC SKY CONTROL which uses electric impulses to open or close tiny crystals on a teeny-tiny film that sits between two panes of glass to offer more or less tint – in other words: Something complicated that's bound to break eventually and cost an arm and a leg to repair.
My tester didn't have this magical sky nonsense, and I didn't feel like I'd slummed it without that feature. The panoramic vario-roof is a pleasant touch with the top up (which shouldn't be that often) and makes the two-seater cabin feel larger than it is. But, because the fully electric hardtop only takes 20 seconds to retract, I'm pretty sure (like me) you'll have it down as often as possible.
And Canadians fear not; you can enjoy your SLK 350 for a few extra weeks on either end of the summer season thanks to an optional retractable plexiglass system between the roll bars (to reduce the wind) and integrated neck-warmer vents (AIRSCARF system) in the seats. Bliss.
And those aren't the only cool interior features. Outfitted in slick red leather, my SLK 350 was truly dressed to the nines. Some two-seaters can feel quite cramped (go figure), but such was not the case in the SLK 350. The seats are comfortable for both long and short journeys and there's enough interior storage space to get by (with small pouches behind the seats, a middle stack storage bin and a large glovebox).
The trunk, of course, is a bit useless with the top down (as that's where it's stored) with only 225L of space available. With the top up, however, I can attest to the fact that a small 1 cu.-ft fridge fits quite nicely along with a few other bags of goodies (who says a convertible can't be a delivery car?).
Design-wise, the interior of the SLK 350 is spot-on. From the flat-bottom steering wheel to the red ambient lighting, there's something both race-inspired and sophisticated about this Merc's getup. And even though the onboard entertainment system is limited in its features (holy boring colours and screen Batman), it is easy to navigate thanks to the simplicity.
Let's step back for a moment and look at the Merc SLK 350 as a whole. For starters, it's a beefier looking two-seater. After hopping behind the wheel of the miniscule Mazda MX-5 GT just a few weeks before, the SLK 350 felt like a beached whale – at first. Then I threw it round a few corners.
This is not the most powerful Merc in the stables, far from it. But it definitely does the job at making any jaunt behind the wheel enjoyable. Tucked beneath that menacing front hood is a brand new, direct-injection 3.5L V6 that'll push you around with 302 hp and 273 lb.-ft of torque. Coupled with Mercedes-Benz's 7G-TRONIC PLUS 7-speed (are all the capital letters really necessary Mercedes? Just sayin'...), the ride is quite smooth and responsive.
As seems to be the trend across all cars nowadays, the rear-wheel drive SLK 350 offers a few different driving modes: E (economy), S (sport) and M (manual). There are also steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for your own gear selections. In manual mode, the shifts are fairly fast, but in every other setting they're a bit sluggish and not as crisp as I would have hoped in this car.
What I found most surprising about the SLK 350 was the ride comfort and handling abilities. I expected the SLK to be quite rough. With a low-to-the-ground sitting position and a sportier demeanour, I fully expected to compress my spine over every bump. But I didn't, not even in S mode. And yet, when I took twisties at speeds (which I'm apt to do), the SLK 350 didn't roll and the back end only came out when provoked (just the way I like it).
Perhaps where the Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 shines the most is in its price. This is the baby of the Merc roadster bunch. It is, by no means, the top performer nor is it the most illustrious. Coming in at a base price of $66,500 (before you start adding magic skies and such) its affordable sportiness makes it that much more attractive. This is a two-seater I could see myself living with. It's not entirely impractical, it looks hot and it's got enough grunt under the hood to keep me satisfied.
The overall look of the Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 definitely dragged me in, and the drive made me want to stick around as long as possible.
