Owner Review: Work Hard to Get Your Dream Car No Matter What It Is - My 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK250 CGI

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Basic information

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK250 CGI

Reasons why I bought this car

Exploring a reasonably enjoyable and maintainable entry into the sport/convertible car segment.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of RM270,000
• Models that I have considered include: BMW Z4 25i, Mercedes-Benz SL350,  BMW E93 325i 

My family has been driving Mercedes' for 3 Generations now, spanning all the way to my grandparents. Hence, I was extremely comfortable with the Mercedes branding and maintenance expectations.

Choosing the SLK250 over the SL350 was a tough choice. The SL had all the accolades going for it. The stature, history, engine note & road presence. However, driving the 2 cars back to back over multiple weeks, I found myself feeling more engaged and excited by the SLK. Its hard to explain on paper, but its just so much more engaging to drive out of the two.

Whilst the SL350 had that V6 growl, the M271 motor in the SLK250 was no slouch. Adding to that, the 250 was coupled with exhaust pops on upshifts which definitely made it feel faster than it was. After slapping on a remap 1 week after ownership, it was a real joy to drive. Even more so when you're trying to give Porsche Caymans a little push on the roads. They are undoubetly faster, but their frustration at how long it takes to lose a modified SLk250 is priceless.

The SLK Series hit all the right spots
- Turbocharged 4-banger (Didnt wanna deal with expensive roadtax)
- Convertible Hardtop (Always a party piece in public)
- Easy to maintain (You'll rarely find a workshop that would turn down an SLK for maintenance, as opposed to my experience trying to find somewhere to service an Abarth)
- Fun to drive
- Cost to experience ratio, extremely worth it

Why I didn't take the BMWs? E-series beemers aren't known to be reliable. Too scared to explore down that path.

User experience

• I have already done 86,350 km.

This was my first entry into the convertible market, and the SLK was a brave choice, as it gets labelled as a "hairdresser's" car all too often.

But let me tell you, when you drop the top on a lovely day, cruising around with short bursts of acceleration for that upshift pop, nobody thinks you're a hairdresser. In fact, the only thing you end up seeing is envy.

The SLK is the PERFECT car for anyone looking to explore accessible/affordable performance. It's fast enough, its corners well enough and super easy to maintain. In my 7 years of ownership, not a single mechanical failure.

Its completely changed my perception of entry-level sports cars as a whole and the SLK/SLC model line in particular. Would always recommend people to give it a try before dismissing it.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• -Hard Top Convertible (Safety concerns eliminated)
• Reliable
• Easy to maintain (Cheap parts costs, and ample accessibility to parts)
• Engaging & fun to drive
• Easy to manoeuvre due to its smaller size
• AMG Interior pack (Black Leather with Red Stitching + Red Seatbelts)

Cons

• Higher fuel consumption than other 250 variation Mercedes models
• Roof rubber seals need to be cared for
• Interior quality is sub-par. Unless you get the full leather interior option or Designo leather, it will feel very cheap. Not boring to look at, but cheap

Ratings

Total Score: 4
Performance: 4
Quality & Features: 4
Space: 2
Ride Comfort: 3
Fuel Economy: 3
Price & Cost: 2

Summary

Being the son of a car guy, my dad always told me that car culture is about enjoying the drive, and about how it makes you feel. It doesn't matter if its a bog-spec Toyota or a full-spec Ferrari. How it makes you feel is all that matters. With that in mind, I've always found myself able to enjoy any car I drive, and able to love just about most sub-cultures in cars.

Lastly, some interesting events that happened 

1. It's about to rain

- Hanging out at a roadside cafe, I parked my car upfront when it started to drizzle. Someone from the cafe made a snide remark "hope you brought your roof with you". This was when I remotely closed the roof while looking at them, replying "oh look, it's waterproof". Epic

2. Stopping for the twilight.

- Malaysia is truly a beautiful place. It was about 6:15 PM, and I was cruising down MEX highway with the roof down. The sky was in that beautiful Orange, Purple, Blue hue that we get on sunsets. I was so overwhelmed by the wind in my hair and the beauty of the sky, I had actually pulled over at the 1 service stop on MEX, just to take a step out and look at the car's silhouette against that beautiful backdrop.

3. Cold drives up and around Genting.

- Need I say anymore? 😉

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