2015 Mercedes-Benz SLK250 Manual

2015 Mercedes-Benz SLK250 Manual

Treatment to shift on your own but resolutely refrain from anything not built by Mercedes-Benz? Your alternatives, good eccentric sir, are excruciatingly minimal. So limited, in truth, that the proper word is “choice, ” certainly not “choices. ” The 2015 SLK250 may be the only U. Ohydrates. -market vehicle donning the three-pointed star to make available a stick move. Since buyers deciding on the manual represent simply a tiny percentage regarding SLK customers—themselves a little fraction of the buying populace, with just 4757 completely new SLKs sold in 2013 and 4353 moved within the first eleven a few months of 2014—this test was, for one of the most part, born coming from our sheer awareness.

One of Just one, with Six Data transfer rates
To put the SLK250’s position within the loneliest of light, it should possibly be mentioned that not just is every various other Mercedes-Benz sold in america automatic-only, but so, too, is the complete high-performance AMG selection. We figure that will Mercedes, considering the SLK’s overtly sporty competitors for example the Audi TT, the BMW Z4, and also the Porsche Boxster, needs a manual to establish at the least some sporting credentials.

The manual transmission certainly increases the SLK’s driver-engagement factor, and we valued the shifter’s tight throws and also the clutch’s precise takeup. We’d christen the transmission roaring success were it not for your outdated engine it’s mated in order to. The 1. 8-liter four-cylinder turbo’s improve is slow to develop, making rev-matched downshifts tough and lending the powertrain an atmosphere of sluggishness. Organic beef be Savers in the Manuals, but this manual’s savior is often a different engine. Subbing within the 2015 C-class’s turbocharged only two. 0-liter four would have been a good step within the right direction. (This may happen if the SLK is current within a year or so, but we know that the manual can be dropped during that time. )

It’s a shame regarding the engine, because the SLK’s chassis surprises and delights having a playful tail-happy attitude. Disable the security control, vector the SLK’s nose right into a tight corner while dabbing the brakes, and also the back end whips around in a very decisive, easily controlled manner. Our test car came furnished with the optional Powerful Handling package ($990), including adaptive dampers using Sport and Ease modes, as well since the Sport package ($2500), which in turn brought 18-inch AMG tires, a body kit, and red background cabin lighting.

Siblings from Stuttgart Could possibly be Closer than That they Appear
In far more sedate scenarios, the SLK tries mightily in order to impersonate its SL-class brother. It only partly succeeds. It might share most of its aesthetic with the SL—minus that car’s uncomfortable detailing and odd proportions—but the SLK lacks a fantastic measure of the bigger brother’s high-class vibe. A wide range of road and roll noise penetrates the cabin, and the turbo four booms at highway speeds. More than chassis-twisting obstacles, the roof elements squeak and groan, but it ought to be noted that the lid’s generous wine glass area affords field of vision unmatched by other convertible tops. Our test car’s $2500 electrochromic “Magic Heavens Control” fixed sunroof adds to the airy sensation, plus it brings extra relief on the tight cockpit.

The small-but-upscale roadster segment is often a shrinking one, however the SLK still stands close to the top. At some sort of starting price regarding $44, 875, this kind of Mercedes offers good value, with strength seats, Bluetooth, rain-sensing wipers, 17-inch tires with summer auto tires, and the convertible hardtop common. Slather on one more $15, 695 in options to get our test vehicle, and it is often a tougher pill in order to swallow, especially if the 10Best–awarded Porsche Boxster delivers more flash and dash for equivalent money. There certainly is novelty in this SLK’s manual indication, but we’d still possess the quicker, V-6–powered SLK350 or even the fire-breathing, eight-cylinder SLK55 AMG. How would some of those perform with some sort of manual? It’s too undesirable we won’t ever uncover.