faithful_lothario

how many guys actually buy these cars?

Maverick

I know this was an issue prior to the 171 models (although I really don't know why, as I thought the previous body style was a good looking sports car as well.) But with all the specific things that MB did to ditch that "chick car" label-- F1 front end, originally just the larger engine version, no pink, yellow, or powder blue, etc.-- I thought that perception had largely disappeard.

I have been reading and posting on this forum since well before I ordered my car in September of 2004, and it is my impression that the vast majority (>80-90%) of posters are men. The car looks great, drives well, and has nearly all the features I want. Could someone please explain to me what this issue is all about?

faithful_lothario

all the SLK's in houston I've seen have had female drivers. Even the nice SLK55 i saw had a female driver. Maybe it's just a houston thing?

Duo-Art

My guess is that you will see a lot more guys on the various forums even if the ratio of owners is 50% men, 50% women. Most of the women that I know who own sports cars look at them as cars, not a hobby. We guys tend to be far more interested in the technical stuff than the women that I know. I hope this doesn't sound sexist.

amgme

poll is a bit skewed. not much gals posting on these type of forums.

faithful_lothario

not much gals on any car forum. Ask a dealer and he'll tell you that most of the buyers are girls.

-1-

Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. Any facts to back that statement up?

faithful_lothario

i asked my dealer in houston, texas.

Ynot

It must be a houston thing, I see alot of older men driving the slk, all the slk drivers I've seen except for one is a woman. There were stats last year posted by one of the members, it was a lot more men and women purchasing the r171. It might be on benzworld, I can't recall.

faithful_lothario

sometimes its older guys going through their mid life crisis.

AcesHigh

Another question could be.. Who cares?

faithful_lothario

people look at you in a funny way.

monaw

I'm a female who just got my SLK280 for Xmas. My husband likes it, but he said he wouldn't buy one for himself, he has an CLS550. Oh, by the way, he's one of those older guys who says he would have an SL600 though.

RoadkingHI

I bought the SLK, wife says it is too fast and furious.... something like that. She likes the SL better, smoother, softer and "elegant"....

N4PWJ

you will see more guys on forum as men are car enthusists. women dont want to know statistics and how to fit vario roof modules and what width of tyres to use (well not all of them).
however in Belfast i do see alot more women driving the SLK than men unfortunately. but it's a unisex car for sure.

big SLK

this must a houston thing b/c
all the SLK drivers i see are men only 1 female.
This is in Dallas.

Maverick

I just checked with my dealer's salesman, whom I consider a friend (MB of Tacoma), and he says that in his experience, since the 171 came out, it has been pretty much an even mix of women and men buying the SLK. In any case, and for what it's worth, I have to say that in my opinion it's a silly concern.

I know that BMW had a similar problem with the Z3, but I always thought that was the coolest looking pure sports car they ever made. But then again I grew up in an era and a location (Los Angeles) when it was always a teenage boy's dream to have a Spitfire, or an MGB, or a TR4, or an Austin Healy, or a Sunbeam Tiger, or a Lotus Elan. (Although Emma Peel did indeed drive the latter, we also thought that all Elan's included an Emma Peel as standard equipment.)

Veroomer

I got more guys coming up to me complimenting this car than girls...I'm far from being ugly . My color choice could be consider on the feminine side, but I wanted to be different and not stand out. I think the only one in the R171s that looks fragile is the stock 280...but that just needs some mods to give it machismo.
Of course you could paint the car pink... https://mbworld.org/forums/slk55-r171/176553-slk55-amg-pink-edition.html

tee_tz

I think for the SLK55 it's certainly a guy's car. I think very few girls would be listening to the salesman ramble on and on about extra horsepower, 0-60 times, and high performance brakes. But I do see many girls buying this, some guys, but honestly more girls; but I don't know the official number.

Either way, we can say it's a car both girl and guys love!


Tee_Tz.

Shinigami

Roughly one time in ten do I see a woman driving the new SLK over here in the Lausanne/Geneva region of Switzerland.

Make of that what you will

bmwnomore

For what it's worth, the few SLK's I've seen have been driven by women or older men. The couple of SLK55's I've seen were driven by younger (forty-ish) men. I fall into the latter category. Maybe I should have gotten a 55.

platinumsc

South Fl is a haven for high end cars. I see a good mix of both sexes in the new SLK.
Sorry to take the thread in a slightly different direction but what I don't see is a lot of minorities in the SLK. The CLS, EClass and SClass, yes but not the SLK...whick I think is one of the best looking cars of the brand.

drakon

definetely more women driving the SLK than men. on the other hand, the slk55 is about 50/50. In my area of Los Angeles, SLs are more common than SLKs, and E classes are about as common as accords, don't know if that skews people's perception?

Duo-Art

In the Chicago area, I see a lot more SL 500's than SLK's too.

Murtaza

Most of the SLKs i've seen down here were being driven by ladies.

Not like it matters, style is subjective. To me, the SLK is small, curvy and stout; just not aesthetically pleasing.