I'll be looking at the revised 2008 SLK350 to possibly replace my 2005 BoxsterS. For anyone who has driven both, could you share your impressions regarding ride, handling, comfort, amenities? I'm not comfortable in the Boxsters seat any more (back issues) and I only rarely take advantage of its potential. I'm looking for more comfort, quiet, luxury while still enjoying an exciting roadster with manual transmisssion and a great exhaust note. Thanks for any input.

 

have you consider the Lexus SC430 or SL550??

coz if you don't think Boxster are good enough then the SLK won't be much better
although SLK got comfy suspension but is still a really harsh ride compare to your current ML

 

Can't provide any comparison between the two. The USA version SLK 350 is automatic only for 2008.

 

Dude, i've been trough this for long time b4 bought SLK55

Tell you some, forget everything, wake up tommorow and take SLK, except you consider 911 else forget it.

Hope this strong statement will help

Gud luck

 

Go for the SLK. The hard top / convertible combination is hard to beat.
I'm sure the S is faster, corners harder etc etc. For 99% of your driving the comfort of the SLK will come up trumps.

The Airscarf alone is worth the difference.

 

The boxster is just too ugly for me, never like the design. It's faster, handles better, performs better in every category. But the SLK looks better and b/c of it's comfortable ride, will be a better daily driver. Plus you can't beat the hardtop. IMO.

 

I agree. Never liked the look of the Boxster, and that look hasn't improved over the years. I do like the the name.

 

When you consider what percentage of your driving time is actually spent doing performance driving, you should realize how much more, comfort and appearance matters. I'd rather have a dynamite looking car that has good performance than a super performer that not too stylish (BMW Boxter!!).

 

BINGO! That's me. Kind of like "Fa55t sitting still".

 

bmw boxter? what's that?

 

It's for the 280 vs. the regular Boxster, but it's a data point:

http://www.slkworld.com/42898-post1.html

No such luck, mate. As -1- said, only the 280 can still be had with a manual transmission in the US.

 

Looks like a boat, drives like a boat.

 

I just went through this process, and chose the SLK350 with the AMG package. I'm a Porsche guy, but the SLK350 won out for the more comfortable ride and amenities. The hard top is great and will look great for a long time, while soft tops start to weather fairly quickly even if protected. The air scarf is great for cooler-weather driving. The Porsche also didn't have a well-integrated GPS/satellite unit - it can be installed but isn't really designed for it and costs a lot to get. I have to admit, the Mercedes GPS is not very good, and not as intuitive as others on the market (or portables, for that matter). I'm pretty disappointed in it, but it usually does the job.

The ride in the Boxster S is also harsher, even compared to the AMG sport package. There is more feedback through the steering wheel in the Boxster S (my wife described it as 'buzzing'). I didn't mind it as much.

The Boxster S handles better and corners great. The SLK isn't as good there. As much as I'd like to drive like this all the time, I don't. For the vast majority of my driving, the SLK does a fine job and is still a lot of fun.

The 350 has good low-end power compared to the 280. The AMG 55 is more than I need for 99% of my driving, and the extra gas required for the rest of the time isn't worth it for me.

I like the looks of the Boxster S, but the SLK is also a great looker (especially compared to the older SLK's which were fulgy IMHO). I don't like the looks of the Lexus. It looks the same going forwards and backwards, and it rides like a boat. I'm not a fan of BMW's, so we didn't take one for a ride. We tried the Jaguar XK too, but the ride was not sporty enough and seemed to weigh a lot more.

There you have it. 3 months of research and test drives and for us, the SLK350 won out.

Now if they would just enhance their GPS.