Just a heads up that tomorrows 5th Gear TV programme in the UK has a road test of the SLK55 and SL55...... 8:30pm channel 5

For us in the US, please let us know what they say.

TEAShea

Interesting comparison. My prediction:

-SL55 will be faster in a straight line
-SLK55 will be labeled as being more nimble, better handling ability

Its on now..... I'll let you know what they say but you'll also be able to download the whole programme soon afterwards at http://www.finalgear.com the guy that runs the website usually uploads a couple of days after the programme airs

Saw the programme. Was great to see the cars pitched against each other and the SL looked so much more beautiful and controlled than the SLK IMHO. Although i have to say it is totally put me off getting the 7 speed auto.

Drive this car the following way : turn off the electronics [ push the lowist button on the left side of the dash adjacent to speedometer 3 times quickly. Then push up arrow on left side of steering wheel twice. Then push + on right side of steering wheel twice. This will put you in the diyno mode. ...

It seemed Vicki was struggling with the traction control in the SLK, which resulted in the lap becoming very messy(bags of understeer) and resulting in us not seeing the true capabilities of the car. Considering it finished just 0.3 sec off the sl shows just how much sheer pace the car posesses. If Ms Butler-Henderson tried the above trick, I'm quite sure we would have a different result...............

To me tonights programme wasn't quite the way I expected it to go....... I thought the SLK55 would come out on top when compared to the SL55 on the track....... the track 5th Gear use is very twisty with very few straights so should have favoured the SLK...... but the SL was still faster which I was very surprised by! I've driven both cars and personally considered the SLK the better handling car and only slightly slower than the SL55.

Vicki Butler-Henderson didn't like the 7G auto or the ever present traction control....... she went as far as saying that she'd have more fun walking round the track that driving the SLK! She also said that the SL was the "much sweeter handling car"......

You could do the dyno mode trick to remove the traction control but thats only safe to do on track....... I for one don't fancy the idea of not having ABS brakes on the road so wouldn't risk turning the TC off completely (the dyno trick disables ABS as well as the TC!).

NeilC123..... I had the SLK55 on test over 4 days and didn't like the auto either, thats the main reason I cancelled my order and went for the new Boxster S instead! Vicki is a long time S2000 owner like me so I'm not surprised by her review that much but I am still surprised she prefered the heavy SL over the SLK (I prefered the lighter SLK).

Each to their own!!!!

I don't recall her saying she didn't like the 7g auto, rather the fact with their being no manual it could cause boos and hisses from some people(ie those who prefer manuals). What she didn't like was the traction control, big steering wheel and the seats. Although her main concern was understeer due to the traction control. Of course you wouldn't be advised to take off the electronics on the road but then you wouldn't need too. Afterall, who powerslides their way round public roads??

The car only understeers when its at the limits therefore this isn't a drawback when driving on the roads. Yet on the track disabling the electronics means you can have all the fun in the world and powerslide to your hearts content.

The fact that Vicky was all at sea in the slk shows just how quick the car really is, as it was only 0.3 sec behind the sl which didn't suffer the same understeer problems.

The reason why you could expect the Slk to handle better is the grip and poise it has compared to the SL which while driving on the roads is evident. However, on the track grip is not as imporant, rather the amount of oversteer/understeer is produced along with ease of correcing the car. If the traction control is working over time this will cause too much understeer, hence powersiling will become tricky. Swithing the traction control off on the track solves this, therefore with the SLK you have the best of both worlds in my opinion.

Are we forgetting that the SL cost twice as much as the SLK. I've had the SL and traded in for the SLK...I much prefer the SLK hands down. Better handling, better torque, better seat of the pants driving feel, a funner car to drive. SL more luxurious, more gadgets, better interior, inferior ride quality and craftsmanship. And most of all, less of a thrill to drive. IMHO...I'll take the 60K I saved on the trade in and be happy. Oh, and I get more gawking on the street.

I would have preferred the following sequence:" Up, down, up, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A."

Not many of you will get this. Its a classic Nintendo thing.


Car has cleared customs and awating the first round of prepping.


Cheers and best regards!

My interpretation was that she didn't like the auto..... but thats mainly because I've heard her slag off autos many times before...... and state that she'd always prefer a manual.

For the money I'd take the SLK over the SL

There is no doubt she prefers a manual gearbox, however, she never said anything in specific about the SLK transmission. All she said was although the SLK has an auto it has a quick/trick 7 speed transmission and that was it.

As time goes on someone will come up with a ECU
programer that will program our 7 speed auto to shift
tighter and quicker. As we have a 3.06 rear I like the
gearing of the auto as it raises the rear end gear effect to
that of a 3.90 in first.

No offense guys, but I think I'll keep my SL for the time being

we got both, SL 55 F1 package and SLK 55 , I like them both! I like the SLK for its nibleness and I like the SL because it is more refined and comfortable.

I guess our brains allow us to give different meanings to the same words...... to me when she said the car had a 7 speed auto and then imeadiately said "boo hiss!" that implies that she didn't like it...... the fact that I didn't like the 7G probably biases the way I heard what she said as well!

Why are you all so concerned if Vicki BH liked the car at all? Are you buying the car for here or for yourself? Will her liking the car influence your opinion of the car in any way at all?

Childish and unimportant IMO.

I'm not at all concerned about whether VBH liked the car or not but because she was the reviewer in the 5th Gear programme that this thread is discussing thats why we are talking about her views!!!!

I have already made up my mind about the car based on a long test drive and my decision to cancel my order was based on my liking of the car not anyone elses reviews (good or bad)...... its a great car but it didn't meet my requirements!

Are you suggesting that you are not influenced by other peoples views?...... if all car magazines and everything you heard about a new car said how bad it was would you still be so keen to drive and own one (not suggesting the SLK is such a car!!!)

Also if we didn't discuss other people opinions of the SLK55 wouldn't the entire forum be "Childish and unimportant" by your definition???? :v

That's the only way to fly!

good for you! you should try out the sl65!

no, we aren't thinking of SL65, either F430 or GT2 (996)

Well, lets put it it this way. There is NO car that bears the 3 pointed star that is EVER liked by journalists. Yet we still like them, and lo and behold, we have a forum for such people!

So, as for other people liking my car and influencing my decision, I would say no...

I'm buying the car with my money for me I couldn't care less what Tiff thought of the handling and Clarkson about the coolness of it.

clarkson owns an sl55 and he is a journalist.

Which he is subsequently selling for a FORD GT