Should You Buy an R171 Mercedes Benz SLK350 over a Boxster? Here's Why You Might 

Hi everyone. this is my SLK which James has reviewed. I would like to say a few things. 1st is that I previewed this about a month before and having pointed out a few bits missing from the comparison James has acknowledged this and changed it slightly to include some footage not previously included. Credit to him for for that. Nice honest bloke and that goes for his integrity in getting things as good as he can. 2nd. This is quite an honest review. The R171 SLK 2004-2010 is not perfect (having driven a Z4 convertible and Coupe). I'm sure the Boxter is a better sports car, and if I had a spare £16k+ to get a SLK55, I probably would upgrade, but I purchased this for £6500 in 2017, and they are good value. Personally I would not compare this with a Boxter, but with a Z4 as I see this as a mini GT and not an outright sports car. As a side note I am 6ft3 and I fit into this with the roof up and down. When I looked at a early Boxter, I could not even fit behind the wheel. 3rd. The faults are there, no car is perfect. I am happy, others would not be. I asked James to do this review as there is no real footage for this car on RU-vid. If you are looking for one, this is a very good grounding for you to start the hunt for one in the classified's.

For me, the fact that the SLK's have a real hard roof and not a flimsy cloth concoction put it head and shoulders above the competition.

I've got a SLK350 but have also owned a Boxster, TTS and Lotus Elise 111s and the SLK is by far the best day to day drive as far as marking all relevant categories (economy, reliability, comfort, speed etc) there are definitely other cars that do things better but this car does all things well and is definitely the best looking car.. Absolutely a future classic 👌

It took me 8 months to find a low mileage SLK 350 with a 7 speed manual transmission. Worth every minute of the wait. Very few out there, but it's a LOT of fun and can be used as a daily driver. So far she hasn't had any issues and I bought her 2 years ago.

I do love the McLaren influenced front end on the R171's...

When shopping for a used convertible, I was split between the BMW Z3 & Z4, Honda S2000, Jag XK8, and SLK350. I’m glad I went with the SLK350. Nothing beats a hardtop convertible when it’s winter time. Plus the SLK350 had more power than the other options and was the cheapest

Pre-2007 cars had a balance shaft issue in the M272 engine (SLK280, 300, and 350). This is potentially catastrophic. It was fixed in the 2007 facelift (the one with the inverted V in the front bumper) and also got a bump to 305bhp. Oh, and proper flappy paddles. Also, the boot spoiler was optional on all R171 cars, not just the AMG55, just look for the 'sports pack' option.

I think that this SLk has aged very gracefully, The SLK 350 is plenty quick with some publications when they were new stating 0 to 60 in around five seconds, I have driven a few and they have an excellent exhaust note, for some reason though this particular one doesn’t sound as throaty as some of the ones I’ve driven here in the states, even though they were unmodified…. Great review as always Jay thank you👌🙏💯

I love your videos and I was recently watching some of your older work, from 2 years ago or so and I can tell you your style and the quality of the videos has evolved healthily and nicely, good job.

I changed my 2008 SLK55 for a 981 Boxster GTS. The Porsche was a better car from a driving and interior point of view. But I did miss that silly glorious V8.

Just picked up an slk350 on the cheap a year after watching this video and I’m pleasantly surprised at how well it drives and it’s engine is strong. Definitely feels quicker than my v6 Alfa and 350z I had before! Yeah the gearbox is a bit slushy but kinda suits it as an open top cruiser. Was after a 987 boxster S but for the same mileage and year the slk was a third the price so took a gamble. No complaints thus far 💪

The R170 is a masterpiece! I have one, love the look, the ride, and how reliable it is

Thank you, just bought a 350 - 2006 with only 34 000 miles, i just love love it!!!!!

Bought a neglected 2007 SLK350 a few years ago, as I wanted a black one with red seats, which was hard to find. The interior was in good condition, with 110,000 km on the clock. Soon after, many gremlins appeared, mostly engine and gearbox related, which cost the same amount as the purchase price to fix at the dealership. I'm happy to say that the car is now in near perfect condition and is a joy to drive on smooth roads. I initially also considered the Z4 and the boxter, but I preferred the interior layout and the hardtop of the SLK. The plastics may not be of the highest quality, but they hold up pretty well in the hot sun of South Africa. The 55 was tempting, but I already had a V8 in my Cayenne and decided that a V6 was ample enough for such a small car.

I used to have the 2009 facelift SLK200 R171 with manual gearbox. great fun and reliable car. It was my only car for a few years and it just worked. boot space is there at the limit for a 1-2 weeks vacation, which means it's quite decent actually. if there wasn't the kid, I would definitely buy again a SLK350 or SLK55. and yes, I find the R171 gorgeous

I must say I do not agree with most of the comments in this clip about the SLK350. I own one myself (SLK350 2008 model) and was considering a Boxter or Z3/Z4 as well. I am glad I decided to buy the SLK as it is a comfortable sportscar. The suspension is fine (I live in Far North Queensland/Australia with most roads demanding) hard, but not too hard to get shaken all up. Also the power is strong enough for such a little car. The mileage you will get out of one tank is really good for such a car as well. Ah, and, the interior in the Boxter or BMW look a lot more "plastiky" than in the 350. It looks a lot more stylish in the 350 in my opinion.

I love that every your video starts with car passing by the camera

I had a clk350 sport with a full factory fitted amg body kit. Absolutely loved it, owned it for 6 years. It's amazing how much better the interior was on that car due to it being based on the e class.

I own a 55 here in Germany, and Volkswagen boxters and Z4's tend to get very small in my rear view mirror. And I will go toe to toe with the big boys...oh after 450,000 km. I had a Carlsson motor put in. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Thank you very much! This slk is one of the best cars ever made.!!! I have a slk, 320, year 2000. Already a Star too! !

You're absolutely spot on with the scuttle shake problem, I had a SL and it was worse than my Mum's Golf cabriolet!

I've got a 280, and it does everything I want. Massive amounts of smiles per mile. It's smooth and comfortable to drive and reliable.😊

For me, the fact that the Boxster has 2 trunks (boots) puts it head-and-shoulders above the competition. I've had a 981 and now a 718 that I have previously used as daily drivers and they're fantastic

Thank goodness now I can admit to adoring these smaller Mercedes Benz models. I had the impression these were models that were looked down upon a bit. Happily I was wrong.

I always loved the amount of sound coming from an SLK55, considering the size of the car.

Haven't had the chance to watch this yet but will throw my comment in ahead of hearing your insight. I had the opportunity at 18 to drive a 986 Boxster S and what was advertised as a R170 SLK320, but turned out to be a brand new R171 SLK350 manual. To this day, I maintain the SLK was the nicer car to drive. Couldn't get on with the Boxster at all.

Front wings where they meet the bumper is the area to watch for rust

I've had my SLK 350 for over 10 years. I love it. It's been the most reliable car I've ever owned. It'll soon need control arm work and probably some other things but the body, engine, and trans feel just as good today as when I got it.

Excellent content.

I had a 350, great car and superb value for money.

We had a SLK200 for 7 years , what a great sportscar😍😍

My '06 SLK 350 was mint when I got it. I found the power to be fine, the 7 speed transmission makes for truly excellent effortless acceleration and it's routinely run up past 200 KPH and it's very smooth. I have the 16" tires with no sport suspension so the ride is very good. I did find the body wallowed a LOT in corners at 130K+. I fixed that by installing AMG sway bars front and rear. On the transmission, it has sport and comfort and I added the A mode. That gives you way earlier downshifts, way higher RPM before upshifting and when manually shifting it will hold it at the red line and not shift unless you go past. You can also turn off the torque reduction 'feature' when cornering. All of this, coupled with very modern Michelin tires, means you will not be embarrassed by anything. There is also more power to be had by changing the fuel setting to 94 octane and using it.

Thanks J! Thanks for the info!

Very nice video. Keep up the good work.

I bought a 2007 SLK350 with 100K miles a year ago, previously pampered and garaged in Palm Beach FL so as pretty as the day it rolled off the showroom floor with zero rust. I only had to replace the front plastic bumper which had one too many cracks from scraping over curbs while parking. Very reliable since then, and very roomy for my 6ft 2 in frame compared to the Boxster and Z4 I checked out when shopping. The hardtop is WAY better than and ragtop will ever be. I love how it handles, and the 268 HP engine was more than enough to get me an effortless speeding ticket on a casino trip to North Carolina. This is one fun car.

Great video!

Dam it I was thinking of getting an SLK, now you will drive the prices up! 😉

SLK55 vs SLK350 is the perfect example of head vs heart. Of course, I've always been more of a heart guy myself.

A great informative video. Thanks

Little known fact about these cars: the 3.5 V6 in this car made a little over 300 hp, whereas all other “350” cars in the Mercedes range made 268hp until around 2014

I love my 2004 SLK350 R171 Manual. The manual box, never mind 1st gear being a bit low, is by far the best choice. Rust the rear sub frame, yes mine has been changed and the front wings need a little attention as well. The ride strangely enough I find a bit stiff when going slow and a bit soft when at speed. They made lots so you can get parts, and in the summer a press of the button and you have that open top feeling. I have the 17" 10 Spoke wheels, the 18" 16 spoke AMG wheels would fit right on, but I suspect it would make the suspension harsher than it already is. Negatives, well the corrosion as you mentioned, I would have liked it in white but that wasn't available until later. There are a few daft messages that come up from time to time, usually to distract you when your flying down the motorway. The seat moves back when you switch off, fine except if like me you leave the engine in gear and have your foot on the clutch (I think you can switch that off). The electric fan cooling the engine is incredibly loud. The prettiest of the available models and perfect for the Cornish lanes where I live.

I have an R172 SLK 200. I like driving it but it definitely isn't an out and out sports car. The interior is a massive improvement over the R171 though. I love the folding roof, definitely the best feature.

Sound from this V6 far better than the Passat W8 in your previous video

I bought the mrs a 350, the slightly newer one with just over 300 hp. Auto gearbox. It’s very rapid.(mind you I drive an auto long wheelbase transit custom as my daily drive). It holds onto the gear really well and around country roads in sport mode it’s brill. Rusty wings mind you! They always go where they are attached. 2 new wings needed. But who cares when it goes that well and the roof goes down in the summer

SLK350 is ridiculous value for money. £40k car for £5k. V6 sounds superb, performance is more than enough on the road. They need a bit of fettling to sort out the shakes, squeaks and rattles but there are excellent forums to help point you in the right direction. As a former owner of a 997 Carrera 2S, I’m having more fun and less stress in the SLK 350 I recently inherited than the 911. Amazing how some things are significantly undervalued.

Good info!

I have a 2007 SLK350, it doesn't have a single rust spot. I haven't had a single problem since I bought it 2016. And when the gearbox is in manual it shifts pretty fast.

Will we see a review on a clk55 amg w208 on the future? 🥺🥺 Really enjoying your mercedes benz reviews btw

Later R171 cars (2009>) as well as getting the increased power of 306bhp also benefitted from revised suspension and steering changes that made it a better and sharper car. Check out EVO on line for a proper review. I swapped my 2.5si Z4 for one and I have been so much happier. Ride in the Z4 was bone jarring and the SLK has just been a better thing to own.

Great review , surprised you didn't mention the engine issues of the early 350s , that's why I went for the r172 350 and love it

My 2005 SLK350 has the manual mode and the steering wheel paddles.. I guess it was an option on the 350. I like mine as it was only £3,500 (cheaper than a same aged MX5 or Boxster, I was going to buy), no rust and the ride is far superior to a BMW Z4.

The M272 V6 engines that were sold between 2004 and 2006 with engine serial numbers below 2729..30 468993 often show early wear of the balance shaft gears. This is a very serious problem and resulted in a class action law suit in the USA. Some say the problems were not over until MY 2009.

I think I will be sticking with my XKR.

wow the dark blue one looks so good

I had one of these 350's in a manual, it's first gear was ridiculously short and most of the time I started off in 2nd gear. The interior was indeed very cheap, the driver's seat creaked everytime you went around a corner, the engine had an intermittent strange knock when you started it, (strange for a 10,000 km engine) The roof creaked, but that could be stopped by lubricating all the rubber sealing. Engine performance was quite good, but in the end all the above faults were too much for me, so I offloaded it within a year.

Such excellent content! I would probably hold out and still save up for the Porsche instead

I had a 2008 350slk until this year. It was fun. It is very compact. It gave me a better time on the hill climb than previous cars audi a3, bmw 135. In last 4y a few things let me down... springs, battery, i fixed the rust. 106000 miles. Yes it rattled a lot due to the separator in the boot. But great for luggage for 2 people to go away for 10days. New Z4 G29, seems a lot better all round except larger.

I considered a SLK, was in the market for a convertible 2 seater. I ended up with a 2004 Porsche Boxster S 6-speed manual trans, midnight blue. Love the car, but would love to have a SLK also. :)

I e got the latest version of the SLK350, the SLC43, I have had it since new and really enjoy it. The suspension is nicely controlled, the later gearbox is pretty smart and changes it’s behaviour significantly between the modes the Sport+ is a little too much comedy. It is a really fun car to drive at up to 8 tenths, after that the lack of real finesse makes driving on the limit a bit too much guess work. My wife’s Mini Cooper S feels a much more angry car. Overall the folding hard top and the drive makes this car one I will hold on to as it is a road car and as such is pretty good.

I had a r171 SLK350 and got rid of it very quickly. As you rightly said, the suspension on anything other than a smooth road is appalling. But the main reason I sold it was the 7G box. It never seemed to do what I wanted it to do. It never changed up or down at the right time. I cant believe you were so kind about it. For me it destroyed the whole driving experience. I've now got a CLS55 AMG which I've almost finished restoring. You can borrow it if you like for a review!!

Good as all ways, I was interested to see what you had to say about the slk 350, I nearly went for one instead on the mk 3.5 mx5 2.0 tec I went with

Thanks for the video. I saw it after buying an R171 SLK 280 just a few days ago. So, less power. It has flappy paddles, but I doubt I will ever use them. I am enjoying it hugely. In a few days, it will be on its way to Spain, where it will spend the winter under cover and be driven in the summer months. So, I hope the bodywork and undercarriage will remain in the same condition as today-no visible rust on the body and almost nothing underneath. 50K miles and, it seems, garaging for almost all its life have given me a very nice-looking car. My only gripe is that the console (which looks much nicer than the reviewed 350) has that nasty, rubbery coating that is just starting to feel tacky under the finger. This was a spur-of-the-moment purchase; I looked at no other examples. But, I am happy that, as far as I can see, it is a lot of car for the money. Not even much in the way of squeaks and rattles, but the ride is firmer than I would prefer.

31.4 mpg, he's getting .3mpg more than my 2009 A150. Just goes to show sometimes it's better to have a big engine you don't have to work than a small one that needs loads of throttle to do anything

I have a slk 200, no rust on body work but I had to get rear sub frame welded (£350)& my fuel & brake pipes are next on my list (£500). Had it 4 years now, no other issues.

This is one of those cases where you need to really understand what YOUR definition of “sporty” is and what you want from it etc. boxster is definitely more sporty in the most proper sense of the word, but I know many that would consider this to be more so because they just don’t see “sporty” the same way as car nerds like us

Great video Jay but do you need to change the title (re: the Boxster)?

1 advantage of the SLK 350 is that it is also available with a 6-speed manual transmission with 3 pedals for the stick lovers like me. I drive a W203 C350 with this gearbox and it is a dream. Highly recommended than those sluggish torque converter automatics tbh.

Here in the United States the rare combo is the SLK350 with a manual because it's so rare to find one

My wife had a SLK230 for 15 years. She loved it, whilst I was always encouraging her to change it. Fantastic to look at (it had the full AMG body kit) but dire dynamics and power delivery always made driving it a disappointment. Also for all budding car engineers/designs the SLK is perfect for you to experience and appreciate shuttle shake.

The manual version of this should be quite fun (if you can find one)

I'd still have an MX-5 untill I can save up for a Boxter. Just maintanace + parts alone on an old Benz is a an expensive chore...

I have owned an SLK 350, a 986 Boxster S and a BMW Z4 3.0si. All three fantastic. The Boxster probably edges it over the others. In fact, I definitely edges it. And yet, I find I miss my SLK the most.

It's very light with a short wheelbase for great mpg and performance. 5/5

I have a beautiful pearl white 350 and it's fun and sporty ❤️

The best looking SLK. You should try and get hold of an SLC43 AMG. Fabulous little car and used prices are ludicrously low already.

SLK55 has M113 engine (or very close derivative) whereas the SLK350 has the M272 engine which is a generation ahead of the M113 and not related.

I drive an R172 SLK250 and while I considered one of these in the end I much prefer the newer model. Most important for me was there interior, IMO it's just hideous on 171 while the 172 actually has a gorgeous interior. (Especially with the dark red leather i have) Add to that the better looking exterior in AMG trim, without it I prefer the 171 and, a still pretty poor, but better power steering and the choice was pretty easy. As for the engine, I live in the Netherlands so fuel economy is a little more important as we pay crazy much. But I love the 1.8 Turbo, for what it is it sounds great even with the stock exhaust. It's pretty efficient as i can do 16 KM a liter if i put in a little effort. And as long as you are above 2000 RPM it goes like hell. (I actually love the turbo gap even thought technically speaking it's a bad thing) And still I'm sad that i can't daily an ND MX5 as i can't fit with the roof shut. Oh well who knows maybe I'll fit in the NE😅

I have a 350 slk 2004 6 speed manual .. with AMG option same body kit and wheels as the 55 for the money £5400 i cant fault it it was a 45 k car when new I have updated the Stereo added a subwoofer as well the big change came when i replaced the front suspension with new arms and uprated dampers Bilstien B8s the difference was night and day gone was the soggy front end and aquired was its ability to change lanes at crazy speeds without fuss it was fitted with the factory sports suspension from new i think i have just upgraded that .. i will be doing the rears next year I have also been over Europe and the swiss alps on a 12 day tour in a 350 manual and it was perfect for the job averaged 35 mpg makes some great noises in the tunnels I see the 55 as more of a toy as its at least 10k more brake maintenance can be crazy with brembo 6 pots and 345 mm split discs and it likes to drink ,, if they made a manual though one i would go for it .,. i hear the same story about the gearbox .. its never quiet it the gear you want it to be in Faults so far Fan packed in they are known for this easy but pricey to fix Rust spot on front wing they are known for this its a bracket behind it that starts it Rear subframe can rot out and MB have been known to replace them under warranty Rust is really not an issue with the SLK 171 the 170 is though I bought I carsoft to diagnose any issues and kick start the Air Con again cheap at £135 I chose its for steel roof.... boot capacity ., its not an out and out sports car but can deliver if needed .. it sounds great and looks great ..its a Merc would not hesitate in recommending one it is the bargain covertable in my view The review here knocks the quality i cant fault it for the money i really cant

It would be good to show the features you are talking about as you refer to them.

The 55 is a hoot to drive but the previous generation SLK32 AMG was an absolute terrorist of a car, when you put your foot down in that thing it felt like you`d been fired out of a slingshot...cost me a fortune in speeding fines when I had one back in 2008 in South Africa...

Better mpg than most 2.0. Cyls

I had one. Nice car. They all go rusty under the wheel arches. Have a look.

I’d still prefer the 55. Sounds better, goes better & yes it will drink fuel what V8 doesn’t but the V6 isn’t exactly that brilliant on fuel either

Not the same car but I've been lucky enough to own C350 with a manual transmission. I've enjoyed driving it for 10 years and have never had any major issues with it. It's old enough now that it is starting to get compliments. Is it the best at anything? Probably not. Is it very good at most things. Yes indeed. Not close to a relevant car anymore but I can't see myself ever selling it because I could never find one again.

I was looking at both the 350 and the NC MX5. Might go for the Mazda

Not sure if you mentioned the hefty road tax bill? If it's the same as my wife's CLK350 sport cab, which I'm pretty sure is £580 from memory.. certainly above £500 anyway. It still makes me wince to think it's the same as a supercar..LOL Great review!

If you thinking about the 55, just do it. You wont regret it and neither you wont get it unless you experience it!

There’s a loaded 05 350 near me with a manual. It’s got around 100,000 miles though, and I’m unsure about the “first year” reliability.

I am looking to buy one of these, love the front look, silver amg auto 70Km, supposedly all serviced and good to go. Worth the punt?

Had a Jag, soon realised I'd made a mistake as so uncomfortable hard ride, went back to an SLK 250.

If theres bubbling on the arches, there will be plenty elsewhere.

I think that you should do a comparison of the SL against the SLK for value of money and driving experience and running costs. The SLK looks more like the old original SL being physically small meaning useable as opposed to the SL. Unfortunately the SLK was built in America in the Chrysler - Daimler Benz days so the quality was poor. 6 speed manual SLK would be nice.

This went down well on the SLK forums...

I rather like the 320 in the previous shape. And if they’re still as cheap, next year I probably will

Always loved that 350 - drove it on a track when it first came out back to back with an SL55 - the 350 was way, way better and more fun at lower speeds - even if 'lower speeds' were well over 100mph.... Great car, I would get one if I didn't need a back seat.

I did..and i am happy

Shame you didn't use a facelift SLK 350 with the revised engine...305hp and 7200rpm.

Nearly got the 350 as it was so much car for the money

You need to test the slk350 with 6 speed manual. It is way better and muck sportier and engaging.

Спасибо за честный обзор, SLK r171 На самом деле он такой как вы сказали, у меня такой же, только SLK280 с 3.0 л. Искал свой очень долго, так как купить SLKr171 в хорошем состоянии очень тяжело, а в идеальном состоянии найти SLK280 практически не реально! За кузовом у этой машины на самом деле надо хорошо следить и хорошо ухаживать! Такие машины необходимо хранить как раритеты! Ещё раз спасибо за видео. И привет владельцам этих машин. Thanks for the honest review, SLK r171 In fact, it is the same as you said, I have the same, only SLK280 with 3.0 liters. I was looking for my own for a very long time, since it is very difficult to buy an SLKr171 ​​in good condition, and it is almost impossible to find an SLK280 in perfect condition! The body of this car really needs to be well monitored and well taken care of! Such machines must be kept as rarities! Thanks again for the video. And hello to the owners of these machines.