Test drive Mercedes Benz SLK R170 2000 - 2004 convertible

Envy generator

The existence of extra money, good weather and free time remind us of cars such as Mercedes-Benz Slk.
Apparently, this machine exists to cause the envy of others. Firstly, these are Mercedes. Secondly, Mercedes is completely new. Well, this, reluctantly, you can still forgive its owner. But SLK is a class, an open double car, that is, a car for those who have a lot of free time, few problems and enough money
Lower threshold. You don’t sit in SLK, but almost fail. The sensation is similar to the time when completely unexpected for you, a step appears under your foot. The same in this machine: the lower part of the body is already anticipating the meeting with the seat, and it steps on a split second and a few centimeters later.
Planting in SLK sports, seat too. But I did not really like the profile of the chair: in the place where a person could have a tail, behind the coccyx, a completely unnecessary space remains in the chair. It seems to put a beer bottle there - it will not interfere. At first, you do not attach importance to this, but then it becomes not very convenient. And the seats have only two adjustments-back and forth and along the back of the back. But the provisions of memory are as many as three. One is for yourself. The second is for a friend-friend. And to whom the third is intended, it can be the reason for clarifying relationships.
In the extreme lower, most convenient position for me, the rim successfully blocks the speedometer readings from 20 to 200 km/h, and at the same time the counter of the traveled path. And here even a passenger will not help you if you appoint him a navigator. He will not see the devices, no matter how hard he tried. The reason for this is the design of the shield. The devices are hidden in deep, hidden from prying eyes wells. The real pipes - you can touch them with your hands! True, cleaning this design element from road dust inevitable in an open car seems to be a fascinating occupation in advance.
The steering wheel in SLK is absolutely wonderful both in form and in content. Very dense, it gives a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhat position the wheels are in. From the back of the steering wheel can be located transfiguration buttons. One on the right, the second - on the left. The fact that they are related to an automatic box, I guessed immediately as soon as I pressed one of them, on the right. The box went into manual mode and switched to the transmission up. I pressed the left button. The same thing happened: again, plus one program. Later, I found out that the buttons work like a swing: you will click on the part that is closer to the driver - the transmission rises, click from yourself - falls one down. In my opinion, this is one of the most convenient schemes. In addition, the transmission can be switched by traditional swaying of the automatic transmission of the automatic transmission sticking out of the tunnel.
Semeter. As an option on SLK 350, the latest, the world's first 7G-Tronic 7G-Tronic automatic machine is placed. I don’t know if the work of the box is related to the number of steps, but in manual switching mode they occur almost instantly, and the brake effect when the lower level is enclosed that the bodies of the riders are almost hanging on seat belts - the imitation of real mechanics is almost complete. But this is not enough: the manufacturer claims that the SLK with a 7G-tone and a 3.5-liter engine accelerates faster than with a 6-speed mechanics: 5.5 s to a hundred versus 5.6.
It is especially pleasant that with this automatic, by turning off ESP, you can feel what powerful rear -wheel drive machines buy for. At a sharp start from a traffic light on a humid asphalt, the stern shakes the stern so that it becomes scary for cars in the neighboring rows, and on a dry road, when the steering wheel turns to stop it, it turns around in place!
With a short base, the rear -wheel drive is felt especially acute. Part of the test route passed through the mountains along the highway, where every two hundred meters one after another was followed by his mother-in-law languages-turns-stalks 180 degrees. With the stabilization system, the SLK almost unfolded across the road, it was worth adding gas at the output from the turn. Mercedes clearly responds to provocations. It will be when in the fall to go on sale of SLK with an AMG engine with a capacity of 360 horsepower!
I tried the weakest of the engines offered for SLK-a 1.8-liter compressor with a manual box (200k index). It is also fervent! Confident acceleration from the bottom itself, the optimal craving at all speeds - you can forget that you are going with a pen, until you squeeze the clutch at the traffic light. At the same time, switch the programs - well, just pleasure, so everything is clearly and harmonious this happens in SLK.
FOR TWO. Roadster is not just a car for a driver and a passenger. This is something less. If the place on the right is occupied, then you will have nowhere to attach a mirror camera - all the existing containers, pockets and mesh are too small, and only the CTP policy rolled into the glove compartment will fit into the glove compartment.
Things in SLK should be put in the trunk. In two parts, the lower and upper, it is divided by a folding plastic partition. It is needed in order to cut off the free space that is necessary to fold the roof. While the partition is not installed in place, the roof will not work out. In general, everything is quite simple. But the trick is that in the open state of the car, when the glass-metal shell is folded in the trunk, only a small gap remains to access things. I could not drag a cofr - a bag for equipment, which, with a certain perseverance, can be pushed by your feet under the seat on the plane - I failed. And in the cabin, there was no place in the cabin, except for the passenger on the arms or in the legs, as they carry pots with soup to the cottage or jar of milk back. Oh, sorry for the comparison: such a car and bourgeois life are incompatible.
However, when I tried to combine two desires - to go with an open top and not to throw luggage or passenger on the street - every time I had to climb into the Cofr, to raise the roof. Fortunately, it goes to this - well, you can not even say, for all manufacturers this value is now almost unchanged, like the number of pi, for 20 seconds.
Rev.-- STSR. When the roof is raised, then SLK is a normal compartment. The head of the ceiling does not support, as in a classroom compartment class lower; The review is excellent as you can demand. It is convenient to hand back both in mirrors and turning your head, but looking forward, which is surprising, the frame of the windshield, which on cars with a cleaning top, they usually make especially strong and thick - in case of overturning.
In the position of the convertible, SLK is similar to all other open vehicles. When hot, the sun is baking even on the go; When it is cold, the wind cools the crown of the head. But Mercedes has something unique, something that no one has yet stole it, having come up with the same device another name - the Airscarf system, it is also an air scarf.
In the headrests, which are a continuation of sports seats, right at the level of the neck there are barred holes. Warm air is supplied through them - the intensity and flow temperature in three steps are regulated by a special button. I traveled at a plus of ten. The scarf was worthless. The subjective sensation is this: this sun bakes the neck, only the skin, no matter how much sit, does not burn, although the face is covered in a convertible tanned. But the elbow, which, by car without air conditioner, gives the driver in the man in the summer, is unlikely to light up the owner of SLK: to put his hand on the windowsill is uncomfortable - too high.
There is another reason to go to SLK open: you will hear the sound of its engine. The 350th model is just a public challenge. He makes people turn their heads and silently envy those who have enough money and free time, but the main thing is deprived of the need to hide behind the tinted glass of the limousine.
Text and photo Sergey Sherestnikov

Mercedes-Benz Slk 200 Kompressor Slk 350
The engine is gasoline 4-cylinder, with a mechanical supercharger gasoline V6
Working volume (cubic meter) 1796 3498
Power (L.S. at rpm) 163 at 5500 272 at 6000
Moment (Nm at rpm) 240 at 3000-4000 350 at 2400-5000
The rear rear drive
Gearbox 6-speed mechanical 7-speed automatic sectral type
Length/width/height (mm) 4082/1777/1296 4082/1788/1298
Wheel base (mm) 2430 2430
Equipped mass (kg) 1390 1465
Maximum speed (km/h) 230 250
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 7.9 5.5
Fuel consumption (medium, l/100 km) 8.7 10.1
The price in Moscow from $ 51.5 thousand from $ 71 thousand.

 
 
 

Source: "Autopilot"