Call your local dealer and schedule a test drive. People here can tell you their opinions all day, but in the end its your opinion that matters, isn't it? :icon14:

Before my Z I drove a 2005 Crossfire SRT6, which is basically a rebadged SLK. All the components from hoses, to exhaust, to supercharger are badged Mercedes. That car was awesome! The power from that FI v6 was amazing. That being said, I think the ride, comfort and handling of the Z are much better. I went 207 350Z to the SRT6 and now to a 2011 370Z. Hope that opinion helps, it is after all, just my two cents. :tiphat:

I currently own an SLK and was pleasantly surprised with the handling, once I got used to it's eccentricities. It even delivers fairly good fuel economy on the big road. Incidentally it is a roadster (retractable HT) rather than a coupe and isn't all that quiet. <g> I am just thinking about getting something different and have never owned a Z.

Yes. The Crossfire was built on the previous generation (R170) SLK platform. Thanks.

I own a SLK350 and recently bought a 2011 370z, we are comparing two different cars here.

The merz is more classy and elegant, definitely fit better as a daily
driver cause it has a smoother ride, and more quiet.

The Z is loud, more aggressive and definitely have more power. Handling wise i think the Z is far more superior.


If you like to cruise around in town with your wife/gf then stay with the more luxurious SLK. If you like to drive a lil more aggressive, like the sound of a louder engine and faster sports car, go with the Z

Thanks. What model year SLK did you have? How long did you own it and how many miles did you put on it v. the 370Z?

Thanks again.

op- just go test drive one. end of story.

:iagree:

If you think your SLK handled well, then you need to test drive a Z. However, the 370 is not quiet by any means. A lot of people complain about the noise. I for one, love the noise... lol.

Amen.

Its a 2009 . I have the Z for 2 months and it is now my daily driver. The Z is more of a wow factor comparing to the slk thats for sure. But like everyone else said, test drive one and get an on experience with it

Ben,

FWiW, I got my wife one of the first ML-320s in 98. We used to enjoy driving around that first year, spotting maybe 1-3 other MLs a week. Then the vehicle got too popular.

Another issue we had was that routine warranty & maintenance work always included about 12-15 pages of other stuff than we had ordered, apparently chargebacks to the Mercedes factory for various recall campaigns. A lot of the time, we were pretty sure there was nothing wrong with what was being "fixed".

When we got to the end of the 50K warranty period, the string of $700 bills started arriving ... aimed at US. Mass air sensor? $700. Inside rear latch defective? (We never tried to open the hatch from the inside.) $700. A simple oil change & filter was at least $200. And you couldn't get 3rd-party work for something as simple as brakes pads, because they all said Mercedes controlled the supply of parts.

The happiest day for my wife was the day she got this car for her 50th birthday. The second-happiest was the day we traded it away.

We like the SLK a lot, but it's another 40 miles to the next-nearest Mercedes dealer, and it's just too much to pay for a car that looks like a Hyundai. My wife's happy in her current Acura TL. I'm happy in my Z. And we both fight over who gets to use the Honda Element. :)

:icon18::iagree: It's like most of the sensors are designed to break just shy of the 50K warranty and then begins the fun part. I left the sunroof slightly open and of course it rained, $1500 to fix sensor, no 3rd party shop wanted anything to do with it, hydraulic sensor went bad $1500, passenger side HID unit went bad $2000. Maintenance for the Z on the other hand is so much cheaper and parts are easier to get imo.

Dude. just get the damn Z its better. And Women Love it just ask my aunt :rofl2:that went from 2011 SLK to 2011 Z love at first site, but a brand spanking new Z its really harsh, noisy, nasty, clunky, after about 6k miles it becomes much smoother better and if you put diff tiers on it it becomes much quieter. I must admit the seats are sooooo comfortable :rofl2:

Very different cars. My ex-gf used to have the previous gen SLK350 and I prefer the look of those to the new models. IMO SLK has much better fit and finish to the interior and much more luxury than the Z at a higher price point of course. If you want a real sports car feel, then go with the Z. It's raw and has a better driving experience overall.

For luxury roadsters, I prefer the BMW Z4... but if I could afford it, SLK55 AMG all the way.

If you liked the 350z at all, you'll LOVE the 370z. It's that much better. Definitely get some seat time, and after the first turn and a long hard pull I'm sure you'll be sold. The SLK is one of the most feminine MB's, the AMG version is at least pretty to look at but still for the price you could have a much more fun BMW, Audi or Porsche. The SLK should remain only for the ladies.