From a SLK to a 370Z...

ben721364 · 06-01-2011, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apoc370z

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.

jginnane · 06-01-2011, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben721364

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?

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.

birdmanx1 · 06-01-2011, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jginnane

Ben,

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.

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.

DOOMMONKEY777 · 06-01-2011, 10:50 PM

Dude. just get the damn Z its better. And Women Love it just ask my aunt

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

tsolin01 · 06-01-2011, 11:36 PM

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.

m4a1mustang · 06-02-2011, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birdmanx1

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.

It's that damn Mercedes SDS. We had a crank position sensor go out on my gf's CLK500. It's maybe $50 for the part but since you have to have it done by the dealer it's $700. You can't just plug in a new sensor and go... it has to be programmed.

As long as nothing breaks it is fine, though. Regular maintenance is easily a DIY job... oil changes, brakes, etc. But there's always that "out of warranty" cloud over your head whenever you drive it...

USMCASA · 06-02-2011, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

We had a crank position sensor go out on my gf's CLK500. It's maybe $50 for the part but since you have to have it done by the dealer it's $700. You can't just plug in a new sensor and go... it has to be programmed.

i know your pain, problem with the one i had is that it wouldn't throw a code for that, it would just randomly die going down the road if it got too hot and killed the sensor. i swore off mb's after that.

birdmanx1 · 06-02-2011, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

It's that damn Mercedes SDS. We had a crank position sensor go out on my gf's CLK500. It's maybe $50 for the part but since you have to have it done by the dealer it's $700. You can't just plug in a new sensor and go... it has to be programmed.

you've gone through those funny experiences with Mercedes, labor charges are simply outrageously outrageous

and the ratio of part to labor disproportionate. Mechanically speaking, the engine is as solid as a rock and you can do all you want to it, it won't break; problem lies within all the sensors in the car as they are bound to break at some point. I used to laugh at the strategic positioning of the fancy sofa right by the cashier desk. I saw this lady almost ***check spoiler*** when she got hit with the bill.

( Click to show/hide )

Pharmacist · 12-27-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

It's that damn Mercedes SDS. We had a crank position sensor go out on my gf's CLK500. It's maybe $50 for the part but since you have to have it done by the dealer it's $700. You can't just plug in a new sensor and go... it has to be programmed.

lol, why can't you just plug it in? aren't they all identical? how do you "program" a sensor anyway?

m4a1mustang · 12-27-2011, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharmacist

lol, why can't you just plug it in? aren't they all identical? how do you "program" a sensor anyway?

Because when you plug it in it doesn't work... There must be some code associated with the sensor that is programmed in SDS to allow the ECU to communicate with it... who knows aside from it being a PITA.

Whatever... it just makes me like the Z and 5.0 more... I can actually work on those in my garage.

06-01-2011, 10:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
DOOMMONKEY777 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Crooklyn Posts: 1,014 Drives: 370Z 6psd-sport-pkg Rep Power: 22	Dude. just get the damn Z its better. And Women Love it just ask my aunt 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 __________________ Kids don't do Drugs, Drugs are bad, so let the professional druggies do Drugs for you. 537whp/496lb/tq@8-9PSI 93 octane

06-01-2011, 11:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
tsolin01 Track Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 657 Drives: 2010 370Z Rep Power: 18	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. __________________ SOLD 12/30/2011 2010 370Z Coupe Monterey Blue 6MT/Touring/Sport/Nav F.I. CBE CF w/ 12" Res \| V1 \| SecondSkin \| Stillen G3 \| EVO-R CF B-Pillars \| Volk GT-S Ti Gunmetal 19x9.5 +30 F, 19x10.5 +8 R \| Swift Spec-R Springs