My name is Rich Truesdell and I am the Editorial Director of Automotive Traveler, an online-only automotive travel magazine and companion web site.

We are running a series on cars for this era of $4.00/gallon gasoline, and we've just posted a blog on a 10-year-old SLK as a rational alternative to a 5-year-old Honda Civic Coupe for a new, 16-year-old-driver.

I invite you all to take a look at the article and certainly feel free to leave your comments and suggestions.

It might be considered a daft idea, but when you look at the numbers, I'm sure many of you here will agree that it is a sensible choice.

Looking forward to many of you taking a look. I'm sure the Honda crowd will voice their opinions.

Richard Truesdell
Editorial Director, Automotive Traveler[/align]

 

nice comparison, but it slk is a sports car and civic a coupe?

c-class is a more likely car to compare.

 

To anyone considering an older SLK (more than 1 yr/10k miles), I just have one word.....DON'T!

 

My kid bought an SLK230 at age 15 and still enjoys it every day at 18. I would highly recommend an older SLK for a new driver, solid car, solid performance maybe not quite as reliable as a Honda but certainly more fun to drive.

 

I have an automatic 1998 SLK 230 Kompressor (and a newer SLK 350).

I regularly get 27 MPG highway and 21-22 City in the Seattle area.

I use Premium fuel (which the Civic doesn't require). However, in a pinch I've used medium grade. When I lower the octane I notice a slight performance dip, but no rough idling or anything like that.

The SLK's efficient 4 cylindar engine is a great choice if you choose to drive conservitively. That said - when you're in the car it's definitely tempting to get a bit sporty.

The small size, versitility and nimble handling are excellent in this day of crowded roads and parking lots with spaces measured to fit Minis.

 

bmaxey has no idea what he's talking about. I'm in an SLK group with roughly 100 members. Many of our owners have older cars with over 100k miles.

Sure all high-mileage cars will have issues from time to time - but my '98 SLK with 95,000 miles has never had any serious problems - and I've driven it hard from time to time. As with most cars, it's all about regular maintenance and service.

I do auto-cross and track days about once a year (which is hell on the car) and I still use it as a reliable daily driver. I've just never missed an oil change or std service.

 

Sodajeff has no idea the enormous troubles bmaxey has had with his slk and he takes meticulous care of ALL of his cars! He KNOWS EXACTLY what he is talking about, from his frame of reference.