Real Road Test: Mercedes-Benz SLK R170 (no Kompressor!)
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Yes, pure HubNut. The most feeble of SLKs is put through its paces. Just how underwhelming is it? Contains feeble footage of the folding roof in action, because HubNut.
This one is a 200, which we didn't get in the UK. No supercharger. Not really a sports car!
HubNut goodies can be found via our lovely store, which you can find by visiting hubnut.org - there's a Donation option if you feel you already have quite enough random clothing and mugs. Thank you. 
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The EC button turns the AC off. EC for economy. The idea being you’d use the AC most of the time. The bonnet pull you’ll be pleased to know moves to the drivers side on RHD vehicles
@@dizzy2020 it's not a bad idea, AC is a tremendous way of keeping the misted windows at bay inside the car without having to have the temperature turned up to "minicab driver preference" level. I drive a car model which is known for being horrendously difficult to demist (and it is without AC) but as soon as you turn the AC on the lowest fan setting it just disappears.
@@SPTSuperSprinter156 The reason why your windshield fogs is gasses from interior plastics. Once you clean the windscreen, all is good until it gets cold and damp.
What about sun visor mirror ? Are they on both visors ?
It really needs that AC as well. It doesn't work, and defogging of the interior is an issue.
@@dizzy2020 The W211 E-Class has a slightly confusing AC off button that lights up when it's turned off heh
Better than a confusing EC button though
Standard issue for every "bosses wife" in the 90's.
I have the same SLK R170, but my car is in mint condition. Bought it 5 years ago. Still just love it ❤️
You still got her ? Had mine 19 years !
I think HubNut is the only person in the world who is not a taxi driver who feels beaded seatcovers are a luxury.
Still not installed though!
I had one in 2001, and it did have a better quality interior . I quite liked it, it never felt boring or cheap to me. Was reasonable high quality as far as mine was concerned .
I have a 2003 SLK320. It seems a completely different car. 3.2 litre engine, real leather seats, wood graind interior, 6 speed transmission. My previous car was a 1989 MX5. It was lots of fun but not very fast. The SLK is well suited for a senior citizen. A few years ago I took a road trip across Canada, 15,000 kilometers and had a great time.
"It's so very much all bonnet and not very much of anything else." In Texas, the expression is that someone is "all hat and no cattle."
@Jack Beanstalk I'm only close to Texas (in New Mexico) and I drive a HubNut-worthy 2001 Honda Insight. But, true enough, the Big 3 pickup trucks (and a crew-cab version these days) still remain the top-selling vehicles across the U.S. not just Texas. Standard engine sizes are way down from 7 liters, however.
"Notice it's been de-badged, so no one knows the extent of your poverty" - that made me laugh so much! :)
Funny indeed 👍🏻
That totally cracked me up!
Thats a Jeremy Clarkson type of comment 😂😂😂
@Skodaman2 That was very humble of you :) That's the thing about the Fabia, it is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
@Skodaman2 ummm, no
Oh forgot to mention love the passion you have for your cars and love watching your reviews and spannering. Been working on old cars myself for the last 50 years as my passion.
Very good road test, entertaining! And imagine my surprise this morning as I was watching 'The Motorbike Show' with Henry Cole, who should show up on screen - on real telly - our very own Ian Hubnut in the one and only TWC! The wife didn't understand my excitement! Well done Ian!
I've driven the thing. It is 'decent'. Pretty comfy, quick enough for the flat dutch roads. Doesn't get your heartbeat up at all, but overall a fine driving experience.
It's the Volvo 440 of sports cars.
We’ve had one of these (R170 SLK230K) for 2 years with no complaints. Pleasant on short and long runs.
Parts are plentiful and inexpensive. Would love the SLK32 AMG with 360+ bhp.
EC means economy. When illuminated the a/c compressor is disengaged.
Same as my Golf, AC is on by default and you have to switch it off manually. Not sure why this was a good idea.
@@hglf9764 having AC on with even the slightest fan setting is really good at keeping the windows demisted.
Yeah, not exactly user friendly that was it? :-/
I wish you had this channel when my wife had a Cypriot spec 1.4 micra CC that was bound for a life as a hire car before motor point rescued it! Very hubnut
"This is a dead end" is becoming a Hub Nut catchphrase having done it twice in recent vids - this one and the mkIII ? Escort !
I had an E class 240 year 2000 and it had the same climate controls. Air conditioning was constant until you pressed the EC button also if you pressed the rest button under that it would keep the car warm for 30 minutes after switching off the engine in the winter and that was a nice touch.
Always thought these looked sooo boring but great review nonetheless hubnut, always answering the questions that nobody asked! 👍
A great review! Thank you.
Did they use the "re-circulating ball" steering box to up stock after stopping production of the W124?
We call those cars a ladies' hairdressers car in the Netherlands. Wow, at first sight I thought that the owner did painted the interior himself. Bad quality by Mercedes.
I think that interior has been painted after the fact with tippex.
Same name for them in the UK.
@@ruk2023-- was gonna say the same thing
@@shaunsautorepairs5410 Great Shaun's think alike lol 😂
@@ruk2023-- Same name in Portugal!
I just think that the complicated roof mechanism is just something else to go wrong but it looks really good with the roof down. How do you find your way back as you did not know where you where going.
I don't really see the point of having this type of car, but I feel obliged to say I really like its looks. Unlike many cars presented by HubNut, this one I saw before :). However, I never noticed how pretty and proportionate it looked. I like everything about its exterior design, including the front -- it's very elegant and cute at the same time. The interior is pretty nice as well -- a real shame that the materials its made of are so shabby.
What is the motorway speed limit in holland?
One of those cars you always fancied,,,but relieved you couldn't afford,,,love all the tree planting in the Netherlands,well done! Tangenting as wot I do,,,😂😂😂
Good and honest review.
I've never owned or driven an R170 but have owned several SLk's all without forced induction . R171 280, 3L 6Cylinder , 240BHP version , R172 300, 3L 6 Cylinder , 240BHP and a R172 350, 6 Cylinder , 302 BHP. All these cars have had no major faults, no squeaks or rattles and no rust issues. The build quality on the R171 was good but the R172 is definitely a step up. I chose these cars over the S2000, BMW Z4 , Mazda MX5 etc because even with the roof down I can get two medium sized suitcases in the boot. So Holidays and weekend trips away from home are not a problem. Handling on the AMG suspension set up is definitely a plus and I have never felt a lack of power. What don't I like? Three things spring to mind. First is that you can never really turn the stability control (ESP) off! It turns itself back on as you approach the limit. Second is the R172 350 only comes with an auto box and shift paddles, no manual option. Thirdly there is no N/A option in the latest models. The latest SLK's/SLC's are 4 or 6 Cylinder Turbo motors. That's just my experience of these cars and I realize the cars I have owned are no t really 'Hubnut'
I don't know if it's just the parts featured in Ian's videos, but for some reason the Netherlands all seems to resemble an out-of-town office park: straight roads, mini-roundabouts, neatly trimmed grass and lollipop trees. All very clean and orderly in a way of which the UK can only dream, but not very interesting.
Glad this likely to be one of not many, A vehicle is an experience, not an ashore arrival, HubNut.Cheers
Roof works, I'm amazed!!!
aren't those directional tyres that are on the wrong way round?
Great review Ian, do film with your phone a lot of the time? I love the informal style of your vlogs
Hi Ian,nice review on this Mercedes Benz SLK,I do like these cars,some of the cars were automatic,this one went well for power.
You could have picked a car that was not abused. Mine still looks great inside after 20 years of fun in the sun. Runs perfectly as well.
Your videos are quality 👍
I've got an R171 350 which I've got no intention of selling for a variety of reasons.
I used to have a number of Capris years ago including a B Reg 2.8i Special.
My SLK drives very much like the 2.8i. Low, long bonnet, harsh suspension, less than brick wall brakes, scratchy interior quality, effortless acceleration although no rocket ship, V6 noises, hard seats, light steering, light arse end (the car, not me) in the wet.
I bought a 1997 SLK 230 with 70,000m for £1500 in 2015 red in colour drove it to spain great car, thought it had some decent acceleration but it did have the supercharger.
Shouldn’t the engine be on when you fold the roof?
Agree, not our cup of tea for hub nut followers, but still watched and enjoyed
My wife and I live in the USA, we own a 2006 slk280, love it!
Used to have one of these - a 53 plate SLK200 KOMPRESSOR in black like this one. Beautiful.
I'd have to strip and respray that interior, it would do my head in! Currently doing just that on a 2004 Volvo s80
1500 euros to have it done. 100 to do it yourself. Parts are already done. The door covers and glove box also looked tatty when we bought it.
I had a 230 Kompressor in Australia in about 2003 and that was way better quality interior. And sounded good too!
What about the tight hand triangle of the screen not touched by the wipers!
I have the supercharged version. My interior is really good, mostly repainted. All it needs is a louder pipe and some firmer dampers and you've got a nice comfortable tourer with the top down. I've also painted the grill chrome. I'm still enjoying your video though.
Thank you Ian very good review, not the kind of car to get a second look although it did look better with the roof down 👍
Still a nice chunky Merc always have a certain chic.....cheers Hubnut keep em coming.....love em....
A rarity! A Hubnut car I would never want to own ;-)
Ben Day me too. a horrid car but nice to see what we are not missing 😂
It's super robust.
Funny how you should say that, just thinking the opposite.
Apart from the terrible interior, that is a very refined cruising car. You were also sympathetic to what mattered, so a great Hubnut review Sir 👍 Tam.
Don't see an issue with the trim ,have you been in an up to date Toyota ,this is like a Jag compared to that
With more modern German cars it's not the plastic in the interior that you need to worry about it's the plastic parts in and on the engine! Plastic intake manifolds, plastic vanes on the water pump, etc., etc., First owner who changes his car every three years won't have any trouble! Third and fourth owners ten years down the line who can finally have the kudos of driving a Merk will suffer! I think modern manufacturer's have learnt this lesson well. But it does chip away at their engineering reputation for a short term profit motive. And of course Mercedes are now putting GPS trackers in their cars to aid the repossession people should the owner fail to keep up the payments! Naughty that one I think. Privacy and all that. Gangsters who drive Mercedes definitely won't like it!
I was actually impressed that the electrics for the roof still seemed to work OK. But one of the motors seemed to run on after everything had settled in place. Normal?
It had no character, no soul. TWC ("Taken without consent"!) has sheds load of both.
I think the run-on is the tonneau cover 'compressing' in to the body. As I mentioned about it is related (somehow) to the Saab 9-3 roof hydraulics and mine run on for a second or two to tighten down the tonneau as well as deal with the 'flaps' and no doubt a few other bits it adjusts to tension.
The motor sounds 100% identical to the Saab system and is fully hydraulic.
Maybe longer motor noise was activating a locking mech that holds everything in place when folded ?
It does look like it'd withstand being operated at 80 mph 1
Yes. Plastic cogs in the drivetrain and like you say, manifolds. All to save weight and production costs. No thank you sir!
Ian do you know what MPG on this one
No, sorry.
A friend of mine had a V6 SLK. That sounded very nice! He's got a V8 Audi S5 now, that sounds even nicer!
Merc’s Capri 1.3L !
That slang causes quite a bit of confusion on this side of the pond. In the US, "Merc" is short for Mercury and Capri's were badged as Mercury rather than Ford.
Yes I see what you mean... oops !
But you saw what I meant...
and of course Mercury made a Montego as well as the Capri !
The Mercedes you always promised yourself.
EC means "Economical" as in "AC - Off" (Ventilation/Heater only)
A special rubberized paint is available in the correct colour for restoring the interior, its quite cheap and easy to apply. The V6 Slk is a lovely drive..
I hope the owner of this beauty doesn't watch this.
You are crushing the apple of his eye.
Good content though, thanks 👍
He forced me to drive it. 😉
nice to see an slk..mines an early 97 230k,hit 60,000 miles late last year..lovely to drive..never tried the un supercharged versions tho..
we had a few Mercs in the passed your totally correct about Merc rust issues but drove a E320 estate to Donetsk Ukraine with near 300k on the clock loaded up with no issues at all and sold it there after a Black Sea holiday with the wifes family and flew home and i think shes still in use there over 5 years on we had the 320 SLK that was a good car for the wife but again let down by the body work ...well done ian good review
That's a Mercedes for you, safe n comfy. A long distance runner.
My '96 W210 diesel 3.0L has 310,000miles n hits 160km without any problems so far. Except for brakes n fluids changes , there's nothing to do on it. Its smooth, safe n comfy, which makes it boring but i enjoy myself being comfy at all speeds on long distance trips. Am hoping to get to my first Million Miles in this one n i won't be surprised if i do 😊
Front right tyre on front to back, left one good??
Whatever you think of Mercs, the ergonomics are always excellent.
Philip Lindley yeah I noticed too. It's been out on the wrong way round
I've owned all the small two seater convertibles and the SLK is by far the best built . My MX-5 was most underwhelming and you could almost hear it rusting. The MG-F was by far a better car to own than the MX (IMHO) I'll also say at this point that despite the witch hunt imposed on the K series engine, mine did 160,000 without fault. The MX was just over rated, had terrible gearing (4000rpm @70mph!) and drank fuel. Each to their own but I'm very happy with my R170 230k, it compliments my stable perfectly, wafts about and still has the best roof action ever made. The interior is far better than the dull as dishwater mx5 and far roomier with more storage.
For people who don't want to drive an MX-5 because it's somehow below them. Or for your girlfriend because you have enough money but dammit if she has to drive around in anything less than a Mercedes because it's what you drive. Of COURSE they sold a K-less version in the Netherlands. We're a bunch of cheapskates who are just the kind of market for that sorta thing.
It's fine, I'm not bitter!
Of course an MX-5 is below them, otherwise their arses would be dragging on the road‼️😩😩😩
My dad (who owns this car) wanted a rwd hard top convertible with a timing chain within a certain price range. There's not that much choice. Also he's always had loads of Mercs and Citroëns. I tried to get him to buy an MX but he just doesn't care for its looks I'm afraid.
@@rollingtroll Which is a tad strange indeed, because I feel they both sport sort of the same kind of feminine looks, I think.
Would prefer a classic Citroën over an SLK too I suppose. In the end of course there is no arguing taste, but it's fun. :P
Are you saying than it's a female vehicle? I don't think so, could works for both genders
Enjoyed this one ian 👍 i have to say i have driven the compressor version and they are still quite unexciting and the noise is still uninspiring, however i have also driven the generation that followed which where much more dynamic and exciting, altho still suffer from droning engines and sluggish gearbox. Still this generation your driving here still likeable and interesting somehow 🤔
How safe is it to drive in the winter or rain, because it's a rear wheel car.
Pretty safe. Like any RWD car, you need a certain amount of respect.
Wasn't the SLK the first ever car with a retractable hardtop?
Ford Skyline? Peugeot 402? ;-)
And that's what a Merc is all about: easy driving and comfort. I have owned and driven a W124 and W201. Great cars, especially the W201 (190), certainly if you compare them with other cars of their era.
Agree, I daily driven w201(190E) for 4 years. Last month I just bought an R170 for having fun on holiday. Totally in love with both of them.
please one day do a 1980s Chrysler Lebaron the ultimate squishy, plasticky cabrio.
Aren't those tyres on in the wrong direction?
And very well engineered...
Your whole vibe was very different in this video. This must be the first video of yours that I've seen you review a car that you haven't been enthusiastic about. I do appreciate your honesty. Boring car for you makes for a less entertaining video. Still learnt stuff about the car though.
Try the Ford Escort Mk6 Cabriolet. I didn't like that either...
I owned a C180 and E200 both 90’s cars. They were both nice cars but I was amazed how quickly they rusted particularly around the wheel arches and they weren’t that old and had done fairly low mileage. I gave up on Mercs after that.
That is good obviously a different experience to mine. I’m not familiar with the climate in Ohio but here in Scotland with the snow and salt covered roads in Winter it seems to have had an effect on my Mercs.
I’ve heard many words used to describe cars. But this may be the first time I’ve ever heard “scabby”. But, for this car it seems quite appropriate.
Yes, it's Stijn to blame that you had to drive with "that". Stijn is also a good boy.
10:36 Another delightfully HubNut vehicle coming the other way...
I thought a friends wife’s BMW Z3 1.8 was the worst asthmatic sports car??
You wouldn't mind but the BMW was an ugly car at least these looked the part ,before they started rusting that is
Mitsubishi FTO, I can confirm is more depressing with its fibonacci timed gear changes..
@@_psv__ There is quite a lot in the world of japanese cars that's depressing ,especially the modern stuff
Ford Street Ka 1.6...
Z3s are far from ugly. Pretty for sure. This is jusr a box on wheels
Love these cars would have one in an heartbeat
That plastic interior reminds me of the Chrysler Crossfire I once owned, the dashboard always creaked, and some of the switch gear looked the same. It would be good if you could find a crossfire to review.
In defense of the car, the roof mechanic came without any teething problems, despite being brand new technology back then. I agree with your sentiment about the quality and general sportyness issues, though.
Dear hubnut, you're welcome to "test"my 2007 Alfa GT 2.JTS. She has a few minor parking dents, new shocks at the rear, new tyres and a fresh MOT.
Was that a red light at 22:14???
I was working away up north about 15 years ago or so, and a colleague drove me back to my Hotel in her SLK. I must say I was expecting a lot more going down the bypass. From the car I hasten to add!
I really want to make a joke full of sexual content and even innuendo but I shall refrain 😂
I kinda like that roundy plain front end
There was an SLK32 AMG, with the supercharged 3.2 litre V6 chucking out around 350 bhp, but they were rare and expensive, and never sold officially in the UK.
Everything looks so similar to my 2002 e200k estate. The auxiliary belt is huge and needs replacing often
The Kompreasor versions sound like a vacuum cleaner, but I still wanted one when they first came out
freepieanchipsgarage Yes but the 2.3L Kompressor doesn’t have a particularly sporty engine note, sounds like a Hoover.
Quite a good looking car.
Same 2.0 engine and exact same horsepower as my astra 2.0 sri 1999.
Not as fast as mine though mine is 1 second faster to 60.
You would want the kompressor version though if you were to buy one.
I would still rather have mine though.
No car maker can ever make a car for everyone, but this was something Mercedes had to do to survive. It opened a whole new opportunity for them. I prefer the next generation, but roots of that concept start here. I like these reviews as we get to see what various car from over the years were like, how they have aged and if we would like to try one...
It’s a lot prettier sans roof lol. Great video.
The AMG SLK 32 had a 3.2 V6 with 349bhp, quite a lot at the time!
Not the most interesting car but still a very entertaining video thank you 😀
Feels like a review of my Megane CC. 🤣👍
I seem to remember driving a C-class in the 90s, and it had a clutch pedal which was hinged on the floor rather than the usual arrangement--really couldn't get the hang of it at all!
Oh, dumper truck style !
I had one of these about ten years ago. Well, sort of. It was a totally beaten example that I bought just out of grad school thinking I'd look cool pulling into the executive end of the parking lot. I say I had one of these ^^^ because the supercharger sound I thought was part of the package was just the supercharger dying a slow death and once it had thrown its bearings I wound up having exactly this. Not that being 6'2" was much a problem with it either,,,,
In my opinion the first gen SLK was a rather good looking car. Not overly exciting, but not pig-ugly, as the latest one (the horror!). I especially like the refined, toned down lines that Mercedes Benz had back then - now every single one of them seems to be over-designed and then some, and even more so in the front - ewww. (Just like BMWs and Audis)
Thank you Ian for a great video as usual but I think I would rather have the 1982 escort
You could get them in fun colors, that's the most exciting part of the first SLK. But as per all reviews, the Kompressor hardly ups the excitement by any degree. The V6 was the one to get for power, but even then all it did was expose it's soulless, dynamic shortcomings.
Fun colours? They are nearly all black, silver or white like every other car.
Mercedes 190 review please!
Hmmmm cost cutting + complex mechanics = the potential for horrendous repair bills late on.......(??)
I think mechanically they are okay, reliability wise. Probably better than any modern Mercedes. But the interior quality is just not great.
These engines are strong, and they are reliable even with poor maintenance, the rot and clogged drainage holes kill these off
I actually considered one of these on my list. I wanted a convertible that was practical (MX5 crossed off), plenty of space and a comfy driving position (Pug 206CC crossed off), reliable/dependable (BMW 3-series off the list), Cheap (VW EOS, Ford Focus Convertible, Astra Twintop crossed off), left th SLK (lowest spec I could find) and Tigra TwinTop. 'Sportiness' was a consideration.
The mechanism is almost exactly the same as the Tigra Twintop and the roof ECU is produced by the same company.
I got the Twintop Exclusiv (50k miles) after realising just why these little SLKs were so cheap (after 120k miles). Interestingly the twintop's interior aged better and even has the same interior equipment - including heated seats and aircon.
At 30,000 units for the global market it's probably rarer too.
As for the hard top roof, the Tigra also gives a cavernous boot when the roof is folded away, when the roof is up the barrier can be moved forward to reveal a boot the size of a Mondeo's! It's no less complicated than a soft top roof but no one's going to take a stab at it. Best thing about a hardtop convertible? Less scuttle shake, as you have demonstrated.
Would love to see a back to back road test.
Oh, and Carbonfibre-tastic trim was standard until the phase 2 cars, which got slightly less tacky turned aluminium instead.
Yes, people were obsessed with carbon fibre in the late 90s. A C180 Esprit I knew had carbon dash, door trims and accent panels. For those unable to afford a Merc, there were stick-on Fablon rolls of the stuff so you could make your 1.3 Escort look like a touring car 🏁
I had a silver SLK 230 Kompressor, great and fun car
Some rust reperation on after 6 years!
2000€ :-(
But nonetheless I miss it still
I have had a hankering for one for a while except when I see one with grey old man like me in it! Then it is a rather sad look of desperation I fear.
Also as I feared, only room for a set of golf bats in the back!