justin syder said:
If you want to talk about the SLK, you have to talk about image. When the previous SLK was out, its image was entirely ruined by Legally-Blonde-type women who consider their car to be an accessory. With the new SLK, things have changed. The front end certainly does show a lot of SLR in it and the rear looks like a Mercedes should look, with about being too feminine.
The SLK350 certainly does look better than the SLK320 which it replaces. It has much more presense than the older model had. Which has certainly helped the appeal of the SLK. But it has also taken away from the appeal of the SLK. Let me explain. The penis shaped front end will make it odd for any guy to drive it. And lets talk about the overall shape. Its almost as though the designer spent thousands of hours on the SLK's front and then forgot to design the rest of the car. So, it looks out of proportion. All of the exciting bits are at the front end. In the middle and in the rear, there is very little going on. It makes the car look odd. The front makes you expect that there is all of personality to the car but then the rear and mid-section make you think that the car is the Ben Stein of cars. Its so bland.
Now lets go back to that image we were discussing earlier. We can all agree that the new SLK is miles above the old SLK in over all looks. But when I see this car coming in my rear view mirror, I can only amagine a woman driving it. It is still feminine. All the attempts at making it more masculine have helped some, but they have sassy eyebrows and lipstick scattered thoughout the exterior.
The interior is better but it doesnt feel expensive. Again, let me explain. On impressions, it looks fantastic. But when you feel the quality of the materials and dash accessories, you feel like you paid too much. The plastics used look and feel awful. I have better looking plastic on my radio at home. Now it all functions well, but it just doesnt feel expensive.
Not having driven an SLK350/SLK55 AMG (my experiences were at a delear last weekend), these opinions are just first impressions. But from a image stand-point, there isnt much to excite me about the SLK.
