[Ichiro]

Originally Posted by ddk632

Yes, that is pretty much what I said concerning SLK vs. Cayman. Remember, the SLK is not sold a hard core sports car, it's sold as a roadster. At that it does a great job. It's fun as heck to drive, if not anything close to a Cayman.

My comparison was SLK vs. other (non AMG) Benzes. As a street/weekend car, the convertible factor (for me at least) adds a lot of weight to the choice.

I'd sacrifice some hard edge in driving (since it's not a track car) for the open sky.

A middle ground would be a current gen Z4, still hardtop convertible, looks great top up or down, sportier than the SLK but not nearly as sporty as a Cayman. Cayman is a pretty damn good car, man!

As for power, it's amazing how much fun it can be to wring out a 215hp car - you can use most of its performance. These cars aren't really meant to be power monsters; I think you nailed it with "nimble". Yes, Cayman will be more nimble than SLK - no questions. But as far as convertibles go, SLK (I think) holds its own in nimbleness. It also breaks loose easy, which is part of the fun factor, and that was with my 300 - the 350 is a bit more powerful and likely more fun while still being similarly flickable.

Very well put.

It's such a hard choice this one...

I love the Cayman design, its a beauty to behold, both inside and out. I've driven the base model and its absolutely sublime (for a novice like me). The only thing I dislike is the pricing for the car and its numerous 'must-have' options.

I have a soft spot for the quirky slk styling but the interior is decades behind the P-car. I've driven the turbo 4pot and it was ok (slightly boring to drive), the v6 or 55 should be miles better I think. The biggest plus point about this car is that hard-top convertible...theres nothing quite like driving topless.

My money would go with the Cayman.

[gtron]

officially sold my 550 last night. cayman is the clear winner here but i'm going to sleep on it for a week just to make sure. i rarely wait to pull the trigger on these things so maybe some suspense will do me some good.

[KingOfJericho]

I can't believe this is even up for debate...

[Billup]

Agreed, go buy it already and post some damn pics.

[PSUSMU]

Also, manual trans or gtfo

[Red Bread]

If it's a weekend car, and you'd like it to barely depreciate, get a last gen Boxster Spyder. The Boxster still has tons of storage space in the trunk and frunk and the Cayman doesn't really add much practicality with the roof unless you want to run a roof rack and/or track it (and if you did, we'd have never mentioned the SLK.)

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by PSUSMU

Also, manual trans or gtfo

And this.

[F1Venom]

Originally Posted by gtron

officially sold my 550 last night. cayman is the clear winner here but i'm going to sleep on it for a week just to make sure. i rarely wait to pull the trigger on these things so maybe some suspense will do me some good.

What about the Boxster S? It's around the same price as a Cayman and has the convertible feature of the SLK, in a Porsche configuration.

[pukicabuki]

If we're talking about a 987 Cayman... do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on a non-S. The chassis is the only redeeming quality they have. The brakes are junk. The 5 speed has some of the worst clutch feel/engagement I've ever driven. The engine is vastly underwhelming. The S is lightyears ahead. I owned an S and test drove several non-S.

If we're talking about the new Cayman.... I can't comment because I haven't driven one.

[Ehwnnc]

ive driven alot of the SL cars and even the SL55 amg did not do it for me. I had way more fun in a E55 amg wagon. Something about them i just dont like

[pgviper]

Originally Posted by ybbiz34

Cayman.

Although, the real competitor (from both a price and performance perspective) would be the SLK55 AMG, with its 5.5L NA V8 (basically a chopped down version of the 6.2L M156).

The new one is sick!!! I actually just started reading up on it yesterday. Its really not getting as much attention as it should be. Word is that mercedes finally produced a good handling car!!!

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by Ehwnnc

ive driven alot of the SL cars and even the SL55 amg did not do it for me. I had way more fun in a E55 amg wagon. Something about them i just dont like

I had an E55 before I came over to BMW and that car was a beast. I love how an AMG sounds at WOT. The only experience I have with the SLK is with the 350. It is a nice car for what it is BUT the Porsche quantitatively superior in many ways (please don't make me cite the numerous magazines and online sources to support this). Just look at the numbers, look at the comparo's that are out there. Hands down, the clear choice is with the Porsche and this is coming from a guy who love MBZ and have owned them for years.

[Ehwnnc]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

I had an E55 before I came over to BMW and that car was a beast. I love how an AMG sounds at WOT. The only experience I have with the SLK is with the 350. It is a nice car for what it is BUT the Porsche quantitatively superior in many ways (please don't make me cited the numerous magazines and online sources to support this). Just look at the numbers, look at the comparo's that are out there. Hands down, the clear choice with the Porsche and this is coming from a guy who love MBZ and have owned them for years.

Oh yeah that v8 screams.

[ybbiz34]

Originally Posted by pgviper

The new one is sick!!! I actually just started reading up on it yesterday. Its really not getting as much attention as it should be. Word is that mercedes finally produced a good handling car!!!

Mercedes has plenty of good-handling cars. The LCI C63 is a full 4 seconds faster than the E92 M3 around the 'ring.

Then you've got the SLS, SLS Black Series, C63 Black Series, E63 4-MATIC, CLA45, A45, etc.

I would actually say that all of those aforementioned cars are slightly sharper than the SLK55. But, the SLK55 has drawn very favorable reviews. Just gets pricey for a 2-seater.

[dreamingat30fps]

C'mon, the SLK is gayer than a bag of dicks. You buy an SLK and I guarantee you'll be sucking dicks by the end of the night.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

C'mon, the SLK is gayer than a bag of dicks. You buy an SLK and I guarantee you'll be sucking dicks by the end of the night.

That does explain so much about my homelife!

[pgviper]

Originally Posted by ybbiz34

Mercedes has plenty of good-handling cars. The LCI C63 is a full 4 seconds faster than the E92 M3 around the 'ring.

Then you've got the SLS, SLS Black Series, C63 Black Series, E63 4-MATIC, CLA45, A45, etc.

I would actually say that all of those aforementioned cars are slightly sharper than the SLK55. But, the SLK55 has drawn very favorable reviews. Just gets pricey for a 2-seater.

All of which you mentioned are newer models. The SLK55 AMG was refreshed for 2011 (not sure if it is model year 2011 or 2012) and when that review was conducted, mercedes still had the reputation for straight line performance. When I used the word "finally" it may have been misleading, I was referring to this being one of the FIRST cars that mercedes received praise for in regards to actuall handling (btw sls doesn't count lol, that's a $250k supercar).

It's pricing puts it directly in line with the C7 Stingray which will destory it. Unfortunately, I personally can't see any real use for this car.

[Taskmaster]

Cayman, easy.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by pgviper

All of which you mentioned are newer models. The SLK55 AMG was refreshed for 2011 (not sure if it is model year 2011 or 2012) and when that review was conducted, mercedes still had the reputation for straight line performance. When I used the word "finally" it may have been misleading, I was referring to this being one of the FIRST cars that mercedes received praise for in regards to actuall handling (btw sls doesn't count lol, that's a $250k supercar).

It's pricing puts it directly in line with the C7 Stingray which will destory it. Unfortunately, I personally can't see any real use for this car.

I don't know, man. There's a good $10K difference between the C7 and the SLK and I'm SURE they are marketed to different demographics. Someone considering a 3200 lb C7 with a 6.2L V8 pushing out 455 hp will not be thinking about a "cute little SLK". Its heavier and less powerful

[bogdan]

They're not really comparable cars. One is a mid-engined sports car. The other is a respectable convertible that is "sporty."

If you're going for a Cayman, the 2014's are beautiful. As a bonus, the engine went through a slight redesign and the reliability of the 2.7 is improved. 275hp is plenty, and it's really fun to row that gearbox. If you can find one with the optional BOSE, it's worth it and sounds great.

The SLK would fare better in a comparison with the Z4 I think.

Either way, good luck!

[Taskmaster]

Originally Posted by Lups

That does explain so much about my homelife!

I found the woman in a happy marriage! (Most men will envy your husband)

[Lups]

Originally Posted by TheAxiom

I found the woman in a happy marriage! (Most men will envy your husband)

My dear spouse would tell you there is no reason to do so, but I had a fit when he tried to buy a Merc. As a revenge, he got the only thing worse, and since he doesn't drive ever, I'm now paying the price of being a bitch. Oh well, as soon as I get the car, I'm running away, and he can try to remember how not to use cars as a weapon in a war.

We are freaks.