OK - I know this post is going to make me incredibly unpopular but I need some advice!


I've had a deposit down on a Cayman since March 2005 and have just finished selecting my spec. I'm scheduled for Jan build, March delivery.


I finally got my hands on a Cayman S yesterday...though sadly the test drive was pretty short and all about dodging speed cameras on dual carriageways around central London. I thought it was great - sounded fantastic, good ride, handled well (from what I could tell on those roads) - all in all, I went away from the test, excited about getting mine in March..though somehow a bit disappointed it hadn't blown me away. I jut put that down to the London roads etc.


Just to throw the cat amongst the pidgeons, I was out of town in the afternoon and happened to be driving past a Merc dealership with an AMG SLK55 on the forecourt. Given it has been a car I've always quite fancied trying, I thought I'd give it a go.... BIG MISTAKE!


It was truly awesome.... the sound is amazing, absolutely TONS of torque, endless power...and it just feels a bit more solid than the Cayman. Suddenly, having been eagerly waiting for my Cayman in March, I'm questioning whether I should be getting the SLK55 instead....


If the Merc had the Porsche badge and vice-versa, I'd get the SLK55 in a shot... In terms of the smile it puts on your face every time you turn the key...it definitely wins... But thenagain, I've always wanted a Porsche and I do love the way the Cayman looks...the SLK55 looks great, but in more of a butch, GRRR, kind if way thangenuinelygood looking like the Cayman.


Interms of price there's nothingin it.My Cayman comes to £54k, as does the SLK55. Spec is similar with the exception ofheated seats, telephone, Xenons plus litronic on the Merc...plus it's also a cabrio.


I'm sooo confused! I don't know what to do! HELP!!

Butty





Are you male or female? SLK is a ladies car IMHO. Also, I wouldn't have one as that knob Clarkeson drives one





Just my twopenneth

The AMG SLK55 is a grat car, cabrio, good looking, fast in a straight line, but it's not the driving tool the Cayman is, plus it only comes in an auto box.


It sounds like you really didn't get to drive thye Cayman properly on your test drive, at low speed the Caymanis just like any other car to drive, once youget to open flowing and fast road it comes alive like the AMG could never do.


Both good car, you just have to decide which best suits your needs and driving style

Drive them both again and get whichever one excites you the most. Unfortunately, test drives don't always giveus all the informationwe need and many times you have to actually buy the car and live withit for a couple of months before you discover its true character in daily use. My Z4 and Corvette stand out as cars I liked at first but found disappointing over time. [/quote]My friend who took over my Z4 lease loves it . This is a really personal decision and our opinions about which car is best probably won’t help you much. [/quote]Good luck.[/quote]

You should have immediately noticed the difference between a front engine and a mid engine car. The Cayman is less fluff and the Merc is nice to bring the wife along. Both great cars no doubt. Your choice.

PS They tried those cameras here but ourtrue patriotsdestroyed them. Thank God!

We should do the same, if we had a decent pair of trouser eggs

I considered the SLK 55 AMG, I could never truly like the styling, looks great from the front, and from the back but the profile is awkward. It's to rear heavy and the side skirts are awful. I aslo couldn't put up with having to have a 7 speed auto box.

Assuming you are not going to track either car, the decision is highly subjective as each car offers its own palette of pluses and minuses. I drove the SLK350 and while I liked the engine I thought the inteior materials were rather cheap, perhaps the 55 is better appointed. There is virtually no trunk space available in the SLK with the top down which may or may not be a factor for you. All the AMG Mercedes are what I call "stop light racers" with tremendous low end torque. Beyond that there isn't much chasis or even braking to sustain spirited driving beyond high speed motorway cruising, which they all do very well. Any opinion of styling is subjective. I liked the new SLK styling, much better than previous model, but after a time I found myself liking it less. I would drive both cars again and perhaps even a third time. It's not a small piece of change on either side of the pond, and you are entitled to acquire as much information as possible before signing on the dotted line. Good luck!!

I have a neighbor who gets caught up in the Mercedes HP wars - 'look at this one it has 600 HP!!!' - great I think, how come the thing wallows like a garbage scowl when trying to turn? Why does it weigh 18 tonnes? Is that brake fade I smell?


I concur with others, it really depends on your driving needs and style. I want a car I can track as well so that would rule out the Mercedes right there. Is it handy to have a top that folds down into the trunk? Sure, but that is also placing a LOT of weight in the area of the car (up high) where you wouldn't want it for performance reasons. I think the SLK has improved over the previous generation (now known as the Chrysler Crossfire) [img]/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/MWPX/wink_smile.gif[/img]


Take the advice and go test drive them again, spend as much time as you can with each and then make a decision, ultimately you have to be happy with it, and no, no one here is going to think less of you if you go with the SLK, the Cayman isn't for everyone and thank goodness that is the case I don't want them to become as common as Honda Civics!

__________________

My Gallery | My Articles | My Blog |My Classifieds
K-Man S

The SLK is nice, but too small for me. When I sit in it I almost feel like I'm looking over the top of the windshield.

I too test drove the SLK55 a while back. I was quite interested at the time. For grins I immediately drove a 987 Boxster S right afterwards. There was no contest for me. While I loved the rocket ship power of the SLK55, the Boxster was soooo much more fun. I just can't live with an automatic for one thing. The sound and feel and engagement of the Boxster S left me with no question that I would prefer the Cayman S.

That does not take away from the SLK55, which is a great car. It is just a bit more of a luxurious cruiser that does indeed handle well and has gobs of power. I want a more engaged drivers car.

To add, if it had had a 6 speed manual available, I may have bought it, had I not driven the Porsche. I must admit, though, when I see any of the new SLK's (350 or 55) on the road, they don't get me too excited, unless they are super clean and in a true color (not silver).

To offer one more man's opinion, I think comparing a Merc to a Porsche is not exactly comparing apples with apples. When I visit a Porsche dealer, everyone from sales to service pretty much is thinking sports cars. Now of course this has changed a bit with the introduction of the SUV and will change further with the introduction of the sedan. The emphasis though, is, and will remain for a good time to come, on sports cars, performance, and driving.

When I visit a Merc dealer, the sports car piece of their pie is but a small slither. The mind set of everyone is by no means as focused on the sports car world as it is at Porsche. Is this important? It is if you are buying a car for all the reasons most Porsche buyers buy a sports car.

It is not only a choice of brands and models. It is a choice to buy into a fraternity. A group of drivers that share something special, that o