Z4M to SLK55

[ocrx8]

Hi all

Bit of spare time thanks to the Easter weekend so, naturally, I start looking at cars. I've owned my (mint) Z4MR for a year now and love it, but the SLK55 has always been one "on the list". As luck would have it, one has just come up for sale at a garage 5 miles away. The car has literally just been part-ex'd so needed a full prep.

Went for a drive yesterday and was blown away by the performance / noise / theatre. The only real negative was the interior seemed sub par for what was a 50k car new.

I'm just looking for some opinions on AMG ownership - it was a fairly short test drive so I didn't really get to play with the gearbox, it seemed fairly intuitive but I'm pretty unfamiliar with autos. A lot of the reviews focus on the 7G spoiling the car - is it a pain in real life? Note I only drive at weekends so this is a fun car, not a daily driver.

Would I be mad to chop in my MR for the 55? If anyone has made a similar move it would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

[ian in lancs]

you'd be mad!

[Monkeylegend]

You would be mad not to

[Quickmoose]

ian in lancs said:

you'd be mad!

have to agree
Whilst there is ALOT to like about the Merc...it's fundamentally a glorious engine.....and....lots of 'good enough' bits... that's the long and the short of it for me.
The BMW, I think, also has a sublime powerplant...but all the other bits are top class too.....if you downgrade the engines in each, the BMW still offers much to admire...or at least more than the Mercs do.

Thing is...you've had one for a while and I get the itch to experience something a bit different... tricky.

[ian in lancs]

ian in lancs said:

you'd be mad!

The award winning sublime straight 6 NA e46 M3 engine, ZF box, ltd slip diff and M3/CSL suspension all in a 2-seater body that is lighter than the contemporary M3 saloon. Less than 900 in the UK so rare. Prices are climbing and will continue. If you've got a mint keep it and keep it that way. There's nothing to touch it. Had mine since new; looked at every M3/4 and Boxsters/Caymans since and kept it. Can't say the Mercs were ever special enough to pique interest.

Edited by ian in lancs on Saturday 15th April 15:31

[Jonmx]

You'd be mad. The SLK is a nice car, but the Z4M is a little bit special as has been mentioned. You've already said the interior doesn't live up to your expectations, so that will always play on your mind when you're sat in it. It may well be that the ownership experience wouldn't live up to your expectations either. Your shout obviously, but my choice of the 2 is the big Z.

[cerb4.5lee]

Not mad for me because the manual gearbox on the Z4M isn't the most enjoyable gearbox to use, so that favours the auto in the slk55 straight away.

The engine for me in the slk55 is more special too because I wasn't that keen on the Z4M's tinny wasp like noise that it makes, get the V8!

A friend of mine went from a speed6 Cerbera to a SLK55 and wasn't disappointed so I took that as high praise indeed.

[cerb4.5lee]

ocrx8 said:

The only real negative was the interior seemed sub par for what was a 50k car new.

The interior must be bad in fairness then because to me the interior in the Z4M fell well short of its 43k new price, it's incredibly low rent in the Z4M when compared to most other BMW'S.

[Monkeylegend]

My son had a Z4 and whenever I got in I felt like BMW had forgotten to build the dashboard on the passenger side.

If you like a sense of drama when you drive go for the Merc, if you want to hum around with a bone jarring ride go for the BMW.

[CooperS]

Monkeylegend said:

My son had a Z4 and whenever I got in I felt like BMW had forgotten to build the dashboard on the passenger side.

If you like a sense of drama when you drive go for the Merc, if you want to hum around with a bone jarring ride go for the BMW.

Id take a guess and say your son didn't have a M then. The suspension isn't crashy at all. My Dad had a 2.5 with 18's and that was on the firm side of sporty (just kidding it was Rock solid). But my Z4MC suspension saw me tour round Scotland and put big a miles on with ease.

Also get a Z4M with extended leather and it is as nice as E46 M3 of its time.

Got to remember these cars are getting on now. I always wanted a SLK AMG but that interior just put me right off.

[ian in lancs]

I've driven twice to provence, gorge du tarn et al, mountain passes, alpes maritime, Nurburgring, prodrive and aston martin test tracks, and of course all over the uk; 60k mls in all. The suspension is fine; superb on track and fantastic for fast road. Well resolved for a car of that era with that performance.

[caelite]

MX5?

[undred orse]

I had a slk55 for a couple of years and found that the gearbox ruined the car.it was slow to change up or down and useless on the paddles. Don't imagine it is anywhere near the same league as a Porsche pdk , they are worlds apart.

It frustrated me so much given that the engine is great. The interior is a bit cheap in places but not so bad as to be a problem. Or perhaps the gearbox was so bad I just spent all my energy moaning about it and so didn't really get hit with a negative opinion of the interior

Don't buy it until you've had a good go and tried the gearbox properly.

[Jonstar]

I would advise against it, the auto box unfortunately ruins it as a driver's car and the slk 350 manual is the pick of the r171 bunch.

What you really crave is a v8, so perhaps consider a chimera although I do think they are slightly overpriced now.

[Ahbefive]

Tough one. The Merc has a much nicer engine, both have crap gearboxes the z4 handles better.

Out of those 2 I'd probably take a Porsche.