1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Walkaround Review at Automotive.com
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Mercedes-Benz
SLK-Class
1999

1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Review: Exterior

Below is a full, detailed 1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless ...     read more
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1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Review

A luxury sports car an enthusiast can love.
Walkaround
Even without the three-pointed star, it would be difficult to mistake the SLK for anything but a Mercedes-Benz. It is short but sleek, with a chunky, purposeful look. Nice touches include the faired-in aerodynamic headlights, steeply raked windshield, large rear light clusters, and bumpers tucked tightly against the body. Seven-spoke aluminum alloy wheels-carrying different-size tires front and rear-fill the wheel openings, contributing to the SLK's purposeful appearance.

But the SLK's most obvious and unusual exterior feature is its power-operated hardtop. It is standard equipment and, being integrated into the car, eliminates the need for a soft top. Five hydraulic cylinders fed from a trunk-mounted pump raise and lower the lid when the driver operates a single switch. When the top is being lowered, side windows retract, latches on the windshield header are released, the trunk lid is raised backward, the roof folds into two halves and slides into its bay, and the trunk lid closes. Naturally, raising the top involves the same steps in reverse. It's a clever piece of engineering. What makes it more impressive is the fact that there is still some usable trunk space when the top is lowered-not much, but still about as much as a Mazda Miata offers when its top is up.

Although there are a couple of engine choices in Europe, the SLK is offered in the U.S. as a single model, fully equipped, with a mere handful of options listed. Among them are a five-speed automatic transmission ($900), heated seats ($595), metallic paint ($600) and a CD changer/portable phone combo ($1595). A new $3990 Sport Package was introduced for 1999 that includes stylish front and rear fascias, side sills and a more assertive wheel/tire package. Next Page


1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class