2004 Honda S2K or 2005 MB SLK 350

[max_boost]

Just want to get the forums opinions on these two cars. Which one would you choose? Performance wise, I believe they are going to be pretty close. 0-60 in 5.5 secs roughly. Price wise, SLK is going to be about $12-15K more all said and done.

To make a long story short, there have been some changes in my life recently that has allowed me to purchase a roadster again. Had I of known earlier, I would of never sold my 01 S2000 at its killer price.:(

The plan is to either trade in the RSX in spring for the S2K or wait until fall for the SLK.

I want the S2000 cause I love my Honda's. My gf wants the SLK. She has an opinion because she'll be a minority owner making small payments. :rofl:
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com//pictures/VEHICLE/2004/Honda/100348367/027720-E.jpg

http://www.mercedes-benz.com/com/e/home/products/passengercars/slkclass/images/14237.jpg

[Hakkola]

SLK, IMO, classier, more road presence, and generally better resale which, the way you sell your cars, should be pretty important. S2000 was hot when it first came out, but it's been out for awhile, the SLK is a fresh face.

Didn't you already start a poll about this?

[1badPT]

Benz or Honda? If you're already sold on the Honda, I would recommend you get the Honda, but if you're sitting on the fence, I'd be getting the Benz :tongue:

[G]

Get the SLK. You already had a S2000. Try something different.

[Nix87]

SLK for sure, worth the wait and it'll be fun to drive something new.

Nick

[africano]

if your looking for a car to mod go with s2k, if your looking for an awesome daily driver go with SLK.

Being new don't think the SLK has much aftermarket support, could be wrong, but Brabus would develop stuff anyway or just go custom.

Personally if i had the money i would buy the benz. My dad drives a clk 320 sweet ass cars those benzes.

Looks like your already sold on the benz, since your profile says your driving it:bigpimp:

[/////AMG]

SLK, You've already tried out a Honda S2K, why not try something new? And you'll be one of the first people in Calgary to receive the R171. Good luck on the car and your decision. Or hell what the hell, drop it all and get your C32 AMG!!!! :drool: :thumbsup:

I want to quote 04blackMAX on this
Life is about upgrading either thats the right quote or he said something very similar to that lol.

[4G63Power]

Hasn't both of these cars already been discussed to death

[C4S]

If you can afford extra $15K for a Benz, why Honda ? :D

[GTS Jeff]

both cars are gona be super expensive to mod, and somehow i dont think u are gona be modding either much anyway so dont let that influence u.

i personally wouldnt even put 2 much thought into this at the moment until uve test driven both.

[04blackMAX]

hmmmm honda or mercedes benz..hahahahah hard choice.....dunno why u ever got th first s2000 anyways

[EK 2.0]

Test drive both back to back...and then make your choice...BUT something has to be said about the 9 Grand Redlines...

[Ben]

Got Torque? ;) SLK :thumbsup:

[ICEBERG]

Go for the SLK. I will be also considering trading in my C class for one when they come out. I am allready booked in to test drive one at Lone Star.:D

[Bruce Chan]

S2000 honda look cool for a man because the feeling make ppl think the car is from japan,many things can be upgrade,price is cheaper than Benz is one of the reasons, but the feeling is too cool, only looking , that's already can feel it is very fast, some police maybe dont like it and check u all time,even though u havent speeding.

on the other hand , Benz look beautiful for woman and man , who is rich, high class, driving on the street , will catch everyone eyes... we can see ,high class car usually not fast on the street , but actually their power is really top. if the car is for racing purpose , that is a good choice too. the police won't bother u ebcause this car look safely than S2000....
but the thift is the problem have to be careful !:thumbsup:

[04blackMAX]

honda needs to improve there products.....step things up.....IMO the s2000 is weak, like i said before...take the benz

[thich]

Originally posted by 04blackMAX
honda needs to improve there products.....

:werd:
civic needs to die! :rofl:

maxboost, i think u should test drive both before making a decision if you're still on the fence

[pinoyhero]

No contest, SLK

[D'z Nutz]

Are there any major differences between your old S2K and the 2004? If not, I'd go with the SLK since you've already owned an S2K.

Or get both, cause you're gonna change your mind anyways!

[T5_X]

6 speed manual SLK 350 :thumbsup:

[benyl]

Food for thought:

There is a reason people say, "Never buy a car during it's first year run." You are almost guaranteed to have small issues come up with the SLK.

If it were me. I would save a few more bucks for the AMG (or make the gf buck up a few more).

The S2000 is new and improved for 2004. I understand it is a slightly different car than the one you had.

[rage2]

The new SLK is based on the current C class (several years old already) so there won't be too many gremlins plaging it's launch. The last SLK was fairly reliable compared to the other benz's as well, as it was based upon the old C class.

If you wanna mod the car, the S2000 is gonna be a LOT cheaper to mod. If you want to just cruise, the SLK is the car to get (but the new one is SO ugly!)

If I was choosing for myself, I'd pick the S2000. Since my wife only drives auto, she'd make me choose the SLK :).

[max_boost]

Originally posted by rage2


If I was choosing for myself, I'd pick the S2000. Since my wife only drives auto, she'd make me choose the SLK :).

I like the styling of the new SLK. I think it will look better in person, once you see it on the roads. :)

I am too lazy to drive the S2K, so I want the SLK. Plus, its hardtop, more spacious in the interior and traction control for winter! ...and its something new since he's already had an S2K.

-RSeXy

[CRXguy]

I think you should decide on something that you'll keep for longer than a year! :rofl: :tongue:

[Gondi Stylez]

Benz!! :drool: :thumbsup:

[rogue]

damn i would rather get a c32 amg even if i had to save for a bit. THAT CAR IS :bigpimp:

[James]

Originally posted by CRXguy
I think you should decide on something that you'll keep for longer than a year! :rofl: :tongue:


:werd:......I'd say go with the Benz since well, its a Benz :tongue:, and youve already had an S2K, try something new.

[Goliath]

i'm not quite sure about this, but if you're choosing Benz make sure you can turn off "safety stuff" like traction control (i'm assuming you're going race the vehicle at track). Car and Driver gave some negative comments about how Benz's electronic devices made the car not as fast as it can be, so you may want to watch out for that.

my 2 cents

[littledan]

you could buy quite a few mods with 12-15k !!!

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by max_boost

I love my Honda's.

Dude, I remember when you had the beamer and you were like "No more Hondas. Hondas are crap."

:rofl: :rofl:

[sputnik]

i would sooner put the $12-15k into an S2000

[rage2]

Originally posted by Goliath
i'm not quite sure about this, but if you're choosing Benz make sure you can turn off "safety stuff" like traction control (i'm assuming you're going race the vehicle at track). Car and Driver gave some negative comments about how Benz's electronic devices made the car not as fast as it can be, so you may want to watch out for that.
Didn't they teach you not to trust car and driver reviews? They just don't know the cars well enough. There's a big ass ESP OFF button sitting on every benz.

[Numb]

S2K is more my style...
:drool:

[Xtrema]

SLK is based on C class but C class along with M class is the reason why the service bay is filled everyday at the MB dealerships. Here's JDPower 03 Initial quality report by brand:

http://www.jdpa.com/presspass/pr/images/2003028b.gif

If you want the bling factor, go with Benz.

If you want trouble free driving, stay with Honda.

[C4S]

Cadilac and Buick on the top 5 :eek: :eek: ??

Ah ~~ .. because .. those 75 yr old drivers .. They won't even know if their engines are smoking or their tires are flat! ! :rofl::rofl:

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by C4S
Cadilac and Buick on the top 5 :eek: :eek: ??

Ah ~~ .. because .. those 75 yr old drivers .. They won't even know if their engines are smoking or their tires are flat! ! :rofl::rofl:

:rolleyes:

The Cadillac has long been one of the most reliable vehicles you can buy.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Xtrema
SLK is based on C class but C class along with M class is the reason why the service bay is filled everyday at the MB dealerships.
I can dispute this one.

The M class is the troublesome one. C and SLK classes are very reliable. SLK class is the most reliable in the benz lineup (I can find the report on that). The only models of C and SLK that have a lot of problems are the C32 and SLK32, mainly due to the supercharged 3.2L V6 being a new motor for those 2 cars. MB discontinued the motor for this reason.

BTW - the big dollar manufacturer ratings are a bit skewed. Owners nitpick more becuase they pay more and expect perfection. I bring my car in for the smallest of things.

[Xtrema]

Hate the styling all you want. GM has made great stride in quality and reliability the last few model years.

1 thing that JDP chart didn't show is volume. Usually larger volume a brand sells, the more complains you get.

So for Chevy, Honda and Toyota to stay up there, it's incredible.

But for other luxury low volume brands that don't get into the top 5 or beat the high volume brands, shame on them.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Xtrema
1 thing that JDP chart didn't show is volume. Usually larger volume a brand sells, the more complains you get.

So for Chevy, Honda and Toyota to stay up there, it's incredible.

But for other luxury low volume brands that don't get into the top 5 or beat the high volume brands, shame on them.
lol. Note the nice big text that says :

Problems per 100 vehicles.

Unless the manufacturer sells less than 100 vehicles, volume is out of the equation! :rofl:

[Moonracer]

There's no question I'd go with the S2000, save 12 grand and get the car sooner in his case. AND drive a Honda! Not saying there is anything wrong with MB's, just a die hard honda freak. :D

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by rage2

lol. Note the nice big text that says :

Problems per 100 vehicles.

Unless the manufacturer sells less than 100 vehicles, volume is out of the equation! :rofl:

That's just a unit to present data in.

If Honda sells 10,000 vehicles and has 100 complains logged, the figure will be 1.

But if MB sells only 1000 vehicles and has the same 100 complains logged, the figure would be 10.

So in reality, Honda sells more but has less % complains but MB sells less and has more % complains.

May be people pay more for MB and bitch more went it goes bad. Or simply how MB put it "people doesn't know how to work all the technology they put in their cars"

[C4S]

Originally posted by Weapon_R

:rolleyes:
The Cadillac has long been one of the most reliable vehicles you can buy.

Depends you ask a 30 yr old owner (which is rare) or a 65-75 yr old owner ( which is majority)
And also, depends you ask a woman or a man !

Their answers will be totally different ! :rofl: :rofl:

[max_boost]

Wow, thanks for everyone's replies!

It's a tough decision. The S2000 should be much more accomodating as a daily driver with its recent upgrades but the re-design of the SLK and its amenities is too enticing to pass up. A major decision factor is going to come down to price, I hope MB doesn't raise the bar too much. Another possibility is to pick up a used BMW 330 cab.

[ICEBERG]

Originally posted by rage2

Didn't they teach you not to trust car and driver reviews? They just don't know the cars well enough. There's a big ass ESP OFF button sitting on every benz.

Even though you can turn it OFF it is still active. You have to disable it completely. I personally dont like the ESP. It got me into more trouble than good. And even now when it is OFF, when i punch the gas pedal the light will blink ON and OFF. There is a way to put the car into Dyno mode that will disable it completely but i forgot how to do it.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Xtrema
That's just a unit to present data in.

If Honda sells 10,000 vehicles and has 100 complains logged, the figure will be 1.

But if MB sells only 1000 vehicles and has the same 100 complains logged, the figure would be 10.

So in reality, Honda sells more but has less % complains but MB sells less and has more % complains.
yes, and that's why in your example, the MB number is higher, and not the same as honda.

Originally posted by ICEBERG
Even though you can turn it OFF it is still active. You have to disable it completely. I personally dont like the ESP. It got me into more trouble than good. And even now when it is OFF, when i punch the gas pedal the light will blink ON and OFF. There is a way to put the car into Dyno mode that will disable it completely but i forgot how to do it.
When the ESP light blinks like that, that's ASR (the simulated limited slip differential) doing it's job. MB's don't have limited slips (something I hate) and they use ASR which is software and brake pads on the drive wheels to simulate a LSD. ESP stability control is OFF.

If you put it in dyno mode, which disables ASR (C class only I believe), when you're cornering and lose traction, you'll understeer heavily. That's a bad thing. And your car will handle like shit.

If ESP's gotten you into trouble, you need to learn the limits of your car at the track. I can drive like a jackass up to 10% over the limit, and ESP will save my ass. I've noticed the people that bitch about ESP lack basic performance driving skills and don't understand their car's handling and dynamics very well.

[rage2]

btw, some video clips of traction control off. As you can see, wheelspin is not a problem.

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1409
http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1205
http://www.virgeweb.com/rage2/myslk32amg/2003-08-07%20slk%2032%20drift.wmv

[sputnik]

Facts cant prove anything. Facts schmacts! [/homer]

I would hesitate looking at graphs like that.. you can get ones that will skew any brand of car or computer... (macs are faster right :nut: )

[slk32amg]

I'm an owner of both a Honda S2000 (my wife's) and an SLK32 AMG. I've been a Honda owner for 10 years with 3 different Honda's. I moved to purchase my benz based on the recommendation of a Friend who was also a Honda owner that purchased a benz. I have a lot to say about quality and reliability of the two cars and the ratings you see:
1- the difference between Honda and benz is less than 3% (128 vs. 132). JD power's margin of error is 4%.
2- the benz ratings are severly impacted by the ML-class. that vehicle is not worthy of the 3-pointed star and has always remained as a source of quality problems, some > 80 % of the content is not even german.
3- the expectation of the benz owner is much higher than that is of a honda owner. to illustrate an example of this I was driving with my friend and went over a bump and the cd-player of the SLK skipped. It was a decent size bump and i thought it was normal. he said this is not like Honda you need to go to the dealership and say you paid 70K for the car and they need to fix it. I did and they replaced it, and it has never skipped no matter what size of bump or pothole i drove over with the stiff suspension. I had a problem with my S2000 with the paint peeling off the bumper.. I took it to the honda dealership and they said they have the have the paint team come and inspect it, so a month later the paint team came and inspected it. They said that they cannot warranty it because there were stone chips on the bumper and if the bumper has a single chip it breaks the seal on the clearcoat. I told my friend again and his stand was the bumpers should be flexible they should not chip. I went to look at my SLK and the SLK bumper was nearly perfect with only 4 chips. based on his advice it should have none so I took it into the MB dealership to bitch. They apologized, gave me a very nice loaner and took the car in for two weeks and put in a brand new bumper. add to that the free recommended maintance with MB vs. over $500 everytime you take a honda into the dealership, the already oxidizing honda wheels due to the salt, and all the scratches on the low quality paint and one replacement of the rack-and-pinion at 12,000 miles (your not supposed to take sharp turns apparently.. and don't turn the wheel all the way unless your parking.. - your honda dealership). Make no mistake about it the MB owner is more demanding and if they were the ones providing input on the other brands in that survey the scale would be very different. I'm very pleased with the SLK. and with MB prices coming down I'm not sure I am buying another Honda. I don't see today's honda being as reliable as the older ones.

I miss my older Honda's and I don't think things will ever be the same again.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by rage2

lol. Note the nice big text that says :

Problems per 100 vehicles.

Unless the manufacturer sells less than 100 vehicles, volume is out of the equation! :rofl:

Xtrema I think you just got OWNED!

Back to the original post. I would take the S2000 just because it is a pure sports car with no compromises. I still love the looks and style of the car, plus it comes with the sweetest N/A 4-Cyl engine in the world. I'm sure the SLK will be a beautiful car and owning a Benz carries more penage than owning a Honda but I'll still take the Honda as I don't care what anyone else thinks anyway.

[ZorroAMG]

SLK. The S2000, while quick in the upper revs and good around the track, is sluggish in daily driving, and stop-and-go traffic due to lask of torque. MB will have no issue there...

The S2000, IMO is like the Beetle, Mini, PT etc where there is a strong initial demand, but then the cars become plain in stock form and lose their hype. They have a following, but i dunno......

SLK fo shizzle.

[rage2]

Originally posted by ZorroAMG
SLK. The S2000, while quick in the upper revs and good around the track, is sluggish in daily driving, and stop-and-go traffic due to lask of torque. MB will have no issue there...
It's not a problem in the S2000 if u drive like schumacher. But it does get tiring (and stunting tickets gets expensive).

[mo_virgin]

Honda SUcks... and the MB is a bit pricey. In the end i would say the MB because convertible's are AWSOME in the warmer days

[heavyD]

Originally posted by mo_virgin
Honda SUcks... and the MB is a bit pricey. In the end i would say the MB because convertible's are AWSOME in the warmer days

Convertible's are great in the summer. You are right he should pick the SLK over the S2000 because it is a convertible.:rolleyes:

[SpoonEK9@STRD]

Originally posted by sexualbanana


Dude, I remember when you had the beamer and you were like "No more Hondas. Hondas are crap."

:rofl: :rofl:

his beemer looked like a honda with all that gay fiberglass..

stop flossing your money, you do this every 2 months. your mom goes and buys you a new one, when you crash your last ones haha....

[max_boost]

Originally posted by SpoonEK9


his beemer looked like a honda with all that gay fiberglass..

stop flossing your money, you do this every 2 months. your mom goes and buys you a new one, when you crash your last ones haha....

The kit on the BMW was from Rieger and is made of ABS plastic

In case you are wondering about my Prelude, yah I wrote it off. I never made an insurance claim and my parents do not know about it. I ended up selling it super cheap to WBB6 so you have no idea WTF you are talking about.

[Boostn]

Tough choice... can't go wrong with either one. If money is a factor, then get the S2K.

[Redlyne_mr2]

No one here has driven the 350 yet so it isn't very relevant to compare the two

[C4S]

So .. when will be the NEW 2005 SLK arrive ?

Seem not bad for a 270HP car ... ( $65K cad + options + Taxes ? ) :D

[/////AMG]

This summer or fall

[Redlyne_mr2]

Should be aroud mid fall, don't have a confirmation date yet

[Ed the SOHC]

I would take the SLK personally but for you, I would take the s2000 because you're gonna sell it cheap to me next year anyways... :tongue:

[hyperwhite]

i would take the S2000 any day. i personally think the SLK is ugly. i don't like the grille.