new member dilemma Z4 vs slk

[glenn]

hi ! i have a 328i and a audi A4 that is end of lease and want a convertable. I have been test driving SLKs and yesterday drove a 2008 Z4 and i have to say the true open air roadster experience was obvious. The big deal breaker is always the convertable hardtop on the SLK which has it's pluses and then the sales manager tells me no Z4 for 2009 and it will get re-vamped with a convertable hard top ! Dilemma as i have to do the deal this month. There is the 325ci i have been considering and that is really great but not a roadster.

Glenn

[buddrinker]

Originally Posted by glenn

hi ! i have a 328i and a audi A4 that is end of lease and want a convertable. I have been test driving SLKs and yesterday drove a 2008 Z4 and i have to say the true open air roadster experience was obvious. The big deal breaker is always the convertable hardtop on the SLK which has it's pluses and then the sales manager tells me no Z4 for 2009 and it will get re-vamped with a convertable hard top ! Dilemma as i have to do the deal this month. There is the 325ci i have been considering and that is really great but not a roadster.

Glenn

I was just curious but why do you not like the soft top? If you only lease you will not have the car long enough to have any wear problems. They are well insulated. Mine is 4 years old and works and looks brand new still. I am not sure what the trunk space is on a slk but its huge on a z4 with the top down. That was a big plus for me when I bought mine. I do lots of long distance traveling and also camp with it so I needed the trunk space.

[nmulax]

Obviously this board will be biased.

With that being said, get the Z4. The SLK has always been a chick car anyways.

[Crimson92]

aside from it being a chick

the motor and trans in the slk280/300 suck

the 350 is good but the trans is no bueno...too old manish

the handling is trash

i have an e350 so im not a benz hater

[Deda]

z4!

[glenn]

thanks guys and very imformative. I am not leasing this car as i have always done and regarding the canvas issue some may be maintainance and keeping it looking great but it is small so i am sure that it is not a problem. I suppose "security" might be an advantage on a convertable hardtop and then noise as i am sure the convertable hardtop is quieter. Regarding "chick car" i belong to an SLK forum and these guys are deep into their SLKs like you are into the Z. Like i said the Z4 had a special feel and i think it boils down to the taste of the 2 cars. The BMW is a driving machine asnd the SLK is a luxury roadster with a lot of perks. One last thing and i am worried that the current Z4 is ending it's run on the body style and the reason they are re-vamping and that is a factor for me. Maybe it will be a classic ?

[rollingstone]

Originally Posted by glenn

...The BMW is a driving machine and the SLK is a luxury roadster with a lot of perks. One last thing I am worried about is that the current Z4 is ending it's run on the body style and the reason they are re-vamping — and that is a factor for me. Maybe it will be a classic ?

I'll admit to not being that knowledgeable on the creature comforts of the SLK, but one of things I love most about BMWs in general — and the Z-series specifically — is the focus on driving. Period. The Z3 and Z4 are less about electronic gizmos and distractions and more about running the gates while racing the back road twisties.

I've always liked cars that are meant to be driven. I don't need HD this and bluetooth that... give me a smooth inline-six (or better) and a road to run on.

So for me, the SLK wouldn't be in the mix... BUT for you, perhaps. You need to know what's most important. AND IF having the most current style and creature cofort is important, then best you wait and check out the new Z4... it's almost here and will be a hard-top vert.

I don't worry about fad styling and believe the Z4 will age rather well... especially the coupe, which was my choice. In fact, the coupe will be as stylish in 30 years as a 60's vintage Jag XK-E or Stingray or long-snouted Daytona. Note I didn't say "collectible," but stylish. There are cars 50 years old that have better hand-hewn lines and looks than anything robots are pumping out these days. I'd take a 1970 Porsche 911 over a 2009 SLK any day.

So know thy self and thus thine car. And enjoy the fact that you are considering and comparing very fine cars.

Cheers.

[pmeloche]

Originally Posted by glenn

hi ! i have a 328i and a audi A4 that is end of lease and want a convertable. I have been test driving SLKs and yesterday drove a 2008 Z4 and i have to say the true open air roadster experience was obvious. The big deal breaker is always the convertable hardtop on the SLK which has it's pluses and then the sales manager tells me no Z4 for 2009 and it will get re-vamped with a convertable hard top ! Dilemma as i have to do the deal this month. There is the 325ci i have been considering and that is really great but not a roadster.

Glenn

The new Z4 is getting unveiled next Monday. They'll start production early next year. There will be a Z4 in 2009, the Sales Manager is BSing you.

[glenn]

Originally Posted by rollingstone

I'll admit to not being that knowledgeable on the creature comforts of the SLK, but one of things I love most about BMWs in general — and the Z-series specifically — is the focus on driving. Period. The Z3 and Z4 are less about electronic gizmos and distractions and more about running the gates while racing the back road twisties.

I've always liked cars that are meant to be driven. I don't need HD this and bluetooth that... give me a smooth inline-six (or better) and a road to run on.

So for me, the SLK wouldn't be in the mix... BUT for you, perhaps. You need to know what's most important. AND IF having the most current style and creature cofort is important, then best you wait and check out the new Z4... it's almost here and will be a hard-top vert.

I don't worry about fad styling and believe the Z4 will age rather well... especially the coupe, which was my choice. In fact, the coupe will be as stylish in 30 years as a 60's vintage Jag XK-E or Stingray or long-snouted Daytona. Note I didn't say "collectible," but stylish. There are cars 50 years old that have better hand-hewn lines and looks than anything robots are pumping out these days. I'd take a 1970 Porsche 911 over a 2009 SLK any day.

So know thy self and thus thine car. And enjoy the fact that you are considering and comparing very fine cars.

Cheers.

great reply and thank you ! I have been a "classic jazz" musician my whole life having the honor to play and record with some of the great icons in my field i.e. Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Sinatra, Louis Armstrong to name a few. And yes like cars music is the same and having been part of what i call the "golden age" of Jazz i completly agree with you as so called progress and fads are sometimes a comprimize in the essense of the art form like the movies today loaded with "special effects" and no substance or story line. I love the SLK but when i drove the Z4 the other day it had it's own special driving "groove" with an emphasis on driving.

[Mikewarlover]

In my opinion i think the Z is a very forward thinking design that will age very well. Cause look at all the other cars that came out of 2003 Non of them is aging as well as the Z. One important thing to keep in mind is that if u are planning to keep these cars for longer then theres a lot more to go rong with the SLK with all the electronic stuff. Plus the SLK is does not perform very well. The best point about SLK is its a hardtop.

[glenn]

thanks and i agree !

[marcus1701]

well I like new cars, and the perks of having a new car, such as technology. I don't think you should be so concerned about future value or body style, besides everyone knows the Audi TT has aged the best....it's in the Modern Art Museum in CA, hehe I love Audi. Anyways, I really like the hardtop in the Merc and the torque on its V6. I like the idea of its "air scarf" system as well. If I had to choose which one to buy though....Z4. I know you probably came here to rationalize why the Z4 is better, but you want a drop top right? Well this is the best drop top experience you will get. I don't think anyone will hate you for buying a SLK though because actually the SLK55 AMG holds it's value better than any roadster out there including a Porsche Boxster S (read off "911 Excellence Magazine").

[Virginia Bill]

The 1st generation Z4 roadster soft top is very well made and beautifully engineered. It's durable, easy to care for, quiet, and secure.

1. Durable: mine is three years old. No signs of wear other than one small stain.

2. Easy care: twice a year treat the top with waterproofing (BMW or Raggtopp) after washing. The whole process takes 20-30 minutes.

3. Quiet: At highway speed with the top up, we easily forget we're in a convertible; nothing reminds us the top is soft.

4. Secure: I concede that someone who really wants to get into the car could use a knife to do it, but it probably would take a while.

In comparison with the SLK (which I looked at before buying a Z4) the most obvious differences are DPQ (driving pleasure quotient) and trunk space; the Z4 is significantly better on both. More perfectly than any other car I know about, the Z4 balances driving pleasure with convenience and comfort.

[rc'Z]

Drive both with the top down, same day, same road. You will find that the MB has a wind problem caused by the windshield having a sharper taper towards the top that blows your hair sideways over your head. The Z doesn't do that.

[3002 tii]

i never liked the slk, like someone said it's a chick car. every time i see one driven on the road, its a woman. only slk i like is the amg... take that out, not feeling it.

[MVF4Rrider]

My ex-wife's boss had a first gen SLK. He was/is practically a woman himself IMO. Or would it be herself?