The SLK is perpetually cross-shopped against the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z3/Z4, with the community consensus that it is a comfortable touring roadster rather than an outright sports car, more appropriately compared to a Z3 than a Boxster. A minority push back hard, calling it slow, vague, and cursed with a poor exhaust note.
Roadster comparisons: Boxster, Z3/Z4, Miata, and the 'not a sports car' view
Mercedes-Benz SLK / SLC · driving