John, I am the former owner of an '04 Chrysler Crossfire, which for the most part is an '00 SLK320, which is pretty close to what you are looking at. I can give you my impressions of the Mercedes-Benz aspects of the car.
-- Power to weight ratio is very good. The car accelerates and handles very well.
-- Brakes are on par with the "get up and go" aspect.
-- The six speed manual is a bit notchy, but they get better as they get a few miles on them. 1st gear is way too short. Also, early ones had a habit of popping out of 1st gear at the most inopportune times. This was a recall item.
-- The automatic transmission is the venerable 722.6 5-speed unit. 'Nuff said there.
-- The instrument cluster and heating/AC controls are straightforward and easy to use.
-- Space in the cabin is tight. There is a large bulkhead behind the seats that limit how much you can adjust them. Taller drivers will have to make a choice between legroom or the ability to recline. You won't get both. Luggage carrying ability is somewhat limited too.
-- The stock stereo is pretty good, but the door speakers were a bit boomy. A popular mod in the Crossfire community was to install a 330 uf non-polarized electrolytic capacitor in line with the woofers in the door. It made a huge difference in sound quality and allowed the subwoofers in the rear bulkhead to really add some punch.
Overall its a great platform and I wouldn't hesitate to get one if the price is right. I will let actual SLK owners chime in on the operation and reliability of that cool hard top though!
