The goodThe good: The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350's seven-speed automatic transmission delivers smooth shifts and helps it get decent fuel economy. Air Scarf makes driving with the top down reasonable in colder weather. An optional hard drive-based navigation system with traffic information and Bluetooth is standard.

The badThe bad: The list of compatible phones for the standard Bluetooth system is limited. We weren't impressed with the standard audio system, and iPod integration suffers from the need to drill down through levels of menus.

The bottom lineThe bottom line: As a toy for the wealthy, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 scores, offering a well-balanced, fun drive, but you will have to ship luggage separately for road trips. Good cabin tech is available, but it adds up to a costly bundle.Although the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 looks tiny, the car is filled with much more tech and horsepower than you would expect. Mercedes-Benz updated the little roadster for the 2009 model year, giving it new styling cues, improving the engine, and loading it with its newest raft of cabin gadgets. The result is a car that may not be the most practical, but scores big on fun.

The SLK350 is a roadster with a fully powered retractable hardtop. This top compromises trunk space pretty severely, but letting in the sun becomes convenient and easy. Styling changes emphasize sport, with a more pointed nose and a diffuser in back, but that doesn't make the SLK350 an exceptional sports car. Although we found it enjoyable to drive--especially fun on mountain roads, its sportiness seems diluted in favor of comfort.

Under the hood
The SLK-class is available in three versions marked by their engines, from the 3-liter V-6 SLK300 to the 5.5-liter V-8 SLK55 AMG. The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 that Mercedes-Benz squeezes 300 horsepower at 6,500rpm and 265 foot-pounds of torque at 4,900rpm out of. Although the SLK350 is a small car, the horses don't translate to rocket ship power. It moves fast and smooth, but we didn't get the blast in the back we expected. During one drive on a two-lane highway we started to pass a line of cars, but when oncoming traffic appeared, the SLK350 didn't have the guts to keep us confident in the maneuver. We did make it to the front of the line, but had to consider slotting back into the line before our intended spot.Even though modern engines are clad in plastic, Mercedes-Benz at least makes it look good. The engine feeds its power to the wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission that keeps shifts very smooth. Through a little technical wizardry, the transmission exerts a little throttle when it downshifts to keep the engine speed matched to the gear. Our car had the standard seven-speed transmission--a sport version is available, complete with paddle shifters. The automatic transmission can be put into Sport mode at the push of a button, or you can manually shift by pushing the shifter from side-to-side. The manual shifts were tighter than a normal slushbox, but they didn't feel exceptionally sharp. We concluded that our test car, lacking the Sport package, was tuned more for a fun, luxury ride than hard-core driving.The steering communicated this feeling as well. It is responsive when you want it, but it isn't twitchy, letting you drive without having to constantly adjust. Because of the car's small size, we felt we could throw it around readily, and it seemed perfectly amenable. The back end would slip a little in hard cornering, but not in a way that wasn't correctable. Mercedes-Benz dials back the tech in the steering a little, relying on a mechanical system for its variable power steering.

The C/S button at the front of the shift gate switches the transmission from Comfort to Sport.Mileage with the SLK350's engine is an EPA-rated 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. We came in around the middle of that range, at 21.3 mpg for a mix of city, highway, and freeway driving. Mercedes-Benz derived more efficiency from the engine by raising its redline and increasing the compression. Emissions ratings weren't available at the time of our review.

In the cabin
As we would expect from a plus-50-grand roadster from Mercedes-Benz, the interior of the 2009 SLK350 is designed for luxury. All surfaces except the buttons are soft. And although it's a roadster, you don't have to put the top up to stay warm. Our SLK350 had Mercedes-Benz's Air Scarf feature, which blows warm air on your neck from a vent in the head rest. We took it out on one particularly fog-bound and clammy day, San Francisco in the summer, and drove for hours with the top down, and the heated seats and Air Scarf kept us perfectly comfortable.The vent in the headrest blows warm air on your neck, making the car comfortable to drive with the top down in cooler weather.

Mercedes-Benz's newest navigation system, which we saw in the C300, is hard drive-based, making route calculation and map refreshes quick, but we didn't have the navigation option in our test car. Likewise, the SLK350 can be customized with a Harmon-Kardon Logic7 audio system, which we've been impressed with in other models, but our test car only had the stock audio system.

The audio quality of the stock system, though full, suffered from shrill highs. We played a variety of music through the system and were generally impressed with the frequency range we could hear, and the good separation that made bass, mid, and treble notes distinct. But as we turned the volume up, the highs became unbearable as the speakers turned what should have been a clear high vocal into an eardrum-piercing note. The system handled bass-heavy tracks without rattle, but the Logic7 system seems a necessary upgrade.The standard Bluetooth hands-free system lets you import your phonebook and keeps a record of recent calls.

Test the tech: The 65 mph iPod
One of the key tech options in our 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 was an iPod port in the glove compartment, which came as part of the Premium package. This port was mounted next to an auxiliary audio input, and other audio sources included a six-disc in-dash CD changer that read MP3 discs and had Sirius satellite radio. As we've seen different levels of iPod integration on different Mercedes-Benz models, we decided to focus on this feature.The iPod plugs into a port in the glove box.To test the interface, we plugged in an iPod and put an MP3 CD in the changer, for comparison, then drove onto the freeway. We got into the flow of traffic, which was moving on the plus side of 65 mph, and started choosing music from the iPod through the car's interface. The iPod itself was stored away in the glove compartment, the connection to the car keeping it charged. To operate it, we had to reach across the instrument panel to a set of four directional buttons with an enter button at the center.

With the iPod chosen as our audio source, we pushed the down arrow button to get into the menu options at the bottom of the screen. Among these four menus, the one labeled Music let us into the main iPod screen, with options for playlist, artist, album, song, and genre. Although we had to reach across the navigation buttons, we found we could glance at the menu and select with only brief distraction from the road ahead.

We have to drill down through a number of menus to play music from our iPod.We chose artist and were shown a list of artists on the iPod. Selecting one of them, we were shown, after a slight pause, a list of that artist's albums on the iPod. Selecting an album led us to the actual song list. Drilling down like this is a bit tedious, especially as we looked back to the road between each selection. It was worse when we chose a genre, as that led us to artist names, then albums, and then a song listing. Each menu had a folder icon at the top and bottom, letting us navigate back up through the library menus.

Having to drill down through menus like this is potentially dangerous. What we would like to see, a common feature on MP3 players, is an option to play all music at the top of each menu listing so, for example, you could choose the genre Jazz, then choose to play all music classified as Jazz. MP3 CD navigation was simpler. You browse through the folders on a disc, and as you can burn MP3 CDs with only one level of folders, it is potentially safer since it eliminates the need to drill through so many menus. We were also disappointed in the time it took the system to load lists of music from the iPod.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 goes for a base price of $50,825. Our test car included the $2,950 Premium package and the $990 Heating package, which brings in the Air Scarf system, taking the total to $54,765. Given our choice, we would also add the Multimedia package, which includes the Logic7 audio system and navigation, for $2,980. When shopping for a roadster in this price range, we would also take a long look at the Audi TT, a car with better handling due to its Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

For the SLK350's cabin tech rating, we have to take a little bit on faith, as our test car didn't have all the options available. Fortunately, we've seen the newer navigation system in the C300 and have heard the Logic7 in several Mercedes-Benz models, letting us extrapolate a little into the SLK350. With the Multimedia package, the car would exhibit some impressive tech, although nothing over the top. As for performance tech, we like the seven-speed automatic transmission and the refinements Mercedes-Benz made to the engine. It's not a barn burner, but the car is well balanced and fun to drive. But it is a lot of money for a car that can only carry two people and minimal luggage with the top down.

In the last 17 years, no vehicle in America outsold the Ford F-150 on a monthly or yearly basis—not once. In May of this year, however, Honda moved more Civics and Accords and Toyota more Corollas and Camrys than Ford’s best-seller. America has been sideswiped by the $4 gallon and auto industry heads believe the higher gas prices are permanent, not just a temporary shift or spike.

From a manufacturing perspective, it’s increasingly difficult to build fuel-sipping vehicles, as current safety and emissions technologies add weight, a primary nemesis of fuel economy. Hybrid technology and low mass are the most cost-effective strategies to better fuel economy, and the bulk of our list of the ten most fuel-efficient vehicles utilize one or both. Toyota plays both sides, managing to field three of the top ten—four if you count the Nissan Altima, which uses the Toyota Camry’s hybrid drive system under license.That five of the vehicles on our list are hybrids is a harbinger of things to come. Although there’s only one diesel in this group, expect that to change. The following vehicles are ranked according to their EPA combined fuel-economy ratings. Since the EPA calculation favors city mileage, that number is used here as a tie-breaker.

The Toyota Prius, the gold standard for fuel economy, is a bit like steamed broccoli: utterly insipid but wholesome just the same. Iconic status was guaranteed when Hollywood types with air-conditioned mega-mansions trotted out Priuses as their green beards, even before the car was immortalized with its own episode of South Park. An anodyne ownership experience includes tepid acceleration, numb steering, and nonlinear brakes. Of note are the unbeatable fuel economy, impressively low price tag, and unique, futuristic lines that house a large amount of usable space. Stay tuned for the next-generation Prius and a plug-in version, which will further increase fuel economy, in 2011. City: 48 mpg/Highway: 45 mpg

The Nissan Altima hybrid is sold only in California and the seven eastern states that share Cali’s CARB air-quality statutes, which is a shame as it delivers hybrid efficiency in a stylish, pleasurable-to-drive sedan. The Altima hybrid delivers similar fuel economy numbers to the Camry hybrid, which isn’t surprising considering Nissan licensed Toyota’s Synergy Drive for the effort. Paired with Nissan’s 2.5-liter gasoline engine, the Altima hybrid returns performance numbers better than the standard model. It delivers on its sporty looks and design-forward interior with a fun, enthusiastic chassis and precise steering. If the name “Camry” makes your inner rebel cringe, you’d do well to consider the Altima hybrid. City: 35 mpg/Highway: 33 mpg

Yellow-paintbrush-wielding New York cabbies can’t be wrong: the Toyota Camry hybrid is good at moving passengers economically and without drama. Unlike the Altima hybrid, you can buy the Camry hybrid nationwide. Hybridization did nothing to impact the virtues that make the Camry an award-winning family-hauling appliance: laudable road manners, quiet and comfortable operation, and a highly competent overall experience. Stepping up to the hybrid also begets stability control and the top-of-the-line XLE interior package, minus leather seats. City: 33 mpg/Highway: 34 mpg

The TDI, as equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, shines in highway driving, returning fuel economy on par with the air-hockey-table-sized Smart Fortwo. Diesel currently outpaces gasoline prices by about 20 percent, but the TDI betters the fuel economy of the next-thriftiest Jetta model by over 30 percent. The SportWagen, while more expensive than the sedan, suffers no penalty in fuel economy. It offers more luggage volume than the Prius and just slightly less passenger volume while being good-looking and offering a driving experience that won’t approximate the work of an anesthesiologist. Both aesthetically and dynamically, the diesel-sipping Jetta TDI is engineered to be enjoyed by the user, not just employed. City: 30 mpg/Highway: 41 mpg

The lone American ranger in this group is the Ford Escape hybrid, the roughest and tumblin-est vehicle here, if mostly by posture. Refreshed for 2009, the Escape addresses many of the issues that made it an almost unacceptable compromise, including the anemic performance, punishing ride, and poor brake feel. The stronger four-cylinder now boasts 177 horsepower in addition to its hybrid-electric drive, the revised suspension system includes a rear anti-roll bar, and the brakes feel something like normal. The Escape is a hybrid SUV with solid moves at an affordable price tag, for which no excuses need be made. Though an official fuel-economy rating has yet to be obtained for the new model, not much change is expected from 2008. City: 34 mpg/Highway: 30 mpg

It’s not surprising that a small car designed and manufactured by BMW is a pleasurable thing, but that it’s extra miserly is icing on the strudel. Thanks to a recent redesign, a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder, slightly smaller dimensions, and a new six-speed transmission conspire to produce good fuel efficiency, particularly on the highway, where an extra cog makes all the difference. The Mini and slightly longer Mini Clubman get the same fuel economy, so there’s no penalty for the latter other than greater expense and a reduced number of parking opportunities. Watch those options, though. Despite a reasonable $18,700 entry price, the last naturally aspirated Mini Cooper we tested cost as much as a Camry hybrid. City: 28 mpg/Highway: 37 mpg

We crowned the Honda Fit the best of seven inexpensive people movers in a recent comparison test because it makes us smile like few cars this affordable or stingy on gas can. Mini-minivan styling might not seduce the vain, but the upshot to odd proportions is oodles of usable space—this thing is like a clown’s bottomless suitcase. You’ll need to mate a five-speed manual transmission to the Fit’s 1.5-liter engine for the best mileage, but this is something you’ll want to do anyway if you view cloverleafs as opportunities rather than nuisances. In Sport form, the Fit serves up similar fun and more passenger and cargo room than either the Mini Cooper or Clubman for almost $4K less. City: 28 mpg/Highway: 34 mpg
source - Yahoo Auto