THE last series Mercedes SLK built from 2011 to this year was given a much better looking and rather classic face that apes its SL big brother.

The first SLK marked the start of the folding metal roof coupe-convertibles, giving greater security and lower insurance ratings for an open car.

And Mercedes has stuck with it ever since, even though that roof does take up a large part of the boot when it's retracted.

This generation model featured the excellent ‘Airscarf' system that takes warm air through the seat and out around the neck for open driving in winter.

Engines have been 1.8, 2.0-litre and 3.5 V6 petrols with power ranging from 180 to 301bhp and a single 2.1 diesel with 201bhp.

Obviously, this is the one to go for if you want best economy but the petrols are usually a good deal cheaper and quicker.

The manual six-speed gearbox was much improved by the time this model came out, but there are not many about as most were sold with the seven-speed automatic.

Performance is good or excellent across the range, with 0-60mph times of seven seconds or better and top speeds above 145mph.

They are also agile and smooth through the corners, with a high level of grip, but I've found that they're not connected to the driver in the same way as a Porsche Boxster, or even like the much cheaper Mazda MX-5. This is much more of a boulevard cruiser than a sports car.

And of course, never buy without the proper service history - always very important with any top end car.

The interior is high quality and beautifully put together, but the dash is a bit like an aircraft cockpit, with switches all over the place for things like the seat heaters and the entertainment system.

The roof is quick to put up and down and most models have added equipment on top of the standard spec.