Interior Color

**smoothbnzf4n4tc** · 11-11-2007

Okay so I'm pretty much set on the exterior color (Mars Red) for my slk55, but I wanted some feedback on interior color.

Black would be the most practical option but the least exciting.

The red-black interior doesn't fit my taste.

So the other options are the black/ash interior or beige interior. Now I talked with b55 regarding his beige interior and he told me that it was an extreme pain in terms of maintenance. (I don't know if you want to comment on this, etyu...) He also mentioned that he wore business attire and his leather belts actually stained his seats.

Now the red/beige looks awesome but because of the above mentioned problems I was thinking black/ash. How is the maintenance of the ash color? Would it go well with mars red? Anybody have any pictures of a mars red with ash/black?

I'm not getting the 030 package so interior trim is aluminum...

All help will be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance!

**FishtailnZ** · 11-11-2007

I have the beige interior and after aprx 1.5 years, it's wearing very well - I clean/detail it once a month (nothing too involved, takes maybe 20 mins) and it's still like new. No staining or discoloration at all. Any lighter colour interior will require a little extra care, but look after it and it'll last as well as any other colour.

**-1-** · 11-11-2007

All of the interior choices you mentioned are good choices. I've had light interiors before, and they are a challenge to keep clean. My wife's SLK 350 has the black interior. Given the three choices, I'd go with the black.

Zut · 11-11-2007

My 350 has the beige interior and it aged extremely well. After 26 months without any special care my seats almost look showroom-new. Mars red goes great with black or ash but I must admit I am partial to beige. Not long after I ordered my car in 2005, I went back to my dealership and I saw a Mars red/beige 350 with the wood steering wheel. It looked absolutely stunning.

**etyu** · 11-11-2007

Of the 3 choices for the interior, I would rank them as follows in terms of preference:

1. Beige
2. Black
3. Black/Ash

The above is strictly personal opinion and personal choice of course.

I am not at all worried about the care of beige leather, unless you have pets or the like. My prior E320 (1997 to 2006) had beige interior.

I've only treated the leather seat once (yesterday) since getting the car on Aug. 30. I used Mercedes Benz leather treatment, actually a Meguair's product (leftover from the E320). The leather was fine with hardly any dirt. I treated it just to keep the leather soft. Instead of using an applicator, I used my hands and fingers as applicator (after washing the hands with soap and water and drying). Think of the leather treatment as like lotion on skin. I then used a clean white 100% cotton to wipe off any "lotion" that was not absorbed. The hands also feel great after doing the leather conditioning (mate likes it

). The hands feel so smooth and soft, it puts Chinese silk to shame (just an exagerration

). I also have Zaino Leather-in-a-bottle, but plan on using this after the original Mercedes Benz product is consumed.

I do use an old artificial sheepskin cushion (leftover from E320 that also has a beige interior, which by the way looked fine after 9 years of ownership) to protect the driver's seat and genuine sheepskin (from Ikea, cost $40) on the passenger side. See photos below:

Personally, I think the Mars Red exterior and the Beige interior would look absolutely smashing.

ellimb · 11-11-2007

hi folks
my interior has 2 colours being beige and black. ie black on part of the door where your hand would pull to close the door and this is great and looks (IMHO) better than plain beige.

**DansSlk** · 11-11-2007

The easiest leather to maintain is the least exciting I'm afraid.

Black can be rejuvenated even after a lot of wear with colors if you let them go its very hard to bring them back to life again.

If you are prepared to put in some maintenance and it does not take long just once every 3/6mo then the colors will last just fine.

Not sure why Dana was getting transfer I've never seen that myself except in special circumstances (see below) so it could be a property of some of his belts or the cleaning products used on the seat it maybe a mix of both.

The only thing the seats don't like is severe moisture (any fluids really) because that can allow for transfer.

**dsb** · 11-11-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellimb

hi folks
my interior has 2 colours being beige and black. ie black on part of the door where your hand would pull to close the door and this is great and looks (IMHO) better than plain beige.

Agreed. Plus the outside edges of the seat are black. I've noticed that area usually wears/gets dirty faster than the inner section. So, the two tone works better IMO... but I am biased.

**alroumi** · 11-12-2007

Too bad you cannot get Mars Red/ Black with red inserts in the united states, I would go for Red over plain black.

**etyu** · 11-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by alroumi

Too bad you cannot get Mars Red/ Black with red inserts in the united states, I would go for Red over plain black.

You can get Mars Red exterior with black/red interior (red in the center section) in the US, however, smoothbnzf4n4tc has already stated, "The red-black interior doesn't fit my taste."

**smoothbnzf4n4tc** · 11-12-2007

The red/black interior doesn't appeal to me personally, alroumi. My uncle has a red car and beige interior and he uses it for an every day car and I've actually seen the wear and tear that his car has suffered. I plan to use it for everyday but I'm the kind of guy who really is a perfectionist when it comes to keeping things clean. I don't know, but Etyu's pics really make me want to go with beige. I'll keep you guys posted, but thanks for the opinions!

I'm think the ash is a compromise but I don't think it looks as good on a Mars Red as it does on a Caspian Blue Slk.

**alroumi** · 11-12-2007

thank you for correcting me eddy.

**-1-** · 11-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by etyu

You can get Mars Red exterior with black/red interior (red in the center section) in the US, however, smoothbnzf4n4tc has already stated, "The red-black interior doesn't fit my taste."

Correct me if I'm wrong. I just checked the MBUSA site and it shows three interior options for the SLK 55 in Mars Red. Black, beige, and black and ash. Like Mo, I love the red and black combination in the SLK.

GregoryGR · 11-12-2007

I have the Black/Ash interior and believe me, it's the best among the others to choose!

However, i would choose something to match the exterior, i.e. Black/Red.

I will post some pictures for you, to get an idea. FYI, the ash leather is nappa (harder -in touch- leather than the beige. After two years of almost everyday use, the quality is still same as showroom's.

Wait for my photos - hopefully in a few hours when i get back from work.

**WhiteRabbit** · 11-12-2007

I have the ash interior and love it. Still looks like new after 2 years with only minimal care. I also like it for the 2-tone look, black for the top of the dash, ash for the lower half of the dash. And the 2-tone door panels. One advantage of ash or beige over all-black is how hot the seats get in the sun, especially if you live in a warm climate.

**etyu** · 11-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by alroumi

thank you for correcting me eddy.

I'm the one that is mistaken. From MBUSA, it looks like on the "Build your Own" section, black/red is not offered with Mars Red exterior.

Quote:

Originally Posted by -1-

Correct me if I'm wrong. I just checked the MBUSA site and it shows three interior options for the SLK 55 in Mars Red. Black, beige, and black and ash. Like Mo, I love the red and black combination in the SLK.

You're right Don. Black/red is not offered with Mars Red. It is offered with the other colors like Pewter. I stand corrected.

Perhaps the first thing to ask is: do you want two-tone? If you do, then there's only Black/Ash to go with Mars Red.

**etyu** · 11-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ellimb

hi folks
my interior has 2 colours being beige and black. ie black on part of the door where your hand would pull to close the door and this is great and looks (IMHO) better than plain beige.

I wasn't expecting the door panels to be all beige when I ordered the car. At MBUSA (on the pix at Build Your Own, at the time of ordering) it showed the beige as the door panel insert with the foam rubber parts being black. I guess MB can change the specs as they deem necessary, without prior notice.

**FishtailnZ** · 11-12-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by etyu

I wasn't expecting the door panels to be all beige when I ordered the car. At MBUSA (on the pix at Build Your Own, at the time of ordering) it showed the beige as the door panel insert with the foam rubber parts being black. I guess Mercedes Benz can change the specs as they deem necessary, without prior notice.

Eddy, the difference is in the models - if you get a '55, it'll have the full door colour. Other models have the black door inserts with beige.

11-11-2007	#1 (permalink)
smoothbnzf4n4tc Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Vehicle: 2009 Mars Red SLK55 Posts: 172 Country: Thanks: 12 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Interior Color Okay so I'm pretty much set on the exterior color (Mars Red) for my slk55, but I wanted some feedback on interior color. Black would be the most practical option but the least exciting. The red-black interior doesn't fit my taste. So the other options are the black/ash interior or beige interior. Now I talked with b55 regarding his beige interior and he told me that it was an extreme pain in terms of maintenance. (I don't know if you want to comment on this, etyu...) He also mentioned that he wore business attire and his leather belts actually stained his seats. Now the red/beige looks awesome but because of the above mentioned problems I was thinking black/ash. How is the maintenance of the ash color? Would it go well with mars red? Anybody have any pictures of a mars red with ash/black? I'm not getting the 030 package so interior trim is aluminum... All help will be greatly appreciated and thanks in advance!

11-11-2007	#2 (permalink)
FishtailnZ Don't feed the trolls... Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Nfld., Canada Vehicle: 2009 C63 pipelined Other Toys: Wife, kids, dogs... Posts: 1,506 Country: Thanks: 294 Thanked 223 Times in 99 Posts	I have the beige interior and after aprx 1.5 years, it's wearing very well - I clean/detail it once a month (nothing too involved, takes maybe 20 mins) and it's still like new. No staining or discoloration at all. Any lighter colour interior will require a little extra care, but look after it and it'll last as well as any other colour. __________________ - Bill Waiting on a 2009 C63 Fire Opal/Alpaca Premium+Media R.I.P. 2006 SLK55 Caspian Blue/Beige Stock 1/4 mile results: ET 12.72, trap 110.80, 60' 1.80 Some guys they just give up living and start dying little by little, piece by piece. Some guys come home from work and wash up and go racin' in the street... - B. Springsteen

11-11-2007	#3 (permalink)
-1- Don Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia USA Vehicle: SLK 55 ///AMG The MON55TER on the block Posts: 2,231 Country: Thanks: 54 Thanked 57 Times in 41 Posts	All of the interior choices you mentioned are good choices. I've had light interiors before, and they are a challenge to keep clean. My wife's SLK 350 has the black interior. Given the three choices, I'd go with the black. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *----------------1-----------------* --------SLK 55 ///AMG--------- THE MON55TER ON THE BLOCK

11-11-2007	#5 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 5,306 Country: Thanks: 381 Thanked 282 Times in 173 Posts	Of the 3 choices for the interior, I would rank them as follows in terms of preference: 1. Beige 2. Black 3. Black/Ash The above is strictly personal opinion and personal choice of course. I am not at all worried about the care of beige leather, unless you have pets or the like. My prior E320 (1997 to 2006) had beige interior. I've only treated the leather seat once (yesterday) since getting the car on Aug. 30. I used Mercedes Benz leather treatment, actually a Meguair's product (leftover from the E320). The leather was fine with hardly any dirt. I treated it just to keep the leather soft. Instead of using an applicator, I used my hands and fingers as applicator (after washing the hands with soap and water and drying). Think of the leather treatment as like lotion on skin. I then used a clean white 100% cotton to wipe off any "lotion" that was not absorbed. The hands also feel great after doing the leather conditioning (mate likes it ). The hands feel so smooth and soft, it puts Chinese silk to shame (just an exagerration ). I also have Zaino Leather-in-a-bottle, but plan on using this after the original Mercedes Benz product is consumed. I do use an old artificial sheepskin cushion (leftover from E320 that also has a beige interior, which by the way looked fine after 9 years of ownership) to protect the driver's seat and genuine sheepskin (from Ikea, cost $40) on the passenger side. See photos below: Personally, I think the Mars Red exterior and the Beige interior would look absolutely smashing. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant., EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, bilateral rear fog lamps enabled. Last edited by etyu; 11-12-2007 at 11:10 AM.*

11-11-2007	#7 (permalink)
DansSlk Dude Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,794 Country: Thanks: 96 Thanked 225 Times in 177 Posts	The easiest leather to maintain is the least exciting I'm afraid. Black can be rejuvenated even after a lot of wear with colors if you let them go its very hard to bring them back to life again. If you are prepared to put in some maintenance and it does not take long just once every 3/6mo then the colors will last just fine. Not sure why Dana was getting transfer I've never seen that myself except in special circumstances (see below) so it could be a property of some of his belts or the cleaning products used on the seat it maybe a mix of both. The only thing the seats don't like is severe moisture (any fluids really) because that can allow for transfer. __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

11-11-2007	#4 (permalink)
Zut Founding Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Montréal QC Vehicle: 2006 SLK350 Posts: 805 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	My 350 has the beige interior and it aged extremely well. After 26 months without any special care my seats almost look showroom-new. Mars red goes great with black or ash but I must admit I am partial to beige. Not long after I ordered my car in 2005, I went back to my dealership and I saw a Mars red/beige 350 with the wood steering wheel. It looked absolutely stunning.

11-11-2007	#6 (permalink)
ellimb Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Vehicle: A200, SLK R171 350 Posts: 138 Country: Thanks: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	hi folks my interior has 2 colours being beige and black. ie black on part of the door where your hand would pull to close the door and this is great and looks (IMHO) better than plain beige.

11-12-2007	#9 (permalink)
alroumi Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait Vehicle: 2006 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG Other Toys: 2007 Ebony Jaguar XKR Coupe' and 06 Black Cayenne S Posts: 6,288 Country: Thanks: 298 Thanked 232 Times in 146 Posts	Too bad you cannot get Mars Red/ Black with red inserts in the united states, I would go for Red over plain black. __________________ 06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG 06 Porsche Cayenne S 07 Jaguar XKR Coupe' I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

11-12-2007	#11 (permalink)
smoothbnzf4n4tc Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Vehicle: 2009 Mars Red SLK55 Posts: 172 Country: Thanks: 12 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	The red/black interior doesn't appeal to me personally, alroumi. My uncle has a red car and beige interior and he uses it for an every day car and I've actually seen the wear and tear that his car has suffered. I plan to use it for everyday but I'm the kind of guy who really is a perfectionist when it comes to keeping things clean. I don't know, but Etyu's pics really make me want to go with beige. I'll keep you guys posted, but thanks for the opinions! I'm think the ash is a compromise but I don't think it looks as good on a Mars Red as it does on a Caspian Blue Slk.

11-12-2007	#12 (permalink)
alroumi Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait Vehicle: 2006 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG Other Toys: 2007 Ebony Jaguar XKR Coupe' and 06 Black Cayenne S Posts: 6,288 Country: Thanks: 298 Thanked 232 Times in 146 Posts	thank you for correcting me eddy. __________________ 06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG 06 Porsche Cayenne S 07 Jaguar XKR Coupe' I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce! Last edited by alroumi; 11-12-2007 at 06:02 AM.

11-12-2007	#14 (permalink)
GregoryGR Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Athens, Hellas Vehicle: 06 Kleemann Slk 200 Posts: 208 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have the Black/Ash interior and believe me, it's the best among the others to choose! However, i would choose something to match the exterior, i.e. Black/Red. I will post some pictures for you, to get an idea. FYI, the ash leather is nappa (harder -in touch- leather than the beige. After two years of almost everyday use, the quality is still same as showroom's. Wait for my photos - hopefully in a few hours when i get back from work.

11-12-2007	#15 (permalink)
WhiteRabbit Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Arlington, VA Vehicle: 2009 SLK 350 Posts: 371 Country: Thanks: 80 Thanked 35 Times in 23 Posts	I have the ash interior and love it. Still looks like new after 2 years with only minimal care. I also like it for the 2-tone look, black for the top of the dash, ash for the lower half of the dash. And the 2-tone door panels. One advantage of ash or beige over all-black is how hot the seats get in the sun, especially if you live in a warm climate. __________________ 2009 SLK 350, Arctic White, Gullwing Red, 7G Automatic, Premium PKG I, Lighting, Heating packages, Auto Climate Control, smartTop roof module v3.22, Clear side-marker lenses.

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