CLK 430 coupe/convirtable problems/running costs

[mrtoad]

Can anyone comment on things to look out for when purchasing a CLK 430 coupe or convirtable? Any known weaknesses? Likely yearly running costs? I have a budget of about £13.5k and have been looking at cars with 60,000 to 90,000 miles.

[chrono]

I've had a CLK430 Cab for the last 3 years and have covered around 10,000 miles pa with no problems at all. It's reasonably economical with an average of around 20mpg (I live in town) and high 20's on the motorway. It's probably down to town driving but it tends to get through tyres and brakes. Tyres last around 10,000 miles, brakes pads about 20,000 and disks 30,000. I have the AMG wheels with soft tyres but other combos might do better. Although the AMG wheels and suspension look great they give a poor ride and a lot of road noise. All in all I've been really pleased and think it's a much better car than the current CLK, both in terms of looks and build quality. I recently considered a year-old CL500 and really couldn't detect any difference in driveability or performance and decided to hold onto the CLK. The level of service from Mercedes is also much better than a couple of years ago.

[mrtoad]

Many thanks for the feedback Chrono.

[danboy500]

I have a CLk430 coupe 39,600mls with FMBSH if of interest?