CLK 200/240/320

[NST]

MrsNST is interested in buy a used 2003/2004 model year CLK. max budget of 20K she actually would like the convertible but its out of her price range.

any views on the CLK range? anything to look out for? are they reliable? etc all views welcome


just off to do the merc dealer crawl now to see what they are like.

cheers

NST

[petermansell]

I have only driven a CLK55 AMG - but I have done so for the past 4 years and find the CLK just great. However its a heavy car so I would suggest you get the most poweful engine you can. Also if you're into perfection in looks then fitting bigger wheel and tyre combinations to fill out the arches is a common mod. Lastly while I read and see alot about MBs build quality going down my personal experience is the opposite with the car being very tough and taking a great deal of work easily. So I think I am saying go for the 320 but if possible the 500.

[NST]

petermansell said:

I have only driven a CLK55 AMG - but I have done so for the past 4 years and find the CLK just great. However its a heavy car so I would suggest you get the most poweful engine you can. Also if you're into perfection in looks then fitting bigger wheel and tyre combinations to fill out the arches is a common mod. Lastly while I read and see alot about MBs build quality going down my personal experience is the opposite with the car being very tough and taking a great deal of work easily. So I think I am saying go for the 320 but if possible the 500.

Peter,

Thanks for you reply, it sums up what we have experienced. My wife did get the chance to drive a 04 plate 320, and her own comment was that it 'dragged' which means it felt slow. i was suprised that the engine, even though it is 3.2l v6 it really didn't punt the car along with the vigour than i was expect (even though i was in the back). Surfing the web i have pulled up performance figures of 7.9 sec to 60 and 23 sec to 100mph which imho aren't that great. I agree that a 500 would be a much nicer car to drive. I think we might have to rethink the CLK 320 and try and up the budget. One thing i have noticed is that CLK is much better made than the 3 series coupe. I have seen quite a few 3series coupes and CLK over the last few weeks, and of the two the CLK looks like a car much better at taking high mileage, also the CLK tends to be cared for more than the 3 series coupe. build quality imho is better in the merc than the bmw.

We are going to check out a silver 320 with black leather next week, but this time i will drive it and see if it does feel alittle slow.

cheer

NST

[Paracetamol]

NST said:

petermansell said:

I have only driven a CLK55 AMG - but I have done so for the past 4 years and find the CLK just great. However its a heavy car so I would suggest you get the most poweful engine you can. Also if you're into perfection in looks then fitting bigger wheel and tyre combinations to fill out the arches is a common mod. Lastly while I read and see alot about MBs build quality going down my personal experience is the opposite with the car being very tough and taking a great deal of work easily. So I think I am saying go for the 320 but if possible the 500.

Peter,

Thanks for you reply, it sums up what we have experienced. My wife did get the chance to drive a 04 plate 320, and her own comment was that it 'dragged' which means it felt slow. i was suprised that the engine, even though it is 3.2l v6 it really didn't punt the car along with the vigour than i was expect (even though i was in the back). Surfing the web i have pulled up performance figures of 7.9 sec to 60 and 23 sec to 100mph which imho aren't that great. I agree that a 500 would be a much nicer car to drive. I think we might have to rethink the CLK 320 and try and up the budget. One thing i have noticed is that CLK is much better made than the 3 series coupe. I have seen quite a few 3series coupes and CLK over the last few weeks, and of the two the CLK looks like a car much better at taking high mileage, also the CLK tends to be cared for more than the 3 series coupe. build quality imho is better in the merc than the bmw.

We are going to check out a silver 320 with black leather next week, but this time i will drive it and see if it does feel alittle slow.

cheer

NST

Crumbs- what does she drive now to find a 320 slow! Its a lovely smooth punchy engine that suits the car down to the ground. If the one she drove was dragging then it must have been faulty- was it in winter mode (autobox?)

I had an 02 52 reg 320 avantgarde. Fantastic car, beautifully built, lovely smooth chassis and puncy and smooth v6 engine. I had the sports suspension and 17" alloys and that made it handle well...downsides- appaling deprecitation and electrical gremlins- (my sat nav went, 2 fuel tank sensors left me stranded twice- didnt switch over to the other tank when fuel ran out in 1st tank-showed 1/4 on guage. Central locking failed.. fortunately I had an extended warranty. phew (warrantydirect.com)

[NST]

Paracetamol said:

Crumbs- what does she drive now to find a 320 slow! Its a lovely smooth punchy engine that suits the car down to the ground. If the one she drove was dragging then it must have been faulty- was it in winter mode (autobox?)

I had an 02 52 reg 320 avantgarde. Fantastic car, beautifully built, lovely smooth chassis and puncy and smooth v6 engine. I had the sports suspension and 17" alloys and that made it handle well...downsides- appaling deprecitation and electrical gremlins- (my sat nav went, 2 fuel tank sensors left me stranded twice- didnt switch over to the other tank when fuel ran out in 1st tank-showed 1/4 on guage. Central locking failed.. fortunately I had an extended warranty. phew (warrantydirect.com)

thanks for the info on the electrical gremlins! i thik the CLK is a heavy car + auto probably doesn't help. the engine and gearbox combo is excellent imho Merc certainly know what they are doing with Automatics MrsNST has the taste for cars with grunt. she used to drive my ST220 alot and has driven a few Audi TTs, and 330is. to be honest the clk 320 might not have been 100%. i will be driving a clk 320 on sat so i should be able to confirm if the performance is ok or not.. i am though very impressed with the CLK, if i could get a CLK 500 in the right spec and model year than i would love to have something like that. she ideally wants a Monaro VXR, but at themoment they are slightly outside of the budget so that is off the list.

Edited by NST on Tuesday 8th May 11:02