I love the power provided by the 8 cylinder engine.

I also love the styling of this car.

I love the price. I never thought an 8 cylinder Mercedes could be had for less than 65k.

Someone give me some sea sickness medicine. This is one soft riding car. I was expecting the car to be more firm and less wallowy.

Are you kidding me with this shoddy interior? The quality of the interior is on par with my grandfather's Crown Victoria.

The COMAND system broke down a week after taking delivery of the car.

The seats squeak like a mouse begging for cheese.

The drivetrain is all Mercedes. I love it.
The styling is also perfect. After that, things get ugly...

The suspension needs some firming up, it's just too darn soft.

Mercedes, how about dropping an extra grand on the interior? How long did it take you to find seats that squeak?

This is a car that's an engineering compromise. MB cut many corners to make it affordable and it shows. However, we leased the car for our law firm and in 39 months it'll be gone and we'll take a look and see what's out there once more. Maybe BMW will revive the 6 series in some incarnation.

a.) It's a beautiful car, especially in the seemingly obligatory brilliant silver/ash combo. I see this combo everywhere as the CLK has become very common, but I still like it.
b.) The torque provided by the 4.3 liter 8 cylinder is very good.
c.) The brakes are excellent.
d.) The xenon lights are the least offensive to oncoming traffic of any car.
e.) I like playing with the COMAND system.
f.) Plenty of storage available in the trunk.

a.) The steering feel is frequently numb.
b.) The Continental tires sure wear out quickly.
c.) The quality of the Bose system is average at best.
d.) This is not a sports car, though it looks like one. The body roll is too severe, but it is very comfortable on the highway at speeds exceeding well over 80mph.
e.) The automatic transmission seems lazy to me.
f.) The quality of the interior pieces is a bit lame. However, if this car were built to MB's previous high standards it would list for 65k.
g.) Some rattles from the dashboard.

I like my CLK430 Coupe. However, there are too many problems that keep me from loving it.

When you create a car that looks like the CLK430, how about including a suspension that can keep up with what the bodywork promises.

I'd rather pay MB a bit more money for a quality interior. If you've driven MB's for any length of time you know that MB could do a lot better than what they give you in the CLK.

That said, the engine is wonderful as are the brakes. It's a very nice GT that needs a bit more attention to detail from Mercedes to make it a great car.

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1994 SL500
1996 Carrera 2
1999 Lexus SC400

My CLK is a beautiful mineral green ( jade color).
The Body style of the CLK is absolutely striking.
110 mph feels like 70
Excellent Braking system!!!!
Auto Rain Sensing wipers save manual annoyance during inconsistent rainfall.

The standard rims on the 1999 model are awful and must be replaced.
The Bose sound system is nice, but leave something to be desired.
Compatible 6 disc CD changer about $1000 at MB. Because of the fiber-optic infrastructure on the system it is not easy to integrate with 3rd party manufacturer's stereo equipment.
Squeaky seats and hard to pinpoint rattles.
Do not drive in snow.

ALL ENHANCEMENTS must come through dealer which restricts customization. Would like remote start for the winter.

Transmission jumps into gear when the car is not warm enough. I was told that you have to let it warm up 15 minutes before driving by the dealer. That is not in the manual, and who has that much time in the morning?

There were several little problems with this car that had me in the dealership time and time again. The fabled MB service is a bit overhyped.
The MB dealer rarely gives a loaner car, or provides rental and ordering parts is mystifyingly slow.

A second vehicle is an absolute must in the city. If not, you will suffer inexplicable scrapes and dings, which will cost you.


When this car is good, its great to have. There are an annoying number of minor things that demonstrate lack of quality and craftsmanship. My glovebox latch broke and wouldn't close. The cupholder stuck. The gear shift dust cover broke. Lots of cheap plastic parts. Lots of cheap plastic problems.

Overall, my CLK 320 is like a beautiful woman. She's sexy and turns a lot of heads, but is very fickle and expensive to maintain. She is not particularly fond of going out in the snow or rain. Everybody wants her because of her looks, but when you have her you wonder if she's worth all of extra hassle. Premium gas, premium parts, premium accessories. But when the sun is shining and I'm rolling on the highway, I am feeling lucky to have her. They say "if you want to be for the rest of your life happy never make a pretty woman your wife". In this case if you do, you'll definitely need a more reliable mistress, because your wife will be at her parents house (the dealership) a whole heck of a lot!

The CLK is more a reflection of style than of function and reliability. Its not the best sports coupe, but it looks the best in its price range and has the Mercedes emblem. That's mainly what you pay for. If your looking for quality...look elsewhere.

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None

Beautiful to look at! excellent power and response.

I could be a tight squeeze if you regularly carry 4 people.

I am really enjoying this car. I was a little hesitant to buy based on the negative reviews on the WEB but I guess MB has sorted out the quality problems in this model.

Problems so far: After reversing the passenger side exterior mirror would not flip back. I read the manual and saved the backup position in the memory, after that no problems.

No problems with window closing (I did test at the dealer). No annoying rattles etc., overall the car appears to be rock solid. The fit and finish are good and certainly meet my expectations.

Cool things I really like: The color (black opal), under low light it looks black but under bright sunlight it looks more dark blue. The quality of the paint finish is excellent. The light your path lights don’t come on in the daylight. The auto-dimming mirror works much better than expected and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the driver’s side exterior mirror has the same feature. The rain-sensing wiper works just right! My kids loved the sliding seat feature when they got in the back. The stereo sounds pretty good, the tweeter units mounted on the door really help with sound staging and clarity of the higher frequency stuff, the bass is a bit lacking but overall I am pretty pleased for a car stereo. I have the price of a good used Benz invested in my home audio system and I don’t expect concert hall performances in a car!

Interior noise level is low. When I have the time I will take it out and measure the interior noise level and various speeds and report some data here.

Dealer experience, this is my third Benz and the second one I bought from the same dealer/salesman, the experience was a pleasure. I picked the car up on a Saturday morning the salesman did not hurry me out and took time to explain everything about the car. The car was super clean, full of gas, had been hand waxed and was parked inside to ensure that the car was spotless when I picked it up. What more can I say?

I did not order the CD player from the dealership. I found the connections behind the trunk liner in the front of the area that will contain the CD unit, did not need to remove any part of the trunk liner and the wiring was not taped down so installation was simple. I bought the genuine MB CD from autoclass, installation took 15 minutes.

This is a great car.

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MB 190E 2.6, Nissan Maxima (a moment of weekness!) MB C280.

Solid Build, Stunning Looks, Gorgeous Interior, Plenty of Features, overall quality, Safety Features and smart computer system that will point out almost anything regarding the car ....

The Top is not fully automatic, and the ride feels a bit too heavy (I wouldn't take a sharp turn going too fast)

I love it,

I would not trade it in for anything else (except maybe a Porsche 911)

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BMW 318, Acura CL 3.0
It is far superior in almost every category, more or less in some.

Great looks. Extremely solid feel for a convertible. The convertible is more quiet than most sedans with the top up. The fit and finish is top-notch and all the parts feel solid like a typical Mercedes--like they will last forever. The feel is stiff and sporty and combines the sporty feel of a grand tourer and the comfort of a luxury sedan. It is worth every single penny.

I wish the 4.3L engine was available when I purchased it.

Excellent car--worth every penny. Enjoyable both in sporty driving and comfortable for everyday driving. An excellent MB.

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BMW 3 series convertible and Saab convertible--the BIMMER is fun to drive but does not have the solid feel and workmanship of the Mercedes.

Strikingly good looking car, especially in Brilliant Silver w/Black top. This car is exremely quiet for a convertible, it's quieter than the BMW 3 Series coupe we traded in. Resale value!!! I'm still seeing 2 year old Cabrios selling for over list price.

Convertible top creates blind spots. Back seat is snug for adults and trunk could be a little larger...but then if we wanted a big back seat and huge trunk we would've opted for the S-Class sedan!!

We've had the car for nearly 4 months and it's an absolute joy to drive, and we haven't even had an opportunity to put the top down yet!! Smooth, effortless power; quiet ride; confident handling and supreme comfort. The CLK Cabriolet is also a real head-turner, I get looks almost every time I drive it, and that's saying something in Chicago where Porsches, Jaguars, BMWs, Ferraris and even Rolls Royces are fairly common. I've never kept a car longer than 3 years, but I have a feeling this one's going to stick around a lot longer than that.

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1995 BMW 3-Series coupe: CLK is much quieter inside...remarkable for a convertible, quality of materials (especially door trim and dashboard) are far superior in the Mercedes. Nobody can match Mercedes resale value.

Exterior: Work of art, timeless classic look, & a head-turner. Alloys and body colored trim are sharp (better than 1998-99.)
Interior: Beautiful design and shapes. Lots of wood – very well placed controls. Enough room for 4 adults. Huge Trunk.
Engine: Powerful V6 that wants to hurl you to 100mph without breaking a sweat. Smooth & responsive transmission.

Bose Stereo system is only a touch above average (like all Mercedes cars). My 1997 LEXUS ES300 standard (Pioneer) system is far better in clarity and quality. On all LEXUS whether standard Pioneer or Premium Nakamachi systems has Bass, MIDRANGE, and Treble controls. Mercedes only has the Bass and Treble controls. I wish the CD-changer was in the glove box like my ES300 or the new MB C240/320 series.

This is the FINEST luxury sport coupe in $42K – $75K category. You can’t beat its styling (inside and out), technology, performance, comfort, and size. It is an amazing and satisfying experience to sit in and drive the CLK320 around. I will make any excuse for myself to drive it anywhere....I am a major car enthusiast...and I would always look at this car or others before passing by...now that I own a CLK - I don't bother looking at other cars - at all. This style is classy and will never wear out – it is timeless (never outdated) like all Mercedes 2-doors 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s SLs. My family friend has a 1991 Black Mercedes 560-SEC with over 100K, and it looks and drives like a new car. I have always changed car every 2-3 years, BUT I am definitely going to hold on to this car for long, long time.

RECOMMEND you get the extended warranty, if you intend to get a CLK. Mercedes parts and service (just to look at a problem) is very expensive.

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I have driven many luxury and sport cars (Ferrari, Porsche). I have owned 1991 Infiniti G20, 1996 Nissan Maxima SE, and 1997 Lexus ES300. LEXUS and INFINITI have the best service. Mercedes Service– I am not so confident-so far. The LEXUS has awesome quality and is well rounded performer, BUT the CLK320 is the most distinctive looking and fun to drive car that I have ever experienced.

Head-turning looks. Rock solid feel and great power. Secure feeling behind the wheel. Passenger side mirror angles down when you place it in reverse for perfect parallel parking. ABLE TO TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL (ASR and ESP)!!! V-8 sound not too intrusive, but still sounds great for a near-luxo coupe. LOVELY transmission. Great mid-range torque and acceleration. Excellent gadgets. Is it sunny outside? better put the windows down and cruise!

Interior could use some work. - the inside door panels MOVE when you let the window up and down, like the glass is sliding between an area that's too tight - the cup holder for the front passengers is cool, but the passenger side one sucks if you try to put anything too tall in it... resulting in a spill if you hit the brakes too hard - as I saw mentioned on here earlier, the seats skweak ... - ANNOYING for 50K! - some road noise - windows don't "gap and seal" when the doors are opened and closed, which causes a lot of pressure in the cabin. (this problem has apparently been fixed on the current models) - is it snowing outside? better stay in...

I special ordered this car and took delivery in October of 1998. It's been to service twice, once to replace the climate control unit (problems included switching on after I had shut it off, and "resetting" to 72 degrees) and once to check a "rough idle" after I let it sit in the garage for about a month and a half.

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Looks. Style. Power & acceleration. Build quality and quietness inside but you don't feel like your in a thermos bottle like some excessively quiet cars.

Cost! I'm paying for it cause my husbands retired. Cupholder is the pits unless you drink the 16oz size drinks.

Contrary to what some Eastcoast owners think, we have NO RATTLES and NO SQUEAKS and the use of plastic doesn't bother us. The transmission is the best we've ever had. Everything works fine and it hauls a**. The dealer replaced 2 sensors when we first got it and it hasn't been back since. We were supposed to wait 4 more months for our car to be built, but last xmas they couldn't find the guy who ordered this blue beauty.... so we sure do like his car, ha ha. My husband says it cruises at 120 in the deserts of Nevada as quietly as it does 65 on the LA freeways AND every car we pass isn't another clone of us.

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We had a 190E previously and it was still in great shape after 100k and 12 years...but it didn't come close to this car.