HI
I'm looking at purchasing a mercedes CLK in the near future with a budget of 7k. I'm stuck whether to get a low mileage cabriolet W208 (I would prefer a cabriolet over a coupe) but I'm worried id will look dated in a couple of years.......
OR buy a high-ish mileage W209 coupe... I'm changed my mind like one million times
Any advice would be appreciated!! Its giving me a headache
What do i go for?? Low mileage W208 or newer high(er) mileage W209 coupe
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IMO, w208 avtg in black with 2 tone seats will always look great by quiet expensive to run.
w209, cheaper to run, imo does not look that good on the outside, better handling and quiet relaible and will hold values well imo - buy in winter, sell in the summer.
i've been in both and if money was no object, i'd keep the w208 avgt in blac/conv for the summer weekends.
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I'm looking to buy now and keep for about 4 or 5 years, and use the car everyday, my commute to work is only 12 miles, but really a 230k is the highest engine i wanna go...
Edited by vxr53 on 12/01/2010 at 20:17
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harry hill would send them both outside to fight it out
have you considered this?
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yeah!! But who would win?????
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w208 -270 is the best all round - 320 is a stonker.
in the w207, i too considered the 230 but not many good examples in that guise
no is a good time to buy as its winter - your choice friend
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I think there are a few things to look out for, certainly the current model is far more modern looking inside & out. After a certain year Mercs got far far better rust proofing, in fact the early CLKs were notorious for this so are best avoided. As with all cars, for reliability get the newest that has got motorway miles on rather than an older little used one. If you're buying at 7k find a mer specialist to inspect & service it, no point going to main dealer now if you're keeping 5 years. I'd look at the CLK240 rather than a 200K as it has a 6 cylinder engine with no turbo so is simpler mechanically. There is also a few years of production where some oil pipe can get bloked & destroy the gearbox or something like that, I personally wouldn't bother with a car that might be affected by this as that type of fault would ruin you & your enjoyment of the car. Did you look at the equivalent e46 bmw too BTW?
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I only want a CLK, after reading these posts i'm leaning more towards a w209 coupe as they do look more modern
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I only want a CLK after reading these posts i'm leaning more towards a w209 coupe as they do look more modern
And looks are more important to you than reliability/quality?
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There is also a few years of production where some oil pipe can get bloked & destroy the gearbox or something like that #
It's a fault with the heat exchanger for the auto box, the core rots and allows transmission fluid and engine coolant to mix, if I remember rightly it affects the cars fitted with Valeo (sp?) radiators. 1999-2003ish I suspect.
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I assumed that a 2003 clk would be better than a 1999 older model, Looks are very important to me though! I got a private plate ready to stick on it, so it hides the age, The neigbours wont know! lol
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If looks are important then forget the older model it's really had it now in terms of looking dated and they're all 8 years old & not a well rated car anyway even when new. Can you get a 2003 for that budget?
The thing with mercs & BMWs in particular is that every time they bring out a new model it's revolution not evolution. Drastically different designs that look quite starkly radical & new. The issue is that these immediately date the superseded model. In the case of the Merc there will undoubtedly be a new CLK coming along soon & the W208 will look like a real poor mans car with no pose factor whatsoever in fact it will make you look like a real wannaby, defeating the point of purchasing it in the first place.
If you want proof of this - look at the SL - the model that has recently been replaced was one of if not the most desirable convertible GT cars, the SL 55AMG was a real object of lust. But the moment the new model is here, and you'll know this if you've seen it, the new 63AMG makes the previous model look old hat.
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They're all carp, whichever you choose. You'll be looking at big bills from the get go - fine if you're looking for a 'project' though, but definitely not an everyday, reliable car.
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Not sure I agree with that. They're expensive if something does come up, but you rarely see one broken down. Obviously at £7k it will be very well used as it has lost 80% of it's value. I might consider a warranty from someone like Warranty Wise for a car like this, they are a bit better than the average third party warranty. But I wouldn't have thought it would break down all the time that seems a bit sensationalist to me, plenty of people use these types of cars as their everyday transport in fact that's what they are, he's not talking about a 1970's Ferarri
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>>Not sure I agree with that.
Yes, a generalization by me, of course. Many thousands of Mercs being driven around as we speak. However, the generation the OP covets have many major failure points - rust, radiators, gearboxes, engine components, electrical systems/gadgets, etc. These are big cost items to fix (..and quite often where the only practicable recourse is to a main dealer) & can quickly become uneconomic propositions.
As far as the "..you rarely see one broken down." - well, how often do you see many other cars broken down, stranded etc.? Not that common really, for any make, I'd suggest - so a false positive maybe.
I'm not sure either, that 3rd party warranties (if they really cover the failure points comprehensively & effectively, which I doubt) will be much less in cost than the commuted cost versus saving in a 'repair' fund.
My experience, although small, is very far from unique - just try Googling any form of 'Mercedes' & 'problems' , 'reliability' etc. The only cars to have caused me major frustration & large sums over my motoring career, have been Mercedes-Benz.
To me, M-B is at the stage say, where Jaguar were 10-15 years ago: fabulous looking & going cars with major design & production flaws & a parent company seemingly unable to address that reality. Even current models seem not to have shaken off the curious Achilles heel of design & testing - the injector crisis of the latest cars being a prime example. It makes you wonder what else is waiting to emerge for the unwary 2nd-hand buyer 3+ years down the line..
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Wife is on her second 209 cab (200K) after 3 very happy years in an earlier 209 cab (240). Before we bought the 240 I did look at a 208 but it felt much 'heavier' in the way older Mercs do. When it came to update the 240 she didn't want to look at anything else but another CLK (although I insisted she did). We ended up with the 200K!
The 209 has a more modern feel and look about it, and the pillarless coupe is far prettier than the 208 (IMHO). The 200K has about the same output as the 240 but is more economical. On the older ones, the biggest thing to check is the Valeo rad (change it for a Behr). Suspension bushes etc. on the older ones may well need attention. Check for rust on early ones, too.
Based on C-class, so well known by indies. Not expensive to run. The only problem we had with our older 240 (6 years/100k on clock when we sold it) was with the roof operation - mechanically it was perfect. After 6 months the 200K has been 100% reliable.
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Sorry off topic but Boxsterboy do you still run a 996 too?
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No. Sold it because I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much as the Boxster! I keep saying I will buy another Boxster one day. One day!
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