MERCEDES-BENZ CLK Coupe 1997‑2002

Bought a 320 CLK eight years ago and apart from a crank position sensor fault causing it to stop dead (a common problem) I've had nothing but reliable service. Lovely V6 engine that delivers 35mpg on the open road with good acceleration for overtaking and around town 24 depending on traffic jams. Comfort, speed and a great ride. Just replaced the front discs/pads for the first time at 120k. I give it a regular oil change every 9k irrespective of what the service indicator shows.

They can rust around the arches but many owners have the interior arches resprayed before it creeps up the panels. Rear boot lock surround can also be a weak spot for tin worm.

All in all a great car. At the prices quoted on this website the CLK is a bargain!

I have had this car for just over 4 years, I have felt like getting rid of it and then I wanted to keep it.

It is now 13 years old, and to give mercedes top marks it runs as well today as when I bought it, however after looking at over a dozen at the time the bodywork on most was questionable, so I knew what I was buying then. Since then I have had to have a small amount of bodywork done and due to the smallest amount of paint applied to the shell, I have had it resprayed. I believe mercedes has now rectified this, but I couldn't comment on that.

The V8 sounds beautiful, it revs freely and realy rocks the car, with the AMG suspension and brakes it handles OK and stops well, however it is a little too light for me and is a little skittish on corners unlike the bmw635 which once planted in the corners goes round well.

Interior is good, all the seats are sporty, but comfortable, the dash layout is fine and the black wood shade is alot smaller than the typical walnut, rather cheaper looking dashboards. Petrol wise not bad for a 4.3 V8 I have had a 28 on the Motorway. It isn't good for short runs, but I bought it to enjoy it.

Good source of info on the net, for repairs, which can keep the costs down. I always use an independant merc garage which also reduces costs.

A good al rounder, good boot space, plenty of room in the front, a little tight in the back but then again its a coupe not an estate car.

I have had two faults so far air flow meter and crank sensor, anything else has been wear and tear. Insurance isn't bad either.

It all comes down to the cost of petrol..

C.J.

Pros: The car was a lovely and smooth drive. It was surprisingly fuel efficient on the motorway. The car always started first time. I had a few structural problems during my ownership but nothing mechanical. The car was 10 years old when I bought it. I doubt you will get many better older cars for a similar price than the Mercedes CLk.

To explain my above scores....

Practicality - 5/5 - it's a Coupe - so was never going to be uber-practical, but it is certainly a full four seater, you can seat adults in the back quite comfortably, the boot is large, and overall much better than some coupe's

Reliability - 5/5 - I had a couple of things go wrong with it in nearly 3 years - but I bought it second-hand, and it's done 80,000 miles - it's been far better for reliability than almost anything else I've owned.

Running Costs - 4/5 - Didn't know what to put here really. I had it converted to LPG - so then it was doing 27mpg and fuel was 70p per litre - so that's like getting 60 mpg on a diesel - so that's really cheap. Even on petrol, I don't think 27mpg is bad for a 3.2 petrol v6 that will leave almost anything else on the road for dead! Insurance very good, and other costs also fine.

How it drives - 5/5 - Quite simply the best car I have ever owned. Smooth, quiet, powerful, handles well (although not quite as well as a 3 series) - BUT when you settle into your heated leather seat, and look down that long bonnet at the three pointed star "gunsight" - well there is nothing else that makes you feel quite that good anywhere else.. brilliant car!

been a good reliable car would recommend it .

good to drive

looks good

I have owned for nine years; the first owner had it for three. It drove well, looked good and gave me no significant problems. I enjoyed it. Three things went wrong; the CD player, the electric passenger door mirror and the cruise control, none causing me much inconvenience.

have written 5/5 for how it drives but i find this to be too easy to drive and i feel like a steering wheel attendant, but is good for the long commute, shame it is no fun the the weekends.

good car good reliability, reasonable running costs easy to maintain goes fast smooth drive comfortable

I have had this car now for three years and during this time I have absolutely NO regrets of buying it. Despite the large engine capacity leading to high fuel running costs when used for urban driving, it is IDEAL for cruising on the motorways. I regularly achieve over 30mpg when cruising which even by current CO2 chasing engine standards is outstanding.

On the standard 17" alloys the ride is extremely comfortable but also firm when driving more enthusiastically with minimal body roll. As a top of the range model back in its day, it has been fully optioned including heated seats for extra winter comfort.

I have yet to feel the true financial sting of running this car as I was fortunate to purchase it from an enthusiast. As such I have continued to regularly maintain it to optimise its condition and reduce the risk of high emergency maintenance costs.

This car is a real experience for both driver and passenger. This particular vehicle is annonomised by the quantity of non AMG CLKs on the road and the absence of exterior badging. This makes it a wolf in sheep's clothing! A true "Q" car!

had one for over 7 years never let me down, never had trouble with mine just fuel and go, does 500 miles on a full tank , never broken down does what it says on the tin