Mission Impossible: Stylish 4 Seat Coupe/Conv for £7.5KIsh?

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

Did you manage to get a qoute on the 500 & 55 CLK?

No not yet - still at the reading up on it stage at the mo - but when I do I'll let you know - if it's reasonable I reckon a nice CLK500 is pretty much the top of my list - convertible if i can stretch to it - always wanted a Merc.

A friend of mine has had quite a few over the years & also says with an independent you can run them for reasonable cost & he's had no major issues. Reading ads - looks like Electric seat motors go on the CLK's a bit & I can imagine replacing electrical things like that would cost a fortune but if I cld find a minter thats been looked after hopefully b ok

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

The Convertibles are cheaper than the Coupes due to them being less practical, yes the seat motors play up but you can replace the frame in about an hour to a manual one if it's the motors that are playing up, but normally it's the switch in the door that plays up not the motor itself also on the 02-05 cars the heated seats seem more prone to fail.

Thx for the info - cool convertibles cheaper suits me :-)

Do think its weird tho, you pay £40k new for a prestige badge & you get electrical gremlins - I know all cars have issues & sorry to be a stuck record but everything in my 12 year old Accord works - no rattles or squeaks even & it's not as tho it doesn't have any gadgets - it has dual climate, remote central locking & boot release, Electric windows & heated mirrors - there are things that could in theory go wrong

It won't put me off buying a Merc but if I was buying one new I'd expect it to be MORE reliable than a Honda & last till the end of time!

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

This doesn't happen on every car I sold my 122k 2003 55 AMG with everything still working fine, I'm just letting you know about potential problems, I have heard & read horror stories about Honda's and they're expensive parts & problems.

Mercedes W209 CLK's are known for being trouble free but they do have a few known problems but this doesn't effect every car.

Thanks for the heads up. I guess it's luck of the draw when you buy any car

[silvertypes]

007 VXR said:

Another vote for the Monaro, but 7.5K budget could be an issue finding a good one as prices are on the up.

Can imagine blasting around in a chunky V8 would be fun & good that running costs look surprisingly ok

Concerns

- Finding a good local garage (in Derby) who knows what Monaro's are & can gets parts & service easily - read a terrible review of Pentagon Derby...

- A recent thread on the Monaro sub forum about one having just been stolen made me think - a huge beast like this is probably a magnet for joy riders like M3's etc

I'm thinking although Mercs are lovely I doubt they are especially nickable like a Monaro as they are so common - also I presume you could get a CLK serviced anywhere which makes life easy...

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

Don't think I won't be trying to talk him into upgrades(I'll start gently with a resonator delete);)

I'd better start saving now

[silvertypes]

Any thoughts on Merc CLK Vs CL?

Presume CL more expensive to insure / run & fix if it goes wrong? CL Sure looks great though - LOVE this one in ALMANDINE BLACK

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

[silvertypes]

[quote=ZX10R NIN]I'm preparing one for my mate he bought October last year it's an 03 100k CLK500 he had a smaller budget but also wanted to put his own stamp on it so he left it with me & I've made the upgrades as he's had the money but now it's almost finished to where he want's it.

Looking good!

[silvertypes]

897sma said:

I've had a couple of CLK convertibles, a W208 230k and W209 320, both from around 3-6 years old covering over 100k miles and never had any issues with them. Servicing is no more expensive than any other upper mainstream brand. My local MB dealer gave me 30% off once they were over 5 years old, or there are plenty of independents around if you prefer (Benz Bavarian are in Belper which is fairly close to you). If you're doing work yourself parts from places like GSF or Eurocarparts, etc are pretty much the same price as for anything else, although don't always assume that genuine parts are dearer.

I know you're looking for a larger engined one than I had and whilst neither of mine were race cars, they weren't sluggish either. A 500 or 55amg should fly.

Yes Benz Bavarian not far away - they sell a lot of exotic cars Lambo's Ferrari's etc - proper drool stuff! I assume they'd be great tho did notice a bad review online but maybe a one off who knows...

My hands on mechanical knowledge pretty much ends at filling the tank so I'm at the mercy of the garage

I'm loving the idea of a CLK500 Cabrio or Coupe but maybe getting carried away! been looking at Insurance - My Honda is group 29 but a CLK Cabriolet (03-09) 500 Avantgarde 2d Tip Auto (03) is allegedly group 47!

I'm just researching at the mo so no worries but when I do finally get a quote I Can't see how it isn't going to be 'a lot'

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

You might be surprised on the insurance front, but check it out, if a 500 prove to much on the insurance front take a look at one of these I have one as my daily:

224bhp 376ft/lb torque mine is mapped with an uprated intercooler & gave 289.4bhp 489.3ft/lb torque, it doesn't have the engine note of my clk63 but it helps make me not want to drive it when you have the power & torque to play with.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Wednesday 8th April 11:42

Never wanted an oil burner but can't argue with performance like that AND reasonable economy - the slightly more sensible choice!

Whats all this about diesel particulate filters that cost a bit & need replacing often-ish? Anything to be worried about?

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

Just like to say OP you've made me change my mind I have now bought a CLK55 AMG 93k for 4.5k but it does need to have a front end respray(stone chips/paint not looked after) & the rest of the car is to get a Paint Restoration & detail clean, luckily I have a bodyshop so that's one thing I don't have to worry about, the Suspension is tired drop links clanking as well as one of the arms on the drivers side.

Then I'll be going to the same set up I've got on my other CLK's so it'll be Penske Coilovers, Poly bushes on the anti Roll Bars, Centre Console Facelift, Resonator Delete, SL55 Front Discs & Calipers as well as OE arms, drop links & of course a re map.

All of this means that the money saved not buying the CL63 BiTurbo means I can get the new R1M so it's a win win.

Another beast of a car in progress then. I guess high mileage isn't putting you off? Looks like you can do any work yourself tho = which helps...

[silvertypes]

Still mulling this over... If I was feeling daring the CLK500 would be great but if I wanted to play it safe something like this may be a better bet. Maybe?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

CLK 3.0 CLK280

Comparing it to my Accord this is :-
- On budget
- Newer (2007)
- Tax (the Same)
- bit quicker & comparable if not better MPG
- Mileage pretty good only 60K
- Insurance? Not sure

OR CLK 320 or possibly newer CLK350 even better perhaps but more £

Thoughts? Much difference between the 3 models?

Just thinking if I suddenly had to do lots of commuting & had committed to a 16MPG V8 I may be bankrupt - just a thought...

[silvertypes]

masermartin said:

Timely thread for me as well.

From what I know of the 3200GT (haven't owned one), they are costly to sort, but once sorted they respond well to regular usage. Depending on mileage, you'll need something like £2k/year for servicing etc (averaged out) and keep a £2k slush fund in case something big does go wrong though, because the parts prices are horrific. I'd say from what you've said you're probably right that they're out of your budget, they certainly are for me at the moment, but I do want one some day.

For comparison, I spent £10-12k over 7 years of ownership on my Ghibli, but to be fair, basically everything that was needed was done by a specialist, including 2 cambelt changes, aircon control unit, brake system refresh and a reasonable amount of work fixing frilly bits of skin, over and above standard services. I was lucky not to have anything unexpected crop up; previous owner neglected the cambelt age, and he ate up a £7k engine rebuild as a result.

I am told (though again have no direct experience) that 4200's are not as expensive to maintain as 3200's. Some of those are down to 10k, but 1) no Boomerang lights, 2) no turbos - maybe good, maybe bad, 3) still over budget and 4) it's still a cheap Maserati and that does carry an inherent risk.

Your other options are basically my other options ... BMW 6 is "ok" for space but I think it's a huge car for the interior space.

No chance of a Maserati for me anytime soon ... Bet insurance is epic regardless of the other costs - nice dream tho!

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

I can understand why you'd be tempted by the 280 but for me I'd take the 320 diesel because in comparison it's the better car, if you do decide you want a 280 don't get the Sport model as it means your yearly R/Tax will rise to £485.00.

Take a look at a 55 plate CLK350 as it's the car that's closer to the 500 in performance I'd still consider the 500 if you can stretch to it.

Here's how they stack up 280 vs (55 Plate)350 vs 500 vs 320 Diesel

BHP: 224 vs 272 vs 306 vs 221
Torque: 187 vs 263 vs 339 vs 376 ft/lb

0-60mph: 7.4 vs 6.4 vs 6.0 vs 6.9
Tax: £285 vs £285 vs £285 vs £265 Per Year

Fuel

Town: 20.9 vs 19.3 vs 16.7 vs 26.9 mpg
Motorway: 39.2 vs 38.2 vs 33.6 vs 46.3 mpg
Average: 29.7 vs 28.2 vs 24.6 vs 36.7 mpg

All top out at 155mph

So you need to work out which car suits your budget best.

280's
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

280 Sport
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

350
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

500
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

320 CDI's
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

I hope this helps with your decision making.

Yes definitely. Thanks for all you're help! On paper Diesel seems very logical choice & presumably more options to remap if I ever had cash for it in the future too

Just one last question - would the diesel be a lot more to run? I always thought you had to do loads of miles to make it worth the while as servicing is more expensive. Also there is this thing about particulate filters(?) that need replacing & are quite expensive

Performance wise - diesels will have tons of torque but with an auto isn't it sometimes the case boxes don't change up/down at the right time and you hit a flat spot - possibly not an issues with these as they are powerful cars & the auto boxes are good...?

My preference is usually petrol - Diesels have a tendency to sound like tractors / taxis!

I can see why you'd suggest it tho - good performance - tons of torque & good economy + cheaper tax

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

The diesel is never really out of it's sweet spot with the 7 speed box, so you won't find any flat spots .....

So what you save in fuel can go on your road tax or towards you yearly service

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Friday 17th April 00:48

Brilliant thx :-) I barely do 6K a year at the moment so that answers that one, however... it may be nice to have some flexibility should that change

Ok last 2 questions (honest guv) & I think it just comes down to budget after that & finding a good one

REAR WHEEL DRIVE In winter...
I live on a bit of a hill. Guy next door has a RWD Lexus LS430 & said it's like Bambi on ice in winter - tho with winter tyres it's 'ok'. Spoke to a few E-Class Drivers recently & one said it was so bad in winter he just didn't drive it on the worst days - the other said it was 'ok' as long as it's not too bad

I know it's not many days a year that it's 3 feet of snow but there are plenty of days when roads are Icy - Really don't fancy smacking a Merc into a ditch (Hence the Audio A4/S4 Quattro was a contender) - Thoughts?

RIDE...

A Merc has always been a dream for me but I was a passenger in a few E-Class recently (Taxi's) & the ride was 'hard' nowhere near as comfy as my Honda (sorry to keep banging on about it) - felt every bump & pothole - don't think they were sport versions E320 CDI I think

Strange I always imagined Mercs to be magic carpet smooth as they always got accused of that vs BMW's which were rock hard. Been in a few recent shape CLK's & thought they were quite hard too - tho not as hard as the BMW 335D I went in. Maybe you need a Merc with Air suspension to get best of both worlds - but how expensive if THAT goes wrong?? OR just keep to smaller alloys - 17"

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

The ride is stiffer on the CLK's especially on the 500 & sport models as they have the sportier suspension, no where near as bad as a bmw but stiff as you don't want to be wallowing round the place.

Traction issues, I haven't had an issue with snow where I've had to give up with any RWD, two simple things here good tyres(I haven't ever felt the need to buy winter tyres) & turn the ESP off (although it doesn't fully turn off) obviously it depends on the amount of snow but I run 275/30/19's on my rears & have had no trouble getting around Kent in the snow.

I had a back to back test with a Monaro when I bought the 55 & I have to say the Merc Outclassed it in every area both put a smile on my face but the Merc won, as for maintenance as long as your competent you can service them yourself the only specialist job is changing the gearbox oil, parts prices are on par with the Holden.

Trying to find a Monaro for the OP's budget is a lot harder plus he's gone off the idea of a V8

I'd agree that a Monaro probably going to be too expensive to buy - the engine / performance would be great fun but I think when I saw it parked on the drive it wouldn't do it for me like a Merc would - they ooze quality

Suspension sounds ok. As for traction - interesting to hear your view - I found loads of threads on it - mixed views - many saying it will be a scary experience in the ice / snow


http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t...

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t...

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/wheels-tyres-brakes...

[silvertypes]

danp said:

OP imvho you seem to be overly concerned with finding problems in anything that's suggested, and that's easy to do with the internet. Best stick with your Accord ;-)

So far people have been very helpful here & for that I'm grateful - in fact it's one of the best forums I've come across - many are packed with trolls

- The thing is I have limited funds. For some people if they get stunk with a bill of £1500 for some random failure that's no biggie

However if I got landed with even 1 bill of £1500 I'd be stuffed so I'd say it makes sense to do you're homework & weigh the odds in your favour

- money no object this would be a much shorter conversation...

[silvertypes]

Chris71 said:

If you're feeling brave, how about an RX-8? Four seats, four doors and a usable boot. You could buy three for that budget and it wouldn't matter if the first two engines expired.

Brave yes. But not that brave :-) They drink oil a bit apparently but apart from that they do fit the bill perfectly.

Unfortunately Auto Trader is littered with broken ones seems really common that they break - shame nice car

[silvertypes]

mikebradford said:

Always liked the look of the Laguna Coupe
Looks great in the flesh, and im sure their will be one for your budget
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/r...

Yep me too good spot. Did some research on them - it's also a Nissan / Infinity in other countries

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Looks cool but import too much hassle so would go for the Renault version however..

Normally run screaming from French cars as they aren't known for their reliability - had a Citroen AX-Gt many years ago - engine blew up in the first 48hrs of owning it - rubbish!

The Laguna coupe fits the bill - looks nice got all the toys V6 is quite quick (not 'that' quick for a small car with 3.5litre) but not slow. Strangely what car say Avoid… 3.5 V6 GT tho generally its seems to get good reviews online

Probably have heavy depreciation & not convinced of reliability but it's certainly an option!

[silvertypes]

danp said:

Perhaps lower the budget a bit to allow for more of a slush fund?

Even if you've done your homework you *could* end up with a four figure bill on almost anything, and more so with an old-ish toy and tech laden German barge IMO.

Yep could be a good plan

Indeed anything could go wrong with any car. I'd love a Merc CL with massage seats, TV, Fridge, swimming pool etc etc but more gadgets means more things to go wrong so probably not brave enough to take a gamble on something that loaded

[silvertypes]

ZX10R NIN said:

That's the point the CLK is no more tech laden than the E39 you mention, as someone pointed out you can get a Four figure bill from a clio.

Here OP, Two years warranty & some change to go towards running costs plus it has the better climate control than you get in most CLK's.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...

This would be my next choice.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

I'd still take the diesel over these two:
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Finally for me this is what I'd take over the other two but it depends on your budget
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Saturday 18th April 09:50

Nice one - I'll probably keep trawling for cars on & off for a bit - (Audi S4 Quattro close contender) until I'm ready to spend (working on that at the mo...)

- but I think you've nailed it - I'm 99% it's a CLK and unless you'd suggest a good reason to avoid them, hopefully a Convertible - it is sunny afterall. which engine is just down to budget I think

Cheers :-)