CLK430

[dan5oclocksmith]

The search isn't bringing anything up so...

Could you kind people please tell me what to expect from a CLK430?

My 540i has died, and the CLK keeps popping up as an option. I've never sat in one, let alone driven one, so my questions are:

1. Does it do long-distance wafting well?
2. Is there anything in particular to look out for?
3. Will it bore me to tears?
4. Do they all have cruise control?

As a guide, I'm looking to spend up to £3k. I've seen a few around in that price bracket that look alright in the adverts.

Opinions please!

[Mikey_W]

I've owned both a E39 540i and a C43 in recent years. The 540 was a much better car although the engine noise of the C43 was awesome (basically the same engine as the CLK430).

The quality of the interior in the '43 was frankly rubbish, mine had the usual rust and i ended up spending over 3k in the first 3 months getting back up to its former glory! Ok i didn't have to have a full respray, but i'm a bit of a perfectionist and decided to bite the bullet. That 3k included some engine work, full service and 2 new tyres.

So watch out for rust, make sure the roof works perfectly (these can cost a fortune to fix) and they can suffer from electrical gremlins. And yes it has cruise

[dan5oclocksmith]

Thanks Mikey.

I'm looking at coupes, so that should hopefully rule out dodgy roofs

I guess I'll find this out when I drive one, but I'm interested to see what they're like on a cruise - supple or jiggly. The intention is to complement it with a 'fun' car, so it's more for longer distances and a hint of practicality.

[dan5oclocksmith]

What's a typical repair price for rusty front or rear wings?

The consumption difference between the 320 and 430 seems small enough to be trivial (I don't do many miles), and the market is awash with 320s, so happy to risk a 430 in that context.