Will a CLK55 bankrupt me?
Discussion
Anyone out there in the know?
I really fancy one and I'll be coming from a Fiesta ST that's been faultless for 75,000 miles...
It should be similar in purchase cost so shouldn't break the bank in that sense.
It'll be a daily driver for my 25mile round trip commute and it'll do the odd long journey. Im happy to do some spannering myself and I'm aware of the fuel costs.
But will it break the bank?
I really fancy one and I'll be coming from a Fiesta ST that's been faultless for 75,000 miles...
It should be similar in purchase cost so shouldn't break the bank in that sense.
It'll be a daily driver for my 25mile round trip commute and it'll do the odd long journey. Im happy to do some spannering myself and I'm aware of the fuel costs.
But will it break the bank?
willmagrath said:
Anyone out there in the know?
I really fancy one and I'll be coming from a Fiesta ST that's been faultless for 75,000 miles...
It should be similar in purchase cost so shouldn't break the bank in that sense.
It'll be a daily driver for my 25mile round trip commute and it'll do the odd long journey. Im happy to do some spannering myself and I'm aware of the fuel costs.
But will it break the bank?
Depends on your bank balance. Any AMG will cost more to run than a Fiesta. Parts are subject to MB price levels which are a different league to Ford. A well sorted CLK will be lovely to drive, whilst a shabby one could be ruinous to keep going.I really fancy one and I'll be coming from a Fiesta ST that's been faultless for 75,000 miles...
It should be similar in purchase cost so shouldn't break the bank in that sense.
It'll be a daily driver for my 25mile round trip commute and it'll do the odd long journey. Im happy to do some spannering myself and I'm aware of the fuel costs.
But will it break the bank?
I bought a 2007 S203 C55 estate as an early Christmas present to myself last year, so have done a bit of research and the W209 CLK is the same drivetrain and basic platform, so mostly should apply I think. (The CLK is basically the coupe/convertible version of the C-class). I'm really happy with my car, I paid top money for a car that the previous owner invested a lot into sorting out. The engine is fantastic - torque, power, noise and the mechanical smoothness that a fully-balanced V8 has means it's nothing like revving out a four-pot. Handling is good too, it's not a sports car but very driveable and easy to place on the road.
First things first, there are two generations of CLK55, the W208 from 1997-2003 and the W209 from 2003-2010 (although the CLK55 was replaced by the CLK63 in 2006). Bearing in mind that Mercedes build quality was at its absolute worst between approx 1995 and 2003, and that the first gen has recirculating ball steering rather than rack and pinion, it's harder to recommend a W208.
Second, the general running costs will of course be higher; it has 16 spark plugs, tyres are £500+ for a set of four MPS4, road tax is top band (and rises from ~£350 to £600pa for cars registered from 23 March 2006). Check insurance too. Just the general cost of running any big-engine high performance car.
Third, catastrophic potential. The good news is that the basic engine and gearbox are normally considered to be robust, unlike a certain other Stuttgart-based firm there isn't an entire cottage industry based around rebuilding AMG 5.4 engines. Individual parts fail - crankshaft position sensor, alternator - but no real engine disassembly is required. The sunny outlook continues with the CLK, like other C-classes, being free from the borktastic gadgets such as wallet-deflating air suspension or limited-life SBC brakes that feature on larger Mercs. The less good news is that there are quite a few things in the cabin that can go wrong, watch for clicking from the dash which is ventilation flaps sticking, a dash-out job. Plus electricals aren't the most robust, and the AMG being a top-spec Mercedes there can be quite a lot to go wrong.
The biggest problem is RUST. Now, galvanised panels were introduced from mid- 2003 ( https://forums.mbclub.co.uk/threads/galvanising-of... ), so definitely look for a car built (not just registered) from then on. Galvanised cars do still rust, but in a slow, steady way rather than the pandemic-like outbreak of iron oxide on earlier cars' panels.
So get a galvanised car, then check all four wheelarches carefully. The other issue is the rear subframe, I'm not 100% sure if the CLK suffers the same as the C-class but on the C the rear subframe rusts, as do the rear brake lines that run above it, out of sight of mechanics and MoT inspectors. Previous owner of my C55 paid c. £4k to have the rear subframe dropped and refurbed. The first car I looked at, I got inspected by a nearby Merc specialist hoping they could quote for whatever remedial work needed and I could do a deal on the car and then get it booked in to them to be made 100%. The mechanic rang me and said 'I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole', long list of issues and rust underneath. Each individual part might be only £300 or £500 to replace, but when you have a dozen or so issues present on a car, it all adds up.
Bottom line is, I think these are great cars and conspicuous value currently for the engine and general sense of wellbeing inside. I suspect the cars out there are in a wide variety of conditions. There is a lot to go wrong overall, if you buy a bad one it can easily take five, ten or fifteen grand to get right. On the other hand if you buy a good one it's just a matter of keeping on top of maintenance as needed, enjoying that V8 and probably not losing much to depreciation.
I strongly recommend you have a thorough inspection of the car, including getting a good look underneath, BEFORE purchase. Best thing is if you can find a good Merc specialist to look at it, otherwise if you know what you're doing and can get right underneath it I think you'll probably be able to see if it's in good condition or rusty. Read the buying guides online and look for common problems like heater flaps clicking. Check all the features - sunroof, electric mirror adjustment and folding, ventilation, A/C, parking sensors, ... Make sure you drive it from a cold start and check the gearbox changes smoothly when cold.
So a car that needs careful purchasing, but look hard and find a good one and I think you'll be very happy for the money.
First things first, there are two generations of CLK55, the W208 from 1997-2003 and the W209 from 2003-2010 (although the CLK55 was replaced by the CLK63 in 2006). Bearing in mind that Mercedes build quality was at its absolute worst between approx 1995 and 2003, and that the first gen has recirculating ball steering rather than rack and pinion, it's harder to recommend a W208.
Second, the general running costs will of course be higher; it has 16 spark plugs, tyres are £500+ for a set of four MPS4, road tax is top band (and rises from ~£350 to £600pa for cars registered from 23 March 2006). Check insurance too. Just the general cost of running any big-engine high performance car.
Third, catastrophic potential. The good news is that the basic engine and gearbox are normally considered to be robust, unlike a certain other Stuttgart-based firm there isn't an entire cottage industry based around rebuilding AMG 5.4 engines. Individual parts fail - crankshaft position sensor, alternator - but no real engine disassembly is required. The sunny outlook continues with the CLK, like other C-classes, being free from the borktastic gadgets such as wallet-deflating air suspension or limited-life SBC brakes that feature on larger Mercs. The less good news is that there are quite a few things in the cabin that can go wrong, watch for clicking from the dash which is ventilation flaps sticking, a dash-out job. Plus electricals aren't the most robust, and the AMG being a top-spec Mercedes there can be quite a lot to go wrong.
The biggest problem is RUST. Now, galvanised panels were introduced from mid- 2003 ( https://forums.mbclub.co.uk/threads/galvanising-of... ), so definitely look for a car built (not just registered) from then on. Galvanised cars do still rust, but in a slow, steady way rather than the pandemic-like outbreak of iron oxide on earlier cars' panels.
So get a galvanised car, then check all four wheelarches carefully. The other issue is the rear subframe, I'm not 100% sure if the CLK suffers the same as the C-class but on the C the rear subframe rusts, as do the rear brake lines that run above it, out of sight of mechanics and MoT inspectors. Previous owner of my C55 paid c. £4k to have the rear subframe dropped and refurbed. The first car I looked at, I got inspected by a nearby Merc specialist hoping they could quote for whatever remedial work needed and I could do a deal on the car and then get it booked in to them to be made 100%. The mechanic rang me and said 'I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole', long list of issues and rust underneath. Each individual part might be only £300 or £500 to replace, but when you have a dozen or so issues present on a car, it all adds up.
Bottom line is, I think these are great cars and conspicuous value currently for the engine and general sense of wellbeing inside. I suspect the cars out there are in a wide variety of conditions. There is a lot to go wrong overall, if you buy a bad one it can easily take five, ten or fifteen grand to get right. On the other hand if you buy a good one it's just a matter of keeping on top of maintenance as needed, enjoying that V8 and probably not losing much to depreciation.
I strongly recommend you have a thorough inspection of the car, including getting a good look underneath, BEFORE purchase. Best thing is if you can find a good Merc specialist to look at it, otherwise if you know what you're doing and can get right underneath it I think you'll probably be able to see if it's in good condition or rusty. Read the buying guides online and look for common problems like heater flaps clicking. Check all the features - sunroof, electric mirror adjustment and folding, ventilation, A/C, parking sensors, ... Make sure you drive it from a cold start and check the gearbox changes smoothly when cold.
So a car that needs careful purchasing, but look hard and find a good one and I think you'll be very happy for the money.
samoht said:
I bought a 2007 S203 C55 estate as an early Christmas present to myself last year, so have done a bit of research and the W209 CLK is the same drivetrain and basic platform, so mostly should apply I think. (The CLK is basically the coupe/convertible version of the C-class). I'm really happy with my car, I paid top money for a car that the previous owner invested a lot into sorting out. The engine is fantastic - torque, power, noise and the mechanical smoothness that a fully-balanced V8 has means it's nothing like revving out a four-pot. Handling is good too, it's not a sports car but very driveable and easy to place on the road.
First things first, there are two generations of CLK55, the W208 from 1997-2003 and the W209 from 2003-2010 (although the CLK55 was replaced by the CLK63 in 2006). Bearing in mind that Mercedes build quality was at its absolute worst between approx 1995 and 2003, and that the first gen has recirculating ball steering rather than rack and pinion, it's harder to recommend a W208.
Second, the general running costs will of course be higher; it has 16 spark plugs, tyres are £500+ for a set of four MPS4, road tax is top band (and rises from ~£350 to £600pa for cars registered from 23 March 2006). Check insurance too. Just the general cost of running any big-engine high performance car.
Third, catastrophic potential. The good news is that the basic engine and gearbox are normally considered to be robust, unlike a certain other Stuttgart-based firm there isn't an entire cottage industry based around rebuilding AMG 5.4 engines. Individual parts fail - crankshaft position sensor, alternator - but no real engine disassembly is required. The sunny outlook continues with the CLK, like other C-classes, being free from the borktastic gadgets such as wallet-deflating air suspension or limited-life SBC brakes that feature on larger Mercs. The less good news is that there are quite a few things in the cabin that can go wrong, watch for clicking from the dash which is ventilation flaps sticking, a dash-out job. Plus electricals aren't the most robust, and the AMG being a top-spec Mercedes there can be quite a lot to go wrong.
The biggest problem is RUST. Now, galvanised panels were introduced from mid- 2003 ( https://forums.mbclub.co.uk/threads/galvanising-of... ), so definitely look for a car built (not just registered) from then on. Galvanised cars do still rust, but in a slow, steady way rather than the pandemic-like outbreak of iron oxide on earlier cars' panels.
So get a galvanised car, then check all four wheelarches carefully. The other issue is the rear subframe, I'm not 100% sure if the CLK suffers the same as the C-class but on the C the rear subframe rusts, as do the rear brake lines that run above it, out of sight of mechanics and MoT inspectors. Previous owner of my C55 paid c. £4k to have the rear subframe dropped and refurbed. The first car I looked at, I got inspected by a nearby Merc specialist hoping they could quote for whatever remedial work needed and I could do a deal on the car and then get it booked in to them to be made 100%. The mechanic rang me and said 'I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole', long list of issues and rust underneath. Each individual part might be only £300 or £500 to replace, but when you have a dozen or so issues present on a car, it all adds up.
Bottom line is, I think these are great cars and conspicuous value currently for the engine and general sense of wellbeing inside. I suspect the cars out there are in a wide variety of conditions. There is a lot to go wrong overall, if you buy a bad one it can easily take five, ten or fifteen grand to get right. On the other hand if you buy a good one it's just a matter of keeping on top of maintenance as needed, enjoying that V8 and probably not losing much to depreciation.
I strongly recommend you have a thorough inspection of the car, including getting a good look underneath, BEFORE purchase. Best thing is if you can find a good Merc specialist to look at it, otherwise if you know what you're doing and can get right underneath it I think you'll probably be able to see if it's in good condition or rusty. Read the buying guides online and look for common problems like heater flaps clicking. Check all the features - sunroof, electric mirror adjustment and folding, ventilation, A/C, parking sensors, ... Make sure you drive it from a cold start and check the gearbox changes smoothly when cold.
So a car that needs careful purchasing, but look hard and find a good one and I think you'll be very happy for the money.
Wow, amazing write up, thank you.First things first, there are two generations of CLK55, the W208 from 1997-2003 and the W209 from 2003-2010 (although the CLK55 was replaced by the CLK63 in 2006). Bearing in mind that Mercedes build quality was at its absolute worst between approx 1995 and 2003, and that the first gen has recirculating ball steering rather than rack and pinion, it's harder to recommend a W208.
Second, the general running costs will of course be higher; it has 16 spark plugs, tyres are £500+ for a set of four MPS4, road tax is top band (and rises from ~£350 to £600pa for cars registered from 23 March 2006). Check insurance too. Just the general cost of running any big-engine high performance car.
Third, catastrophic potential. The good news is that the basic engine and gearbox are normally considered to be robust, unlike a certain other Stuttgart-based firm there isn't an entire cottage industry based around rebuilding AMG 5.4 engines. Individual parts fail - crankshaft position sensor, alternator - but no real engine disassembly is required. The sunny outlook continues with the CLK, like other C-classes, being free from the borktastic gadgets such as wallet-deflating air suspension or limited-life SBC brakes that feature on larger Mercs. The less good news is that there are quite a few things in the cabin that can go wrong, watch for clicking from the dash which is ventilation flaps sticking, a dash-out job. Plus electricals aren't the most robust, and the AMG being a top-spec Mercedes there can be quite a lot to go wrong.
The biggest problem is RUST. Now, galvanised panels were introduced from mid- 2003 ( https://forums.mbclub.co.uk/threads/galvanising-of... ), so definitely look for a car built (not just registered) from then on. Galvanised cars do still rust, but in a slow, steady way rather than the pandemic-like outbreak of iron oxide on earlier cars' panels.
So get a galvanised car, then check all four wheelarches carefully. The other issue is the rear subframe, I'm not 100% sure if the CLK suffers the same as the C-class but on the C the rear subframe rusts, as do the rear brake lines that run above it, out of sight of mechanics and MoT inspectors. Previous owner of my C55 paid c. £4k to have the rear subframe dropped and refurbed. The first car I looked at, I got inspected by a nearby Merc specialist hoping they could quote for whatever remedial work needed and I could do a deal on the car and then get it booked in to them to be made 100%. The mechanic rang me and said 'I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole', long list of issues and rust underneath. Each individual part might be only £300 or £500 to replace, but when you have a dozen or so issues present on a car, it all adds up.
Bottom line is, I think these are great cars and conspicuous value currently for the engine and general sense of wellbeing inside. I suspect the cars out there are in a wide variety of conditions. There is a lot to go wrong overall, if you buy a bad one it can easily take five, ten or fifteen grand to get right. On the other hand if you buy a good one it's just a matter of keeping on top of maintenance as needed, enjoying that V8 and probably not losing much to depreciation.
I strongly recommend you have a thorough inspection of the car, including getting a good look underneath, BEFORE purchase. Best thing is if you can find a good Merc specialist to look at it, otherwise if you know what you're doing and can get right underneath it I think you'll probably be able to see if it's in good condition or rusty. Read the buying guides online and look for common problems like heater flaps clicking. Check all the features - sunroof, electric mirror adjustment and folding, ventilation, A/C, parking sensors, ... Make sure you drive it from a cold start and check the gearbox changes smoothly when cold.
So a car that needs careful purchasing, but look hard and find a good one and I think you'll be very happy for the money.
I plan to get a post 53 model to get a galvanized one yes. And if I'm really keen for one, I will get a specialist to give it a once over. My budget is sub 10k and it seems there are some well looked after high mileage ones starting from 6k.
Will be good to start poking around.
Just make sure you re-calibrate your brain not to resent the fuel economy, I know it sounds daft, but after years of seeing decent mpg it can be hard switching even if you can afford it, especially if you have to switch to 97/98+ Octane.
Also consider bigger servicing costs, tax and insurance. Whatever figure you’ve calculated add maybe 50% to it. Ie if it’s predicted to cost £150 more a month, factor in £225.
Just don’t focus on the costs as well, when you get it enjoy it
Good luck
Also consider bigger servicing costs, tax and insurance. Whatever figure you’ve calculated add maybe 50% to it. Ie if it’s predicted to cost £150 more a month, factor in £225.
Just don’t focus on the costs as well, when you get it enjoy it
Good luck
Is this the same car?
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=12...
How much would losing the purchase price hurt? Basically it'll only bankrupt you if you let it, probably be just like any other car but running costs yeah a tad more.
Tyre depth, brake wear etc etc can all make a huge difference if you are spending initially what you consider is a lot. Perhaps some basic consumables research is worth it just to get a glimpse of what you are in for (behind all this I'm saying just go for it!)
In a word no it won't as others have said rust car be an issue, mainly on the front of the rear arches as they are constantly getting hit with small stones from the rear tyres.
The gearbox fluid needs changing every 40k but it's not an expensive job £250-300 & there's the 16 Spark Plugs but I didn't find it an overly expensive job.
All of mine have been great with an Alternator & A/C Pump failing between three cars apart from that nothing but regular maintenance, the rust will cost about £150 to sort if there's any showing on the rear arch.
I will buy another as they're great cars, there's one in particular that's a good buy & it's sensible money meaning you'll have some money left over to get maintenance carried out & give it a good valet.
Someone has put the later centre console (I'd have gone for a different colour but it's easy to change) in which is a bonus as is the Koni suspension & I think you could get it for 6k:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MERCEDES-BENZ-AMG-...
Interior Trim pieces:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-Auto-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-inter...
If you want to update the infotainment I used the Pioneer SPH DA230/250 DAB unit's they work seamlessly with Android Auto or Apple Carplay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Bl...
250
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA250DAB-6-...
230
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Pi...
Fitting Kit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Connects2-CTKMB15-Merce...
I haven't had any issues with the subframes on mine but get them checked as these cars are 18 years old, if you have any questions feel free to ask.
The gearbox fluid needs changing every 40k but it's not an expensive job £250-300 & there's the 16 Spark Plugs but I didn't find it an overly expensive job.
All of mine have been great with an Alternator & A/C Pump failing between three cars apart from that nothing but regular maintenance, the rust will cost about £150 to sort if there's any showing on the rear arch.
I will buy another as they're great cars, there's one in particular that's a good buy & it's sensible money meaning you'll have some money left over to get maintenance carried out & give it a good valet.
Someone has put the later centre console (I'd have gone for a different colour but it's easy to change) in which is a bonus as is the Koni suspension & I think you could get it for 6k:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MERCEDES-BENZ-AMG-...
Interior Trim pieces:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-Auto-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-inter...
If you want to update the infotainment I used the Pioneer SPH DA230/250 DAB unit's they work seamlessly with Android Auto or Apple Carplay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Bl...
250
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA250DAB-6-...
230
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Pi...
Fitting Kit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Connects2-CTKMB15-Merce...
I haven't had any issues with the subframes on mine but get them checked as these cars are 18 years old, if you have any questions feel free to ask.
ZX10R NIN said:
In a word no it won't as others have said rust car be an issue, mainly on the front of the rear arches as they are constantly getting hit with small stones from the rear tyres.
The gearbox fluid needs changing every 40k but it's not an expensive job £250-300 & there's the 16 Spark Plugs but I didn't find it an overly expensive job.
All of mine have been great with an Alternator & A/C Pump failing between three cars apart from that nothing but regular maintenance, the rust will cost about £150 to sort if there's any showing on the rear arch.
I will buy another as they're great cars, there's one in particular that's a good buy & it's sensible money meaning you'll have some money left over to get maintenance carried out & give it a good valet.
Someone has put the later centre console (I'd have gone for a different colour but it's easy to change) in which is a bonus as is the Koni suspension & I think you could get it for 6k:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MERCEDES-BENZ-AMG-...
Interior Trim pieces:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-Auto-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-inter...
If you want to update the infotainment I used the Pioneer SPH DA230/250 DAB unit's they work seamlessly with Android Auto or Apple Carplay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Bl...
250
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA250DAB-6-...
230
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Pi...
Fitting Kit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Connects2-CTKMB15-Merce...
I haven't had any issues with the subframes on mine but get them checked as these cars are 18 years old, if you have any questions feel free to ask.
Amazing, thanks very much The gearbox fluid needs changing every 40k but it's not an expensive job £250-300 & there's the 16 Spark Plugs but I didn't find it an overly expensive job.
All of mine have been great with an Alternator & A/C Pump failing between three cars apart from that nothing but regular maintenance, the rust will cost about £150 to sort if there's any showing on the rear arch.
I will buy another as they're great cars, there's one in particular that's a good buy & it's sensible money meaning you'll have some money left over to get maintenance carried out & give it a good valet.
Someone has put the later centre console (I'd have gone for a different colour but it's easy to change) in which is a bonus as is the Koni suspension & I think you could get it for 6k:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MERCEDES-BENZ-AMG-...
Interior Trim pieces:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-Auto-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-CLK-W209-inter...
If you want to update the infotainment I used the Pioneer SPH DA230/250 DAB unit's they work seamlessly with Android Auto or Apple Carplay
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Bl...
250
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA250DAB-6-...
230
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pioneer-SPH-DA230DAB-Pi...
Fitting Kit
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Connects2-CTKMB15-Merce...
I haven't had any issues with the subframes on mine but get them checked as these cars are 18 years old, if you have any questions feel free to ask.
I recently got a W204 C63 because I realised my chance to own a V8 was diminishing and it was on my bucket list.
One thing is for sure you won’t regret ticking the box.
My only problem is I’m so precious over it because it is a low mileage immaculate car that I’m buying a run around for taking to the train station etc.
One thing is for sure you won’t regret ticking the box.
My only problem is I’m so precious over it because it is a low mileage immaculate car that I’m buying a run around for taking to the train station etc.
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