I am an owner of a 2002 c230 Komp coupe.. and am looking to upgrade to a CLK . I am looking at the CLK 320 because its a v6 and not such a gas guzzler as the v8. My question is, performance wise, will there be a difference.. My c230 is pushing 200hp/200torgue.. and the clk320 is at 217, and with what ive read the 0-60 is about the same. Ive driven the c320 sedans (2005) and they feel mostly just smoother, as my c230 is a supercharged v4. Is the clk320 a worthwhile upgrade?

Im looking to get a 2000 clk320 coupe, with the upgraded color keyed sidings. Historically have these had any major problems?? mechanically? I dont know any clk owners personally... but i really like the clk design w/ the side skirts etc.. i believe the sport package? How reliable are these CLKs? My c230 has never given me problems whatsoever.. In the long run, am i better off sticking to my 2002 c230 or going with a CLK? If not a 2000? any other year? I am looking to sell my c230 and use the $ to get the clk .. so around 17-20k.

Let me know guys. Thanks for all the help in advance.

 

For starters, if you saw a 0-60 time that was the same as a c230K, you were looking at the times for the new (W209) CLKs, which run around 7.1-7.2. The older w208s are faster at 6.6-6.8, and will house a c230k every time. I've had my clk320 for about a year now and even in high mileage it's been reliable. It looks and improved performance (relative to a 230) are worth the upgrade. Problems are the harmonic balancer issue on the 320 (comes loose and needs to be replaced, MB had a recall on this). Other than that the only problem is that the interior can be squeaky on certain cars, some worse than others. Also, if you want the AMG side skirts and are in the US, you will have to do them aftermarket or buy a 430 or 55. They are the only ones that came with the AMG syling package. If i were you, i'd go with the CLK and good decision on the 2000+, the build quality is better than the 98-99 models.

 

^ Yep.

 

Very nice car, i enjoy driving the W208 CLK line more than any other Benz i have own or driven. King320 is right the newr CLKs (209) are slower than the old ones . i outrun a new 320 once !You won,t be sorry if you upgrade to 208. . The only problem i have had with her was, the fuel gauge reading is inaccurate! It is a common known problem.

 

thanks for the replys, when looking at used models of the 208 clk320s.. what should i be looking for? from just a few responses, it doesnt sound like the car has anything major to look out for.. (mechanically etc at least)

 

Get a black one.



Check for rock chips on the hood, swirl marks in the paint, yellowed headlights, ensure sunroof operates properly, look at harmonic balancer, check for cracked or hardened weather sills, make sure doors open close easily, maybe look at the spacing between the body panels to make sure spacing is even (uneaven spacing can be the signs of a wreck), Look closely at paint in different light to see if anything has been repainted (if you hit it in the right light it should be obvious even from far away).

Most importantly: DRIVE IT. Dont baby it either, drive it like you normally drive. If you dont like it, dont buy it.

 

Are you sure about that? I know that TODAY, you cannot buy a W209 with the AMG package. However, I'm pretty sure in 2000/2001, it was an option. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

I've never, ever seen one. Even if it was, and i highly doubt it, the odds of finding one in the used car market are miniscule, probably worse than finding one that had them added on aftermarket.

 

The good part is that it's really a nice driving car, with reasonable power, decent handling and relatively practical while still looking good. Fuel economy is pretty good considering as well.

The bad part is that I'm personally finding it a bit less reliable and not quite as good quality as I had hoped. Repairs are easily 2x the cost of what I'm accustomed (as a BMW owner), and I'm finding more frustrating issues.

Things like the squeaks (too many of them), defective fuel gauge sending units (about $600 to repair), even though there's absolutely no way to break loose the back tires, it goes through rubber like crazy.

Additionally, MB certainly doesn't make it easy to DIY in many areas - far less friendly the the bmw.

All in all, I've never had a C and am relatively happy with the W208. GREAT styling. But, I doubt that I would do it again.

 

You could not get a factory installed sports package on a CLK320 until 2002 I believe. And even then, they used the old "thin spoke" 430 rims instead of the new 2002 "ultra thin spoke" 430 rims. They probably did this because they had to move 320's in the last model year...

 

Was not offered on the CLK320 on U.S. models (talking W208 here). It was only available on the CLK430 and CLK55.

 

Or you could buy mine. Can't beat the miles and it gets 25 MPG on the highway.....

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...g=en&cardist=0