james330i

hey guys,

newbie saying hi!!

I recently ran into a pristine 99 CLK430 with 37k miles for $32,000.

It's too good of a deal that I cancelled my order for a G35Coupe. He he..i've always wanted a CLK430 but could never afford it. Believe me, it took me 3-4 relentless months to choose between a G35C, the upcoming RX8 and WRX STI and today, I see this used CLK for sale and in matter of seconds, I'm 99% sure I want this car. Black on black..beautiful!!

I haven't done my research but I guess I need to know what I need to look for in the 99 models. Were there any major problems/recalls that I need to be aware of? Are there pesky problems with this model year, and how reliable can I expect this car to be? Any sort of general info would be great!!

BTW, I do have the mod bug do..so you better believe I'm going with some 18 or 19s on this baby, and a few aero enhancments.

Thnx!!

tango

buy the clk430 cuz its a mercedes... and cuz stone cold said so hahah

chris7469

I leased a 99 430 CLK for 39 months. I currently lease an 02 430 CLK, which I plan to buy. Both were white and both go from garage to garage and are hand waxed and shined with ZAINO by me personally. I love my 430, because of its aggressive styling, great handling and reliability. The only reason I did not by my 99, AND I SHOULD have, was that all this buzz about the 03 CLK and how it was gonna rock. Well, after driving a CLK 500, I do not love it, it has lost its aggressive look. I think the CLK 430 will remain a hot car for years to come like the BMW 840. Its very visually appealing. Other than the gas cap that was fixed, I never had one problem.

Honestly, an immaculate BENZ coupe stands out much more than the other cars you are considering. A BENZ coupe is a classic car, will always be. If you can get premium status at a great price jump on it. My buddy bought an 00 CL with high miles, rimmed it out and it looks just sick, saved about 45K off of the price of an 03.

Definately the best bang for your buck at 32K. What other car can compete at that price range. Remember, you have the same body style as an 02 or 03 convertble. Plus it will hold its value.

However, just my opinion and I am a little baised. As far as rims go, I live in central NJ, the roads SUCK and the CLK is horrible in bad weather, so I will remain rolling on tiny 17s. Good Luck!

CM

nubomb

I too, just recently (8 months ago already) purchased a used 99' 430. The car had 14K miles on it, I bought it at a dealership with an extended starmarked warrenty (4 years 100K). I ended up paying $37,000 no including tax. I have heated seats, sunroof, cd player and sunshade.

$32,000 sounds like a pretty good deal, but I bet you can find an 00' or 01' for maybe little more. 2000 and newer had some newer features. Teleaid, touchshift, steering wheel controls, blinkers on the side mirrors instead of the front Q-panels, different style rims (I like the ones I have better). I may have missed some things but other then that the cars are pretty much identical. The only thing I wish I had were the controls on the steering wheel.

I was also looking at the new Z and G35 coupe, nice looking cars. But they weren't out yet and a friend of mine told me about this clk. I always loved this car and couldn't pass it up. At the time it was a pretty good deal.

My car runs great. The only problem I had was a bad MAS sensor, fixed under warrenty. The only thing that bothered me is that the front seats make a little squeking nose. I put some felt material in between the leather and this piece of plastic and the problem is resolved.

james330i

hey guys,

were HIDs standard back then?

The one thing I notice about some CLKs are their lack of HIDs.

Not a big deal, but I really don;'t want to buy aftermarket HID kits.

How long were the warranty of these cars? I'm thinking thie guy got rid of it right when the warranty expired, and maybe due to fears of expensive maitenance costs ???

LowRydeR

CLK looks nice and HID can be upgraded to Phillip 6000K Xenon Kit, looks like this:



-Bruce

nubomb

Standard warranty is 4 years 50K. A 99' would be past due or just about to expire.

HIDs were an option on a 99 clk430.

Check out www.mbusa.com for starmarked cars at your local dealerships. The prices they have are inflated, you can definetly talk them down.

I personaly would not buy a 30K something car with no warranty. Repairs are not cheap, especially at dealerships.

ndabunka

Yep, even the warranties on some of the first 2000's are running out. Therefore you can get a nice 2K for just under $35K (30-45K miles). The '00's do have the controls on the steering wheel. One thing to look out for on these cars is the service records. Make CERTAIN you see them. Get the VIN #, go to a Benz dealer and run the VIN through their system. They can tell you in about 15 minutes all the service work that's been done on the car. A good rule-of-thumb is not to buy any car that's had more than two pages (about 20) incidents. Look at the service record and see if there are any consistanly re-occuring issues (i.e. command module). Also, a drink spilled from one of these cars into it's shift gate can become a HUGE bill ($4 to 8K). Tell tale signs of this are sticky shifters, replaced cup holders, re-programmed command modules, etc. I went through three STARMARKED cars before I found a "clean" one through a private individual. If you can get an older one through a Benz dealership and get it Starmarked for additional coverage, by all means DO SO. Hope this helps.

theine

No brainer! Mercedes-Benz over Nissan exc....I mean Infinity.

Bjorkin

$32k for a '99 430 with 37k miles seems like a good deal to me. I purchased a '99 CLK430 with 51k miles in Oct. of 2002 for $26k which I thought was an amazing deal. I actually found it on ebay.

You will not regret your purchase. I had never driven a MB outside of a parking lot and was impressed beyond belief when I first got on the interstate with my new ride. I fell in love with the CLK because of it's looks, but I would buy it again because of the way it drives. I live in a small town and EVERYONE loves my car. Some don't even know what it is (that's a small town). I try to tell them it drives as good as it looks, but you can't understand that until you put your foot down and grip the wheel.

nyc11370

For your reference:

I purchased my 99 silver CLK430 42Kmiles for $30K from an authorized dealer in April. It has 1 year Starmark "component" warranty. Go to the dealer in the month end so the sales persons need to meet the quota and you can get better deal.

I paid $1000 to get 2 more years "component" warranty, therefore I paid a total of $31K(plus tax) and it has 3yrs warranty.

I also bought the LoJack system. My used car sales friend told me that the book value is higher than what I paid, so I should not get it. If my car got stolen, I may end up make money or break even. Anyway the Lojack saved me $250/year in insurance.

CLK430 is a V8 so I paid $500 extra insurance per year, they call it "performance charge".

I test drove the 99/00 CLK320 and I am so not impressed. I feel my 99 Maxima picks-up quicker and runs faster/quieter than CLK320 (just personal opinion). Don't get CLK320, get 430.

I do not like the Infinit's interior. My friend has a G35 Sedan and I think G35's inside is too "Plastic".

I think the G35 coupe will be a very fine car, I had a 99 Nissan Maxima SE for 4.5yrs, not one single problem, just change oil and front break pad.

I had my CLK for 1 month and it already went back to the shop twice and they fixed 2 problems under warranty (fuel gauge and rattling noise). If you get the used CLK, make sure you get the warranty.

Used CLK430 vs. New G35

Performance: Comparable
Styling: Comparable (objective)
Reliability: G35
Interior: CLK
WOW factor: CLK - if you have a Mercedes, most people(working class) automatically think you are rich.

Go for the CLK430 and don't forgrt the extended warranty, you will use it.

Safet

1. Go with the 2000-02 models...little cues are different (most notably the blinkers on the mirrors!),

2. I also pay a "performance charge" from GEICO of $500 a year because it is a V8.

Laters,
Safet

djamer

My personal recommendation is the clk208 bodystyle rocks!! It's a visual masterpiece of style and grace. Like the others said, the w209 is beautiful, however, it's not as aggressive or graceful as the older clks. In terms of getting a 99'..well couple of points. Definately get it checked out by a MB mechanic and see about an extended warranty. The car will last you a long time, and it's an eyecatcher. Good luck with your purchase...question, why not consider getting an 00' or 01' model which sell for 39-42K mint condition w/ Starmark. Here in Virginia/DC ara, you can certainly find one in that range or cheaper. I bought my 02' for an unbelievable price, fully loaded w/ Starmark..

DJ Amer

nyc11370

You should be able to get the 99 CLK430 with Starmark warranty for $30K , I bought my car in NYC. Why paid 5~6 grand extra just to get the 1 year newer(2000) model? 99 and 2000 look the same from OUTSIDE, except the blinking mirrors and some minor details. People not into Mercedes can't tell the differences between 99 an 2000, you are still getting the old style(W208) anyway. If you paid $5K extra today to get the 2000 model, when you sell it 4 years later when the newer style comes out, you may only get $2K extra compare to a 99.

Why do we get USED Mercedes? It is because we want to drive expensive car and paid less for it and want people think we got it new since day one. A new CLK430 in 99/2000 cost about $50K base, I think paying 60% for a USED CAR is already a lot. After you get a used car and add 3 more years to it, not too many people will want to buy a 6~7 year old car. It does not make sense to pay more than 60%. You may also want to buy the car in cash and it will save you 3~4 grand in interest. Otherwise, why don't you go buy or lease a new CLK W209? New car has lower interest rate.

evil ragu

what about the convertible clk 320 or 430.....around how much can u find that at used?

nyc11370

Keep your existing 4 doors / 4 Seats car.

Buy a used SL500 instead (in $30K~$35K range). You will get a soft-top convertable, a Hard Top Coupe and people know it is very expensive - $100K plus for a new one.

evil ragu

thats great info....but i really like the clk look more than the sl im looking around and the clk 320 convertible is around $45K, my budget is like under $35K i would purchase immediately....and like anything over that i need to speak with my accountant, lol

Brad D.

I bought a 2000 with 10,000 less miles for 35k.

nyc11370

Lucky you! Do you get the extended warranty?

Brad D.

It's not a certified car. It's still under factory warranty for another year.