delija

Hi,
Do you guys think paying $25 000 AUD for a CLK430 with 65 000km on it is too much. Car is 2001, serviced regularly...

I am in doubts at the moment and don't know what to get. I am also condisering 330Ci but that would be $10-13 000 extra for the same kms (60 000-70 000km) and 2005-2006 model.

What do you guys think, please any suggestion most welcome.

Thanks

delija

no one!? Don't be scared to speak up

MMM430

Delija,
It really comes down to Market Value in Australia, which I for one am not familiar with. Here in the states a nice condition 2001 CLK coupe with 43K miles (very low mileage), not having been in any accidents and no major service problems would probably average between $13,000 and $15000 US/AUD at a dealer's full retail. Much of the difference depending on extras like Navigation, etc. The convertible however may fetch around an additional $2-3 thousand more. It's unclear whether the car you are looking at is the coupe or convert but supposing you are looking at the convert, that asking price would be $6-8 thousand over average market price in the US. Again with the 330CI, the average market value in the US is roughly $8-11 thousand less than the price you are looking at in Melbourne. Hope that helps.

delija

Car i am looking for is 2001 coupe clk430 avangarde with factory amg options (bodykit, navigation which is probably useless, rims...)
I am just thinking maybe 2001 car is too old... pretty much my question is: is it worth giving extra $15 000 for e46 330ci with same millage and 4-5 years younger?

sonnyhoang

delija: my girlfriend has a e46 325ci and my sister a e46 330ci, and i can tell ya, those cars are not worth 15000$ extra over our car. If you were to pay 15000$ extra, i think a w209 or w208 clk55 would be a better candidate. The interior of the bmw's are no where near as nice as the benz. The seat cushions are hard n stiff and just dont contour to your body as much. Also the rubber trims and matte black exterior parts fade to hell(rubber cracking and matte black plastic developing white spots). The comparison would be more reasonable if the prices of the w208 and e46 were equal but definitely NOT if you had to pay an extra 15000$. For an extra 15000$, take a pick at any other car, dont think the e46 is worth that much more. I'm not being biased bcuz my original pick over the CLK was an e46, and i convinced my girlfriend to get an e46. I have a 99 and she has an 03, and my interior is way more luxurious, and i believe the 03 clk's interiors have many upgrades over my little 99. hope my opinion can help you make your decision.

delija

Is it possible to put voting poll on here?))

w208 CLK430 2001, 65 000km for $25k vs e46 330Ci 2005, 69 000km for $38k

CLK430 (factory amg upgrade, bodykit, rims, navigation)

But since i would spent right away about 4k on rims, h&r cup kit, and lights (fron+rear).

Lets say price difference is 10k.

PS:
I had CLK230 before and thinking is wise to buy the same car. I also think that w208 has more room inside specially back. I drove once in e36 i was hitting the roof, i assume e46 is not different.

sonnyhoang

here are some pics of the two to do some comparisons. hope im not hijackin ur thread.










in the last two shots of the BMW, the car was raised an inch :\
IMO, for my car being 4 years older than the BMW, it sure doesnt look much older and when i install my fog lights it will look even newer. hope this helps u decide

-Sonny

delija

that e46 is probably 2000-2002. One i am talking about is 2005, it is updated with nicer front bar etc.
How did you post those pictures like you did?

E46 i am tlaking about is more like this:

delija

and mb:

delija

sonnyhoang: nice ride, specially like front bar and i am glad you did not put that big star grille. Most of guys do... it makes car so ugly imo.

delija

ok here it is guys all black and white, what would you get?
i am also thinking mb will retain value better....

sonnyhoang

Ah ic yeah the model u have is my sisters model which has the facelift headlights. Thank u for the compliments, I personally like the oem grill.

Phin

...the e46...is better looking.....but I'm a little bias...


...I don't how much or how rare the e46 M3 is down your way....but if you can find one worth buying(and within your price range)....you will not regret it....the car is a blast...besides it's closer(power wise) to 430 then a 330 would be...

delija

uuu M3 would be much more expensive, if we are talking 65 000km on tacho probably $20k extra minimum....out of question.

1 thing i don't like about w208 is that it doesn't have head airbags:/

i see you drive e46, have u had w208 how would you compare two cars, build quality for exp. or reliability?

Phin

...well to be honest I've never been in a clk let alone driven one...I will say the 330 will be well balanced and handle great...lots of fun on the curvy roads.... but your own needs and wants should decide the car for you...GL bro

GiZzO

damn sonny your front bumper is killing me! The bmw there is sweet, love the red seats. At the end of the day which is classier and more comfortable you know the answer. CLK holds its own still gets alot of looks and i only see a few on the roads. BMW especially those years look everyday and common. Save the money and make the CLK your own...
Go with whatever fits you...

sonnyhoang

I'd say the 330 is indeed a great car, I believe maintenance is about the same for the two, but the Clk is faster. I wouldn't mind drivin either but don't think the 15g diff is worth it, even if you get the facelifted 04+ e46, that car is no longer the current body so do u think the 15g is worth the facelifted E46? I think the 00-03 is nicer and looks more like the m3 front end, which IMO > than a facelifted e46.

Gizzo: thanks for the compliment buddy, I coulda sworn I seen a post a while back saying u had a bumper made by ash too. Btw I been Thinkin about getting the led tails like yours, would u mind snappin some more shots when ur free? Thanks broo

Delija: for the pics I uploaded to MBworld photo thing n I used the 2nd link it provided, or link your pic between "[img] https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...08/www.....com[img]" or something like that.

MMM430

Good luck with your purchase delija. For what it's worth, I tend to agree with Sonnyhoang re: his comment "If you were to pay 15000$ extra, i think a w209 or w208 clk55 would be a better candidate"

needfd

I'm thinking with the $15000 extra you can get the mods that you want Nav/body kit/rims etc and also have plenty left for maintenance.
As far as quality goes 3 Series Bimmer is the lowest end of the BMW line and CLK is mid level in the Benz lineup so the quality of the materials should be better by default

I also agree with Sonny, you can get a nicer W208 like CLK55 or a W208 CLK 430 with even less mileage?

Good luck with the purchase.

VIPclk320

Daim sonny car is looking clean, maybe i should post pictures of my w208 and i'm sure the e46 will be out of the picture after that point. lol j/k too bad its not all the way done yet.

To the original poster: get the w208 CLK you will be much happier, the e46 unless an M# i wouldnt bother with and even at that on an M3 they have major problems with the rear subfram not being strong enough and cracking the bodyshell around the shock towers. and also electrical problems. just not well built cars

delija

Thanks guys,
i can get clk55 for about 4-5k extra but we talking about 3 times more km on the tacho...150 000km+, this 430 that i am looking for has 65 000km.

Something inside me just wants MB and i will probably get it, maybe coz in the past i manly had MB.

But i just don't see what better car i could get for that sort of money...

Other car that i also like is lowered cls but that is way more money! As you can see looks are really important to me and turning heads just gives me nice feeling lol

sonnyhoang

Ash: Thanks for the kind words always bro, cant wait til your car is done n we can do a shoot.

Delija: Hey dont you have a black clk on brabus wheels? i think ive seen it on the picture sticky. If you bring your brabus wheels to the silver car, i think it will look nice. Ive always been a fan of silver cars slammed on some silver/brushed faces with chrome/polished lips. sooe elegant. btw howcome that silver CLK has those like dimples or whatever on the impact strip? what difference is it to our regular ones

delija

Yes i used to have clk230 kompressor for a year, i sold it. Main reason was really bright interior and i just got sick of cleaning marks after my friends, specially shoes marks...

Well yes brabus wheels are definitely an option (also thought of wheels that Williams has on his clk320 but kind of would cost a lot to import from Japan) My plan is also h&r cup kit, a must as it lowers car really well. Also i would update tail light to led with tinting out top bit, front lights update and removing a star sigh. That is only mods i would do. oh maybe making it sound little bit louder like v8

Things on impact strips you are talking about are parking sensors, must be.

Camg63

Hey everybody,
im new to this forum and will be an owner of a W208 clk 430 amg within a few days. i just have one question regarding sonnyhoang's car...Do you have aftermarket hid's...or are the headlights from possibly another mercedes model?

sonnyhoang

camg63: hey bro, my headlights are aftermarket. These are the ones
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/W208-...Q5fAccessories

goodluck with your purchase