Hello again folks,

I had a E-36 M3 for 6 years which I loved. I have also been driving BMW for 10 years. To say I am biased would be an understatement. I only decided to look at the CLK 430 after the M3 engine troubles.

Now for the good stuff.

A salesperson I have been working with at my local Mercedes dealership called me to let me know he had a 2001 CLK 430 that just came in. I informed him that I had changed my mind and I was going to get another M3. I decided to check the car out anyway out of courtesy.

I went down and saw the car. BEAUTIFUL! It was black with gray leather interior and a slight light blue tint that accentuates the interior. Love the performance. Took it up to 120 and thought I was doing 80.

We got back to the dealership and I told him I loved the car, but I can't get over the non-stick factor and I was going to go with the M.

This dealership has a BMW branch across the street. He suggested since I just drove the CLK why don't I go across the street and drive the M3 and see how I feel after. Prior to this I have never driven the E-46 M3.

WELL I DID and I like the CLK better.

Speed
M3 wins. The car is faster, but you have to WIND that engine to get the optimal torque range of 5-8 RPMS

Engine Sound
CLK all the way. The 8 cylinder sounds a smooth as butter. So sweeeeeeet. The M has a high winding sound that can be annoying at times.

Torque
CLK wins and in some ways the car feels faster than the M3 because of this. I know the M is faster, but the torque makes the CLK feel like a contender.

Interior.
CLK hands down. The car just looks classy inside and feels rich. The M has a nice interior, but the CLK will make the ladies go OOOOOH.

Exterior
CLK wins. I know this purely personal opinion, but the w208 CLK is one of the best looking cars out there. The M is nice looking, but the commonality of the 3 series minimizes the looks somewhat. The W208 CLK still maintains that Mystique even after 7 years on the market.

Stereo
If you need to ask then you have never heard the stereo in both cars. People complain about the Bose in the CLK, but the HK system SUCKS.

Appeal factor

The dealerships are on a street where they had a concert tonight and I had to drive both cars by a crowd of people. The CLK wins hand down. There was a lot more people drooling over the CLK. It didn't hurt that I saw much more ladies drooling over the CLK. The M drew some looks, but mostly after some guys saw the quad exhaust (distinguishing factor).

You now have a new convert. I WILL be buying a CLK for my next car. Bye bye M.

I am going to sleep on it because I am still trying to decide between the CLK430 and the CLK55. I have never driven a CLK55, but if it is much faster, DAMN DAMN DAMN
Is the 5-7K difference worth it?

Sorry for the ranting. I am just excited.

 

Glad to hear it! A year ago I had an offer in on an '01 M3, but the guy backed out. They were very hard to find at the time so I decided to look for something else. 2 weeks later I bought my CLK430 and have loved every minute of it!
And yes there's no question it turns more heads than the M3....

Oh and if you can get CLK55 for 5-7k more, get it. I don't think you'll regret it!

 

Glad you like it I love my CLK....I am never a big fan of the M...don't know why

 

Great review. I agree that the M may be faster but in regards to overall package the CLK wins. The 208 design in simply a classic. As a review I read a long time ago said, "the CLK demands attention silently" or something like that. If you think the 430 is fast, wait till you step in a 55. Good luck and congrats with the future purchase.

 

I can honestly say that the new E46 M3 is a little over hyped when compared to my prior E36. I drove an E36 M3 for years and I like how that car handled better. I can't put my finger on it, but the E46 left me a little disappointed. The car sounds and revs like my last E36 although my car felt like it had a better torque to HP balance. All this car has over my E36 is that it is faster in a straight line. I have wanted this car for 2 + years and I thought it was going to blow away my old E36 in terms of performance. I felt like my E36 felt more agile. I guess a good way to put it is that I was able to fling my E36 in and out of corners with more ease. That car was great.

The CLK430 didn't handle as well as the M, but it is not as way off as some people would have you think. Put some 18" rims on the CLK (similar to the M) and tune the suspension a little and this car is dead. Then again I am not sure I would want to sacrifice the smoothness of the ride. I will see if I can get a CLK 55 for around $45K otherwise I will not hesitate to buy the CLK430.


There I go ranting again :-).

 

CLK all the way baby.

Beemers are regular german cars, the BENZ is what really counts for your class and taste.

CLK = Class, Luxury, Knockout!

 

since you are on a CLK thread, there is no doubt there will be some biases.... but i say, get the benz... the E46 M3 is so common in so cal, it isn't worth buying. they are practically at every corner at every street...

clk's are common also, but none the less, less frequent then those bimmers

oh, and yes, you can get a CLK55 for about $45,000 if you are lucky... but u are probably looking at a 2001

good luck in your hunt... i hope you get the 55

 

Looks like I'm the only E46 M3 fan here....my brother has both, the E46 is a much better car than it's predecessor.

My opinions:

1. The interior is classier on the CLK, but the quality sucks, not a single rattle or squeak in my brother's '01 (first year) M3 even with suspension work.

2. The M3 'rasp' is so awesome, the CLK is a bit too subdued, nothing Eisenmann can't take care of!

3. The Bose system rocks, but the HK is more of a true sound, I just don't understand all of the complaints about it.

4. The CLK is like a curvy, sexy woman with a great back side. The M3 is a sleek, fast woman good for a few nights of fun.

I absolutely love my CLK, and am very spoiled by it's power, quality and looks, but my next car will be an M!!

 

Then I guess that is why I am so attracted to the CLK. I love a nice curvy woman with a nice rear end. Hence my fanatic attraction to J Lo's derriere.

I have already had a few relationships with the fast women good for a few nights. Now, I am looking for a nice lasting relationship with a woman that can get wild if I need her to.

BTW: Nice analogy. I couldn’t have said it better. Comparing the two is like marketing to different people that are attracted to different body parts.

I apologize in advance for my crude sense of humor. I couldn’t resist.

 

so... bmw: fast and easy? MB: classy & a treasure?

 

...yeah, but I should have said that M3 still looks good after being ridden hard and put up wet...unlike most fast and easy things!!

 

Can anyone comment on the differences between these two?

Does the CLK55 feel that much faster? Will I be happy with the CLK430 knowing that the CLK55 out performs it? I would rather incur the incremental cost now than buy the CLK430 only to sell it a year later to buy the CLK55 after all. I am not planning to drag race, but it doesn't hurt to know you can beat the guy next to you and every now and then someone might test you and might need to put them in their place.

I have seen some (01's) CLK55 advertised for mid to upper 40's and I would need to save up a little more to offset the differential in prices with the 430. I know my next purchase WILL be a CLK. I am just trying to make sure that I buy the correct one. BTW: I would rather buy the CLK55 than add a supercharger to a 430 at a later date.

 

Between the CLK430 and CLK55, for me there is a big difference. The CLK55 is a fully loaded version of the 430. The ride on the 55 is more stiffer than the 430. The 55 corners flat and tight than the 430. There's more road feel on the 55 than the 430. Although the M3 has the best road feel but the steering on the E46 is not the same feel as the E36 M3(I think the E36 M3 and E30 M3 is the best M3 they have made). If you can get a 55, go for it. Make sure you get it with navigation. The only complaint I have on the 55 is that it's automatic, but I was able to live with it. And the tires at the back is not enough. Right now I'm running stock 17's but upgraded it to 235 in fronts and 255 at the back. Change the pads to 2 in front and 1 at the back. I also change the shocks to Konis adjustable and set it to soft. The tires gets a little bit better traction than before with much better ride than the stock 55 shocks, but I think it needs a 265 at the back. The handling remained the same. I didn't get the M3 because I still have a 00 Integra type R that I have been driving hard. Never had a problem reving the type R to 9000 RPM and it has 60K miles on it. The type R handled really good for a FWD but not good in straight aways. I was planning to trade the type R for the E46 M3 but not comfortable ripping the motor all the way to the redline.
So it's up to you. Get a 430 then supercharged it and it will rip the 55, or get a 55 then supercharged it and it can rip most cars out there.

 

Dely you have made a great analysis of the breakdowns between both cars. I had a '95 E36 M3 and totally agree. I look at my '02 CLK 430 and see it as the next level German engineered coupe beyond the E36. It has everything that I had in my E36 and more, with the updated features, Xenon lamps, Stereo controls on the steering wheel, etc. Not to mention the luxury car feel and execution Mercedes put into it. Curvy, sexy, yet tight, solid and very beautiful. The total package and not one of the masses!

 

fast and easy... thats not what you want to take home to mom.... the CLK truely is a perfect package for those who can't afford the CL.

 

just test drive the 208 CLK55 and you'LL see if it's worth it or not... but beware that you are WARNed, once you go AMG you won't go back and look at next level.

btw I wouldn't buy a used performance model from whatever car manufacturer out there unless it's owned by some lady that doesn't drive fast. you never know what and how has the previous owner done and treat the car.

 

I am a proud new owner of a 2001 CLK 55. OH BOY. I can't find the right adjectives to describe this car. I bought it in Tampa and drove it over 1500 mikes back to the Northeast. I am tired, but elated. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I really owe you all a debt of gratitude.

I bought it at Exotic Motorcars in Tarpon Springs Florida. The owner (Peter) is really cool and gave me a great deal. He even put brand new tires on the car for me when I told him I was going to be driving it back that distance. He went above the call of duty. Great experience overall and great car. BTW: Peoplefirst.com is really a blast to work with. The smoothest experience I ever had buying a car. Five minutes to obtain approval and I had the check and the car the next day. WOW!

Thanks again to everyone involved with this decision and this experience.

 

Congratulations on your new car. I'm sure it was a blast driving it home. I also picked up my baby out of state, in Delaware, about 250 miles away.

I actually tried to go through People First also and found that they were the worst experience ever. I ended up financing directly through MB.

Again, congrats and don't forget to post pics of your new baby.

 

Congrats, on the sweet car.

AMG is the best and you can't go wrong with a CLK 55!

 

yep, congrats...you've bought a solid car as long as the previous owner took care of the car. Take some pics when you get the chance...

 

Great choice Even though I have a 320, I still love it today!! I can imagine how great it is to have a 430. The quality is excellent and I do not have a lot of problem with the car. It's very reliable.

 

I really appreciate the feedback I have received on this forum. You guys were instrumental in me purchasing the CLK55. I am forever grateful because this car is a DREAM. I LOVE IT. Thanks again.

Question:

I would like to upgrade to 18” rims in the upcoming months.

My criteria:

1) Deep dish look
2) Lightweight – I don’t need a rim that inhibits performance
3) No chrome – I am not a fan of the chrome look
4) Strong - I need something that doesn't dent going over a pebble

If anyone can provide recommendations or post a picture of your set-up with the recommended rims that would be great.

 

What rims do you have on it the car now?

 

I believe it is the AMG Monoblocks. I think that is what came standard on the 2001 CLK 55s. I am not too fond of the look or the size. I prefer the deep-dish look. I would like something easy to clean and good visibility to the brakes e.g. BBS style rims are nice, but they are too busy for my taste.

 

Congrats on your new purchase! For me those 2 (CLK vs M) are just 2 different rides but then again you can't go wrong with either one.

After you get tired of the CLK55's power your next upgrade should be Kleemann! If you ever driven one of these be careful or else you'll hurt somebody on the road!