I posted this in the CLK55 AMG forum also, but wanted your opinions if possible.

I'm beginning the process of looking for a replacement for my 99 CLK430 and will either get another '01-'02 430 or '01-'02 55...the prices are very close in the midwest. I would love the 55 but maintenance is always a concern. None the less, has anyone done business with Luxury Motors/Bentley in the Downers Grove area of Chicago? They have a good selection of low mileage CLK's and am not far from there.

Just looking for feedback on their level of service.

And any feedback/insight on the maintenance and fun factor of the 430 v. 55 is always welcome. I love the firsthand experience!

Thank you!

 

I bought my 2000 CLK430 from Luxury Motors in Downers Grove, IL. if you go there to buy, prepare to spend an afternoon there as this place is a zoo.

First let me say these guys go out of their way to treat people nice when you're buying a car. The owner, GM, Sales Manager introduced themselves, and they have a bar where they're serving drinks to the customers.

I originally bought a BMW from them on Dec 29 and hated it, I returned it the next day, they took it back, no questions asked and showed me the CLK430, which I bought.

I love the car.

A couple of words though about their cars. First off as with anything in life, you get what you pay for and in this case it is no different. If you're buying a newer car, they have some beauties, and the price is refelctive of that. If you're buying an older car, like I did, you need to check them over with a fine tooth comb. The cars are not certified and if you look closely, you'll see the difference. This may not matter to you as you might be looking at a car with some imperfections in order to save money. To be specific, in my case it was the following imperfections:

Lots of Paint Chips
Discolored Interior Wood Trim
All 4 rims had severe curb rash and some significant pitting
Some wear on the leather seats

From a functional perspective, all was fine and I saved some money on the car which I turned around and put back in to the car in the form of new rims, a paint job and added a COMAND syetem and replaced the wood trim, added a wood grain steering wheel. So I have spent about $ 5000 in total on the car, now it is the way I like it. I suppose I could have bought a certified car for the same price now that I think of it, but I kind of enjoy the aspect of working on little projects having restored a couple of corvettes before.

Worth mentioning is the fact that the dealer is being investigated by the Attorney General's office for consumer complaints. If you go to www.chicagobusiness.com you will see it is in this week's addition.

As for the service department, well this is good and bad. First off, they have a couple of MB mechanics that used to work at local MB dealers. They are knowledgable and friendly. They are also cheaper then an MB dealer.

Now the bad. I have used the service department twice. The first time was for the check that came along with the warranty. This was painless and no problems were discovered. The 2nd trip was to have them install the COMAND and a wood grain steering wheel. This was a mess. They installed the COMAND and it works great, but in the process they scratched a brand new shift knob and scratched the wood grain on the ashtray. Additionally, when they installed the wood grain steering wheel they scratched the airbag cover and radio control buttons.

I was pissed ! I brought it to their attention, they fought me tooth and nail saying these items were scratched before. I was relentless and told them I wanted the ash tray and shift knob replaced by them. I was angry about the airbag on the wheel but I planned to replace it anyhow given I am going to put the AMG one on, so I didn't worry too much. I guess what angered me the most was the fact that they told me I was a liar and they believed the damage was there before. I have to consider the fact that people do lie, but considering the fact that I just bought the car, they should've known.

In the end they did replace the ashtray and shift knob, but the service manager at the time, no longer the service manager (Dustin) gave me the cold shoulder and acted like he was doing me a favor.

Might be worth trip from Iowa

 

I'd avoid them if I were you. When I was shopping for my CLK I stopped by there. They at first didn't take me seriously, like I couldn't afford it or something. Then after I ran off some info their tuned changed.

Then they tried forcing one of their high interest loans on me when I had already told them I had a loan secured. They said they wanted a shot at beating it and I told them to go ahead and try as I had a good rate lined up. Instead of coming back and telling me they coouldn't match it they insulted me by offering me a loan 3 points higher and about another $220 a month. I couldn't decide if I should laugh at them or get upset with them. I did neither though as I simply didn't say a word and got up and left.

There is another place down the road from them that they are associated with but the name escapes me. There they tried to tell me that replacing a front AMG bumper was not expensive and they could only give me $500 off the price of a car.

I ended up finding mine, due to someone here pointing it out, on autotrader.com. I suggest either buying private seller or buying from an authorized dealership.

I've considered upgrading to a 55 but I think I''m going to stick to my 430 at least until the 55 prices drop more.




EDIT:Actually Brian it was you that mentioned the autotrader ad. I'll suggest the same thing back to you. I should note that I made a couple of trips to that dealership, each time it got worse. Then after I told the private seller I was going to look for I called him back and bought the car.

 

Now that I think about it check out eBay as well.

 

go to ferrarichat.com and do a search on bentley downers grove, luxury motors, or bentley gold coast. I have heard horror stories about them.

 

Wow...eye opening responses! Thank you all very much for the candid replies, this is very good to know. I appreciate you all taking the time to reply and this is what makes this place so great. Not sure what to do now, as the reply on CLK55 AMG forum was basically the same...caveat emptor!

I may take a trip in just to drive the 55, I have yet to even ride in one thusfar. I have been checking eBay and Autotrader regularly and that is how I found Luxury Motors a few years ago, but never had the inclination to do business with them.

I have noticed the Autotrader private seller prices seem to be consistently higher than dealership prices...suppose this is a reflection of the market? People foregoing the hassles of the dealership and buying privately, even in the name of a little higher price?

For now, I'll keep looking and unsung, I'm glad the Autotrader worked out for you! Hell, who knows, at 100,000 nmiles I thought it might be time to trade for a lower mileage CLK, but I do know there is nothing wrong with mine...and I am always concerned about what I might get when I buy used. But I did buy mine used and love it!

Thanks again for your time and thoughtful replies. I appreciate the objective, matter-of-fact, intelligent responses.