david_101

it's been a long while since i've posted, but i visit and read regularly. now that i've gotten to look closely at the 209 -- a white 320 and a pewter 500 -- i've got something to write about.

i'm sorry, but i'm truly disappointed.

the front end is contemporary MB, all the way. no complaints. (finally, a flat badge up there. what took so long?)

aft of the doors, well, that's where i have to begin my diatribe. i hate to say that i see acura and volvo back there.

the 320 body, from a distance, looks like it just doesn't belong on the wheels. like it was dropped on and bolted down, not styled. and the whole of the rear passenger compartment is so bland.

around the car, the chrome strips...what were they thinking?

the best comments the dealership guys could muster was that the car is growing on them. performance-wise, however, they said the 500 is a major improvement ove rthe 430. (no comments about the 320.)

well, the 209 may be a mechanical marvel, but it's a stylistic slouch.

no way i'll purchase one of these, unless used and at a great price. perhaps a new drop-top, but only if it's a vario roof.

please, those of you who like it, drive it, or will drive it, bear me no grudge.

i'm looking forward to reading your impressions after racking up some miles.

best regards, david.

Brian Yee

FWIW; Impressions from one of my best friends/MBZ salesmanager; Regarding this issue: Drives, handles and has more power/quicker(obviously) than the W208 430, but feels MBZ "lost it" big time with the styling.
Purely subjective, but his honest opinion.
Off topic, he LOVES everything about the W211 E class, and this is where my next order lies. (E55) I look forward to driving an example of the 211 at the MBZ event in October.

MarcusBenz

Don't worry david_101, you are not the only reader of this forum who feels this way. I don't want to put a slant on your post, but I think after some time, the look will get better responses. Again, like other people have said, "Only time will tell"... I look forward to hearing responses from owners in 6 months!

vivianlove

David_101:

I felt the same when I saw a white CLK320 on the showroom. It just hit me and ask myself why did I sold my CLK430??? The white looked so cheap from any angle, maybe is the chrome.

They told me they have two black CLK detailing for delivery. These black CLK look so much better in every way. One of them is seating next to a W208 silver CLK55 (don't know what year), you know what??? the W208 suddenly become out dated.

Noah Miller

I agree taht the new clk doesn't look that great. I love mercedes, and i will always own only mercedes, but im very disapointed with the look of the car, i didnt drive one, they were all sold, but i have to say that pewter silver looks great. once again the amg package makes a difference, but i dont like the back end, the trunk lid gets too narrow, and the trunk space looks a lot smaller than my car. I hate the armrest on the door of the w209 too, it looks so random. The front end is very good looking, especially with that huge amg air scoop, but the wheels look a lot smaller, and the rear doesn't catch my eye like a w208. the exaust also looks a lot smaller, and the plastic piece on the bottom of the 500's bumper didn't help either. i guess i have to drive one before i make any decision.

david_101

one dealership guy said, and this is a paraphrase, "the best thing they did was make pewter available."

i haven't yet seen the car in black. i haven't yet driven it. but no matter the greatly improved performance and feel, i'm not sure i would ever feel good about gettng in to and out of the 209. know what i mean?

it's not a "face only a mother could love" syndrome. rather, it's like two different cars grafted together, front to rear. when the 430 was reviewed, some pros wrote about there being an odd collection of styling elements bundled together. i couldn't understand it. this time around, i WOULD.

white definitely doesn't work. pewter partially masks the offenses.
perhaps black would clean it up. i don't know.

for now, my plan is to keep the 430 (my second) until some major mechanical / electrical problem pops up outside of warranty. then, who knows...

harish_m

david_101, which dealership in Philadelphia has the CLK on display?

LILRAJA

really, i thought white would look good. hmm. this is not looking 2 good. 2 many people commenting negative. i wonder when the idiots in va r gonna get the car.

lilraja

Chappy

.....repost.....



Was in the dealer this morning for about 2 hours and I really got to examine the W209's (two CLK500s - one black / one silver - and a CLK320 - black) very closely. All were being prepped for delivery.

The thing that I really noticed - the style Chrome on the bumper, chrome (more than the 208's) on the door handles, chrome around the windows....I didn't care for it IMO. Both the 320 and the 500 had the same chrome treatments. Maybe you only "lose the chrome" if you order the AMG.

The exteriors of the 320 and 500 are indistinguishable, with the exception of the five-spoke AMG wheels on the CLK500. The interior is all new (as you all know). The muscular "squat" of the 208 is gone.

The C-pillar is TINY, compared with the 208's (probably for improved visibility) and gives the appearance of a very thin, svelte car....but lacks a certain 'substance'.....the CD is only 0.28, if I recall. I must admit, from the side, it looks like a large Acura CL (previous body style).

For those who need "the latest, greatest" car, they will like the new 209. But to me, it has lost it's styling edge (from the sides and back) and has become, well, boring

david_101

and waited to see it for myself, in person. you were right.

the unofficial pics showed much the same, but seeing the creases, trim and wheel-well gaps made it real.

yes, you were right...

david_101

i don't know of any dealerships in the area with any on display.

it's hit and miss in the lots, though. they're delivered almost as soon as they arrive.

Callaway

Many of the new generation Benz's are very color dependant.
This is very true of the CLK and E Class,so the choice of color is a significant factor in the overall look of the car.

This is one reason why some CLK's shape looks better than others.

david_101

and do you think MB planned them to be that way?

MarcusBenz

I'm sure there is some planning that goes into colors that are offered for everycar, but some are no brainers. The C & CLK are offered in Magma Red, reason, Red is ok on certain size cars (smaller). Who would buy a Magma Red S-class. I think it has more to do with over all appeal for each color and the market research that is done behind the scences.

david_101

about the market research, but i can't imagine the quality of the research and the interpretation of the results.

how could focus groups not reveal the range of modestly positive and strongly negative opinions? i suspect that D-C, cutting costs, cut corners off the research plan. whenever, money is tight, manufacturing orgs push to trim marketing budgets. executives tend to think that products can coast on past reputation and affinity, as well as sales rep incentive plans.

don't they know the marketplace increasingly is tilting toward consumers? and that a worsening economy, and that a looming deflationary environment will accelerate that?

OK, i'm getting a bit technical. i just can't believe they took away my next toy before i ever got it!

tough, isn't it??

Shine

Share my opinions.
I pickup a Volvo C70 in the time W208 is on sale, too.
Experts, editors said it's the "best looking Volvo" ever been built
Not bad, I pickup the BEST !
as to the color of my C70
Amazing Ferrari red + light yellow interior while W208 are always
silver,white, black on the roads or in the show rooms.
Perfect appearance out of the traditional box like Volvo
It scared many w208 owners on the road, why my car looks
so much beautiful than theirs ??
The price is also close between the two, they have no excuse to tag me a cheaper car, either
Sitting in my CLK500, I'm still happy, I enjoy the technology
& comfortable ride inside and leave the comment of appearance
to people outside, both of us know, it's an Mercedes and I afford.
my 2 cents.......

Callaway

The reason these cars are color depedant I think relates to the design and more color coding of these cars.

Modern Benz's have large headlights which are silver/chrome and so the surrounding color can enlarge the unit or close it in.

The fact that there is very little chrome trim on these cars means that the car looks more whole without much to break up the lines plus there is more painted plastic trim which in some colors can cheapen the look.

The more overall body color on the car equals more color dependancy.

Less body color as in the good old days of black bumpers and mirrors,chrome door surrounds,handles and trim and less rounded aerodynamic shapes,less color dependancy.

Quite simple really!

david_101

callaway, if decreasing use of distracting trim elements decreases "zoning" of style cues and therefore increases color-dependency, then shouldn't that also suggest increasing emphasis on overall skin design?

if so, then why did MB deliver a car with a shape that clearly polarizes opinions? i mean, i don't know anyone who truly didn't like the 208, or who wouldn't have wanted one.

this just doesn't make sense to me. the new BMW 7, inspires the same thoughts. what are these people thinking??

(IMO, i think there's more noticeable shiny trim on the 209 than on the 208.)

Callaway

IMO the 208 looks dated now.

Once I saw the new 209 with the coupe grille as opposed to the saloon grille on the 208, I thought the car looks a lot more in keeping with it's sporty character and the rear lights are now updated to boarder more of the rear quarter panel instead of the rectangular cutouts of the 208 that ran over into the trunk lid.

I always thought it was rather strange of Benz to be racing a car(the DTM 208 CLK) with a saloon grille,it just didn't suit the sports car image.

Now whenever I see a 208 on the road it looks like someone has cut off the front of the E Class and stuck it on the front.

Having said that there was more chrome on the front grille of the 208 than the 209 leaving the front of the car with more painted surfaces.

david_101

agreed, the 208 is more shiny up front. the 209 seems to have that shine distributed all over.

about cutting and pasting the front end of an E onto the 208, i feel precisely the same...about the C-coupe onto the 209. if it were a person seen head to toe, i think it'd look like a long torso on short legs.

agreed, the C-coupe front end gives it a sportier look. i'm sorry, but i can't agree about the rear end. while the design elements do tie together the MB line, the way this car is tied together doesn't sit well with me.

and therein lies the rub: why did MB put out a second-generation CLK that polarizes opinions? how many dislike the look of the new SL? the current CL? even the SLK?

the 208 -- especially in 430 trim -- was the buzzthe car to have. i don't believe the 209 will turn heads the same way. do you?

Benzo

I have to say that I do agree with this fully. The car does seem to be a mesh of two different vehicles. It is not nearly as evident with the darker vehicles.

The white does look a bit cheap. I don't know why they added that black plastic stip to the back of the car- it just doesn't look good. The black conceals the lines a bit and with tint, H&R's, and some rims, I think that the car will look far more aggressive with a wider stance.

If you get a CLK320- make sure you can add the AMG package- really isn't very flattering.

All of this said, while the new body is growing on me, it is sheer pleasure driving this vehicle. Truly far more refind. This car does feel quite finished inside.

david_101

benzo. i hope it grows on me, too. perhaps if i had the wheel-time in it, i'd feel differently. for now, only people taking delivery will have that experience. i was on the list a long while back, but i let it go after reading the ambivalent opinions and seeing the unofficial pics. well, i'm in no rush to part with my 430. the biggest part of the depreciation is already out of it, as are the new-car bugs. time will tell...

Callaway

The biggest problem I have with the 209 is how similiar it looks to the cheaper C Class coupe.

When seeing either of them on the road coming head on they look very,very similiar.It is only when I see more of either car's side profile that I can distinquish which is which.

It remindes me of the Porsche Boxster/original 996 911 front end headlight and nose similiarity.

Anyone else notice this with the 209?

500AMG

I definately saw the C couple resemblence in the photos of the new CLK, but after seeing it in person the front looks very much like the SL, albeit not as wide. I also think the side profile of the car looks much like the CL (not just because of the pillarless design, but that is a major point). Again not as long as the CL. To me a CLK seems to be a merging of designing cues from the SL & CL, but on the smaller C class chassis. Some people like this "blended" approach and others don't like how the new CLK is vastly different from the old. I always thought the old CLK just looked like a 2 door E class (which is not a bad thing, both cars were beautiful). Now this is purely my opinion and what I gathered after seeing it in person. I really had no expectations for the car, probably because I never owned the W208. Before I get bashed, let me just say again, this is the impression and "feel" I got after examining it in person and actually seeing it right next to and SL (for the front comparison). I think MB was going for a sportier look (which they got for the 500 i believe, but the 320 is somewhat lacking IMO) while keeping their "sportier" products somewhat fluid. I believe they succeeded, for better or worse.

david_101

tonight, i got to see a 320 dressed in, if i recall properly, desert silver. that, too, didn't do it for me. the girl was there, too, looking at a brilliant silver C-coupe. looking at the new CLK straight-on from the driver's side, the first words out of her mouth were: "it's a CL." she meant an acura. she's no car chick. she knows the CL because we've recently spent time at acura dealerships, testing RSXs. (she's deciding between an RSX and the C-coupe.) oh, and she doesn't like the CL. somebody else, standing nearby, agreed out loud with what she'd said. there were three 2003 SLs feet away. what did they look like? works of art. the situation isn't bad enough for me to consider taking happy-pills. i'm just obsessing about how MB could justify spending, what, better than a $billion, on something doesn't grab you by the short hairs. enough ranting for a while, right? may the torque, traffic lights and dunkin-donut sales be with us all. good night.