I'm looking to purchase an 04 CLK320 sometime in the near future. I've never owned a German car, so I'm unfamiliar with the maintenance and general cost of ownership of these vehicles. My understanding is that the complementary maintenance would disappear sometime in 2008 if I bought this vehicle. So my question is; what would my maintenance costs look like and how often should I expect to have this car serviced? Are routine things like an oil change going to cost me significantly more than other cars? I appreciate any advice as I try and decide if this is going to be a convenient/cost efficient vehicle for me to own.
Thanks

It won't be a convenient or cost efficient vehicle. I got rid of my 2003 CLK500as soon as the warranty ended because of all the problems it was developing. Buying a new one was cheaper than dealing with all the repairs it needed. My advice is don't buy it without a warranty, but keep in mind even extended warranties don't cover everything.

Thanks for the advice. My worst nightmare is buying a used car that's out of warranty and going to give me a lot of problems; so I'm going to look elsewhere for my next vehicle. I'll probably end up with an 08 CTS.

seems u have made up ur mind but in-case u haven't

it really depends on what u consider acceptable cost i bough my 03 clk 500 about 3 months ago and to be honest i have not regretted it yet, i expect to pay maybe up-to 600 a year for serving/mot/tax ect. i am assuming ur in US so costs differ but what Chi500 said is true it is not the most cost efficient vehicle.