I saw you asked the same question over on BW...I'll give the same answers...If you are comfortable handling the maintenance on the SL, then CLK will be about the same, but no worries with ABC. If your SL has the 7-speed transmission, then it's the same drivetrain in the CLK with the same potential problems with conductor plate issues (generally a dealer-only job), dirty fluif that needs changing ever 40K miles, and the noisy fluid pump sleeve bearing. The hydraulics ont he soft top are no worse than the SL's vario roof, but the canvas top may need more maintenance. The seam above the rear window tends to come apart. If the rest of the top is in good condition, it can be fixed by folding the canvas back and stitching/gluing from underneath (topside fixes won't work). If you do need new canvas, top of the line OEM Haartz Sonnenlenad from Robbins is $1000 and if you are so skilled, it can be done in a weekend, or a good shop should charge less than $2000 for labor.