aml161

Hi everyone... I'm new here, cheers!

I'm thinking about moving from a 2003 Porsche 996 to a CLK55 coupe as a daily driver, and I'm wondering if anyone else here has done the same. I ask because ultimately I find nothing wrong with the 911 per se, but I can really only *enjoy* the car 5% of time; the rest of the time I'm bogged in traffic or restricted by sense. I'm starting to wonder whether I'm satisfied working so hard (rough ride, manual tranny, limited utility, noisy interior) for only a 5% return.

I'm hoping you can share your experience as far as whether you miss the more 'raw' nature of the 911, or if maintenance and reliability is improved or lacking.

I've driven the CLK a couple times--I'm extremely impressed with the overall package, and I think it might be a good move. Just exploring opinions from people who've lived with the car for a while.

Aaron

ashutt

See my current post regarding a dyno comparison for a 2005 997 Carrera S and my 2001 CLK55 AMG: Click Here.

If you are not in an Carrera S series now, you will be very happy! I love the fact that I can seat 4 with comfort if needed, shift manually or let the car do so and put more to the wheels than a Carrera S. The Carrera S may be lighter by 200 lbs but I don't track the car more than 3 times a year to care that much. Torque is king in my book. In my area, these cars are very rare- more so than a Porsche.

Good luck.

AMG_55

Having owned an 03 clk55, i can tell you that the 997s (whish i own now) is a much better car in terms of quality/fit/finish, performance and most of all driver involvement.
why dont you just get a 05 997s?
its very comfortable, fast, much faster than my clk was. the ride and noise is much improved over the 996 (i test drove a 996tt and gt3 before going w/ the 997), the interior is on a different planet in terms of lay out and fit/finish.
but if you want an auto, then stick to amg, i would never get an auto sports car

aml161

Thanks for the perspective--very cool info. I heretofore dismissed the 997 as an option because it's only an improved version of my car, ever so much more so. For example, when I went from a 986 to a 987S, there was definitely an improvement, but it was more so in shades of grey. Everything got a little faster, a little nicer--a little more refined. As such, I suspect this will be the case going from living with a 996 to a 997.

But, my issue isn't so much finding an improved version of what I already have, but more thoroughly enjoying the car's potential.

This brings me back to my 95% issue. 95% of the time I'm in highway traffic, stuck behind a truck, in downtown traffic, etc., etc. Only once in a while can I let loose and really enjoy a good fraction of the car's true value. Granted, I can take the car to the track, but it raises my maintenance costs, and at this junction in my life, I'm focusing money towards other things.

A lot of my current perspective comes from the fun value idea. Have you every driven an old (pre 964) 911? They are incredible fun! They're just as much fun as the current models, but at much lower speeds (you know what I mean, I'm sure. The 993, 996, 997s are kind of boring at legal speeds). Which means that to get the sounds, impact, and real excitement out of the current cars, you're already at extra-legal speeds, and you can't realistically do that all the time in a city environment.

So, I wonder... The CLK55. It's also an incredible car, but so wholly different. I'm wondering if it gives you joy (comfort, power, easy city driving) 95% of the time, and can you live without the raw 911 experience that other 5%?

Or maybe own a CLK55 and an old 911 for the weekends? Or is the 997 that much better? Hahahaha, you can see I'm in my own head a little too much on this one!

I love your opinions and experience, please keep them coming. I don't want to sell a car I love mistakingly because I'm annoyed with a population explosion

Holson

I never had a 911 or 996 for that matter. I did have a 944 turbo before and I can relate to the lower-speed-excitement of driving an older sports car...

I can drive the CLK55 all day long in traffic but it gets to me because I could never wait for the first chance to open up the gas and listen to the V8!

It's a great everyday car.

Jaki

^ Agreed. Its a great car to drive in traffic, altough I'd much rather have it wide open all the time. I can't compare it to the 996 since I've never driven one, but I do own a 350Z with a twin turbo and bunch of other stuff, and being manual (especially with a very light clutch and flywheel) and having that much power, it can be a pain to drive in Miami traffic sometimes. The CLK55 on the other hand is very tame when you need it to be. Great for daily driving.

aml161

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm going to testdrive the CLK55 again this weekend--hopefully for an extended time--and really sink my teeth into it. I think it's an outstanding car, offering a great driving experience in a very livable package.

Reading your opinions, and mulling over my priorities, I think I've come to the conclusion that my gameplan is to get the CLK55, and look around for a classic 911 as a weekend toy. I think this will give me that complete package I'm looking for!

spr

I went from a 996 to a c55. I love it and completely understand why you made the change. I only commute anymore and it sooo less stressful!

DirtyVegasMB

Lol... I'm doing the exact opposite. If you want my 04 CLK55 with brabus goodies let me know.

Stiggs

Are you looking for a W208 or a W209?

My W209 is not my daily driver but I guess it would be a good one. Only problem like Holson said is that you are always wishing there wasn't any traffic in front of you so you can floor it all the time.

aml161

I'm looking for a W209. I didn't get the one I test drove, but now the hunt is on...waiting for the perfect package

Diogenes00

I'm pretty new here, and fairly new to my W208, but one of the reasons I ended up getting it was that it was good at low speed, for daily driving. My commute's only about 3 miles through my town, so it's not like I could accelerate if I really wanted to, but the CLK 55 is very nice < 45 mph.

That being said, my other car is much crappier, so it wasn't a difficult choice for me.

lightnng

If it is of any help...

I bought my W208 CLK55 as a commuter car. I spend hours behind the wheel, many of them in slow or legal speeds. It's not unusual for me to drive 4-6 hours in a day.

Why the CLk55? several reasons. I'll list them in a sec, but they come down to having the most perfect package balancing refinement and performance. Pure and simple, nothing else comes close to this car, except maybe an E55, and that doesn't come with droptop (which I like).

Let me move to specifics. First of all, comfort. The darn thing is unfathomably comfortable to drive considering how vicious it can be when one asks it to be. I never get tired, or achey, or uncomfortable; the orthopedic seats are just plain amazing.

It's surprisingly tame unless I demand otherwise. The whole car is designed to be this way; I've come to believe that the engine computer slows down its responses a bit on normal driving, my guess is to conserve fuel amongts other things. The result is that you don't HAVE to be 100% present at all times. In other words, on normal driving, the thing rather successfully pretends to be a luxury car.

But then come the times you want it to be... well, the Formula 1 pace car it used to be. First time you floor it, it takes a second to really kick in; the engine computer is sorta contemplating, sorta waiting for you to lay off and admit that you weren't serious. But then it transforms the whole car into a beast from the seventh hell, fuming and roaring and breathing fire and menacing to all around it. It's not unusual to get startled looks from folks around me when I let the V8 roar a bit - the engine sounds magnificent, by the way, really the best V8 I've heard on anything but an italian exotic.

And it can play. The CLK55 is a serious car; sure, it's no 911 but as you say, who can really play near the 911's limits on public roads? practically speaking, it's just as good as a 911 when you wanna have fun in the twisties, and I'll tell you this, no 911 will ever be as satisfying as the 55 simply roaring down picking up speed in short bursts on a relatively straight long stretch of road. The torque is enormous, it's always there, and the response is faster than immediate. Oh, and if you want to convince the engine you're serious and keep it that way, just start your shenanigans by dropping a gear or two manually; it will remain "convinced" until you switch to "winter" mode or turn off the car

The car is very well put together, and my experience has been that it is extremely reliable. The droptop (which I have) is designed so brilliantly from wind perspective that not only can I have reasonable cell conversations at 75 MPH, but I don't have to worry about stuff flying out of the car because of wind as long as it's in designated comparments, like the doors.

It's also a sleeper; you drive this, and most people think you're a rich snob banker type, and will generally ignore you completely unprepared (and consequently unbelieving regardless of evidence) for the notion that you're driving a sports car. This includes cops. And if they do stop you, they tend to be quite nice about it. The few folks who do recognize and understand the letters AMG tend to give you respect - including a car buff CHP who once let me off a 95 in 65 ticket because he liked the car so much.

And the car has personality. Maybe the last thing you'd expect on a german-built snobmobile, but AMG does something to them. Oh, did I mention the W208 droptop is absolutely gorgeous? the hardtop is nice, but the droptop is just fantastic. The W209 is a bit blah in this regard, at least IMO.