UncleSlam

Alright, I'm about to pull the trigger on my first really fast car. I'm 37 and have driven a w208 clk55 hardtop briefly, and a few clk430 cabrio's (too slow for my tastes), and a 2001 E55 on a test drive(never forgot the smooth rocket-ride feeling of getting on the highway).

I read that the w208 clk55 cabrio is 350 lbs heavier than the hardtop (not interested in a hardtop). That is 10% heavier. I'm used to driving a stick, but I know the good reputation for these auto transmissions.

So does it still feel and drive like a sports car? I like to get a car sideways occasionally around a 2nd gear corner, and take clover leafs until the tires start to squeal a bit every so often. I'm worried the cabrio might feel sluggish or disconnected. But then, I don't have the seat time some of you have. The other car I have lined up is a pristine one-owner 2002 C5 corvette in 6-speed manual, same miles, same price, not nearly as nice interior design , rougher ride, less practical, cheaper on parts and gas, faster and definitely a sports car. I'm torn between the two, but my wife wants the AMG bad!

RBYCC

Great performer for what it is, but it will never give anything close to "sports car" feel or handling....

Klinh

"Sport" car.....???? Not even close !!! This is the wrong car buddy.

LOVEMYBS

The cab is a BORING car to drive, I speak from experience!

lsboogy

I think a cab would be nice - it will not be as "sporting" as a coupe, but who cares? If you are really interested in turning and brakes, get a porsche (I miss my 930), and if you want acceleration, nothing beats a big american V8 (I've yet to see a benz at the track with sub 9's, let alone sub 8's). If it feels fun to drive - drive it. I love driving my 230, and if that thing can make 80 in a quarter mile, I would guess there would be a really really severe tail wind. I love driving convertibles, and will not give mine up even though they lack certain things for performance.

The AMG cars are like having your cake and eating it too - great every day drivers with enough performance to keep you VERY happy - I graduated from a standard benz (still the standard for an every day car IMHO) to an AMG and am SOOOO pleased I did it - not fast scary like my Mustangs, but really quick cars that you can drive to work and feel great about the world. I may have to get my kid one when she gets a bit older. I still think the best all around car made, and every day I drive mine, I love it more.

If you like driving a car, drive it - if it's a pinto, great, but finding a car you really like is what it's all about. My CLK has compromises, but it overall outweighs any alternative that I have driven.

UncleSlam

Really?! Your kidding...your CLk63 cab is boring?

I think any car that can get into the 13's down the 1/4 mile, has a certain fun factor.

I'm more wondering how they slide around a corner at 30-40mph, with the wheels let loose. Which is something I see myself wanting to do, occasionally, with a rear drive car with good torque. Lots of body roll I'm guessing. I don't do brake stands BTW, don't car to beat on cars, but letting the rear wheel(s) loose around a corner at low speeds is something I really enjoy for some reason.

lsboogy

my "street" mustang is boring to drive most of the time too - no stereo. Only when it needs to jump is it scary. Boring is in the eyes of the beholder. If it appeals to someone as boring, he might have a really fast car available to him - I drove a shifter kart over the weekend - never been so scared in my life - going back next weekend for more.

UncleSlam

Very true. It depends on what else you have. A shifter cart is on my top list BTW

How does you CLK55 feel going sideways, controllable, scary, floppy...?

lsboogy

On Michelin Pilots it is very nice on the edge, the Goodrich TA's that were on the car when I bought it were slippery. But I am usually the guy in the right lane doing 58 mph - if you want to drive fast, go to the track - the streets are full of people who either cannot or do not want to drive responsibly, and I feel safer at 120 on a track then I do at 58 on the freeway.

These are just some of the best all around cars you can get, not the fastest, quickest, most sporty, most luxurious etc, just a great all around car. And if you could have seen the results of my daughter's launch into a tree while drifting my old E320, you would buy one for safety alone (both kids no real bumps, 25mph head on with a tree, we have had some discussions about this) - she now drives a 190E for the same reason, and it's slower.

I've owned vettes, and they are very nice cars, but the ones I owned were just not on par with a Benz.

LOVEMYBS

Yes, BORING for a daily driver although straight line accleration can be as interesting as my BS. When I bought my cab recently I also had an opportunity to buy an 08 Porsche 997 TT but passed because I was too fixated on the Benz. Too bad, I think the Porsche would have been a lot more fun. I will probably sell my cab before winter while its still under CPO.

bzliteyear

i wouldn't call CLK55 "boring" - at least not compared w/ typical sedans, including my S600 V12TT w/ 500+hp. that said, i think worth getting the W209 if you can find them...the chassis feels much tighter than the W208's, and i also like the feel of the steering much more. if there's anything that i miss, i'd say it's having a stick shift. but other than that, most of the time i can't tell the difference between a CLK55 and CLK63 for daily driving.
PL

lsboogy

All street cars are boring when compared to being strapped into a 1900hp 2400lb car with 17" wide slicks, or a Formula Atlantic car. But these are street cars, and they need to be characterized as such. They are very nice ways to get from place to place, and are NOT race cars, but are high performance civilized automobiles that you can drive every day in relative comfort and safety. I find mine a very nice car that does everything very well.

And as stated earlier, you will eventually learn that even if you are a National Competition SCCA (get one if you really want to race on a track) or NHRA Competition (required for less than 10 second dial in - if you think your CLK is fast, try a true 8 second car) license holder, driving on the street is DANGEROUS because every fool and his mother have a drivers license and too many lack driving skills or attention. They drive cars that have not been kept up mechanically, have crappy tires, and text and read the newspaper and anything else you can think of when they are driving. Please drive responsibly on the street, and come enjoy real speed at the track.

Sorry for the diatribe, but I just had a similar conversation with my daughter about "drifting" on the streets - she wants to get her 15hp kart license, and I told her she needs to keep the racing on the track.

betrezra

There are some scary fast clk's out there... not 8 sec rides. but 10 sec's for a street car can be scary fast for most.

Regarding boring...... I actually like a boring daily driver in my fleet..... with the caveat that it can be boring when I want it too... AND it can be scary when I want it too.

I've had scary fast mustangs which were nothing but scary all the time.. and not good for daily driver duty..... the AMG you get the both.

I like the look of a clean clk55 w208 vert..... very classy!

lsboogy

I've never had a better car for all around driving than my AMG - best combination of everything in a car I have found. I won't let my daughter drive anything but a benz for a reason (safety) and they make the best all around cars in the world, and the AMG hand just massages them to be a bit better.

Take yours to the track and find out how well they behave at the limit, and you will be a better street driver as well.

I love my AMG.

UncleSlam

Thanks for the good advice. I am now officially over my Corvette kick! I was dealing with a guy on 2002 C5 coupe 6-speed, basically pristine. Then he got impatient and traded it into the dealer for his new GT500. I called the dealer next day and got it for what I wanted to pay. The dealer told me to keep it overnight and I am so lucky he did. I was really loving the car up until the time I took my wife out for dinner on a 80 degree night. The tunnel in the C5 gives off so much heat that with the targa top off and the a/c cranked it was still too hot. You sit so low that it makes it hard to park or see (forget about parallel parking unless you want scratches), everyone behind you seems to have there high beams on and with the top off it is very loud and windy. It just felt like a race car all the time, I can't see how someone could use it as a daily driver. So, I turned it in the next morning.

I think the CLK55 cabrio should be just fine.

betrezra

I felt the same way about my C5 Z06..... awesome visceral feeling, would make a great track car..... but too much for dd for me.

AMG is where it's at.

bzliteyear

+1
my kids are still under age 10, but i feel the same way about safety and will put them in used MBs when it's time for them to drive.
PL

AMGY

I dd'd a C5 for 3.5 years and Im loving my CLK now. It has the power and the refinement.

Agreed