Mercedes CLK Convertible

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Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby JimVonBaden » Wed May 04, 2016 11:57 am

So I am sure many of you know I have had a 2008 Saturn Sky Redline for many years. I am always extolling the virtues of it, and I still love it. BUT, the damn thing is just not all that practical. Practically non-existent trunk, very low and hard to get in and out of as I age (and grow :shog ), and not a smooth ride. It is a sports car after all, and that I what I love about it, and what I hate about it. 300 hp and 325 torque, and still get 30+ mpg on the highway if I keep my foot out of it.

Anyhow, I finally decided I need to get more comfortable, and more practical, but still have a fun car.

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Enter a long search and I finally settled on a very clean, fairly low miles 2005 Mercedes CLK 500 Cabriolet. 60K miles, perfect condition with a beautiful interior and a great ride. Nice to have a real trunk, and a pair of (smallish) back seats. The power is damn good at about 300 hp and a little more torque naturally aspirated, and a smooth shifting 7 speed auto with manual shifting if I want it. I paid $9,200 for it, which seems like a good deal as I look around.

Photos:

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I'm not terribly worried about mechanical issues as there are tons of parts, and forums for the needed information to fix them. Besides, it is more a toy than transportation. I have a motorcycle for that.

There are a few known issues, that I do not currently have, but I would be interested in what you know about the cars, your experiences and your thoughts on it.

Jim :cool:
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby adooley » Wed May 04, 2016 1:14 pm

Sweet ride Jim! Would love to hear about how it drives on a routine basis and on road trips. Also curious about ongoing maintenance for those cars. Good job on a clean car and very good price.
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby JimVonBaden » Wed May 04, 2016 1:36 pm

Thanks! I drove it back from Philly on Saturday. It drove very nicely. Slightly soft, which is what I wanted after the Sky, but quick and responsive. Very quiet for a soft top, and the 12 year old Nav system worked surprisingly well. This is a two owner car, so it appears well taken care of. Carfax shows a fairly complete maintenance history. Nothing major done to it. The most major work was valve cover gaskets, which appear to be fairly common.

Jim :cool:
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby ela » Wed May 04, 2016 4:21 pm

My hero.
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby JimVonBaden » Wed May 04, 2016 5:19 pm

I received the WeatherTech floor mats today. They are a light brown, and fit pretty well. For $99 I am happy with them. They will protect the factory carpets, which are still in great shape. A few photos:

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As you can see, the driver's side isn't perfect, which I expected based on comments from this site, but still pretty nice.

More stuff coming.

Jim :cool:
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby Gtr » Fri May 13, 2016 12:43 pm

Purchased my first CLK, a 2008, three years ago after being a BMW & Audi guy...still have it with zero mechanical issues. Looks like you found a cream-puff.
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby endobobdds » Fri May 13, 2016 7:02 pm

Nice new ride Jim!
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby JimVonBaden » Wed May 18, 2016 2:52 pm

Thanks guys! It is a very fun car, and far easier to put the top up and down, plus room for a couple of friends.

Jim :cool:
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby RocketMan » Thu May 19, 2016 4:01 am

JimVonBaden wrote:Thanks guys! It is a very fun car, and far easier to put the top up and down, plus room for a couple of friends.

Jim :cool:

You have friends??! :lol:
(Poke, poke,jab, jab)

Sweet ride.
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby JimVonBaden » Thu May 19, 2016 11:19 pm

RocketMan wrote:
JimVonBaden wrote:Thanks guys! It is a very fun car, and far easier to put the top up and down, plus room for a couple of friends.

Jim :cool:

You have friends??! :lol:
(Poke, poke,jab, jab)

Sweet ride.
RM

Only a couple...

Jim :cool:
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby RickNut » Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:58 pm

Hey Jim,

That is a great looking car. So how do you like driving it so far? .
So what is the good and the bad with this car? Anything to look out for? I am thinking of get one. 8)
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby JimVonBaden » Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:52 pm

RickNut wrote:Hey Jim,

That is a great looking car. So how do you like driving it so far? .
So what is the good and the bad with this car? Anything to look out for? I am thinking of get one. 8)

Last weekend we took a 500 mile trip. It was smooth and comfortable. It got 23mpg on somewhat spirited driving. No real complaints. It is a bit heavy, so rides very smooth. It handles well for its size, and accelerates very well. It is nice to have a power top after the Sky. I only wish it would go up and down not fully stopped.

Jim :cool:
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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby Rick F. » Wed Jun 08, 2016 10:23 pm

Jim & Co.,

The 20 seconds or so that it takes for a power top to go up is agonizing when it's suddenly pouring rain!

On the other hand, it's not nearly as bad as trying to struggle into rain gear, especially when the pants legs won't go over your motorcycle boots… #-o

Great-looking ride, Jim!

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Re: Mercedes CLK Convertible

Postby JimVonBaden » Thu Jun 09, 2016 11:53 pm

Rick F. wrote:Jim & Co.,

The 20 seconds or so that it takes for a power top to go up is agonizing when it's suddenly pouring rain!

On the other hand, it's not nearly as bad as trying to struggle into rain gear, especially when the pants legs won't go over your motorcycle boots… #-o

Great-looking ride, Jim!

Rick

Beats getting out of the Sky and pulling the top out of the trunk, and manually fastening down! :-)

Thanks Rick, I am having fun with it for sure!

Jim :cool:
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