2001 Mercedes-Benz Clk-Class Consumer Reviews

Soon after I bought the car at a local retail auction: 1. Had the front macpherson struts and ball joints replaced 2. Wood trim on dash had to be tightened after it snapped out of its anchors In the little over two years I've owned it: 1. Replaced instrument binnacle because of burned out LEDs 2. Replaced burned out-brake light 3. Twice repaired ABS/BAS/ESP malfunction 4. Had Service A work completed 5. Had Service B work completed 6. There has been an annoying noise emanating from the center console which I believe is the result of a loose wood panel surrounding the shifter 7. Two minor cosmetic problems not worth mentioning were corrected 8. Annoying metal striking metal sound from the engine that M-B explains is the valve train just doing what it's supposed to. It hasn't seemed to have an adverse impact on the car's performance, but it's still annoying as heck Value: Would someone please explain how a car with similar performance characteristics as an M3 (or other competitive/comparable car); small production numbers (my understanding is that approx. 1,400 clk55 cabs were built) for 2002; with an $85K MSRP depreciates so much? Is it that there is some kinda of stigma associated with (later model) benzes? Or is it because the typical buyer for this car does not buy it used? I gotta tell ya, for reasons described below, I wouldn't pay $85K for this car. Reliability: Except for the list I've already provided, this car has been relatively reliable. It starts up when it's supposed to. It goes when it's supposed to. I drive this car almost everyday recently averaging about 100 miles with a good amount of starts and stops. No problem yet (knock on wood). Quality: 1. See wood trim issue described above 2. See minor cosmetics issues described above 3. The plastic switches look and feel cheap 4. The aerodynamic add-ons appear cheap and are ill-fitting 5. The rear-view mirrors vibrate; and are also not sized sufficiently to provide optimum functionality 6. Power window controls placement is not intuituve. The switches for the rear quarters are easily confused for the switches that operate the fronts 7. What: no tilt wheel?! 8. The accelerator pedal is set three inches behind the dead pedal and brake. So, it's impossible to have both legs stretched out/balanced. It contributes to long-term driving discomfort 9. Visor is too short to provide sufficient side-window shade 10. Door and bumper seams don't line up with the body 11. Glove box latch comes loose a lot 12. Flimsy cupholder 13. Multi-CD changer skips when the car goes over uneven pavement (Woulda been better of going into where the glove box is now) 14. Is it something I'm/not doing: the (fake) manual transmission doesn't always shift when you want it to? Performance: 1. Acceleration: WOW! 2. Torque: WOW! 3. Braking: WOW! 4. I concede, handling does not measure up to the M3. With the car as stiff as it is, you'd think there wouldn't be as much body lean 5. I've observed 26 MPG at an average of 80 MPH in freeway driving 6. Tire wear: Whoa! 7. For my tastes, the ESP kicks in too soon 8. I managed to activate the roll protection once. Yep, it works 9. (Still) too much cowl shake Styling: 1. The switches look and feel cheap 2. Nice body lines (whether overall design is classic/timeless remains to be seen). I much prefer it over the 2003 and newer design. It's distinctive in a way the new design appears generic 3. Nix the three-piece, modular, blah blah, wheels 4. Personal taste: I prefer three-spoke steering wheels 5. Can we please have the multi-CD changer inside the car (so we can conveniently change cartridges)? 6. For a cabriolet: it is relatively quiet and looks very well-appointed Comfort: 1. I buy into the philosophy that driver and car must feel like one. For me, this car is ill-fitting. I miss my 5 series 2. Lateral support is there, but long-haul driving gives me lower back pain that I never experienced in my 5 series 3. Rough/stiff ride 4. Noisy I'm sure there's more, but this is all I can think of at the moment.