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2000 clk430

slightlyhuman

slightlyhuman

Lifer
Looking at a 2000 with 160k miles. Pretty nice condition. He's asking around 7k for it. I'm looking for a car that will get better gas mileage and fun at the same time. Now I know this thing isn't pulling miracles at the gas pumps(22 or so mpg) but better than my z71 tahoe.

I'm thinking of paying cash or trading my tahoe(he's interested) for it. Just a little nervous about luxury cars having luxury prices, even at 12 years old.

I'm not specifically looking for a car to save gas money. Just randomly stumbled upon this vehicle and was looking for some input.
 
^ LIKEOMG car turbos need to be replaced at 100K, you should change your oil every 3000 miles and honda is the only reliable car. This isn't yahoo answers, you know...

I've put 40K on my old 2000 CLK430 without issue. Awesome highway cruiser, you get around 28mpg highway. The only remotely expensive thing was the spark plugs, because it uses 2 per cylinder. Definitely change out the trans fluid when you get it, even though MB claims it's a bullshit "lifetime" thing.

I've made at least 10 trips between NYC and Detroit in mine w/o incident and averaging 28+ mpg.
 
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Fact: people who buy 10+ year old luxury cars probably shouldn't be buying luxury cars.

Yes, there are exceptions, but it's not the norm. When someone says something like 'I have 10k to buy a car' and starts looking at older BMW and Merc vehicles, rather than newer domestic or Japanese vehicles, it's typically the start of a beautiful disaster.

I don't even recommend buying older Japanese luxury cars. They break, too. More amenities = more stuff to break. Technology that was cutting edge ten years ago = a lot more likely to break than the same tech that has made it into newer, cheaper cars.

Not to mention the complete misconception that luxury cars are usually owned by people with money. Tons of people buy new cars that they can't afford to maintain...do you want to then buy it after they've put 100k on it?
 
96Firebird said:
And? You didn't tell us how many miles the car has... Unless you bought it new and it has 40k miles, in which case, 40k miles =/= 160k miles.
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Had ~80K when i sold it. Check the MBworld forums, people have them in the 100s w/o issue. Unlike most other lux cars I've owned, the CLK doesn't really have any common weak points (same for w210 cars).

In general I take an issue with people that pull out old wives tales out of their ass w/o having any prior experience with the topic on hand. Different cars have different issues that may or may not be more prevalent; generalizing that all luxury cars with miles are bound to have problems is just idiotic.
 
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slightlyhuman said:
Looking at a 2000 with 160k miles. Pretty nice condition. He's asking around 7k for it. I'm looking for a car that will get better gas mileage and fun at the same time. Now I know this thing isn't pulling miracles at the gas pumps(22 or so mpg) but better than my z71 tahoe.

I'm thinking of paying cash or trading my tahoe(he's interested) for it. Just a little nervous about luxury cars having luxury prices, even at 12 years old.

I'm not specifically looking for a car to save gas money. Just randomly stumbled upon this vehicle and was looking for some input.
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err, bad idea.
 
While a CLK is a sweet car, 160k is a lot of miles. And for that price, I'm sure you can get one with less miles.
And all of you saying that buying an older luxury cars is a bad idea obviously haven't a clue as to what you're talking about.
One thing you naysayers forget that these cars new cost upwards of 50k. So even if it does need some repairs, once done, it'll be a nice reliable car. Whereas if you buy a newer piece of shit, guess what? It'll always be a piece of shit.

That said I love my E55. It's quiet, rides nicely (better than a lot of new pieces of shit), and it's faaaaast. As a matter of fact, I just went for a ride in my friends 2012 Mazda and it may as well had the ride quality of a go cart. Loud, uncomfortable, and everything just feels cheap.

IMG_1555.jpg
 
OmegaSupreme said:
While a CLK is a sweet car, 160k is a lot of miles. And for that price, I'm sure you can get one with less miles.
And all of you saying that buying an older luxury cars is a bad idea obviously haven't a clue as to what you're talking about.
One thing you naysayers forget that these cars new cost upwards of 50k. So even if it does need some repairs, once done, it'll be a nice reliable car. Whereas if you buy a newer piece of shit, guess what? It'll always be a piece of shit.

That said I love my E55. It's quiet, rides nicely (better than a lot of new pieces of shit), and it's faaaaast. As a matter of fact, I just went for a ride in my friends 2012 Mazda and it may as well had the ride quality of a go cart. Loud, uncomfortable, and everything just feels cheap.
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LOL. That's a new one. Old, used Mercedes snob.

also, I might as well go ahead and do a 'fixed'...

OmegaSupreme said:
And all of you saying that buying an older luxury cars is a bad idea obviously have some sense. One thing you naysayers forget that these cars have atrocious resale value. So even if it does need some repairs, once done, you'll need some more. Whereas if you buy a car inside your price range, it'll actually be reliable.
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OmegaSupreme said:
One thing you naysayers forget that these cars new cost upwards of 50k. So even if it does need some repairs, once done, it'll be a nice reliable car
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😕 Say what? Show me some evidence that original purchase price even has a loose correlation with reliability. More often it just becomes a money pit that the purchaser can't afford to maintain.

How many worn out old lincolns with totally shot rear suspension do you see?
 
Ferzerp said:
😕 Say what? Show me some evidence that original purchase price even has a loose correlation with reliability. More often it just becomes a money pit that the purchaser can't afford to maintain.

How many worn out old lincolns with totally shot rear suspension do you see?
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To me, it's basically an argument against himself. Cars usually lose that kind of value for two reasons: they get more unreliable as they get older, and as a result, the secondary market is soft because most people buying them don't see it as worthwhile unless they get the new hotness (and a warranty).

Do all cars get 'more unreliable'? Sort of. Some parts will always wear out, and neglect kills engines and transmissions...but a well cared for basic Japanese car being cheap to own isn't some 'myth.' And like I said, it's not an anti-German thing...all luxury cars tend to see increased part failures as they age, generally at much higher rates than one of the horrible poor-person economy cars he hates.

Although I do agree with one sentiment- yes, Mazdas do drive like gokarts. Wanna challenge me to an autocross, mein fuhrer?
 
phucheneh said:
LOL. That's a new one. Old, used Mercedes snob.

also, I might as well go ahead and do a 'fixed'...
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Try again. Before I bought my E55, I checked consumer reports and actual owner testimonials, and found that these car EASILY go 200k with just routine maintenance. However, note that an E55 is an AMG and shares very little with the "regular" E class. Parts are surprisingly inexpensive. Also note that it was 80k new (at least mine was with all of the options).
And no, I'm not being snobbish. It's simply an awesome car. Drives much better than most new cars I've driven and it's fast enough to beat most "hot rods" out there. Not to mention its safety is unmatched by those shit econoboxes.
So yeah, try again.
Ferzerp said:
😕 Say what? Show me some evidence that original purchase price even has a loose correlation with reliability. More often it just becomes a money pit that the purchaser can't afford to maintain.

How many worn out old lincolns with totally shot rear suspension do you see?
Click to expand...

Ironically enough, I went from a Towncar with over 200k on it to my E55. Guess what? No suspension problems with it.
Now since you mentioned the rear suspension on those cars, let me tell you exactly why the rear suspension sags. Lincoln's are equipped with air suspension in the back (so are crown Vic's and Grand Marquis). When those vehicles are raised, even to simply change a tire, the air suspension MUST BE turned off. If it's not, the air bags that are there in place of the springs will keep on inflating because the vehicle is trying to level itself. So guess what happens if it's not turned off? Boom, the bags blow and the ass is on the ground.
And for what it's worth, the only repairs that needed to be done to the car in the 100k I owned it was front sway bar links, front shocks and a muffler.
So your assumption is wrong.
And if it matters, I'm a certified mechanic and have over 23 years experience.
High quality cars are simply built better than econoboxes. The parts are heavier duty and are designed for longevity.
 
OmegaSupreme said:
Try again. Before I bought my E55, I checked consumer reports and actual owner testimonials, and found that these car EASILY go 200k with just routine maintenance. However, note that an E55 is an AMG and shares very little with the "regular" E class. Parts are surprisingly inexpensive. Also note that it was 80k new (at least mine was with all of the options).
And no, I'm not being snobbish. It's simply an awesome car. Drives much better than most new cars I've driven and it's fast enough to beat most "hot rods" out there. Not to mention its safety is unmatched by those shit econoboxes.
So yeah, try again.


Ironically enough, I went from a Towncar with over 200k on it to my E55. Guess what? No suspension problems with it.
Now since you mentioned the rear suspension on those cars, let me tell you exactly why the rear suspension sags. Lincoln's are equipped with air suspension in the back (so are crown Vic's and Grand Marquis). When those vehicles are raised, even to simply change a tire, the air suspension MUST BE turned off. If it's not, the air bags that are there in place of the springs will keep on inflating because the vehicle is trying to level itself. So guess what happens if it's not turned off? Boom, the bags blow and the ass is on the ground.
And for what it's worth, the only repairs that needed to be done to the car in the 100k I owned it was front sway bar links, front shocks and a muffler.
So your assumption is wrong.
And if it matters, I'm a certified mechanic and have over 23 years experience.
High quality cars are simply built better than econoboxes. The parts are heavier duty and are designed for longevity.
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Is there a AMG parts mark up? Those v8 Benz look annoying to work on, since the twin throttles are up on top. I do love your e55. I just fear the parts cost.
 
phucheneh said:
To me, it's basically an argument against himself. Cars usually lose that kind of value for two reasons: they get more unreliable as they get older, and as a result, the secondary market is soft because most people buying them don't see it as worthwhile unless they get the new hotness (and a warranty).

Do all cars get 'more unreliable'? Sort of. Some parts will always wear out, and neglect kills engines and transmissions...but a well cared for basic Japanese car being cheap to own isn't some 'myth.' And like I said, it's not an anti-German thing...all luxury cars tend to see increased part failures as they age, generally at much higher rates than one of the horrible poor-person economy cars he hates.

Although I do agree with one sentiment- yes, Mazdas do drive like gokarts. Wanna challenge me to an autocross, mein fuhrer?
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In my E55, sure, as long as the car you're driving is bone stock too. 😉

Coincidentally, I used to work for Acura and Honda. And yes, they're great cars, especially the Acura's. But once again, it's a luxury car. The TL is one of my favorite cars ever. But the upkeep is also expensive. But you have to take into consideration the demographic of your typical Honda or any other Japanese car owners. They simply take better care of their vehicles.
It doesn't mean that the cars require any less maintenance than any other vehicle manufacturer.
 
T2urtle said:
Is there a AMG parts mark up? Those v8 Benz look annoying to work on, since the twin throttles are up on top. I do love your e55. I just fear the parts cost.
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Its actually not that bad. And parts prices are surprisingly cheap. Moog sway bar links $20/each, sway bar to frame bushings, $6.50/each. Sure the brakes are ridiculously expensive, but they last 90k so really it's no more expensive than "normal" cars if you use decent parts. Not that cheap Chinese shit.
phucheneh said:
See, this is why I try not to outright advertise that I work on cars for a living. It makes you look like a tool.

Let me guess- you have ASE patches sewn onto all your shirtsleeves?
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Nope, no ASE's, just state certified. However, I've worked at more different dealerships and specialty shops than most people, so I've worked on everything from Geo Metro's to Porsche Carrera's to Mustangs to Honda's to Jaguars and everything else in between, certain cars are just better than others.
 
What is 'state certified'? We don't have such a thing in my state.

And FWIW, I have no desire to run off a new guy who is a fellow greasemonkey...and I'm not calling you stupid for driving/liking an older Merc or anything.

It's just that your assertations about a German luxury car being 'higher quality' with regards to reliability has just never proven to be true. Like what you want; but avoid the fanboyism.
 
Ferzerp said:
Please cite a study supporting your assertion, else you're just talking out your ass.
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Off the top of my head, look at taurus stamped steel control arms that rust within 2 years versus all aluminum alloy pieces on the benz. Also not sure if this is still the case, but econoboxes didn't have the unibody galvanized before paint.


Not to mention that interior material are no contests, plus build a a ton better - teflon tape between pieces, felt around interior clips etc.
 
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Seriously...this isn't P&N. Drop the straw man arguments.

No one mentioned 'mercedes lower control arm reliability vs selected shitty american cars.'

Let's go the opposite direction. VW's used to suffer from random broken wires like their business depended on it. Despite other shitty aspects, GM generally had pretty good wiring.

Therefor, all american cars > all european cars.

🙄
 
phucheneh said:
Seriously...this isn't P&N. Drop the straw man arguments.

No one mentioned 'mercedes lower control arm reliability vs selected shitty american cars.'

Let's go the opposite direction. VW's used to suffer from random broken wires like their business depended on it. Despite other shitty aspects, GM generally had pretty good wiring.

Therefor, all american cars > all european cars.

🙄
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I don't think straw man defense is what you think it is. I'm specifically speaking to build and parts of higher price point cars vs lower price point cars... ie the assertion you disputed.

They have to do something to make econoboxes come in at a lower cost...
 
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We were talking about reliability and repair costs. Saying that one economy car has stamped steel control arms that are prone to rusting (not even mentioning the fact that that's bullshit, anyhow) and your Mercedes has aluminum control arms, therefore you win the debate, is the definition of 'straw man.' You're arguing against a retarded, nonsensical position that you made up.
 
Typical phucheknee argument falling apart. German cars do tend to be higher quality. They are more expensive to maintain, but it's not as bad as the oil change jockey makes it out to be.

Op: the way it was cared for matters far more than the mileage, although 160k is pushing it imo..

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