SteveHI

I drove my wife's 99 CLK430 to deliver it to its buyer this weekend. It's the first time I drove it since I bought the 545i about a month ago. That 30-minute drive made me appreciate my E60 that much more. Thought I'd share some of my feedback.

Handling: This is the most obvious difference. The CLK's steering lacks the precision of the E60, and has a noticeable dead spot in the center. Much more body roll, although it has the sport suspension. The CLK is 10.4 inches shorter, 4.9 inches narrower, and 400 lbs lighter, but the E60 feels smaller and lighter.

Acceleration: The CLK has 275hp/295tq, and goes 0-60 in 6.1 sec, but it felt sluggish compared to the BMW. This is largely due to the auto trans which is reluctant to kick down and eager to upshift, but also the engine, which loses steam in the upper RPM range.

Interior finish: Hands down, the BMW is superior. Of course, the Merc is 6 years old, but I've seen Audis and BMWs of that vintage which look/feel much better.

The two best things about the CLK are the exterior (which still looks good with the AMG package) and the exhaust note. Overall, the CLK felt like a German Mustang, light years behind our E60s.

rodneyremington

Interesting observation. One of my associates at work has one and I've always thought it looked nice.

UUronL

Yup, I test drove a CLK500 (the new style) before I had decided on the 5. It was reasonably quick, but it felt like a mix between an American muscle car and a Buick. Not at all what I thought a German car should be.

atthecopa

Not exactly a fair comparision. '99 to a '05, two door sports car to a 4 door sedan, different gearing, different suspension set up, I could go on and on. a better comparison would have been the E320 or 500 vs the E60.

I owned a '00 clk55 and would go back in a hart beat over the E60 if I didn't start a family. Beside that the Merc. dealer in town blows the BMW dealer out of the water when it comes to service and personal attention.

jta00r1

I agree, the comparison is totally different. I like german cars, every brand and model has it's own plus and minuses.

SteveHI

Agree, it's not an apples to apples comparison. My main point is this: although roughly the size and weight of an E46, the CLK felt like it was bigger and heavier than the E60. (I haven't driven a W209 so I don't know how much improvement there has been.)

I did enjoy the service at the local MB dealer - they always had fresh baked goods in the customer lounge.

alohalc

i had a e39 before and i test drove the new clk before i got my e60. it only took me 5 seconds in the e60 and i made my decision . in fact, my e39 drove better than the clk . btw, stevehi, have they solved your door seal problem yet?

Jerzguju

I dont know what it is about the old CLK430 ....But i love it....just looking at it i melt...I was actually of thinking of buying one

SteveHI

The door seals are on order and I'm scheduled to take it in next Thursday. I'll be pleasantly surprised if this is a long-term solution.

alohalc

just pm you .