I have just bought a 53 plate clk 500 with 71K on the clock. I am stuck in new car confusion at the moment at all the buttons and switches, must RTFM :) For instance I thought it had a fault because the front lights came on with the ignition despite which position the light switch was in, youtube says this is a feature and can be turned off.
The first car i ever drove was a 270 E class made in 2003 and i’ve been in love with Mercs ever since the second merc i ever drove was a C320 from 2008 and i loved it, both of those cars were my dad’s but now i own my first ever Mercedes which is a CLK 200 Avantgarde from 2004 and i couldn’t be happier with it, i discovered your videos after i bought it but you helped me realize some things about it and put my mind at ease about possible costs
Bought my 07 clk350 around a year ago, 110k miles for about 5 grand. In all honesty the car has been nothing but fun and dependable. I drive around an hour to work every business day, same journey back home, and I've never had an issue with it. Great little thing, and maintenance is affordable if you know where to look lol
Yeah, such a good design, and all the more impressive given that it was a German design and no Italian had involvement! I love the wheels, so definitely won't be changing them. But they are a pain to keep clean!
I got the grand edition V6 3.5 2009 CLK 350 with AMG sport package trims. I'm the second owner at 69K miles bought it in 2014. Still running smooth at 153K miles today 2024. not bad for 10 year car. I do all the maintenance never brought it to the dealership. I just always make sure to buy the right and high quality after market parts. Will never switch to any car brand. It's indeed the best or nothing
Well, my dad had a 1977 200D in the early 80's, only problems were the rust and his clients complaining he must've been charging them too much. So he sold it and bought 1984 1.5L Civic. The clients soon calmed down.
I have bought the Bridgestone Turanza 6, I had them for 9 months, they are superb, super quiet, extremely economical. in my B class 2011 I found an increase in fuel economy on motor way raised from 29 mpg to 39 mpg. besides they have excellent wet grip. I have installed the summer but may be the next time I install the all season tyre of it.
Hi JJ . I just purchased a 2010 200CLK Elegance. Drove it home yesterday, loved it. This model does have a cup holder in the same place as the little place you put your Expresso. Not my first Mercedes, I have had a C class and 3 E class’s. Nice to be in a Merc again.
2010, that's last of the line! Is it a 59 plate or a '10? Yes, I am jealous of those with the cup holder 😄 Enjoy the car, nothing like that new-to-you feeling of a new car
I bought a 2006 CLK320CDI in 2017, for £2800 quid, spec incl sunroof, heated seats Sav nav, park sensors, 18" wheels. She had just been thru a Merc dealer and was perfect, not a mark on her. Serviced twice, new tyres front and rear front Disks and pads, Turbo actuator and rear shocks. Thats it. She still makes me feel special everytime I drive her. Ive only covered 28k she now wears 155k on the clocks. Couple of issues to sort, Sat Nav and Radio antena stopped working, Park sensors a bit hit and miss, all quite common. I get 43 on a run and effortless power when needed, she's a quick elegant ole lass.
I think I'd call that a major win JJ. Great looking, luxurious and classy car, bought for not a lot and then running costs that sound extremely reasonable to me. Nice one. I'll maybe do the same exercise on my little Lexus which I've had for just over three years and get back to you.
Second gen CLK one of the nicest looking Mercs ever. Have had an '09 320 CDI AMG Sportpack for 7 years and done 77 000 miles in it. Gorgeous. Had remap which added about 60 - 70 bhp and 3/4 mpg so that on long trips would do around 35 - 40 to the gallon if not hammered. Lovely lines and built like a proverbial brick poo house. Reckon they will become a real classic in time. Sadly cannot afford to keep mine going now but the OM642 engine is a real gem.
Amazing car, I have a E350 coupé, the later model of this car. It's amazing. Very nice to see people still taking care of this marvelous old MB. Unfotunatly I cant daily mine, here in Brasil the gas is very expensive and it's not safe. So it's only for weekends.
@@JJonCars I also own a 280 V6 Sport 68K Miles. I've owned it for nearly 2 years. It's absolutely faultless. I just had regular servicing done but I do very few miles. i had the 200Komp before its only issue is underpowered a bit. You can review the CLK 280 SPORT V6 if want
I have just bought a CLK, same as yours, but mine is a 200 Kompressor, 6 speed manual Elegance - and LHD obviously living in Spain. She needs some work, but hands down, the most elegant car I've ever owned. I'm thinking of starting a channel devoted to her restoration. Would anybody be interested in following it? For info, mine averages 6.5l/100km on the autopista (40+ mpg?)
Oh very nice - the manual is quite rare. I'd love to see what the manual version of the CLK is like to drive, a bit more sporty I'd imagine, and you have more control over that Kompressor engine. Why not, making RUclips vids can be fun!
I've got CLK 270 diesel for 3 years now, which is my second car and first Mercedes. It's been a trouble-free car for me. I've only changed consumables like tyre rods, tyres, oil and filter change etc and swapped aged headlights to new ones. Fuel mileage is great, and since I am only taking it out on weekends (using public transport on weekdays), it's an enjoyable ride. I've been thinking about changing to E-class coupe or other cars but every time I drive it, I think "why would I change this?". Overall it's been a great experience.
I have a 2008 CLK200 too. I bought mine 2nd hand and I’m loving it too. It’s my 7th year, and find the maintenance cost reasonable. Don’t really fancy the new version which have more “breakable” items. I will keep this car for a long time 😅
7 years, that's awesome, you must love the car. Always good to hear from fellow 200 owners and that even over 7 years the costs have been reasonable :)
Hi JJ, Just discovered you tonight. I thank you very much for your video. I greatly appreciate it. I’m from Greenwich, Connecticut in the USA. A little over a year ago, I got a California purchased, in Palo Alto, where I purchased it from, one owner CLK550, which now has just over 62,000 miles on it. Well I won’t get into what I’ve spent on the purchase and since then, but since sorting it out, knock on wood, it’s been trouble free. To date I t’s been the best car I’ve ever ever owned. Just started following you on Instagram and looking that up, you’ll be able to find me. Thanks again.
Hi! That's great, thanks for watching and I'm glad the vid has been useful. Found a pic of your 550 on Instagram, nice car. Worth the investment definitely :) It's a long trip for your car to have gone from California to Connecticut. I'm guessing you have less rust problems with cars from California though? :)
Oh yes, the previous generation have a habit of rusting away I think. Always liked both models, though I suspect this newer generation feels much more modern to drive and own in general
I've had my 2005 CLK 270 cdi for three and a half years now. I came close recently to trading it in for a van, but I just couldn't do it and spent a lot of money on van hire instead! The Merc cost me £1800 with 116k on the clock and the Elegance trim package. I've only put about 12k on it since, so it's cost me one service (at a Merc specialist), 3 MOT fees and the stunning total of £40 in repairs (a ball joint and a windscreen wiper)! The most I've spent on it was £200 for a stage 1 remap and now I get around 35mpg in town driving and a pretty consistent 53 - 55mpg on a run. My last long run was 290 miles at an aversage 60mph that returned 55mpg. This car still blows me away when I consider how good it's been, and I think I'll quite happily spend a substantial amount of money on it if/when it needs it rather than chop it in for an unknown risk on something else.
I have a CLK 200 aswell but thinking about costs stresses me out so I never wrote anything down and I'm blissfully ignorant to how expensive it might be to run. I've had enough money to fix it when it needed it and that's good enough for me
In the year and a half of owning my 2005 v6. 320 petrol , I’ve only had to replace the alternator, was around £100 , tax is 350 a year , fuel cost , that depends what mood I’m in lol , but in my eyes reasonable for a big engine and a heavy right foot at times , service wise, I can’t give you that figure as I have good friends around me who have always helped , but parts prices are good considering it’s a merc , all in all a good value motor , I paid £2k original purchase price, And as usual jack , great video , with good info
Cheers Dougie, another reasonable to run CLK by the sounds of it. No chance of getting good MPG when you've got an engine that sounds like that at high revs 😂
Man... You bought a 2006 clk with low mileage for a price 500 euros higher than mine but i had 133k kms lol. Shit either you get a mad bargain or i got scammed. But most CLKs in germany were around that price range. Yours would cost 10k+ here. So congrats on that incredible deal. Tax is def much cheaper in germany. 120 Euros per year. I've had mine for two years now. Bought it with 133k kms and now it's at 151k km. I've replaced the timing chain, new tires, new front axle, new wipers like yours, new brake hoses and all that costs around 3300-3500 euros with the timing chain being the most expensive thing done. Tax at 120 euro per year Insurance at 460 Gas prices would be similar to yours. I drive some Autobahn so I've a combined consumption of like 8. 5 L now. Overall worth every penny. But I also need to replace the breaking disc and pads sometime this year. And i also want to flush the gearbox. This car isn't that expensive to run considering what its worth and all the premium feel it has. I plan to keep it for at least the next 4 years as well
Don't get too worried about that, it's the UK prices! We have probably the lowest prices in used cars than any country in the world I think. So believe it or not, the amount I paid was a big chunk for what most people here would just see as an 'old car'. I do agree that its a great price for what you get though! I can be jealous of your road tax, 120 euros is about £100, and I pay over £400! Definitely worth doing the gearbox flush, I've got records for mine being done in 2018 :)
@@JJonCars oh wow I didn't know that. Yea at the end it's all relative i guess. Still crazy to think about it because i know for a fact your clk with those rims and that mileage is 9-10k here. Yea I'll probably do the gearbox flush as a 20th birthday present lol. My CLK becomes 20 years old in Mai. It's a 2004 model year. Although what's weird is that it has the SA Code 805 which stands for 2005 model. The vehicle registration certificate states that the vehicle was first registered in 2004. So probably a mistake somewhere. At least I have the facelift interior. And yea 120 euros is nothing. I actually looked and saw the c class coupe you reviewed as a c180 costs just a measly 74 euros tax here
@@emjay1249 Facelift interior is definitely better :) 2004 is very early for it. Do you have the prefacelift grille? I'm sure it will appreciate its birthday present 😄 The UK car tax system is all over the place. You can tax a lot of 2010's diesel cars for just £20 a year because of the low CO2 - but of course now those same cars are subject to expensive ULEZ charges because it turns out they are actually polluting. Where as a V8 petrol will be ULEZ free but could be £700 a year to tax 😂 I'm quite curious to know how the German system works, I suspect it will make more sense than here
@@JJonCars @JJonCars my whole car is a prefacelift design wise. Just the interior is facelift. That's because the clk has actually gotten two updates. First the interior was lifted in 04 i think including the front axle and then in 05 or 06 they changed the optics. I just wondered why it my car is supposedly build in 04 but has the code for being build in 05 lol That's a whole mess for sure. In Germany it's just based on how old your car is, emissions and how big the engine is. EVs get no tax the first 10 years. But I'm not fully informed if there's more to consider with tax. Germany is a bureaucracy hell at the very least lol. I take cheaper car taxes because we pay i think the 2nd most taxes in whole Europe
@@emjay1249 Very strange for sure - I could understand easier if your car had a code older than its registration year - it could have been sat for a while before sale, but the fact its newer than when it was sold is rather odd! Well, I guess the answer there is, nowhere is perfect 😂
I've a C208 CLK230K and I've personally had no problems with the left falange, although I have had to replace the right one a couple of times.😂 Other than that, it's been completely trouble free, and I absolutely love it. I would suggest JJ, if it hasn't been done for a while, that you have the gearbox serviced. They are quite bulletproof, but do need to be serviced.
Haha, those bloody right felanges eh 😂 A good shout about the gearbox. I've got a record of it being done in 2018, probably about 25,000 miles ago so it should be OK for now :)
Heel interessant! Zelf bezit ik mijn CLK 200 Kompressor, februari 2009/80.000 km, automaat 5 gearbox,. Vermogen 135 kW (184 pk), Lichtmetalen velgen 17 Inch met 245/40/17 Michelin Pilot Sport zomer banden In gebruik genomen : vanaf 28 februari 2024. Geen problemen. Tot dusver. Dank je voor je uitleg. En de vele tips die je geeft. Hartelijke groet!
Bewaren, prima auto's. Heeft weinig kilometers dus grote kosten zul je lang nog niet hebben. Maar omdat je een automaat hebt zou ik toch aanraden de olie van de V-bak te doen. Ik woon in frankrijk en rij zelf met een c220 diesel uit 2001 met vier ton op de klok. Heel veel kosten aan gehad maar pech gehad en dus een exemplaar met gebrek aan onderhoud in eerste instantie. Groeten uit frankrijk
I've heard that these 1.8l kompressor engines can have timing chain problems because they're not doubled like the old 2.0l kompressors. Have owners reported any breakages? Excellent video, I've always loved this CLK.
There's definitely talk about timing chain issues with these engines. Haven't had any issus myself, so hard to say how common it is as a problem, and if keeping on top of the oil changes helps. Cheers :)
I haven't had a CLK, I'm one of those people that are afraid of paying out big money 😂I have a Suzuki swift 1.3 DDIS 2011, 138k Kms on the clock and it's honestly in great condition, super happy with it, a really nice sporty looking car but repairs and maintenance are very cheap. I also love the fact that for a small super mini it handles so well and is very well planted due to it being 1.15 tons due to the diesel engine making it stick to the road better in my opinion at a small cost to 0-60. Tax is 190 euro for the year in Ireland and it sips petrol on long trips 😊
I really like that generation of Swift. Have thought about having one in the past and recently a nice Swift Sport came up for sale on an Instagram account I follow, which was quite tempting as they are supposed to be really fun. So yeah, nice affordable car but still enjoyable to drive too, and I think they look quite good in a Japanese Mini kinda of way.
Yeah, I'd like a swift sport myself, but I will say that these cars are a little on the harsh side ride comfort wise, if I bought a swift sport I'd probably have to put standard springs on it 😂
@@novicetheaf haha yes true, daily driver has to have some comfort. The ride on my CLK is too firm for my liking to be honest but it does make up for it in the corners.
In 2019, I didn't know much about cars, so I bought my Clk 240 with 245.000 km for 3300€. I tried to maintain it well, however after driving another 40.000, last October car died. I'm so so sad, because I believe CLK is the best looking mercedes. If at the time I'd know better, I'd get better engine and obviously less milage, so it is still my desire to get one some day.
That's a classy looking car, and it looks like it was the right car at the right price at the right time for you. I've just looked at Auto Trader and there's nothing at your mileage and purchase price that even comes close. Keeping a record of fuel used is a bit too anal for me, but if it keeps you happy, why not!
Yeah, they do sometimes come up still, for similar money. But not all that often. I wasn't specifically looking for a CLK at the time but it has always been a car I'd admired, so seeing such a nice one for sale at a garage I felt I could trust (high peak autos) I jumped at it. As for recording of fuel it's just pure habit now to log it in the app before the person at the pump behind gets back in their car 😂
@@JJonCars You're lucky that you not only live in a nice part of the world, and it's also convenient for High Peak Autos! Now that I'm retired, my use of the car has dropped somewhat - I don't use it every day, occasionally just once a week when on a grocery supply run. Because of that, I'm only fuelling the car every couple of months or so, I do 'log' it on my Google Calendar when I've fuelled up, just as a reminder, and not for any analytical purpose.
Been enjoying your videos on the CLK. After seeing the video where your dash died, it's worth noting that you can get a lot of diagnostic information yourself. As you realized, the generic OBDII readers won't cut it but you can use Mercedes specific aftermarket tools like the NT530 or StarCOM from Secons. FYI, I've owned my 2007 CLK 220 coming up to 6 months... it's on 126k! So a little bit more used than yours.
Hi! I’m also looking to buy this week a 07 clk 220. It’s coming with 7 speeds automatic ? And also, when I’m going to see the car, where I will need to pay attention ? Any specific bits that need to be checked ?
I think these costs are very reasonable for such a luxury car and hopefully some of the investment was required to move the car to an "up to scratch"-status again, i.e., won't continue like that in the future. I have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 on my CLK 200 and am very happy with them (but I'm not a demanding driver). I had to put quite some initial investment into my CLK 200 after it had been a bit neglected before, but hope that I'll be able to enjoy it for a long time now. I had no idea that I'd feel the rear-wheel drive to the extent I do. Having driven front-wheel drive cars all my life, I had no idea on what I was missing out on. It is so much fun to drive! :) N.B., if you ever want to have a good GPS navigation system in your car, there are Android units that fit in very well, i.e., in terms of styling pretty much look like they had been there since day one. I would not have wanted to slap on some flat screen that looks out of place but am very happy with the option I found. I used the opportunity to install a reversing camera as well. :)
Agreed! When I bought my CLK I also hadn't owned rear wheel drive before, so I'm with you there, it really does make the difference :) Worth your investment I'd say. My parking sensors aren't happy so the reversing camera would definitely be useful, much prefer a camera to sensors anyway.
owned a 2004 CLK320 NA V6 A209 model for over 10years I have put over 140,000 kms on it things can go wrong with this car the only thing about mercedes I can say is the slightest change in how it drives like feel or sound - something is wrong so get it checked out. | other than that its a very reliable vehicle
Good video. Can you recommend anywhere for wheel tracking? I have an SLK of similar age and would be interested in places with expertise in Mercedes specifically
Thank you. To be honest as far as I know with wheel alignment/tracking, any place that offers it should be OK, I don't think there's any need for a place that specialises in Mercedes. But I'm happy to be proven wrong here!
I have a clk 280 cabriolet that’s a 3 litre v6 at 80k miles fully stamped. Reliable and costs reasonable. But Road tax is heavy. MB service book is full so now only digital records which I have printed out. Mercedes said they would not supply a new book but sounds like you have one on the way. Odd.
Nice car. I got the new service book off ebay :) I think Mercedes themselves want to just use the digital records and aren't bothered with the old way!
Having bought a cheapie ive spent a couple of grand dragging it up to mechanical spec. In for crankshat position sensor on Thursday. Its smiles per miles and far cheaper that modern crap
When do you service it? or do you just trust your gut feeling when the car feels off? how to do preventable repairs before it breaks down or light warnings come on? I'm buying the exact car you have, mot is brand new and thinking it might be a ghost mot, i would appreciate any tips before buying, thanks
You shouldn't wait until it feels off :) Servicing generally makes no noticable difference to the car in how it feels to drive, it's all about preventative maintenance and avoiding damage in the long term. Personally I get it serviced every year with a minimum of oil and oil filter change (I do around 6,000 miles a year). Mercedes have recommendations for when things should be done - e.g. spark plugs every X miles, gearbox service at X miles etc etc. So I try to follow those too. Of course, servicing can't prevent every issue your car might have, but it certainly will help keep the car running for a lot lot longer.
Also, if you get your car serviced at a Mercedes specialist, they will check over the car quite thoroughly and tell you if anything needs fixing or replacing, before it goes wrong and breaks down :)
The Astra was brand new, so it just needed a couple of services - can't remember the price of them but lets say something like £200 a go. I was paying a lease on the car so it probably cost more to run overall than the old Merc. But that's for a brand new car, which you'd expect really.
I’m really curious about getting one of these CLKs. I can see that with abut 100k miles they go for about 1-1.5k on eBay which is super cheap! Is there anything I should be worried about? And is that price too good to be true?
The usual advice of trying to find a car with full service history applies with these. They are reliable cars but they do need to be maintained on schedule, otherwise they can be expensive to sort out if there's a lot of deferred maintenance. I'd recommend looking at SPR Autos CLK buyers guide for more information. They are cheap though, and not necessarily because its too good to be true. But I'd probably try and find a nice one for 3k rather than buy the cheapest one I could find :)
Are these maintenance prices from dealership ? It looks relatively cheap. I have my C180 2013 in France and just a service would be minimum 350EUR and B service minimum 650
They are prices from a Mercedes specialist, rather than the dealership. I would recommend a specialist over a dealership anyway, as they are cheaper and often actually know the older cars better than Mercedes themselves.
Personally I just fill it up with standard 95 RON Unleaded (E10). There is some confusion around the 200 Kompressor specifically as the government site states you should use E5 (premium fuel) for the CLK 200 CGI. But this is a different engine :) Some say that E10 will damage certain things over time, but Europe have had E10 for longer than us, and I've not heard anything about issues caused by it. As for the RON rating, there's no need for higher than 95 in this car.
If it has been serviced and looked after then absolutely not. The 320 petrol is one of the most reliable engines Mercedes have built. They can leak oil but that can be rectified easily enough :)
You’re opening comments about the pub motoring journalists who know everything about every nice car but inevitably either drive something completely boring or completely shite and it’s usually down to green eyed envy because their wives not allowing them to have anything fun or attractive, not that these fellas are usually any oil paintings
It only had one actual fault - the instrument cluster at £60. Everything else is tyres, brakes, servicing, couple of bits of suspension. So I don't agree with you there.
@@JJonCars I just bought a clk 500 with 70k on the clock and good service history in nice condition for £5k if it looks as good underneath as it does on top i will be well happy. 😎
What can i say, a car with so little milage you change suspension arms, brake discs, i think you bought a lemon. I have a C240 sport 1998 , today 115000 on the clock ( i bought it 2015 82000) never needed suspension parts or brake discs, the only somehow expensive was when i changed the sparkplugs (12×9= £108 + labour, and water pump ( £50 + labour) the rest is the normal stuff, oil, oil filter, brake pads , tyres, maximum spend the 9 years £900
A lemon 😂😂😂😂 Ok dude. Maybe yours had already had the suspension/brake discs done before you had it - a lot of it will be to do with age rather than miles. It's been a very affordable car to run all in all.
I've had my 500 for 18 months now, replaced rear brakes and that's about it other than services Needless to say i'm not gonna be counting my fuel :D My tax is the same as yours
That mileage can't be true mileage. Have You had a computer read out done, by mercedes agent on systems to check it. Repairs your done on a supposedly low mileage mercedes .suspension not likly. Mercedes make them better than that.
Maybe it's an age thing? And the firm sports suspension can't help as the impacts are greater etc. I've got no reason whatsoever to think the mileage isn't genuine
See the first 18 months in more detail here:
ruclips.net/video/JwYwBLbvDR8/видео.html
And don't forget to comment your experience with your own CLK!
I have just bought a 53 plate clk 500 with 71K on the clock. I am stuck in new car confusion at the moment at all the buttons and switches, must RTFM :) For instance I thought it had a fault because the front lights came on with the ignition despite which position the light switch was in, youtube says this is a feature and can be turned off.
Really good honest video, great car. You can run these on a reasonable budget for a luxury vehicle. Still looks so good.
Thanks mate! :)
The first car i ever drove was a 270 E class made in 2003 and i’ve been in love with Mercs ever since the second merc i ever drove was a C320 from 2008 and i loved it, both of those cars were my dad’s but now i own my first ever Mercedes which is a CLK 200 Avantgarde from 2004 and i couldn’t be happier with it, i discovered your videos after i bought it but you helped me realize some things about it and put my mind at ease about possible costs
Bought my 07 clk350 around a year ago, 110k miles for about 5 grand. In all honesty the car has been nothing but fun and dependable. I drive around an hour to work every business day, same journey back home, and I've never had an issue with it. Great little thing, and maintenance is affordable if you know where to look lol
Still looks gorgeous after all these years. Only thing I would change is the wheels
Yeah, such a good design, and all the more impressive given that it was a German design and no Italian had involvement!
I love the wheels, so definitely won't be changing them. But they are a pain to keep clean!
I got the grand edition V6 3.5 2009 CLK 350 with AMG sport package trims. I'm the second owner at 69K miles bought it in 2014. Still running smooth at 153K miles today 2024. not bad for 10 year car. I do all the maintenance never brought it to the dealership. I just always make sure to buy the right and high quality after market parts. Will never switch to any car brand. It's indeed the best or nothing
Just goes to show if you look after these cars, they will run and run :)
Well, my dad had a 1977 200D in the early 80's, only problems were the rust and his clients complaining he must've been charging them too much. So he sold it and bought 1984 1.5L Civic. The clients soon calmed down.
Haha! Owning a Merc back then meant a bit more I think 😄
I have bought the Bridgestone Turanza 6, I had them for 9 months, they are superb, super quiet, extremely economical. in my B class 2011 I found an increase in fuel economy on motor way raised from 29 mpg to 39 mpg. besides they have excellent wet grip. I have installed the summer but may be the next time I install the all season tyre of it.
Hi JJ . I just purchased a 2010 200CLK Elegance. Drove it home yesterday, loved it. This model does have a cup holder in the same place as the little place you put your Expresso. Not my first Mercedes, I have had a C class and 3 E class’s. Nice to be in a Merc again.
2010, that's last of the line! Is it a 59 plate or a '10? Yes, I am jealous of those with the cup holder 😄 Enjoy the car, nothing like that new-to-you feeling of a new car
I bought a 2006 CLK320CDI in 2017, for £2800 quid, spec incl sunroof, heated seats Sav nav, park sensors, 18" wheels. She had just been thru a Merc dealer and was perfect, not a mark on her.
Serviced twice, new tyres front and rear front Disks and pads, Turbo actuator and rear shocks. Thats it. She still makes me feel special everytime I drive her. Ive only covered 28k she now wears 155k on the clocks. Couple of issues to sort, Sat Nav and Radio antena stopped working, Park sensors a bit hit and miss, all quite common. I get 43 on a run and effortless power when needed, she's a quick elegant ole lass.
I think I'd call that a major win JJ. Great looking, luxurious and classy car, bought for not a lot and then running costs that sound extremely reasonable to me.
Nice one. I'll maybe do the same exercise on my little Lexus which I've had for just over three years and get back to you.
Thanks John, I do agree :)
That would be great to hear, I imagine that your costs will be suitably low, particularly in the fuel and tax department!
Second gen CLK one of the nicest looking Mercs ever. Have had an '09 320 CDI AMG Sportpack for 7 years and done 77 000 miles in it. Gorgeous. Had remap which added about 60 - 70 bhp and 3/4 mpg so that on long trips would do around 35 - 40 to the gallon if not hammered. Lovely lines and built like a proverbial brick poo house. Reckon they will become a real classic in time. Sadly cannot afford to keep mine going now but the OM642 engine is a real gem.
Amazing car, I have a E350 coupé, the later model of this car. It's amazing. Very nice to see people still taking care of this marvelous old MB. Unfotunatly I cant daily mine, here in Brasil the gas is very expensive and it's not safe. So it's only for weekends.
I have had a clk 280 V6 sport for a year, zero issues i love it.
Zero issues, nice! 🤞 for you that it stays that way :)
@@JJonCars I also own a 280 V6 Sport 68K Miles. I've owned it for nearly 2 years. It's absolutely faultless. I just had regular servicing done but I do very few miles. i had the 200Komp before its only issue is underpowered a bit. You can review the CLK 280 SPORT V6 if want
thanks for review. I was planning to buy myself something like this, but, now, i will probably reconsider my options ....
I love your CLK videos, keep them coming :-)
Thanks, there will be more to come for sure!
I have just bought a CLK, same as yours, but mine is a 200 Kompressor, 6 speed manual Elegance - and LHD obviously living in Spain.
She needs some work, but hands down, the most elegant car I've ever owned.
I'm thinking of starting a channel devoted to her restoration. Would anybody be interested in following it?
For info, mine averages 6.5l/100km on the autopista (40+ mpg?)
Oh very nice - the manual is quite rare. I'd love to see what the manual version of the CLK is like to drive, a bit more sporty I'd imagine, and you have more control over that Kompressor engine.
Why not, making RUclips vids can be fun!
I've got CLK 270 diesel for 3 years now, which is my second car and first Mercedes. It's been a trouble-free car for me. I've only changed consumables like tyre rods, tyres, oil and filter change etc and swapped aged headlights to new ones. Fuel mileage is great, and since I am only taking it out on weekends (using public transport on weekdays), it's an enjoyable ride. I've been thinking about changing to E-class coupe or other cars but every time I drive it, I think "why would I change this?". Overall it's been a great experience.
That's how I feel every time I drive mine :) If it's been a good car to you then you'll probably miss it if you 'upgrade'!
I have a 2008 CLK200 too. I bought mine 2nd hand and I’m loving it too. It’s my 7th year, and find the maintenance cost reasonable. Don’t really fancy the new version which have more “breakable” items. I will keep this car for a long time 😅
7 years, that's awesome, you must love the car. Always good to hear from fellow 200 owners and that even over 7 years the costs have been reasonable :)
Hi JJ,
Just discovered you tonight. I thank you very much for your video. I greatly appreciate it. I’m from Greenwich, Connecticut in the USA. A little over a year ago, I got a California purchased, in Palo Alto, where I purchased it from, one owner CLK550, which now has just over 62,000 miles on it. Well I won’t get into what I’ve spent on the purchase and since then, but since sorting it out, knock on wood, it’s been trouble free. To date I t’s been the best car I’ve ever ever owned. Just started following you on Instagram and looking that up, you’ll be able to find me. Thanks again.
Hi! That's great, thanks for watching and I'm glad the vid has been useful. Found a pic of your 550 on Instagram, nice car. Worth the investment definitely :) It's a long trip for your car to have gone from California to Connecticut. I'm guessing you have less rust problems with cars from California though? :)
These (and previous gen) CLKs used to be an often sight on local roads here but I can't remember the last time I've seen one. Handsome cars!
Oh yes, the previous generation have a habit of rusting away I think. Always liked both models, though I suspect this newer generation feels much more modern to drive and own in general
I've had my 2005 CLK 270 cdi for three and a half years now. I came close recently to trading it in for a van, but I just couldn't do it and spent a lot of money on van hire instead! The Merc cost me £1800 with 116k on the clock and the Elegance trim package. I've only put about 12k on it since, so it's cost me one service (at a Merc specialist), 3 MOT fees and the stunning total of £40 in repairs (a ball joint and a windscreen wiper)! The most I've spent on it was £200 for a stage 1 remap and now I get around 35mpg in town driving and a pretty consistent 53 - 55mpg on a run. My last long run was 290 miles at an aversage 60mph that returned 55mpg.
This car still blows me away when I consider how good it's been, and I think I'll quite happily spend a substantial amount of money on it if/when it needs it rather than chop it in for an unknown risk on something else.
Brilliant, it has been really good to you, especially given that low price so bravo on picking a good car! I need to try a diesel one.
I have a CLK 200 aswell but thinking about costs stresses me out so I never wrote anything down and I'm blissfully ignorant to how expensive it might be to run. I've had enough money to fix it when it needed it and that's good enough for me
Sometimes that's the best way :)
In the year and a half of owning my 2005 v6. 320 petrol , I’ve only had to replace the alternator, was around £100 , tax is 350 a year , fuel cost , that depends what mood I’m in lol , but in my eyes reasonable for a big engine and a heavy right foot at times , service wise, I can’t give you that figure as I have good friends around me who have always helped , but parts prices are good considering it’s a merc , all in all a good value motor , I paid £2k original purchase price,
And as usual jack , great video , with good info
Cheers Dougie, another reasonable to run CLK by the sounds of it. No chance of getting good MPG when you've got an engine that sounds like that at high revs 😂
Man... You bought a 2006 clk with low mileage for a price 500 euros higher than mine but i had 133k kms lol. Shit either you get a mad bargain or i got scammed. But most CLKs in germany were around that price range. Yours would cost 10k+ here. So congrats on that incredible deal.
Tax is def much cheaper in germany. 120 Euros per year.
I've had mine for two years now. Bought it with 133k kms and now it's at 151k km. I've replaced the timing chain, new tires, new front axle, new wipers like yours, new brake hoses and all that costs around 3300-3500 euros with the timing chain being the most expensive thing done.
Tax at 120 euro per year
Insurance at 460
Gas prices would be similar to yours. I drive some Autobahn so I've a combined consumption of like 8. 5 L now.
Overall worth every penny. But I also need to replace the breaking disc and pads sometime this year. And i also want to flush the gearbox. This car isn't that expensive to run considering what its worth and all the premium feel it has. I plan to keep it for at least the next 4 years as well
Don't get too worried about that, it's the UK prices! We have probably the lowest prices in used cars than any country in the world I think. So believe it or not, the amount I paid was a big chunk for what most people here would just see as an 'old car'. I do agree that its a great price for what you get though!
I can be jealous of your road tax, 120 euros is about £100, and I pay over £400!
Definitely worth doing the gearbox flush, I've got records for mine being done in 2018 :)
@@JJonCars oh wow I didn't know that. Yea at the end it's all relative i guess. Still crazy to think about it because i know for a fact your clk with those rims and that mileage is 9-10k here.
Yea I'll probably do the gearbox flush as a 20th birthday present lol. My CLK becomes 20 years old in Mai. It's a 2004 model year. Although what's weird is that it has the SA Code 805 which stands for 2005 model. The vehicle registration certificate states that the vehicle was first registered in 2004. So probably a mistake somewhere. At least I have the facelift interior.
And yea 120 euros is nothing. I actually looked and saw the c class coupe you reviewed as a c180 costs just a measly 74 euros tax here
@@emjay1249 Facelift interior is definitely better :) 2004 is very early for it. Do you have the prefacelift grille?
I'm sure it will appreciate its birthday present 😄
The UK car tax system is all over the place. You can tax a lot of 2010's diesel cars for just £20 a year because of the low CO2 - but of course now those same cars are subject to expensive ULEZ charges because it turns out they are actually polluting. Where as a V8 petrol will be ULEZ free but could be £700 a year to tax 😂
I'm quite curious to know how the German system works, I suspect it will make more sense than here
@@JJonCars
@JJonCars my whole car is a prefacelift design wise. Just the interior is facelift. That's because the clk has actually gotten two updates. First the interior was lifted in 04 i think including the front axle and then in 05 or 06 they changed the optics. I just wondered why it my car is supposedly build in 04 but has the code for being build in 05 lol
That's a whole mess for sure. In Germany it's just based on how old your car is, emissions and how big the engine is. EVs get no tax the first 10 years.
But I'm not fully informed if there's more to consider with tax. Germany is a bureaucracy hell at the very least lol. I take cheaper car taxes because we pay i think the 2nd most taxes in whole Europe
@@emjay1249 Very strange for sure - I could understand easier if your car had a code older than its registration year - it could have been sat for a while before sale, but the fact its newer than when it was sold is rather odd!
Well, I guess the answer there is, nowhere is perfect 😂
I've a C208 CLK230K and I've personally had no problems with the left falange, although I have had to replace the right one a couple of times.😂 Other than that, it's been completely trouble free, and I absolutely love it. I would suggest JJ, if it hasn't been done for a while, that you have the gearbox serviced. They are quite bulletproof, but do need to be serviced.
Haha, those bloody right felanges eh 😂
A good shout about the gearbox. I've got a record of it being done in 2018, probably about 25,000 miles ago so it should be OK for now :)
Heel interessant! Zelf bezit ik mijn CLK 200 Kompressor, februari 2009/80.000 km, automaat 5 gearbox,. Vermogen
135 kW (184 pk), Lichtmetalen velgen 17 Inch met 245/40/17 Michelin Pilot Sport zomer banden
In gebruik genomen : vanaf 28 februari 2024. Geen problemen. Tot dusver. Dank je voor je uitleg. En de vele tips die je geeft. Hartelijke groet!
Thank you, you are welcome! You have good tyres :)
Bewaren, prima auto's. Heeft weinig kilometers dus grote kosten zul je lang nog niet hebben. Maar omdat je een automaat hebt zou ik toch aanraden de olie van de V-bak te doen.
Ik woon in frankrijk en rij zelf met een c220 diesel uit 2001 met vier ton op de klok. Heel veel kosten aan gehad maar pech gehad en dus een exemplaar met gebrek aan onderhoud in eerste instantie.
Groeten uit frankrijk
I've heard that these 1.8l kompressor engines can have timing chain problems because they're not doubled like the old 2.0l kompressors. Have owners reported any breakages?
Excellent video, I've always loved this CLK.
There's definitely talk about timing chain issues with these engines. Haven't had any issus myself, so hard to say how common it is as a problem, and if keeping on top of the oil changes helps.
Cheers :)
I haven't had a CLK, I'm one of those people that are afraid of paying out big money 😂I have a Suzuki swift 1.3 DDIS 2011, 138k Kms on the clock and it's honestly in great condition, super happy with it, a really nice sporty looking car but repairs and maintenance are very cheap. I also love the fact that for a small super mini it handles so well and is very well planted due to it being 1.15 tons due to the diesel engine making it stick to the road better in my opinion at a small cost to 0-60. Tax is 190 euro for the year in Ireland and it sips petrol on long trips 😊
I really like that generation of Swift. Have thought about having one in the past and recently a nice Swift Sport came up for sale on an Instagram account I follow, which was quite tempting as they are supposed to be really fun. So yeah, nice affordable car but still enjoyable to drive too, and I think they look quite good in a Japanese Mini kinda of way.
Yeah, I'd like a swift sport myself, but I will say that these cars are a little on the harsh side ride comfort wise, if I bought a swift sport I'd probably have to put standard springs on it 😂
@@novicetheaf haha yes true, daily driver has to have some comfort. The ride on my CLK is too firm for my liking to be honest but it does make up for it in the corners.
What a stunning car!
Thanks, I must agree!
In 2019, I didn't know much about cars, so I bought my Clk 240 with 245.000 km for 3300€. I tried to maintain it well, however after driving another 40.000, last October car died. I'm so so sad, because I believe CLK is the best looking mercedes. If at the time I'd know better, I'd get better engine and obviously less milage, so it is still my desire to get one some day.
RIP old CLK 240 :(
Great & honest video and a lovely car it's a keeper 👍
Thank you very much. Definitely :)
That's a classy looking car, and it looks like it was the right car at the right price at the right time for you. I've just looked at Auto Trader and there's nothing at your mileage and purchase price that even comes close. Keeping a record of fuel used is a bit too anal for me, but if it keeps you happy, why not!
Yeah, they do sometimes come up still, for similar money. But not all that often. I wasn't specifically looking for a CLK at the time but it has always been a car I'd admired, so seeing such a nice one for sale at a garage I felt I could trust (high peak autos) I jumped at it.
As for recording of fuel it's just pure habit now to log it in the app before the person at the pump behind gets back in their car 😂
@@JJonCars You're lucky that you not only live in a nice part of the world, and it's also convenient for High Peak Autos! Now that I'm retired, my use of the car has dropped somewhat - I don't use it every day, occasionally just once a week when on a grocery supply run. Because of that, I'm only fuelling the car every couple of months or so, I do 'log' it on my Google Calendar when I've fuelled up, just as a reminder, and not for any analytical purpose.
@@fredonline true! What car do you have btw Fred?
@@JJonCars Nothing fancy, it's a 2018 Hyundai i30 1.4 T-GDI SE NAV, had it just coming up on 2 years now.
@@fredonline Decent car I'm sure, and sounds like a high spec 👌
Been enjoying your videos on the CLK. After seeing the video where your dash died, it's worth noting that you can get a lot of diagnostic information yourself. As you realized, the generic OBDII readers won't cut it but you can use Mercedes specific aftermarket tools like the NT530 or StarCOM from Secons.
FYI, I've owned my 2007 CLK 220 coming up to 6 months... it's on 126k! So a little bit more used than yours.
Cool thank you. Might have to look into one of those if/when something else comes up. Cheers :)
Hi! I’m also looking to buy this week a 07 clk 220. It’s coming with 7 speeds automatic ? And also, when I’m going to see the car, where I will need to pay attention ? Any specific bits that need to be checked ?
I think these costs are very reasonable for such a luxury car and hopefully some of the investment was required to move the car to an "up to scratch"-status again, i.e., won't continue like that in the future. I have the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 on my CLK 200 and am very happy with them (but I'm not a demanding driver). I had to put quite some initial investment into my CLK 200 after it had been a bit neglected before, but hope that I'll be able to enjoy it for a long time now. I had no idea that I'd feel the rear-wheel drive to the extent I do. Having driven front-wheel drive cars all my life, I had no idea on what I was missing out on. It is so much fun to drive! :) N.B., if you ever want to have a good GPS navigation system in your car, there are Android units that fit in very well, i.e., in terms of styling pretty much look like they had been there since day one. I would not have wanted to slap on some flat screen that looks out of place but am very happy with the option I found. I used the opportunity to install a reversing camera as well. :)
Agreed!
When I bought my CLK I also hadn't owned rear wheel drive before, so I'm with you there, it really does make the difference :) Worth your investment I'd say. My parking sensors aren't happy so the reversing camera would definitely be useful, much prefer a camera to sensors anyway.
owned a 2004 CLK320 NA V6 A209 model for over 10years I have put over 140,000 kms on it
things can go wrong with this car the only thing about mercedes I can say is the slightest change in how it drives like feel or sound - something is wrong so get it checked out. |
other than that its a very reliable vehicle
Good video. Can you recommend anywhere for wheel tracking? I have an SLK of similar age and would be interested in places with expertise in Mercedes specifically
Thank you. To be honest as far as I know with wheel alignment/tracking, any place that offers it should be OK, I don't think there's any need for a place that specialises in Mercedes. But I'm happy to be proven wrong here!
Pretty good running cost .you could lose more than that in depreciation if you bought a new car .Great looking car as well.
Yeah my thoughts exactly :)
I have a clk 280 cabriolet that’s a 3 litre v6 at 80k miles fully stamped. Reliable and costs reasonable. But Road tax is heavy. MB
service book is full so now only digital records which I have printed out. Mercedes said they would not supply a new book but sounds like you have one on the way. Odd.
Nice car. I got the new service book off ebay :) I think Mercedes themselves want to just use the digital records and aren't bothered with the old way!
nice one@@JJonCars
Had my 2008 clk 220 for 13 years. Brilliant drive and love it to bits. 80k miles. Worth pennnies but who cares.
Yep, what they're worth doesn't really matter if you enjoy the car :)
Having bought a cheapie ive spent a couple of grand dragging it up to mechanical spec. In for crankshat position sensor on Thursday. Its smiles per miles and far cheaper that modern crap
Awesome. Are you by any chance the chap I ran into at rustival?
When do you service it? or do you just trust your gut feeling when the car feels off? how to do preventable repairs before it breaks down or light warnings come on? I'm buying the exact car you have, mot is brand new and thinking it might be a ghost mot, i would appreciate any tips before buying, thanks
You shouldn't wait until it feels off :) Servicing generally makes no noticable difference to the car in how it feels to drive, it's all about preventative maintenance and avoiding damage in the long term.
Personally I get it serviced every year with a minimum of oil and oil filter change (I do around 6,000 miles a year). Mercedes have recommendations for when things should be done - e.g. spark plugs every X miles, gearbox service at X miles etc etc. So I try to follow those too.
Of course, servicing can't prevent every issue your car might have, but it certainly will help keep the car running for a lot lot longer.
Also, if you get your car serviced at a Mercedes specialist, they will check over the car quite thoroughly and tell you if anything needs fixing or replacing, before it goes wrong and breaks down :)
If I may ask. In comparison, how much did you spend to maintain your Vauxhall Astra?
The Astra was brand new, so it just needed a couple of services - can't remember the price of them but lets say something like £200 a go. I was paying a lease on the car so it probably cost more to run overall than the old Merc. But that's for a brand new car, which you'd expect really.
I’m really curious about getting one of these CLKs. I can see that with abut 100k miles they go for about 1-1.5k on eBay which is super cheap!
Is there anything I should be worried about? And is that price too good to be true?
The usual advice of trying to find a car with full service history applies with these. They are reliable cars but they do need to be maintained on schedule, otherwise they can be expensive to sort out if there's a lot of deferred maintenance. I'd recommend looking at SPR Autos CLK buyers guide for more information.
They are cheap though, and not necessarily because its too good to be true. But I'd probably try and find a nice one for 3k rather than buy the cheapest one I could find :)
Are these maintenance prices from dealership ? It looks relatively cheap. I have my C180 2013 in France and just a service would be minimum 350EUR and B service minimum 650
They are prices from a Mercedes specialist, rather than the dealership. I would recommend a specialist over a dealership anyway, as they are cheaper and often actually know the older cars better than Mercedes themselves.
Would you recommend premium fuel for this car ?
Personally I just fill it up with standard 95 RON Unleaded (E10). There is some confusion around the 200 Kompressor specifically as the government site states you should use E5 (premium fuel) for the CLK 200 CGI. But this is a different engine :)
Some say that E10 will damage certain things over time, but Europe have had E10 for longer than us, and I've not heard anything about issues caused by it.
As for the RON rating, there's no need for higher than 95 in this car.
Looking at a 320 petrol with 110k miles should j be worried about a rebuild any time soon?
If it has been serviced and looked after then absolutely not. The 320 petrol is one of the most reliable engines Mercedes have built. They can leak oil but that can be rectified easily enough :)
@@JJonCars thank you
Very smart wheels.
Cheers - they're getting refurbed soon :)
You’re opening comments about the pub motoring journalists who know everything about every nice car but inevitably either drive something completely boring or completely shite and it’s usually down to green eyed envy because their wives not allowing them to have anything fun or attractive, not that these fellas are usually any oil paintings
Hahaha, it's so true
Yes JJ it's me. Apologies for my awkwardness on the day
I don't remember any awkwardness :D Good to meet you mate
thats extremely high cost for a 40k km car lol. its basically brand new... it shouldnt have any things for change/repair with that low mileage
It only had one actual fault - the instrument cluster at £60. Everything else is tyres, brakes, servicing, couple of bits of suspension. So I don't agree with you there.
Cars are so cheap in the UK. That same exact car would be double here in The Netherlands.
Crazy! I thought I'd spent a lot on this car at £6000. They are even cheaper now...
@@JJonCars I just bought a clk 500 with 70k on the clock and good service history in nice condition for £5k if it looks as good underneath as it does on top i will be well happy. 😎
@@sumkunt0r sounds like a good price :) enjoy!
What can i say, a car with so little milage you change suspension arms, brake discs, i think you bought a lemon. I have a C240 sport 1998 , today 115000 on the clock ( i bought it 2015 82000) never needed suspension parts or brake discs, the only somehow expensive was when i changed the sparkplugs (12×9= £108 + labour, and water pump ( £50 + labour) the rest is the normal stuff, oil, oil filter, brake pads , tyres, maximum spend the 9 years £900
A lemon 😂😂😂😂 Ok dude. Maybe yours had already had the suspension/brake discs done before you had it - a lot of it will be to do with age rather than miles. It's been a very affordable car to run all in all.
I've had my 500 for 18 months now, replaced rear brakes and that's about it other than services
Needless to say i'm not gonna be counting my fuel :D
My tax is the same as yours
Brilliant. The 5.0 V8 is supposed to be a very reliable and robust engine.
Hahah yes, best not 😂
That mileage can't be true mileage. Have You had a computer read out done, by mercedes agent on systems to check it.
Repairs your done on a supposedly low mileage mercedes .suspension not likly.
Mercedes make them better than that.
Maybe it's an age thing? And the firm sports suspension can't help as the impacts are greater etc. I've got no reason whatsoever to think the mileage isn't genuine
this clk is for hairdressers and looks ugly. the only true clk is the predecessor model W208