Which car CLK Coupe,Cabrio or C36/C43(T)

[bigasotonuk]

Hi,
Been thinking of replacing my current C class with possibly C36 or C43(T)
or a CLK Coupe or even cabrio if i can stretch to it
Few questions prices of consumables/service items on the AMGs compared to my C230K and did they do a manual option?
CLK i,ll try and get a early 209 but i think 208 is more likely did they ever make a manual option in these?
If i buy hardtop i would settle for the 230k engine but with the added wieght of a cabrio wouldnt the 230k engine be a bit gutless.
Any comments thoughts would be very interested

 

[Brett]

Hi,
Been thinking of replacing my current C class with possibly C36 or C43(T)
or a CLK Coupe or even cabrio if i can stretch to it
Few questions prices of consumables/service items on the AMGs compared to my C230K and did they do a manual option?
CLK i,ll try and get a early 209 but i think 208 is more likely did they ever make a manual option in these?
If i buy hardtop i would settle for the 230k engine but with the added wieght of a cabrio wouldnt the 230k engine be a bit gutless.
Any comments thoughts would be very interested

Ok starting from the top...

Consumables/service items are more expensive for the AMG vehicles - typically 15-20% in my (limited) experience. There was no manual AMG engined CLK. I had a manual 230Kompressor and whilst the gearbox was notchy and the clutch pedal slightly offset, it still gave a reasonable drive.

Both 208 and 209 AMG engined CLK's are automatic only.

I've only ever seen one aftermarket CLK hardtop and it looked awful IMHO. Merc didn't do a hardtop for the CLK cabriolet to the best of my knowledge.

I've had a W208 CLK230Kompressor Coupe, a A208 CLK320 Cabriolet, and now a A209 CLK55 AMG Cabriolet. They all were rewarding in their own way, but the 209 series is much more modern in the cockpit. All depends on budget to buy the car, and equally, budget to run the car.

 

[bigasotonuk]

Sorry i realised about the lack off hard top should of said cabriolet
So possible manual option on the 230k clk ever heard of a manual 320?
What was the coupe like compared to the cabriolet in 230k engine option did it still pull as hard just i,ve heard that they are a bit gutless because of the extra wieght of a cabriolet.

 

[Robert Cox]

I've had a 2000 CLK230K cabrio for 6 months (having sold the MGA I'd had for 28 years) and I love it. It's far from sluggish, and according to the figures, 0-100kph is only 1 sec slower than the 320, although I'm told the 320 is a much smoother engine. The CLK230 does sound more sporty though...

What I like about the 230K engine is the combination of power when you want it, yet economy on a trip (7.5litres/100km).

We bought the cabrio 600kms away and drove through 8 hours of rain bringing it home. Not one drop of water entered the cabin. (In the MG, you needed an umbrella even with the roof up ).

Yes, the 209 is more modern than the 208, but many think the 208 cabrio has nicer lines overall. (I think the reverse is true of the coupes).

My only "complaint" about the CLK cab is that with the roof down, it looks a bit "flashy" and can arouse nasty reactions from some other drivers (usually younger ones) - people think a 59yo should drive something more sedate ;-). People used to "admire" my MGA, but they "envy" the CLK. There's a big difference...

My 2c worth...

 

[jon_harley]

So possible manual option on the 230k clk ever heard of a manual 320?
What was the coupe like compared to the cabriolet in 230k engine option did it still pull as hard just i,ve heard that they are a bit gutless because of the extra wieght of a cabriolet.

The W209 was never offered as a manual with the 320 engine.

I've never driven the 230 but I've read on here that the engine is heavier than the 320 so the difference in economy is less than you'd expect. Of course the 320 is a lovely smooth V6 Also, I doubt the coupe/cabrio weight difference is that huge - some of what you lose in extra stiffening you gain in having a fabric roof!

 

[jon_harley]

I've had a 2000 CLK230K cabrio for 6 months (having sold the MGA I'd had for 28 years) and I love it. It's far from sluggish, and according to the figures, 0-100kph is only 1 sec slower than the 320

9 seconds instead of 8 is about 12% slower - that's quite a lot...

My only "complaint" about the CLK cab is that with the roof down, it looks a bit "flashy" and can arouse nasty reactions from some other drivers (usually younger ones) - people think a 59yo should drive something more sedate ;-). People used to "admire" my MGA, but they "envy" the CLK. There's a big difference...

I must say I haven't had any nasty reactions, at least so far. A lot of people have made admiring comments about my CLK cabrio and how good it looks, including total strangers. It took me by surprise at first as I've never experienced this before!

 

[Alfie]

Hi,
Been thinking of replacing my current C class with possibly C36 or C43(T)
or a CLK Coupe or even cabrio if i can stretch to it
Few questions prices of consumables/service items on the AMGs compared to my C230K and did they do a manual option?
CLK i,ll try and get a early 209 but i think 208 is more likely did they ever make a manual option in these?
If i buy hardtop i would settle for the 230k engine but with the added wieght of a cabrio wouldnt the 230k engine be a bit gutless.
Any comments thoughts would be very interested

The 320 is far smoother than the 230k or the 200/200k models. Fuel consumption on my W208 320 CLK cabrio is about 22 around town and 33 on a short run. Performance is way better than the 230K's and the sound of a V6 is definately better. The 320 was never offered as a manual. the roof mechanism is great, never leaks and wind noise at speed is surprisingly low. there was an ultra rare W208 CLK 55 cabriolet made which I'd love to get my hands on but sadly only 39 were made.

 

[Brett]

there was an ultra rare W208 CLK 55 cabriolet made which I'd love to get my hands on but sadly only 39 were made.

Never officially imported into the UK - I searched for one for a few years and gave up in the end. I settled for a A209 55 AMG Cab as compensation . Rumour has it that there were 6 RHD A208 Cab's imported privately, but I've yet to find one for sale...

 

[Alfie]

Never officially imported into the UK - I searched for one for a few years and gave up in the end. I settled for a A209 55 AMG Cab as compensation . Rumour has it that there were 6 RHD A208 Cab's imported privately, but I've yet to find one for sale...

They were available through the dealer network to special order only. I've seen two. One (tansanite blue) on ebay a long time ago being broken up for parts and another in silver which was sold in Chobham about a year ago. I missed it by 1 day

Looking through an old 2002 autocar there was a dealer in there selling one for £75k. A member on another forum reports having seen one in Greenoaks for sale a while ago for £92k. It was brand new and unregistered! I thought about buying one in the states as there are loads of them out there and quite cheap too. The only problem would be converting it to RHD.