| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 3 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
3.6 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 10000 miles |
| Previous car | Mercedes-Benz E-Class |
Summary:
The gearbox is made out of Mecano
Faults:
Gearbox, clutch and flywheel replaced at 6,000 miles.
Cruse control stalk ceased to work, replaced, but still faulty.
Electric windows often automatically open when trying to shut.
General Comments:
I would never buy a Mercedes manual transmission ever again, they live up to their terrible reputation.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 10th October, 2002
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 3.2 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 8 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) |
8.2 / 10
|
| Distance when acquired | 5 miles |
| Most recent distance | 700 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 3 Series |
Summary:
Reliable, fast and beautiful
General Comments:
This is one of the best cars I have driven for comfort and performance.
I would highly recommend the 320 over the 230 Kompressor.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th September, 2001
On paper the power and torque of the CLK 230K is close to the CLK 320. Why do you highly recommend the CLK 320 in comparison?
Sorry, a Kompressor is not a turbo, it is a supercharger. And, the 3.2 Daimler Benz engine is just straight, pure kinetic energy vs. supercharging a 2.3 litre engine which you are actually creating extra potential energy which is converted to kinetic energy - so you feel the stress as you accelerate.
I was on the Neurburgring circuit for an a.m. last week in my 186,000 km 1997 CLK 320. All the way from the Austrian border to past Frankfurt, I averaged 220 km/hr and when I paid and got onto the circuit I was drifting on the hairpins with my 1997 factory shocks and 16 inch rims and snow tires. If I converted to DTM standards, this car will kick the derriere of those M5 taxis any day. Yeah, I love my 320 and sneer at the Kompressor 230.
I converted the body of my 1997 CLK 320 to look like the 2001 AMG CL 55. The body tuning begins with a metal Mercedes logo worked into the front grille (got it off a salvage MB truck), and taking off the hood ornament and putting on a flat logo (got it off my wife's SLK and I got her a new one from the dealer).
Next, I converted the side rear view mirrors by adding signal lights using an after-market kit. I replaced the 16 inch rims with 18 inch AMG rims and low profile tires (this was the most expensive bit, but I got an AMG sticker out of it and legitimately claim at least some AMG aspects).
Next I had my exhaust pipe converted to a Y-joint and got a 2nd chrome cover on the second pipe (had to slice off a concave portion in the rear bumper). This actually messed up my 3.2 litre's performance, but what the heck, it looks like an old AMG CL now!