I literally almost killed myself in the CLK 430 in the snow yesterday. Luckily nothing happened but I have no confidence in the car anymore even in the slightest snow on the ground. It is almost as bad as the 87' Mustang LX 5.0 I use to have.

I love the car but I value my life much more and unfortunately snow is a part of NYC. Now I am gonna have to park the car till all the snow melts.

a friend of mine just bought the x5 with the new 4.4 and 6 speed auto tranny...and the car simply rocks with the all time 4 wd. The 2004 x5 modestly equipped is running low 60s

I thought about getting a second car but will cost me in parking and the additional insurance that will be like an extra $200 or more a month.


Im really pissed at this whole situation and figured I ll vent before I drive myself nuts

 

What sort of tires have you got on that Benz Lou?


Jens

 

wow...lou that didn't take long at all.....

 

you must be kidding. how much per year do you spend on car depreciation?? just get a winter beater.

 

10 yrs...you'll have a Sante Fe if you keep trading in cars with the depreciation! Of wait, you obviously have too much money. :P

I wish I had problems with a CK430....I'll deal with my CL-S thanks.

FWIW my fiance's MDX does just fine in the snow.

 

Bad thing about buying a beater in NYC is the cost of parking. Almost doesn't make it worth it

 

Lou, you gotta get a good set of snow tires. My wifes old CLK sucked in the snow with the stock Continentals. When we saw a FORD GRANADA pass us by in about 3", I knew we had to try something. As soon as we put on a set of Pirelli Winter Snow Sports, it made a HUGE difference. When we got her new CLK last month, we bought another set for that one. Zeroday, I agree about a winter car too, we both have SUV's to drive in bad weather, but for some dumb reason or another, sometimes you have to drive the wrong one for the weather. Lou, get a set of snow tires AND a winter beater.

 

Lou, i told you to get that DSM. But you don't listen to me. :P

 

Thanks guys but I never had a problem with a car in the snow like this one. I talked to some guys in the MB forum and they suggested to try snow tires before anything.

The sad reality about cars is they depreciate...you have to accept it. Luckily I bought the CLK used so I wont take such a huge hit like my 6 speed.

and Jens H. the clk 430 comes with Michelin Pilot Sports. Ill try to pick up some 16" wheels and some Blizzak snow tires and put 3..50 lbs bags of rock salt in the trunk.

damn I knew I should of bought my sister's CRV when she offered it to me

 

lou, your addicted to car shopping bro. give it a rest.

 

2g's and get an old integra

 

hey ...

for RWD, you gotta get dedicated snows. my bro's c32 amg had to get 'em otherwise he couldn't get outta the driveway (tires would spin with the stock summers). cost him over C$4k for his rims (went with amg rims & pirrelli tires) but at least he can drive with confidence.

btw, the snowsports will last you a lot longer than the michelin sport-pilot a/s, no doubt.

my $0.02 ...

 

Lou are you nuts running around with those tires? Rondog made it home from jersey to Yonkers in a Bimmer with all seasons. Really you have to try all seasons or winter rubber. Keep the benz and get yourself an old blazer or cherokee beater for the winterwith 4x4. You will save yourself money on the car, insurance, parts if need be, ect. Yo, you gotta save money, not telling you what to do, but people hit slumps, it happens to everyone, then they wish they saved all the money they ever had instead of buying useless shit all the time. Just rying to help man.

 

Wait a minute Lou.
You bought a high power RWD V8 car for ALL SEASON New York driving and you’re just realizing this was a BAD idea ???
Sorry, I have to give you the reward for the day.

I think you need to post over in the “TL bashing by C/D” thread where there are many who say RWD is just fine in the snow.

Shawn S

 

the FWD gods are pleased by your post Shawn S.

 

Yes they are. You will be blessed with 10 extra hp from now on.























(On a side note the FWD gods charge a $299.99 a month hp documenting fee...)

 

you are driving on low profile SUMMER tires in snow? Even a FWD car wont be any good in snow with the pilot sports.

 

thats what i what thinkin.....

when i was shopping for a car i know i aint got a winter beater so the fastest fwd car was the cl-s....

lou

just get some snow tires if u like the benz, if u can afford to take the hit and want an x5 go for it

just do what ever makes ya happy

 

Buy a beater for a grand or two and put the CLK in storage. No way sorage is more than $200/month, and it'll be safe unlike a parking garage. Put it somewhere out of the city if it's cheaper.

To me X5 is overrated and overpriced. What can a $60k X5 do that a $3k Cherokee or Explorer cant do in the winter? You'd regret it when spring time comes.

 

from your post it seems like u havent driven a x5 before, it is a great suv or truck.... its actually the only suv i enjoy driving bcause it handles so great and feels like a sports car w/ the heavy steering and the monstrous 4.4 liter

 

I haent driven one, but I have rode in one extensively. It's not a bad SUV, but the handling/speed/pimp factor is nowhere comparable to a CLK even if it is just a 430.

To me, for $60k he could get a WRX for the winter and a 03 Cobra for his fun car. Thats just my opinion though.

 

how about a Forrester XT winter beater. hehe.

 

whats a good winter beater guys so I can start shopping around and pricing the extra insurance cost.

The benz is parked safely under a 24 hr security garage so I wont be worried about it but the winter beater Ill park in the streets.

Shawn S. I dont think that the clk is bad in the winter because its RWD....it has a lot to do with it but one of the guys who helped me push had an old BMW 5 series....he had no problem driving out of the same street. Then to add insult to injury I hop in a cab which is RWD and he drove right past my stuck CLK parked on the side of the road. :crying:

I would say this car is worse than the Mustang

 

Take the Pilot Sports off, spend a few hondo on a GOOD set of winter rims and tires and forget about the rest.

 

DOOD!!!

He has 3-season tires on, trying to drive through a foot of snow. I'd like to see you do that same in the Blinger...

 

funniest shit i heard all day. Sorry lou, i feel your pain.

 

the more I look at the truck....





standard features

Performance and Efficiency
4.4-liter, 315-hp 32-valve V-8 engine, 4 overhead camshafts, Valvetronic, and steplesslyv ariable intake manifold


6-speed electronicallycontr olled automatic transmission with Adaptive Transmission Control and STEPTRONIC gear selction, including Sport mode


Handling, ride and braking
xDrive all-wheel drive system


All Season Traction for all-wheel drive


Dynamic Stability Control (DSC-X) with Cornering Brake Control


Dynamic Brake Control


Hill Descent Control (HDC)


Double-pivot strut-type front suspension


Front subframe with dual hydraulic mounts


Self-leveling rear axle with air springs


Aluminum 4-link integral rear suspension


Rear subframe on 4 rubber mounts


Front and rear anti-roll (stabilizer) bars


Twin-tube gas-pressure shock absorbers


Engine-speed-sensitive power steering


4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with ventilated front discs; electronic front/rear proportioning


Exterior
18 x 8.5 Double Spoke (Styling 153) cast-alloy wheels, and 255/55R-18 all-season tires


Spare tire – 235/65R-17 all-season tire on 17 x 7.5 cast-alloy V Spoke wheel


Xenon low- and high-beam headlights with auto-leveling


- Halogen free-form low-beam headlights
- Halogen free-form foglights
- Rain-sensing windshield wipers
Intermittent windshield wipers with adjustable and vehicle-speed-sensitive wiping interval, single-wipe control, windshield-washer system with heated washer jets
- Rear-window wiper/washer with adjustable wiping interval
- Roof rails (accommodate various BMW roof carrier systems)
- Metallic paint
- Body-color exterior door and tailgate handles
- Interior seating and trim
8-way power driver’s and passenger’s seat
- Memory system for driver’s seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors (3 settings)
- Front-seat center console with armrest, phone accommodation, storage compartment
- Rear-seat center armrest
- Split folding rear seats
- Dakota leather upholstery (seating, head restraints and door trim)
- Leather shift knob, handbrake grip and boot
- 4-spoke, power tilt/telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise, audio and phone controls
- Light Poplar Wood interior trim
- Dual front sun visors with illuminated mirrors
- Fully finished cargo area with velour carpeting, tool kit under floor
- Retractable cargo cover
- Comfort and convenience
Vehicle & Key Memory
- Power windows with key-off operation; “one-touch” opening and closing of all door windows, anti-trapping feature and opening from remote
- Air conditioning
- Rear climate control
- Active-charcoal micro-filter ventilation
- Keyless entry with multi-function remote control;2-step unlocking and remote tailgate release
- Automatic headlight control
- Dual cupholders front and rear (total: 4-cup capacity)
- BMW Ambiance Lighting
- Instrumentation and controls
Service Interval Indicator
- Electronic analog instrumentation with LED illumination
- Outside-temperature display
- Check Control vehicle monitor
- 4-function on-board computer
- Time-delay courtesy lights with actuation from driver’s exterior door handle or remote control; automatic switch-on when engine is turned off
- Rear-window defroster
- Interior tailgate release, electrically operated
- Separately controllable front and rear reading lights
- BMW Universal Transceiver (garage-door opener)
- Audio system
Anti-theft AM/FM stereo CD radio with Radio Data System (RDS), 3-channel FM diversity antenna system
- High-fidelity 10-speaker sound system
- Pre-wiring for BMW mobile phone systems
- Safety and security
Dual front-impact airbag Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) with dual-threshold and dual-stage deployment
- 3-point safety belts and head restraints at all seating positions
- Front safety belts with automatic pretensioners and force limiters
- Front- and rear-compartment Head Protection System (HPS) with front side-impact airbags
- Integrated deployment logic for safety-belt pretensioners, airbags and post-impact safety measures
- Adaptive Brake Lights
- Battery Safety Terminal
- Central locking system
- Coded Driveaway Protection
- Alarm system with operation from keyhead remote, interior motion detector

 

Lou... I went for a test drive in an X5 with my boss a few days ago. He's looking for something to replace his Explorer.

We also test drove within the past 2 weeks a Forester, Element, CR-V, and Xterra. Why such crappy cars compared to the X5? His requirement is a manual tranny which isn't on any of the other nicer SUV's.

The X5 is nice, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it. It's WAY overpriced for what you get, terribly small storage space for the size of the truck (smaller space than all of the trucks listed above), and just not 2x more impressive than the trucks above (but it's 2x their price)

The handling is better than the rest, but it's still a truck. It's handling isn't comparable to your CLK. I'd keep your CLK, try to get some snow tires. You live in NYC. It snows bad only a few times a year. You will be able to handle the winter in snow tires.

My feeling: X5 is a waste of $$ and it's pimp factor is significantly less than the CLK. I see X5's all the time. Not CLK's though

 

lou u should know mercedes suck in the snow, my dad cant get it out the driveway yesterday. X5 is nice to .

 

Thanks Cusdaddy

I really love the CLK 430...even when it was stuck in the snow girls were telling me how nice the car is and didnt understand how it could be stuck. The girls said that I should take it back to the dealer and have it checked .....I just kept my mouth shut and wondered can they be that ignorant .

Hey cusdaddy I was even looking to getting into the TL A-spec with 18"s....thats how disappointed I am

 

hey lou u liked the tl so it woudn't be something u did not like.

 

thats my point....Benz in the snow is like

having one chopstick


ABSOLUTELY USELESS

 

lou my dad is getting an x5 or escalade to because he can't use the benz. but he will still keep the benz he loves it. 03 e500 with amg package.

 

yea but your dad is rolling deep Im only a

30 year old starting out in the game

why is the A-spec $5200 plus labor is it worth it

 

no ant get get it cheaper for u later on for sure. aspec not worth over 5,000. my dad loves his cars to, he rather sell one of his kids then get rid of his cars.....

 

Lou... If you get the A-Spec TL, it uses Potenza RE-030's. Very similar to the 040's on the Z. They are summer tires only. The performance in the snow will be exactly the same as your Benz. They explicitly state that they can not be used in the snow.

I'd recommend getting a set of Blizzak's and cheap rims for your Benz. The outlay would only be about $1k and would save you a lot more than getting another car. I think it's worth a shot. I did it for the Z, and it helps

 

Hey cusdaddy lets get together sometime and shoot the sheet...maybe do a couple of passes CLK 430 and the Z 350

I lost your tel # when I lost my last cell phone

 

FWIW,
Nissan 240 SX on snows no problem
2 Ford Mustangs on snows no problems
Multiple RWD Alfas on snows no problem
Lou go get some Blizzaks or a set of Michelin Arctic Alpins ,stop looking for an excuse to go get some sort of silly SUV .

Jens

 

Just get a winter beater. In a year or two you'll want to sell the X5 anyway.

 

You have a PM.. I'll see if I can get my friend with the CLK500 to come out too