I believe the option price for HIDs is a little under $1,000. Or, if you get the Premium II package for $6,000 something, they throw those in!

I like them on the TL but this car didn't have them. I don't know if I would pay that much for them either on a M-B or a BMW. The halogen lighting is very good but I'm sure the HID are better.

I had to force myself to keep from telling the snobby M-B saleslady that all these options that are so expensive on the M-B were standard on my Acura TL.

Also, the navi is not voice operated. Neither is it touch screen. It's a good one but is harder to program destinations. I'm spoiled by the TL.

 

congrats man!

enjoy!

 

Performance differences marginal?

Whatever you say...

CLK550 Power: 382 HP @ 6,000 rpm; 391 ft lb @ 2,800 rpm

CLK350 Power: 268 HP @ 6,000 rpm; 258 ft lb @ 2,400 rpm

haha jk, congrats on the purchase !

 

Every single post I've seen you make is always talking about how your Camry SE is better than the Accord handling and power-wise. Then when you decide to make a post about something else, you completely trash a manufacturer.

 

Brother, BEAUTIFUL CAR!!!! Well done-congrats.



National Acura Meet-June 6th/Kansas City. Click here for details and to sign up!



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Beautiful car, especially the interior. Congrats.

 

Thanks to (almost) all for the nice words.

To the rest? This is the Internet. Negative comments go with the territory. I read them all and give cred to the ones that are reasonable.

You don't get to be a Mega Mod by having thin skin!

 

I spoke of performance differences; not horsepower differences. The 5.5L V8 is obviously more powerful.

The difference in 0-60 times is about one second in the tests I have read. Seat-of-the-pants differences are marginal as both feel very fast with the 7-speed automatic. So, my point is that I couldn't justify spending several thousand dollars more for a slightly better thrill about once or twice a month when I decide to stand on it.

Although I own stock in Exxon-Mobil, I would like to get some decent mileage out of my $3.19/gal fuel.

Besides, [snob tone] One doesn't race one's Mercedes on the street. [/snob tone]

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

You can't tell from that photo but the front courtyard goes into a porte-cochere on the ground floor. The ground floor is mostly a parking garage. The living quarters are in the three floors above. Also, there is a roof garden and a "widow's walk" at the very top. It's 23,000 sq ft.

 

Is it a retirement home?

Congrats on the new car gramps!

But really it looks like a great buy and the car still looks brand new! Bet its a great cruiser!

What other cars were you looking at? Any reviews about them and why you picked the benz over all else?

 

Congrats Xp!

 

I looked at luxury/sports cars in three counties of South Florida. I started at the BMW dealer and they had a 2003 CLK Cabriolet that caught my eye. I kept moving my budget upwards as this was not to replace my main ride (the Acura TL), but to supplement it. I also looked for a nearly new 335i Coupe and a 135 Coupe but could not find any. Right now, all the 2007 models are coming off of lease and there is an abundant supply of them.

I considered a SLK350 as I always liked them. I would also consider a Z4. I even looked at a Porche CaymanS and a Panamera... totally mind-blowing gorgeous but way too much money.

I am more of a BMW admirer than M-B ordinarily. Reasons are obvious. I consider the BMW to be more fun to drive on the Dragon's Tail at 9/10ths. I have done that in a BMW. But, below the ragged edge, the M-B is a very satisfying ride that puts a smile on your face as you adjust your sun glasses and imagine that everyone is trying to guess who you are. It's a fluffer for your ego. It makes you feel like the road is there for your pleasure and all the other cars are just background. It feels quicker than the TL even though, in fact, I don't think it is. It SOUNDS better, for sure. With the windows all down, it has a sweet sound when you get on it.

The gadgets are unending but difficult to find and master. They are not intuitive unless, maybe, you are German. Once learned, however, they are very useful and fun. They are over-engineered with a lot of safety built in. Many systems have redundant back-up systems in case the first one fails. Nearly every day, while on my back with tooth picks and Q-tips detailing it, I find a new feature I didn't know it had.

I'm still getting used to it handing me the seat belt every time I get in.

Now here's the "page two": I am convinced that Acura/Honda reverse engineered a M-B when they designed the 3G TL because there are so many similarities. I used to think they did so with a 5-series BMW as the dimensions are almost identical. But trunk hinges, back glass mounting, and so many other things are all too familiar to me. It's like deja vu all over again.

 

Very beautiful car! Congrats!

 

Is that your house?

Congrats on the car, I have an 06 CLK500 and love it...such a great car to cruise around in esp. in the warmer months. A drop and some AMG wheels will really set the car off!

 

I do like CLK's. That black 500 is pretty damn crispy.

 

With where you live, OP, you do not need to make apologies to anyone about your choice of cars.

MB's are nice, and I am considering a CL series coupe once I go back to civilization. It's just not practical here (having a German car in Japan is akin to being Kim Kardashian in a Lesotho slum. Nice to look at but will get it in the ass on a daily basis).

Good luck.

 

(Lost in the visual.......)

 

:shakehead

It's my neighbor's.

 

How did I miss this thread? Dave, congrats! It looks great.

 

Truth is truth.

The car was bought new in 2004 at Beshoff motor in San Jose (between my family and me- we bought 3 E class, a G-wagon, and a CLK that year).

The CLK and the 3 E all had numerous issue. All service record are available at either Beshoff or Claridge (which i think has been sold to Autonation).

CLK was finally trade in for another POS 2007 Odyssey to redwood City honda in 2007. The day i got it back after being in the shop for another 3 weeks waiting for the convertible top motor to be replaced.

I am entitled to have opinion based on my own experiences. My wife's CLK was a POS. So were the 3 W211. Between the 5 mercedes, I actually spend at least one day a week in beshoff or claridge's free mercedes loaner during those 3 years. I practically driven every single color C-class loaner.

I don't BS about things I don't know.

 

Nice!

 

Meanwhile my friend's 2003 CLK500 has over 125,000 miles and has never had a single major issue. One of his headrest motors stopped working. That was the extent of an issue with his car.

Mind you his completely loaded including Nav, Parktronic, Distronic, bixenons, dual-zone climate control, heated seats, etc...

 

My wife CLK vert was fully loaded with keyless go, AMG Sports package, nav (CD-ROM based since DVD command does not come in until 2005 model year), parktronic, distronic, you named it. It was on the car.

The other three E are also loaded. E500, E500 4 matic, and a E55.

The W211 all had problem with sensonic brakes, all three had audio gateway in the trunk that failed which render all navi, command out of commission. E55 was also blessed with failed electronic suspension, which I drove it down to bimmerfest 2005 with the rear of the car raised.

Like i said. My service record at MB is about thick as an encyclopedia.

 

I never said you were bullshitting or that you shouldn't voice your opinion. Its just that I'm someone who tends to not give a crap or notice what other people act like online. But when I actually start to notice that the same person makes the same inflammatory posts over and over, it gets tiring to read.

I'll bow out of this thread since I'm starting to make the same inflammatory and derailing comments. Sorry Xpditor.... and chiawei you can make whatever posts you want from now on and I won't bother ya, since chances are I'm not even going to see them

 

Welcome to the Benz family!

 

more pics of the house?

 

the OP bought an 08 which has much better reliability than the 03-05 models

 

I havent had a single issue with my 06 CLK500. I bought it in 07 with 30k miles on it, currently has about 50k on it. Ive spent less on it than I did on my TL. A couple oil changes, tires and front brake pads...perhaps it is the fact that the 500 motor has been around forever, and by 2006 they had worked the kinks out. Or maybe I was very lucky...

But, in 2004, you were only 1 year into a completely new model cycle (209/211 were first debuted as 2003 models) so that could have something to do with your history with them.

 

I spent about 6 months working across from the courthouse. It was back in 1999 when that 14 yr old kid was charged with murder when he killed that young girl wrestling in their living room. Got to meet Johnny Cochran in person (my client ran the IT department for Broward County local govt).

Stayed in the Riverside Hotel and ate at every restaurant on Las Olas.

Oh and congrats Dave. Beautiful car. Oozes South Florida.

 

I was just commenting on that to my friend this morning. It is a very tropical kind of ride. Wide open and lots of sunlight and warm breezes.

Today, I spent more time on my back with Q-tips and Goo Gone taking more little flecks of tar off the undercarriage and rocker panels.

 

I registered over there. It seems to be mostly So Cal ppl, into modding the M-Bs.

I would like to figure out what the deal is with Mbrace and also how to connect my cell phone (if possible) to the system. I'm told that aftermarket is the way to go with some gizmo attached to the steering column. I'm not down with that. This is a Benz. I'm not about to hang JC Whitney crap off the $750 wood and leather optional steering wheel.

Any suggestions?

 

congrats man very clean. also i like the way merc puts their intake

 

Congrats! Beautiful car! One of my good friends has one, they ride really well.

 

Hey I said earlier if you want to do the phone it'll be extremely expensive unless your car has an input port in the center console. Being "pre-wired" for a phone is not the same thing as being wired for it. If no port you're looking at a minimum of $1,800-$2,400 to get it installed + the price of the puck ($200 on eBay or $495 at dealer).

But you don't need BT to use mBrace... that is a telematics system installed in the car but the dealer will probably need to re-flash the ECU to wipe off Teleaid and install mBrace.

Cheap way is to have a Parrot BT module installed in the cigarette ashtray... that's what we do here.

 

Is Tele-Aid still an option for me or have they killed the service and replaced it with Mbrace? The dealer said I would have to bring the car into service and they had to do something to it for Mbrace. They wanted like $268 for a years worth of service for Mbrace but did not offer Tele-Aid (which is what the car was designed for).

It is of dubious value anyway. But, it would be good for bragging rights, I suppose, and then those three buttons would do something.

 

Congrats!

I can teach you how to use that car with my eyes closed...try me...

 

You can continue to use Teleaid if you want though it is no longer the "official" MB telematics service and you must contact them directly. mBrace offers some special things if you have an iPhone or a Blackberry.

The car was actually not designed for Teleaid or mBrace... it simply has software for whatever flavor MB wants to use.

Both services are useful if you're in an accident or lock yourself out of the car. The sales person should have told you about a 3 month free subscription to mBrace (I think it's still valid) as well as a free trial for XM as well.

 

I have the trial period of Sirius XM (not XM). They didn't offer a trial of mBrace as the car is not brand new. I asked.

I'll look into Teleaid to compare costs.

 

mBrace might have expired. For a while I was getting $20 every time I signed up an mBrace customer. I think the price should be about the same.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.