Car of The Week: Mercedes Benz CLK

The all new Mercedes Benz C-Class Coupe will soon be with us. Due for public debut at the Frankfurt Motorshow and slatted for release in Australia in 2016, the C-Classes suave sibling is a gorgeous new addition to the Mercedes family. However with a price likely to be on the far side of $60,000 not everyone will be able to buy the brand new Coupe. So this week I thought to take a look at the C-Coupés predecessor, the equally stylish but better priced Mercedes Benz CLK.

Timeless style

We have to go way back to 1997 to find the CLK's original release and personally from looking at one you'd be forgiven for thinking it wasn't that old. There is a real timeless elegance to the way the CLK looks, it still has an aura of expense to it in fact, which is good, you can't have your neighbours thinking you bought a cheap Benz can you? There are some beautiful touches to the CLK, the long pillar less doors and the small rear side windows for example create an expanse of glass that really brings the outside in. It's silhouette is classically Coupe like, with the roof sloping gently down to the boot. And with smooth surfaces and no flared or bulging body panels the CLK is a pretty car to behold from any angle, in my opinion at least.

   

What's it like inside?

Being a car of the 1990's though the interior is the one area where the CLK might start to show it's age. There were no central sat nav screens as standard and everything was a little geometric with an extra side of buttons and faux wood trim, the plastics will feel a little harsh by today' standards too. Standard equipment levels were generous though, CLK's scored six CD auto changers, fog lights, air con, cruise and electric heated mirrors to name but a few and the four soft seats (these could be leather) provided a nice place to sink your bum into and the big arm rest a good place to put your elbow while the car did all the work.

Choose wisely

Be warned though that said work won't happen fast, the base CLK 200, some of which can be picked up for under $6000 are not remotely sporty. Offering a mere 100kw you'd be hard pushed to outrun a Honda Jazz CVT nowadays. For a modicum of performance best try to find a 230 Kompressor (that's Merc speak for supercharged with 142kw) or better still a 320 V6 which offered 160kw. Road tests at the time were very complimentary of the way the CLK drove too, some called the 320 variant a proper sports coupe and although no BMW beater was capable or rewarding a keen driver with excellent road holding and potent performance.

What's not so good?

Good bits covered, what's not so fantastic? Firstly some of these cars are now approaching 20 years old and have long past their Mercedes Benz bodywork warranty so rust could be an issue. I know for certain that in the damp and salty UK for example the bottom of the doors and around the wheel arches are a particular weak spot for rot. Obviously in Australia the climate may have been kinder to the CLK but look closely. Servicing is another must, like most cars I feature the running gear and engines in the CLK are strong but only if they are maintained at the correct intervals with the right oils and parts, specialists should be able to do this for you without breaking the bank. Electronics are another issue with cars of this age, it's important to make sure everything works as it should and if the cars been cared for there should be no reason for warning lights on the dash.

   

There we go then, the Mercedes Benz CLK, similar in ethos to next years brand new C-Class Coupe but just a tenth of the price. For those wanting an affordable German Coupe you could do a lot worse, yes the dated interior is an issue and there's not a lot of performance, but timeless style and a comfy place to sit makes up for small failings.

Go get yourself one

The car I've picked out this week is a face lifted 2000 model with the desirable 3.2 litre V6. Finished in classic Mercedes silver it looks truly timeless. From the pictures it appears in excellent condition however there isn't much of a description, usually I would say avoid but I get good vibes from this private sales pics so this CLK might be worth checking out if your in the vicinity.

2000 Mercedes Benz CLK320, $7900

Photo Credit: australiancar.reviews

Car of the Week: Jaguar S-Type

Let me start by putting it out there, the S-Type is not one of Jaguar designs finest hours. That narrow grill just looks like your granny puckering up her lips for a kiss doesn't it? And combined with the retro inspired quad headlamps the car takes on a sort of surprised alien face. However, despite appearances I have indeed chosen the S-Type as my car of the week, why? Because how can you not resist the luxury of a Jag for under $5000.

What has it got to offer?

So besides it's unique appearance what else does an S-type have to offer? A strong choice of engines for starters, available in V6 or V8 flavors from launch the S-Type was no slouch, the V6 makes 179kw good for 0-100km/h in 8.7secs which for a car of it's size is pretty impressive. Jaguar also made sure the S-Type could handle too. With power sent to the back there was a claimed 50:50 weight distribution and although steering was said to be a little vague, road holding was good.

Whats it like inside?

On the inside it was usual Jaguar fare, albeit with some switches taken straight from the Ford parts bin. Vast swathes of leather and wood are the order of the day making sure that when your in it you feel suitably posh. Being a luxury sedan up against the likes of Merc's E-Class and BMW's 5 series also mean that despite early cars now turning 16 yeas old, there's a myriad of creature comforts. Electric memory seats, power mirrors, dual zone climate control, cruise control, a decent sound system and alloys wheels all came as standard. SE models like the one I've picked out also came with sunroofs.

Reliability 

Of course being British is usually a byword for not very reliable and the S had its fair share of issues and recalls. However don't let little mechanical or electrical gremlins put you off, as like I have mentioned before with high end cars, the previous owner probably cherished it.

Go get yourself one

That last statement is even more true of today's pick, as no one looks after an expensive car quite like it's first owner. That's right, the person selling this one owner S-Type for $4,600 originally paid $95,000 for it! Stating that they now need a smaller car the big Jag appears to be in good condition bar a bit of lacquer peel on the bumper. The interior looks clean and the engine bay spotless for a 15 year old car and to top it off 178,000km's isn't that high either. For the price I think this Jag is definitely worth checking out, even if it is a little surprised looking.

2000 Jaguar S-Type, $4600                

Bruce's Car of the Week: Mercedes Benz S-Class

As it's Australia day and nothing screams Australia quite like a big lazy V8 engined sedan. So this weeks car, you guessed it, has a V8, seating for 5 and has a boot almost as long as it's bonnet, only being my blog, it had to be a great big German. My car of choice this week, in complete and utter contrast to last weeks Morris Minor, is the Mercedes Benz S-Class, a bargain luxury barge.

Choices, choices 

I discovered quite quickly after picking the S-Class that choosing one model in particular to hone in on is no easy task. S's have been around since the late 70's going through 6 generations, older ones are most certainly classics while newer used ones are still cars you wouldn't think twice about using every day with price tags nudging $400,000. Throughout the decades they have been powered by all sorts of engines, from 6 cylinders to V12's resulting in a so many letter and number combinations stuck to the boot you'd be forgiven for thinking I was giving you a algebra lesson if I wrote them all out in sequence, what is S320 x S500AMG for example! None the less I settled on the W220 generation S, in particular the S430 because it's got a ruddy big 4.3 litre V8. Built from 1999 until 2006 W220's fall neatly into the realm of not being too old to be reliable daily transport, but old enough to have taken the major depreciation hit already, leaving behind a car seriously worth considering if you fancy some cut price German excellence.

Pioneering  

Mercedes, with the S-Class range, have always been pioneers when it came to mass producing technology that would over time filter down to our more mundane family hatchbacks. Pre tensioning seat belts, airbags and anti lock brakes for example where all S-Class features long before other manufacturers started using them. The S has always been thee car to turn to if you want a glimpse at what your Kia hatch will have in it in say, 10 years time. This means of course that getting your hands on a late 90's early 00's W220 is not going to leave you short changed in the safety and tech departments, most of the stuff this car featured has only just now trickled down to bottom end of the car market. Reassuring to know if you plan on using it daily with the family on board, the big Merc will keep you just as safe as a new car will. Here is the crash test footage from 1999

Technology 

I could easily go on and on about the build quality, refinement and general ambiance of the S-Class being nothing less than superb, however I suspect there's enough people on the internet already signing it's praises. So I'll just say that personally I have been a passenger in one and it was, quite simply, wonderful. Quiet and smooth yet adequately powerful when you wanted to get some distance between you and the guy behind, and that was just the S320 with a V6, the S430's V8 has substantially more punch, 205kw to be precise. I could also list here the range of features the W220 came with as standard, although I fear the internet might run out of space before I finish. So instead I'll just list the highlights. They include Airmatic suspension which self levels for optimum comfort and control, distronic radar guided cruise control, essentially cruise control which radar locks onto the car in front and keeps pace with them. There's also in car television, LED brake lights, 8 airbags, ventilated seats to keep you cool and self closing doors. Have a look here for a full rundown.

You can make the seats in an S go seriously "gansta"

 Happy Australia day everyone, it's a holiday I don't quite understand yet but one that this country loves. It was probably not the best day to tell you to go and buy something distinctly German, but at least if follows an Aussie recipe and doesn't it make a more interesting choice than a Lexus?

Go get yourself one

The car I've picked this week is a S430L, the "L" meaning it has the lengthened wheelbase for even greater interior space. There are 20 photo's of the car with one importantly showing a very packed service book and many receipts, proof that this car has been cared for. It's also only had 2 owners since 2000, looks immaculate and has a rather nice set of AMG wheels fitted to it. Rego is due to run out unfortunately, however you are getting a lot of car for the money and as the seller points out this car would have cost over $200,000 when new. 

2000 Mercedes-Benz S430L, $12,930    

     

Super Cheap Euro's

I think it might be time for another round of super cheap Euro. I scour the internet for potentially your next European car in Australia, with current rego, for ridiculously low prices. As before I can't vouch for the actual hands on condition of these cars, I just go of some motoring intuition, read into what the adverts say and base my opinions on that. The reason; though I'm sure your aware by now is, just to continue proving my point, that European cars in Australia need not be as expensive as people would have you believe.

I've picked different cars from last time to show some diversity, although I have still included a classic Alfa as I'm drawn to the flaky Italians for some reason. All the ads date from the last couple of days but of course the older they get the less likely the car will be available. In saying that most cars are for sale for at least a month before they reel someone in. More info on the models listed can be found by clicking the link in the cars name.

Italy

Praised in its day for being one of the finest handling hatchbacks around the 33 uses a 1.5 litre boxer engine to hurry it along. Deep down it was a good engine and car, but unfortunately Alfa's electrical systems in the 80's blighted the 33's reputation. The small matter of rust also consigned most Alfa's of this vintage to the wreckers yard prematurely, so it would appear this ones a well cared for survivor.

A mid 80's 4 wheel drive performance Alfa Romeo? What could possibly go wrong? Looking in a little need of TLC cosmetically the seller says this Alfa 33 runs well. The car appears to be fully original and even comes with a full set of 5 Alfa Speedline alloys. Details like this make the car more collectable and given it's relative rarity already this little Alfa could prove to be an investment opportunity for the right enthusiast. It's so cheap it might be worth a punt if your in Victoria.

1985 Alfa Romeo 33 Quadrifoglio Verde, $950

Spain 

Not keen on the Italian? How about another Mediterranean offering, this time from Seat. A company that only existed in Australia for 4 years (95-99) before poor sales forced them out of the market, a few cars survive though and I'm pleased they do. In Europe Seats are commonplace and for good reason, they offer people on a budget a car of VW quality for less. (VW have owned 99.99% of Seat since 1990). Seat nowadays is seen as the fun, youthful arm of the VW group, it's just unfortunate that Australians didn't see that in the late 90's, things could have been a whole lot different.

This is a Seat Toledo and by the looks of it a rather well cared for one, red cars have a tendency to fade in the Australian sun and the fact this one hasn't shows its been loved. Essentially a Mk2 Volkswagen Golf under the pretty Giugiaro styled body the Toledo has solid mechanical's and with proper maintenance posses the ability to just go on and on. This ones done a poultry, by VW standards, 226,000km's, plenty of life left in this rarity yet.

1995 Seat Toledo, $1500

       

Sweden

Ok maybe Mediterranean flair is not your bag, so lets go further north to Scandinavia, the home of Saab, a car company that when they were not bankrupt the Aussies seemed to quite like. The Saab 900 I've picked is a car that GM hoped, by providing Saab with the already tried and tested GM2900 platform could save the company a lot of money in the mid 90's. However the innovation first, worry about the cost later nature of the Saab boffins meant the platform was so heavily re-engineered you cant really call it a GM product in Scandinavian clogs anymore. It is very much it's own car and a good one at that as back in the day the number of awards the 900 won was staggering.

There isn't a great deal to say about the 900 S I've picked, mainly because the advert amounts to 6 words! But let me try anyway, the wheels for starters might not be to everyone's taste but the tyre tread looks reasonable, there could be money in selling them on if you could pick up a set of cheap steels to put on it. The bodywork from the 2 pictures doesn't look too bad either, nothing a weekends polishing couldn't sort out I'm sure. Although the real selling point of this car has to be that 10 months NSW rego and relatively low km's.

1997 Saab 900s, $1500

Germany

I think I've saved the best super cheap Euro for last though and rather unsurprisingly its a German, the legendary Mercedes Benz 190E. Now I say legendary because if you've been to any continental European city in the last 25 years the chances one of these was your airport Taxi was pretty dam high. These cars, of which over 1.8 million were produced, literally do not die, I went to the Mercedes Benz Museum last year where they actually have one on display that a cabbie gave back to Merc after he racked up over 1 million miles without major mechanical failure. The white one I've picked, showing just 282,000 km's is barely run in by comparison!

Now this car in particular is an Australian delivered 180E, a parred back 190 that allowed Mercedes to dip under the pesky Australian luxury car tax and ultimately sell this car at a reduced rate back in the early 90's. The 180 did away with such frivolities as leather seats and electric windows to avoid taxation. At the time this might have annoyed buyers but nowadays I cant help think this means less things to go wrong on what is already a bulletproof car. This one appears to come from a loving family who've owned it over half its life and got it serviced by Mercedes specialist, the body work looks immaculate as does the interior, so you can't ask for better really. 3 months South Australia rego left too.

1992 Mercedes Benz 180E, $1500

I hope I've given car buyers out there in Aus something to think about again when it comes time to look for a second hand motor

Mercedes Benz C450 AMG announced

10 years ago, if you were in the market for an all wheel drive, unnecessarily rapid estate car your only real choices were a Subaru an Audi or bizarrely a Jaguar X-Type. Things are a little different now though and manufacturers whom once upon might have turned their noses up at the prospect of building an AWD car (BMW) are clambering over one another for a slice of this niche fast wagon market. And the latest addition makes a pretty strong case for itself. This is the new Mercedes Benz C450 AMG 4Matic.

C450 tries and fails to hide behind potted furs

The Numbers

Lets start with some numbers, 273kw, a 5 second dash to 100km/h, a 2996cc twin turbo charged V6 and an official economy figure of just 7.7l/km. Impressive stats given that we haven't even heard what the no holds barred new C63 AMG is going to deliver. Realistically speaking this C450 should be all the fast wagon you'll ever need. The engine is without doubt impressive with Mercedes planning to release more cars with this power plant over the coming years, cars that will fill the gap in their range between run of the mill 4 cylinder models and seemingly physics defying power house AMG models. Mercedes way of describing this is "More emotionally inspiring AMG sports models will follow". Just keep it simple Benz, you want more poweeer!

Only two turbo's you say?    

The "Emotion"

The word emotional is actually used a lot in the press release for this car, from describing the way it drives to the way the switches work and even to describe how the car double decluctches on downshifts in Sport Plus mode. Personally I don't want my 273kw super wagon making me teary eyed when I'm downshifting for a tight left hairpin, that just sounds dangerous. No what I'd rather is that my new car made others emotional, with envy perhaps, or just plain scared when they saw it rumbling passed. The latter, I think, Mercedes have pulled off.  The new C450 looks superb especially in black, on those optional 19 inch light weight alloys. Subtle yet effective AMG bumpers, skirts and quad exhausts give the C450 an aggressive menacing appearance without being too in yer face. Merc didn't have to do too much, it's not as if the standard C-Class was an ugly duckling in the first place. The interior of the C450 is another masterstroke. If you compare my review from last year of the new Mercedes Benz C200, the difference's in the 450's interior will run to some sports seats and red stitching. No bad thing as the C's cabin was pretty much perfect as is.

The Technology 

Driving dynamics and the ability this car possesses to hold on when the road gets twisty is something Mercedes are very proud of. Honestly there are far too many systems to list that keep the C450 facing forward at frighteningly high rates of speed. The most notable being that 4Matic all wheel drive system with rear biased torque split and AMG Ride Control adjustable suspension. At the flick of an emotional switch the driver can custom make their perfect driving set up.  Having personally tested Mercs 4Matic system in a CLA45 AMG I can assure you the stuff works! I swear it's some sort of electro mechanical witchcraft, the systems seemingly unflappable and always able to get you out of trouble even if you drive like an utter twit. Rest assured the C450 AMG will be a serious weapon when road conditions allow, come to think of it with 4Matic it'll be a serious weapon in the middle of a monsoon too.

You'll have to wait

The only downside, bar the inevitably hefty price, is the wait until you can get one. It will be released in the spring of 2016 in the UK with Australia probably having to wait a little longer. There is a worry of course that it won't make it to Aus dealers at all, but the chances of that are pretty low given the Aussie appetite for fast German metal, just look at Audi's RS brand sales figures.

Confusingly badges nowadays give no hint to engine size

Source: newspress.co.uk

Top 5: Big European luxury brands with little prices

I've been scouring the internet for a number of weeks now, picking out what I think are the best and most overlooked European cars you can buy in Australia. For me at least it has been both enlightening and immensely fun, but it got me thinking, how cheaply can you buy luxury motors that once upon a time had a price tag on the distant side of $100,000? Turns out quite cheaply, allow me to enlighten you a little more with a top 5 count down, god I love depreciation.

5. Range Rover 4.6 HSE

Coming in at number 5, the Range Rover. What car signifies countryside pomp and ceremony more than a Rangie? As comfortable cruising city streets as it is up to its axles in mud the Range Rover is potentially all the car you could ever need. That iconic British badge, a commanding high driving position and not to mention supreme comfort meant that back in the day Land Rover could charge you $114,500 for the privilege of owning one. Nowadays though you can comfortably pick up a good late 90's car for under $10,000.

Posh stone arch and gravel drive in the background, check

Admittedly the big lazy 4.6 litre V8 isn't going to break any land speed records, but it will make a wonderful burble and if you want it too pull your house down so you can build a new one more fitting to the Range Rover image, it'll do that too. I'd suggest installing some palatial pillars when you rebuild, the Queen has a Range after all!

4. Mercedes Benz S-Class (S320)

Expensive hotel in the background, check

Another icon of luxury travel comes in at number 4, the Mercedes Benz S-Class. A class leading car
since it's launch in 1979 the S pioneered things like pretensioning seat belts, airbags, ABS and a whole heap of other driver aids, not to mention massaging air conditioned seats. The W220 model was built from 1999 to 2006 with even the early cars getting the option of in car TV's, DVD player, in car phone and self leveling air suspension. Unsurprisingly when new in 1999 an S320 would have set you back a cool $170,300 but now these mobile Dick Smiths can be bought for under $15,000 

3. BMW 7 Series (735iL)

Opulent country house in the background, check

Remember when James Bond drove BMW's? He screeched a 7 Series around a car park in 1997's
Tomorrow Never Dies. It was quite possibly the shittest bond car ever, I mean a German limo with zero sex appeal for goodness sake, not very "shaken not stirred" is it. Anyway I digress, don't let that foray onto the big screen detract from what a excellent BMW the 7 Series is. You see for the non Bonds among us the understated 7 Series is potentially all the luxury one would ever need, with a little bit of legendary BMW driving dynamics thrown in for good measure. A wonderfully smooth 173kw V8 powered the 735i meaning, that if sir wanted, 0-100km/h could be dispatched in 7.9 seconds. The cost of Bonds BMW new? $172,500. Now one can be had for a little over $10,000

2. Jaguar XJR

In life there are villains, cads, playboys and generally people who, on the surface seem like chuffing ruddy nice blokes, but after dark get a little devious. These people have long been affiliated with Jaguars, or should I say, Jaaaaaags and I'm not going to argue. Number 2 on my countdown of bargain luxury is the Jag for villains who want to do the driving themselves, the Jaguar XJR. Perfectly suited for chasing any heroins sports car the XJR offers up 276kw of shove from a 4 litre supercharged V8 dispatching 100km/h in 5.3 seconds. Back in the day a villains unscrupulous activities would have had to net a profit of $178,000 to buy one, whereas now about $13,000 should do the trick.

Bad Ass powerslide for the Jag, check

1. Rolls Royce Silver Spur

There could really be only one conclusion to this run down of once expensive but now affordable luxury and that is a Rolls Royce. Quite simply a Rolls is the quintessential posh persons wheels, hand built and highly regarded as one of the best brands in the world. Sitting in one is akin to gliding along on a magic carpet, albeit with a bit more wood and a set of leather chairs thrown in for good measure. Powered by a 6.75 litre V8 engine designed to waft rather than set your trousers on fire a Silver Spur is surely the luxury bargain of the century. When new a Spur cost way more than an average house, $328,900 to be precise, but now, some 20 years later you can get one for about $35,000. A tempting prospect when you realise that Hyundai's new luxury Genesis saloon could cost you double that!

A ruddy big castle in the background, obviously!

Now go get one

Not content with just telling you this though, my blog wouldn't be complete if I hadn't done the hard work for you already. So here picked from Ebay, 5 real examples of my top 5. I'm not saying buy these exact cars, merely showing you whats out there after a quick search, plus these 5 won't stick around for sale forever anyway.
1998 Range Rover HSE, $8,500
                 

1999 Mercedes Benz S320, $11,990

1998 BMW 735iL, $10,900

1998 Jaguar XJR, $12,950

1991 Rolls Royce Silver Spur, $37,000