2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class CLK500 Cabriolet

Pros

Great Ride, Fun to Drive, a real eye turning piece of machinery.

Cons

One of the worst stereo systems I've ever heard, underpowered audio, and no upgrade path through MB

I bought this car after owning a CLK320 for 3 years...and the upgrade to the 500 is definately worth it...but...the stereo is very unimpressive. Although the name Harman-Kardon appears on the in-dash system, there is no audio volume display, and further, with the top down, and the wind in your hair (and ears), anything from Enya to Metallica is non-existent even with the dial at full volume. Disappointing ! If you are going to buy this baby, make sure you can live with what you get for audio, as there is no 3rd party support, upgrade path or enhancements available....other than that...Enjoy !...read morehide

Pros

Good lines, great acceleration

Cons

Worst made car for the money

Garbage. In less than 2 years, 14 trips to the service department. Top didn't work. Passenger side seat moved forward by itself. Accelerator cable snapped in the middle of being on cruise control in a 6 lane highway. Rear head restraint/roll bar engaged with a loud pop while sitting in my driveway. Cup holder literally fell apart. Back up mirror works when it feels like it. Digital dash already disintegrating. The list goes on and on and on.

Had 3 Lexus, a BMW 7 and Porsche 911 prior. I have had more problems with this than ALL OF THE OTHERS COMBINED....read morehide

Pros

Convertible ease of use; car appearance; wel appointed interior

Cons

gas mileage

I was on a four month waiting list to get this car. I love it-Bought it brand new and now have 12K miles on it. I saved and paid cash for it.
Only had to take in once for a warranty repair of a dash light which came on. Car runs great-super fast engine with great pick up. Beautiful in appearance. I'd certainly buy another in the future. This is my 4th Mercedes; first convertible....read morehide

Pros

Good Fuel economy

Cons

expensive

i luv it! very beautiful interior and flashy ride. Although its expensive it will last you a long time.

Pros

Sporty feel, convertible and comfortable

Cons

Engine shift weak, only one cup holder, should come with 19" wheels standard

Traded in my S55 AMG which was an electronics nightmare. It has spent 22 days of the last year in the shop, so this was a nice trade to say the least. Good warantee and nice car. Recommended!

This car has exceptional handling, great looks, and performance. This car beats the Jag XK8 in all ways. It is roomy, luxurious, it also has good trunk space that not many coupes have. This car is really all that.

Pros

ITS ENOUGH SHE HAS A MERCEDES NAME

Cons

none

AN EXCELENT HANDILING,HIGH QUALTY FINISHING AND MATERIALS
AND VERY SAFE............I DONT WANT MORE!!!!!!

this car is simply adrivind pleasure. It could NOT be better. All I'm saying is BUY THIS CAR.

Pros

Convertible system and wind screen

Cons

Shoddy electronics and parts; miserable service.

I studied the CLK500 Cabriolet long and hard before buying it. Delayed purchase until 2005 to get DVD GPS and 7 speed transmission. The car's electronics have been a mess, which has been Mercedes well-known weakpoint for years. I believed the hype that they were fixing this in 2005. Where to start -- No-hands phone system never worked; part replaced and now it works disappointingly. Steering wheel misaligned and took two services to fix. DVD nav system is buggy. Seat belt presenter/retraction system broke within 1 month due to a cheaply installed 50 cent button on the belt. Driver seat electronics didn't work and electronics module had to be ordered and replaced. No problems were noted before delivery; so no one really checked it out, did they? If your experience is like mine, you'll have to take the car back for each defective item and wait days for each part to come in. Soft aluminum wheel rim split and they didn't note it in initial 2000 mile inspection (what a joke) so tire went flat and was ruined. Replacement tire then went flat because of split wheel. According to dealer, any modestly rough road will cause misalignment, potentially damage expensive wheel, and consequently destroy the tire. According to dealer, less than 10 miles of driving on a partially deflated tire will then crack it under rim weight. It is actually hard to tell when a tire is partially deflated with these low profile tires. Tire punctures (even new ones) often cannot be repaired. Not covered by Benz (by the way). Each part took 3 or more days to order and receive. Even tire had to be ordered. Car has been in the Benz shop for a total of two weeks since I got it 2 months ago with several trips to dealer required. Dealer salesman is/was quite informed about vehicle, but service has been amatuerish and annoyingly poor. I am used to Lexus service on my SC400 but don't like the bulbous look of their new coup so I opted for the CLK500. If I could sell the Mercedes for close to what I paid, I would. Mercedes service is really bad by any measure, but especially if you are used to quality (preemptive) service. Those who serviced my CLK at the dealer are not up to snuff. Have wasted heaps of time with their incompetent service and Benz shoddy parts, which are not in stock anywhere less than 2-3 days away (which seems impossible, doesn't it?). Unsafe items: the windows go up on auto and don't stop until it's too late if there is an obstruction (like your hand), and a passenger who enters the back seat can have their legs "crushed" when the seat is returned to vertical and then automatically shifts to the rear. Annoyances in design: sole cupholder and its location are weird; hitting seat controls on the door with your left knee thereby moving your seat when driving; passenger seat does not recline; cruise control and steering wheel position arms are easily confused when feeling around for them when driving; Benz-compliant phones are quite old models and not available with GSM; various rattles that the Benz service tells me are what you get when you have a convertible. If you have lots of time on your hands to deal with the above, then you might want to get the CLK500 Cabriolet. It has serious problems as a luxury car. Don't believe the hype. Perhaps people are motivated to make exaggerated positive comments to keep the resale value up, or convince themselves they got a dream car. I am not one of those people....read morehide