Benz Faqs

In a constant attempt to keep up with ever-tougher competitors, some carmakers seem to upgrade or redo models at a fast pace. So here we have the next Mercedes-Benz CLK, a model that already sells well. Still, this new CLK is almost entirely new, save the motor under the hood of the CLK320, the V-6 model.

The new $43,900 CLK320 is only about $700 more expensive than the 2002 model, but is longer, wider and larger inside, a bit less sporty, a bit more sexy and festooned with many upgrades bestowed upon it from far more expensive Benzes, like the S-Class and CL-Class cars.

Among these are the slightest details, like the intuitive electric window switches, but also more significant ones like the arrangement and style of the gauges, the side-view mirror that automatically drops to show the curb when you throw the car into reverse and the tilt/telescoping steering wheel. But there’s also something we hope nobody ever needs dual side airbags and head protection airbags, all standard.

Then there’s perhaps the niftiest feature of all no center pillar. Think of the classic 1961 Lincoln Continental hardtop and you have an example of what we mean. Lower both front and rear windows of the CLK and a huge, semicircular opening reveals the cabin in clean, uninterrupted glory. It’s the simplest of features in a way the absence of obstruction, but it makes a huge difference in the experience of driving or being driven in a CLK.

Mercedes has become more hip of late, and it’s a welcome change from the stoical black-and-more-black interior themes of Stuttgart’s previous cars. Not that you’d claim the CLK is tailored to the PlayStation generation, but the milk-chocolate-hued burl walnut that crests the doors and center console is a shade lighter than wood you might have seen in a Benz ten years ago, and the addition of chrome to the cabin may be the latest fad, but Mercedes adds just enough to let you know they’re at least paying attention to haut auto styling, if not going overboard.