Just picked up a 2005 CLK500 and so far I'm loving it. With regard to the Sport/Comfort shift modes: The dealer indicated that most of my driving should be in "S" mode with "C" reserved for slippery roads, etc. The manual implies the same thing. However, I find that the Comfort mode is more, well ... comfortable, and is preferable when I'm driving in local traffic, or when I'm out with my wife for a pleasant drive, etc. In fact, my wife prefers the Comfort mode, all together.
Question 1: is there any down-side to extended driving in Comfort shift mode? Will it put more wear on the transmission or otherwise damage the car?'
Question 2: can I shift from C to S mode if I'm not at a complete stop? I previous owned a BMW 530i and the Comfort/Sport shift in that car handled changes at low speeds without any problems.
I am also a "C" driver, but switch to S often for fears of damaging the engine or transmission.
C and S were formerly called W and S, for Winter and Summer, W being recommended for driving in slippery conditions (snow or ice). My car (and I wonder if DH1760's as well) have a 7-speed transmission, which I presume make the 1st gear shorter that the one on the 5-speed box. One might guess that starting on second gear on a 7-G box is not as stressfull as doing the same with a 5-G one. Perhaps that's why MB does not call it W anymore?
I hope someone knowledgeable in this forum confirms that C is safe. It really makes it enjoyable to drive in bumper-to-bumper situations!
One might guess that starting on second gear on a 7-G box is not as stressfull as doing the same with a 5-G one. Perhaps that's why MB does not call it W anymore?
Mine is 5-G, and I have C, not W also. It would be really interesting to know what it really does.
I will check what the manual is saying about it. And I will see how many times it switches gears going from 0 – up…
The manual says that S is for "normal driving conditions", while C is for "Comfort mode". Although there is no warning against using C all the time, many people say it will eventually harm the transmission, which is why I sometimes drive in S.
Interestingly enough, the manual says that the change from C to S and viceversa must be made with the lever in the P, N or D positions, but fails to mention that the car must be stopped when changing programs.
I am just speculating here (!)... but since CLK 500/55 is kind of sports car – it make sense that sport mode is normal for it. And in this Sport mode, as I feel, transmission is shifted at higher RPMs. And all they do in Comfort mode is getting it back to normal shifting..? I think…
And if there were restrictions for switching it from S to C, I am sure MB would do something about it to prevent the damage.
I have been driving my 04 CLK 320 for the last 2 years in C mode. I am very often in stop and go city traffic. This is a much more comfortable ride and in the C Mode you don't feel the 2 to 1 downshift clunk everytime you come to a light (you can feel this slight clunk when stopped just by keeping your foot on the brake and switching form C to S again and again). While off the line pickup is not as quick as in S mode you can compensate by flooring the accelerator pedal which will instruct the electronics to downshift to 1 as it perceives the need for a quick getaway. Another benefit is better gas mileage in city driving,partly because of quicker upshifts to higher gears. I've never had a problem. Comfort is better than clunking and the power is always there if I need it by switching to S or flooring it. GO Ahead and enjoy it. BTW the auto stick manual upshifts are more quickly activated by the auto stick in C as long as you are not flooring it. The MB auto trans of the late 80's and early 90's used to start in 2nd by default with only the pedal as an overide.
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How's this for a bunch of Chryslers:
67 Jeepster Roadster
98 230 SLK
04 320 CLK
No more volvos thankfully!
Thanks to all for the replies, especially those who report continuous driving in "C" mode causes no problems. It's great to have a community of fellow CLK owners to interact with!
As an addendum, my salesperson reccomended keeping the car in 'C' during the break in period as it's gentler on the mechanicals, and that the car should be more fuel efficient. not sure if it's true, but it makes sense, in which case Sport mode is easier on the car when driving it hard, and Comfort mode is better for the car when cruising.
From everything I know, if they simply switched the W to C then what it does is start off in second gear so you have less torque and also smooths the shifts. Starting in second gear and smoother shifts are supposed to serve the purpose of gaining and keeping traction in snow, thus why it was the winter setting, however it also seems to be more comfortable. Personally I wouldn't take it out of S, but then again I am an agressive driver :)
Linear Mode
