[tjyak50]

My best friend just bought his wife a 2005 CLK500 for their wedding anniversary. Its at my house for me to care for until he surprises her with it. (which is causing distress in my own household...).

I drove both the CLK 500 and my 560SEC back to back and its a very interesting comparison.

New cars are kinda lame. Yes they are fast and No they don't shake at idle. They think too darn much. An insane amount of gears in the transmission which it is trying to please you with a neat gear selection constantly, yet about 1/4 second too late. They modulate timing to make you happy but just makes the power less smooth, the doors close fine, the top is neat. And ya its fast. But in a different way.

When I roll in the SEC its old-school highway domination. In the SEC we pick a gear and start throwing down torque and watch the needles swing as the motor and tall rear end do their work. Past about 80 the car is sunken into the road and tracks like a missle. Its a very manly and rewarding experience. The kind that makes you look back after parking to admire the classic lines and purposeful design.

Wifey will be delighted with her new ride, no doubt. I'm keeping my SEC for life.

Have a great weekend my 126 brothers.

TJ

 

[tusabes]

I sold my 560sec when I got my s430.., faster smoother and effortless . I still love the w126 but prefer the newer ones

 

[MT_Merc]

Different class of car, but much of what you said still applies to the rental Ford Fusion I'm driving (I'm on a business trip). It's pretty nice for a rental, but still it feels like it was designed for someone who wants to get from point A to point B with as little awareness of what's taking them there as possible. Most newer cars I've driven in just seem to lack that sense of purpose, they're not built to be the best car ever built, just good enough. My SEC, on the other hand, was built for someone who demanded the best, and age and wear have done little to diminish that.

 

[tjyak50]

Different class of car, but much of what you said still applies to the rental Ford Fusion I'm driving (I'm on a business trip). It's pretty nice for a rental, but still it feels like it was designed for someone who wants to get from point A to point B with as little awareness of what's taking them there as possible. Most newer cars I've driven in just seem to lack that sense of purpose, they're not built to be the best car ever built, just good enough. My SEC, on the other hand, was built for someone who demanded the best, and age and wear have done little to diminish that.

Yes.
Exactly.
No diminishing the newer stuff.

 

[vdubpower]

pray that s430 doesnt get an airmatic failure, 1500 bucks a shock, we just had it..uuugghh

 

[tusabes]

$399 at arnott

 

[slownrusty]

Your post is very biased.

The 302hp M113 engine in the CLK is quite amazing. The 5 speed tranny certainly does not hunt for gears like some 6-7 speeds autos that I have driven.

The CLK may never have the long term appeal and following of the W126 SEC but is a well built and engineered car in its own right.

And like the SEC they hunker down beautifully on the highway at very high rates of speed.

 

[trooper6]

I'm keeping my SEC for life.

TJ

+1000

I have had C's,E's,Ml's and currently GL (wife's ride). They are all great cars, but honestly, I have had the most fun in my SEC. The car has just enough bells and whistle yet is still simple enough that a DIY can still work on it. I would not even attempt to do it with the newer Mercs simply due to all the electronics. Moreover, if you start playing with it the warranty it out the window.

Mike

 

[driftmeister]

+1000

I have had C's,E's,Ml's and currently GL (wife's ride). They are all great cars, but honestly, I have had the most fun in my SEC. The car has just enough bells and whistle yet is still simple enough that a DIY can still work on it. I would not even attempt to do it with the newer Mercs simply due to all the electronics. Moreover, if you start playing with it the warranty it out the window.

Mike

Just bought and delivered yesterday a CLK200 year 2007 for my wife , its a great car for it's size and very economical. This is my 3rd Merc after the W124 & W126 for the past 1 year. Bitten by the 3 Pointed Star Bug.

Just out of curiosity, have anyone driven an SLK 2006-2009 model? Planning of getting it early next year.

 

[graftdesign]

I have to say some of the new MB's are quite fantastic. I wish I could afford one. They are back with great technology and performance in the spirit of what the w126's were built in my opinion. There was a time in the late 90's and early 2000's were they took a dive and I think they are still getting a lot of push-back for those troublesome years, but they build some terrific cars that leave nothing to be desired IMO.. particularly after about 2006.

 

[jhodg5ck]

My best friend just bought his wife a 2005 CLK500 for their wedding anniversary. Its at my house for me to care for until he surprises her with it. (which is causing distress in my own household...).

I drove both the CLK 500 and my 560SEC back to back and its a very interesting comparison.

New cars are kinda lame. Yes they are fast and No they don't shake at idle. They think too darn much. An insane amount of gears in the transmission which it is trying to please you with a neat gear selection constantly, yet about 1/4 second too late. They modulate timing to make you happy but just makes the power less smooth, the doors close fine, the top is neat. And ya its fast. But in a different way.

When I roll in the SEC its old-school highway domination. In the SEC we pick a gear and start throwing down torque and watch the needles swing as the motor and tall rear end do their work. Past about 80 the car is sunken into the road and tracks like a missle. Its a very manly and rewarding experience. The kind that makes you look back after parking to admire the classic lines and purposeful design.

Wifey will be delighted with her new ride, no doubt. I'm keeping my SEC for life.

Have a great weekend my 126 brothers.

TJ

What you said.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[roadhouse]

Drove a friend's brand new CLS 63 AMG. OH MY GAWWWD!!!!

The thing is a animal!

That said, I agree 100% with tjyak50. 126 forever! I also own a w211 wagon, which is beautiful, but does not compare to the w126 in terms of mass, heft and build quality.