Mercedes CLK Cabriolet (2003-) Review

On the road

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Mercedes shows the way when it comes to user-friendliness, with a very well-designed cabin, easy-to-find controls, and ergonomically-excellent seats. There's also a very good all-round view outside. The throttle is smooth and progressive - crucial, in cars so powerful (take note, Maserati) and doesn't snatch, and the auto gearbox changes up and down smoothly, with simple sequential manual shifts if desired. We dock Mercedes a star here for that continuing annoyance of a foot-operated parking brake (the footwell's not exactly generously-sized) and for its manual gearbox, which is still clunkier than it should be, despite improvements. Mercedes does auto transmissions far better, and these are more in keeping with the character of the CLK anyway. The CLK doesn't give the same seat-of-the-pants, raw, on-the-edge experience as some more exotic rivals but hey, if that's what you want, buy a TVR. The AMG is, of course, the sharpest of the bunch, but even that is a little uninvolving. Not that the CLK is boring, however, and it still has to be treated with respect - it has the potential to be tail-happy, especially in wet conditions. There's a lot of power there to be laid down via the rear wheels. In many ways, the 200K is actually the most fun to drive hard, not least because it is less daunting. The larger-engined models feel less nippy and more unwieldy, perhaps because the engines make them feel like larger cars than they are.

The CLK 200K (K for Kompressor, or supercharger) isn't particularly powerful considering the weight of the convertible, or indeed, particularly fast, but it's a lovely engine with smooth power delivery and a gorgeous whoosh when the supercharger kicks in. You have to work it hard for sporting performance, but it's plenty of fun. The six-cylinder CLK 240 is more grown-up and more relaxed, though for the real Mercedes feel, opt for the auto gearbox and just let the car take over and take off. The CLK 320 is even more refined, but the real luxury cruiser is the effortless CLK 500, with the top-end 5.0-litre V8 engine. It's completely superfluous, but delightful. The CLK 55 AMG is harder-edged, tuned for a more overtly sporting feel and with a stiffer suspension set-up, and is the quickest of all, dashing to 60mph in a supercar-rivalling 5.4 seconds. It's awesome - and potentially frightening.