Residence: United Kingdom
Hey guys, it's been a while since I've visited these forums!
To cut a long story short, I'm looking at buying a second-hand BMW 330i/325i or Mercedes CLK 320/500 or another car in the same bracket. (Any thoughts on these engines?) I'm not looking at spending more than £4000 which is tight for a decent machine but there are deals floating in this area.
After researching, and with my limited knowledge, I have concluded that I'd be happy with the 3 Series Saloon over the Coupé and the CLK only comes as a Coupé anyway.
Critically, I like the straight-six engine in the BMW, the size of the car, the aesthetics, the maintenance and insurance (from what I've seen so far) and more. Against this, I like the Merc's interior finish (the CLK is pretty sweet inside), smoothness and looks again.
To be perfectly honest, I'd take the 3 Series without considering the price but there seem to be some decent CLK deals at similar prices to the BMW on AutoTrader, eBay and other such places.
What would you guys recommend, being experts, enthusiasts and generally people with more car experience than myself? Are there any other cars in this class that I should be looking at?
Many thanks and best wishes!
TL;DR: E46 3 Series vs C209 CLK vs Others. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each to own second hand? 