Hey guys, this is my first time posting on the site so first I would like to say "Hey". To give you a little background info, I am in the market for a new car and I have my eyes on a 2003 CLK55 AMG with 40K miles on it and it selling for a little over $20K. I am in college right now and have owned several lower end sports cars (mustangs, etc. ) in the past and for the past 2 months I have been driving my Dad's Lexus SC430. Right now I drive a Grand Cherokee (hemi) but I have been really itching to get another fun car, and after driving my Dad's Lexus I feel like a CLK55 AMG would be a good choice for me. After reading about them, they seem like they are fast/agile enough for daily driving and weekend cruises but also gets better MPG than my Jeep and has a bigger back seat and trunk than my Dad's Lex.
Now for the part that I need your help on. My father feels like it would be more cost efficient if I bought a cheaper or less luxurious sports car (350Z, Mustang, etc.) because even though they might require more maintenance, the overall cost of the car will be less in the long run. I haven't owned a Mercedes in the past, but I am guessing that a normal tune up or oil change will cost a considerable amount more than a normal car if you take it to the Dealer. Ideality I would like to prove to him that while the cost of maintenance might be more, the car will require less of it and because it is a higher quality car, the life of a well maintained Mercedes is greater say a 350Z or something like that . Also, after I have done a little reading about the CLK55's, I have found that the engine is a very well built engine and when something does go wrong with the car, it is in most cases something small.
Could you guys please give me your perspective on the cost vs. efficiency when comparing a Mercedes to a less luxurious car. Also, if you personally own a CLK55 AMG I am very interested in the pros/cons of the car. The more details the better because when I present the info to my Dad I would like to be prepared. Lastly, what price could I expect to pay (ball park range) when I would take a CLK55 AMG in for a normal turn up (fluids, filters, etc.) and how often do they need to be performed?
Sorry for the essay-post, I am just trying to cover all my ends. Hopefully in the next month I will own my first Mercedes!

 

first off the clk55 is a bery reliable cr my uncle used to have a 04 mercedes e55 which has the same engine his had about 96000 mile cause he drove everywhere and he hotroded the heck out of it and never had a problem with anything with the fluids its in the log book in the car