C63 or E63...

[Uncle Benz]

My wife drives the C32 estate every day, and although it has been a great car, in the last twelve months it has started to concern me a little bit about its reliability. The aux air pump failed in Feb, resulting in some damaged wiring loom and a flat battery. In Aug the charge cooler failed, thankfully right outside the house, and I noticed it before my wife set off on a 150 mile round trip. The coolant loss could have had serious, if not terminal consequences had I not spotted the problem immediately. Now with two young boys and many trips without me, some late at night, I am wondering whether to upgrade to something newer. Car in my sights had been C63 estate, but having had a look about, E63 estates are available for very similar money and my wife prefers the look of the older design. I am also a believer in buying the last-of-the-line Mercedes rather than the first-of-the-new. What does the gathered wisdom think on this subject?????

 

[colechelle]

yeah but isnt the c32 a fun bit of kit!!!!

 

[Uncle Benz]

yeah but isnt the c32 a fun bit of kit!!!!

Didn't say I was going to get rid of it, did I ???

 

[Stu_CDX]

End of the line E63 all the way. They normally hold their value better as it's people's opinion that the last on the shelf were always best.

I had a P Registered Cavalier SRi... And as it was P plated (Rare as it is!), it has some interesting extras, making it much more desirable (Air Con, 4EW, Heated Sports Seats and an electric sunroof). It also NEVER needed a Camshaft sensor which was MEGA unusual for the X20XEV engine. This, I think, was due to them learning from their mistakes in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 and making the extra late ones in 1996 that bit better.

That's my thoughts anyhow.

 

[hawk20]

Why bother with the 63. Such a big engine is completely useless in normal driving in the UK. The depreciation will be phenomenal and when fuel goes back up again it will be hard to resell.

As Clarkson said: 'there is no pleasure in buying a car that can exceed every speed limit in the land while still in bottom gear unless you go to airfields or racetracks'.

If a company, or shareholders, or the taxpayer are paying for it, these considerations may not matter but if it is all your own money it might be worth trying the engines that were not created solely to win a stupid arms race with BMW.

 

[gizze]

Why bother with the 63.

Because he can??

Not everyone enjoys driving round in a diesel.

I have always owned a diesel of some sort over the last 10 years, and I try to convince myself I love them, but there are boring and souless.
Yeah they do a job, and in some ways alot better than a petrol. But they are a work horse and that is not what everyone is looking for.

If you took two cars with the same power, same consumption, same cost each month to own, one a diesel and one a petrol, how many would seriously take the diesel??

Some people get a kick from seeing 40mpg, others get a kick from hearing a screaming straight six or a thundering V8, others get a kick from the comfort, or the handling, and just occasionally you can get all those, bar one, rolled into one car, so why not?




C63 for me, I keep looking at the E55 etsate as I need the space, but I reckon I will chop my M3 in for a C63 estate when they drop to £35k and keep the E320 estate. And I reckon that will be next spring.

 

[psmart]

Solution depends on your wife. If she is only after the image and not a girl-racer buy a lesser petrol model with full AMG kit removing the model badges then spend the money on a serious piece of personal kit, such as a Brabus enhanced ML63

 

[NewMB]

Price of fuel, should keep going down as long as the $ increase in value. Today at $57/barrel.

Personally I prefer a petrol car to a diesel, a C63 or an E63 are fantastic pieces of machinery and probably yes, they will depreciate faster than most cars, one will enjoy driving them so much more as well!

 

[Uncle Benz]

Why bother with the 63. Such a big engine is completely useless in normal driving in the UK. The depreciation will be phenomenal and when fuel goes back up again it will be hard to resell.

As Clarkson said: 'there is no pleasure in buying a car that can exceed every speed limit in the land while still in bottom gear unless you go to airfields or racetracks'.

If a company, or shareholders, or the taxpayer are paying for it, these considerations may not matter but if it is all your own money it might be worth trying the engines that were not created solely to win a stupid arms race with BMW.

Your comments make perfect logical sense, but both my wife and I have found that once you have supped from the AMG cup, your life will never be quite the same again...

If you have never sunk the right hand pedal to the floor in a proper AMG car, I highly recommend the experience!!

 

[100%Bitch]

Your comments make perfect logical sense, but both my wife and I have found that once you have supped from the AMG cup, your life will never be quite the same again...

If you have never sunk the right hand pedal to the floor in a proper AMG car, I highly recommend the experience!!

So can I, SO CAN IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

 

[Uncle Benz]

Taking a trip out on Sunday to have a sniff at both cars. The E63 on offer is in designo mystic blue and looks gorgeous in the pics...

 

[whitenemesis]

Taking a trip out on Sunday to have a sniff at both cars. The E63 on offer is in designo mystic blue and looks gorgeous in the pics...

Have seen some beeauutiful examples of the mystic blue..

 

[whitenemesis]

Because he can??

Not everyone enjoys driving round in a diesel.

I have always owned a diesel of some sort over the last 10 years, and I try to convince myself I love them, but there are boring and souless.
Yeah they do a job, and in some ways alot better than a petrol. But they are a work horse and that is not what everyone is looking for.

If you took two cars with the same power, same consumption, same cost each month to own, one a diesel and one a petrol, how many would seriously take the diesel??

Some people get a kick from seeing 40mpg, others get a kick from hearing a screaming straight six or a thundering V8, others get a kick from the comfort, or the handling, and just occasionally you can get all those, bar one, rolled into one car, so why not?




C63 for me, I keep looking at the E55 etsate as I need the space, but I reckon I will chop my M3 in for a C63 estate when they drop to £35k and keep the E320 estate. And I reckon that will be next spring.

Can't agree with your comment...

My 270 CDI has plenty of soul and is far from boring. With it's sport exhaust it has very satifying burble and the engine has plenty of grunt to hussle along.

 

[Uncle Benz]

Taking a trip out on Sunday to have a sniff at both cars. The E63 on offer is in designo mystic blue and looks gorgeous in the pics...

Phoned today to check the E63 would be available to view. I have been caught out before, turning up on spec to find someone has 'borrowed' the car for the weekend. To say the salesman was keen is an understatement!! I think he would have personally collected me from my home if I had asked...

I'm nervous now - expecting a bit of a feeding-frenzy when we arrive...

 

[st4]

IMHO its a no brainer. I saw a C63 in the flesh and its interior fittings etc were a major dissappointment (unlike an E class) and it just didn't have the feel of a £50k car. I'd buy a used E63, much more car for your money.

I now see why MB starts with an E. I thought the 204 would be the perfect car for me, but it felt like a car below the 211 which i kinda hoped it wouldn't.

 

[Uncle Benz]

IMHO its a no brainer. I saw a C63 in the flesh and its interior fittings etc were a major dissappointment (unlike an E class) and it just didn't have the feel of a £50k car. I'd buy a used E63, much more car for your money.

I now see why MB starts with an E. I thought the 204 would be the perfect car for me, but it felt like a car below the 211 which i kinda hoped it wouldn't.

I'm glad you have said this. I really don't like the 204 interior, but have been a bit coy about saying it out loud. The dash is of a similar material to my W164 ML, which, to be frank, is horrid. I see it is now leather clad in the facelift model of the ML. When I expressed my disappointment to the staff at MB World on the release of the 204, they looked at me like I was mad!!

I really do feel it is a step backwards from the W203 C class interior. Perhaps I am becoming a bit too conservative in my old age...

 

[st4]

I'm glad you have said this. I really don't like the 204 interior, but have been a bit coy about saying it out loud. The dash is of a similar material to my W164 ML, which, to be frank, is horrid. I see it is now leather clad in the facelift model of the ML. When I expressed my disappointment to the staff at MB World on the release of the 204, they looked at me like I was mad!!

I really do feel it is a step backwards from the W203 C class interior. Perhaps I am becoming a bit too conservative in my old age...

Nah mate, the 204's dash has been critised by the likes of what car, evo mag, TG etc. I am sure its an excellent car, but so is BMW's E90 3 series which comes with a nicer ambience and better drive, brilliant reliability (something of a surprise) and there are used ones going below £10k on big motoring world. A 204 costs twice as much as its done FA depreciating. In that segment BMW have it licked.

I heard this about a 204 and spent a hungover morning in a friend of a friends one being driven home and I liked it, but having had a time to scrutanise it (and having seen one of dragons posts describe it as hasilty built) I am inclined to agree with dragon. It felt cheap inside and having a good nose about the plastics under the steering collomn felt basic and cheap. There is none of this in the 211 E class. The doors, the seats, all felt built to a much lower standard to that of the 211.

I also feel the same about the W164 ML, and R class. I had an E53 X5 and the interior fittings felt like a car 2 grades above the ML. I am sure the ML is excellent, but I'd want to have the car retrimmed in Alcantara for the dash and leather to make it feel special.

On a £10k used car I'd be delighted with a 204 as I think at that price its a lot of car and at that price good quality for it, but as a £50k new car purchase I'd feel like I'd have been taken to the cleaners. Actually if I had paid £20k for a newish 220cdi I'd feel a bit short changed. You'll find a 211 much more nicely appointed than a 203 too

If you like interior ambience, a feeling of safety and security and big car ambience the E class is the one for you. Personally I'd have an E320cdi and a caterham but you've IMHO got a very easy decision to make.

 

[hawk20]

Price of fuel, should keep going down as long as the $ increase in value. Today at $57/barrel.

Some would put it the other way round: dollar will rise so long as oil keeps falling.

But it is not that simple for us, I'm sad to say. Last July the pound would buy$2. Today it will only buy $1.48 dollars. A $60 barrel of oil used to cost us £30. Now it costs £40

 

[GseRacing]

TO put my 2 pences worth in, i just baught my first merc, its an ML55 with LPG fitted. All the fun but the same fuel bill as my TT which was doing over twice the mpg.

Just a thought.

 

[Uncle Benz]

Just got back from a nice day out at MB World. The E63 on offer was in fact an ex track car there, and TBH, in a hell of a state. All the chrome rusting (apparently due to the water sprayers round the track) and black mouldings all water marked. Interior looked like it had seen a few bottoms, and it probably had... Looked like a car that had covered 60,000 miles rather than the 6000 recorded. Initially the salesman said "I'll have to check" when I asked if it had been used on their track, but when I called his bluff he admitted it without checking... After a good sniff at both the C63 and E63 on the top floor, either side of a delicious lunch in the restaurant, we have concluded that the E class is the car for us. The search resumes...

Both the kids were very well behaved, but we were very disappointed to hear that the creche is closing down to make way for a larger kitchen. A poor decision I feel.