Buying advice wanted

[sprucedmoose]

Good evening all,

I am new to the forum and new to Mercedes. I am in the process of looking for a car and am undecided as to which model to get, so would appreciate advice/ opinion from owners to assist me making up my mind.

I am looking at getting either a C43 Estate, C63 Estate or C63 Coupe. My budget would allow for a 2021 C43 with low(ish) miles and Premium Plus/ Night packs, a slightly older C63 (I’ve seen a 2019 Premium Plus) with a few more miles (approx 25k) or a slightly older again coupé (2018 Premium Plus) with high miles (50k).

The reason I am leaning towards an estate is to enable me to take my dog (cocker spaniel in case anyone was wondering) out for walks on the beach etc, as well as being a daily driver for the family. I work away, so will need to commute a bit in it - I’m not expecting massive MPG, but opinions on motorway journeys (comfort etc) would be great. Coupé is more of an impulse - I love the look and can always buy a seat cover for the dog and leave the wife/ kids at home!

I’d love to hear from owners of any of the cars mentioned with pros and cons. My last car was a 2.0l BMW diesel, so I already expect there will be a jump in performance (more like a quantum leap!) I have a bit of a concern about the C63 not having 4matic - lots of power through rear wheels. Whilst we don’t get much snow, we do get wet and frosty roads, so would appreciate hearing from owners and if it is an issue or if I’m overthinking/ worrying.

I am currently out of the country but due to return in March, so intend on going for some test drives, but in the meantime, any advice and/or tips for what to look for would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[sprucedmoose]

Apologies all. I realise I have posted twice (with different titles?) If one of the mods could delete the other post, that would be great. I’m blaming the crap Wi-Fi out here and not my fat fingers.

 

[sgregory124]

C63S owner here - owned since July 2020, my only car and I drive it in all weathers. I will tell you now, provided you have decent tyres on it, they aren’t worn out and they’re up to temperature, you’ll have zero issues with traction in the dry, wet and everything in between.

Same rules apply as any car for unsavoury conditions like ice and rain of course, snow is a non-starter without winter tyres realistically.

Being unashamedly biased here, I would go for a pre-facelift 63. Sure the 43 is quick, but it just isn’t as special either in looks, sound or the way it gets you to your chosen speed.

I bought mine for precisely those reasons and it hasn’t disappointed me yet.

Economy wise, the best I’ve seen on a motorway run at legal speeds is 33mpg, but you can expect mid-20’s for daily driving (town driving - no heroics). Beyond that, it’s all down to your right foot, I’ve seen mine as low as 9mpg in the past.

Overall, it’s a fabulous car and the first in my history to be troubling me about replacing - the only possible move next that I can see would be up to an E63S…..

If you have any other questions, just ask, there are a fair few owners on here.

 

[Chrishazle]

As a daily driver for the family, why would you consider a 63?? I have enough problems with wife's heavy right foot in a C220Cdi, letting her loose in a 63 would terrify me!

Agree with you that an estate is far more family friendly than a saloon or coupe, just think of the frequent supermarket runs, open the tailgate of an estate and throw it all in, easy!! Also the estates load cover includes a pull down dog guard. We've had a C class estate for about 13 years now, current one since March 2012, and have no intention of changing it.

Also find that the 220 Cdi has more than enough grunt and performance when required, but is also a comfortable and economic cruiser - 45-50+Mpg on a motorway run is easy, 40+ in every day driving is normal, 500+ miles between fuelling up (once it drops to under 1/4 tank) is normal.

A 2021 C43 with low miles must mean your budget is well north of £25k, I'd suggest lowering your sights to an estate with lower power and thus save a load of money. For exdample, when I bought my S204 C220Cdi at 4 1/2 years old, 64k miles, full MB SH, used approved from supplying MB main dealer, it was £15.5k, and it has loads of toys - full leather, Comand satnav, factory fit hide away tow hitch, heated front seats etc, I've added front parking sensors and rear view camera, expect to keep it until either it or we head for the scrapper!

 

[Steve84N]

And this is why you don't belong in the AMG section. It's not about need, it's about want and enjoyment.

 

[Steve84N]

C63 estate if you're asking. It's literally now or never for such a car. The V6 is a 'normal' engine and is actually quite rubbish on fuel compared to what it should be and well below the BMW B58 by comparison.

The traction control in these is very good and left on anyone can drive them.

 

[sprucedmoose]

Thank you for your responses so far. I appreciate them.

@sgregory124 that’s really useful to hear, thank you. I’m not expecting the economy of my 2l diesel, but that’s to be expected. The sound and feel of the car will more than make up for it I feel - Smile Per Gallon and all that! Interesting about a pre-facelift. I hear about the change to exhaust due to PPF, but I like all of the tech of the FL and wil probably hold onto the car for a few years, so would be more comfortable with a newer motor.

@Chrishazle The sensible voice in my head does keep me looking at smaller engined cars for the MPG side of things, but I’m trying to quieten that down! My wife is a better driver than me, so I’m less concerned about her behind the wheel than me.

@Steve84N agree about now or never. Grateful for your comments on the traction. I’m probably just over worrying.


The C63 I’ve seen is from a non-Mercedes dealer and only comes with a limited warranty. The other 2 (C43 and copué) are MD and come with a 2 year, unlimited warranty. I know I’ll have to compromise on something but is a longer warranty worth the compromise? Are there many common faults which would justify?

 

[Skd884]

Test drive a 204 c63 6.3 - far better than the 4.0tt

C63 Black Series: The perfect road car?

Harris finds that, despite its trackday aggression, the C63 Black makes the perfect road-trip companion

www.pistonheads.com

 

[sgregory124]

Thank you for your responses so far. I appreciate them.

@sgregory124 that’s really useful to hear, thank you. I’m not expecting the economy of my 2l diesel, but that’s to be expected. The sound and feel of the car will more than make up for it I feel - Smile Per Gallon and all that! Interesting about a pre-facelift. I hear about the change to exhaust due to PPF, but I like all of the tech of the FL and wil probably hold onto the car for a few years, so would be more comfortable with a newer motor.

The C63 I’ve seen is from a non-Mercedes dealer and only comes with a limited warranty. The other 2 (C43 and copué) are MD and come with a 2 year, unlimited warranty. I know I’ll have to compromise on something but is a longer warranty worth the compromise? Are there many common faults which would justify?

Agree the tech is way better in the facelift, I was more concerned with the sound and the way the car drives but I can see why you'd want the more modern car. If it makes you feel any better, I bought my car from a non-franchised garage, with the bog standard statutory 3 month warranty. This was primarily because it was the best car I'd seen and these days, the list of exclusions on Marc warranties is so long you're better off just putting money aside to cover the cost of any repairs, should they arise.

Common faults are few in my experience, the main one being interior rattling, which seems to be a fact of life in the W205. Front tyres wear at an accelerated rate on the inside edge, which is due to the particular suspension setup for these cars (so budget accordingly). Make sure any car you pick has had its gearbox fluid and diff oil changed in line with Mercedes recommendations, I probably don't need to explain why!

Outside of those things, I've had only one thing go wrong that could be described as a 'fault', which was the bendix drive on the starter motor dried out and caused a loud squealing sound each time the car was started - fixed very easily and cheaply.

You'll notice someone else has 'decreed' that the 6.2 (W204 chassis) is 'far better' than the 4.0TT (W205) - this is of course completely subjective and down to your personal preference. Test drive both if you're so inclined, but if you want modern tech, the W205 is your only choice.

And finally, as Steve84N said, this is the time to buy a V8 - get one now before they're extinct!

 

[badgx]

^^^X2 enjoy V8 while we can

 

[Germgh0st]

I've has a 2019 C43 (albeit a saloon) for nearly 4 years. It's my daily driver, although I work from home so it's done about 12,000 miles.

I've had totally trouble free motoring with it. I absolutely love the interior and the tech, the drive is fantastic. No, it doesn't have the V8 of the C63 and the accompanying sound, but it does have 4Matic which means it has absolutely no issues with snow or ice, at least not in my experience. But being permanently biased 69% to the rear you still can still push the back out with some spirited driving. I often go for a drive in it just because it puts a smile on my face every time.

You don't get the flared arches and other C63 looks, but that means it's very much a sleeper. Two of the reasons I bought the C43 over the C63 were winter driving (I live in the grim north) and 'stealability'. From the front the C43 looks like any other C class. I added an Autowatch Ghost to the mix for peace of mind.

So - as others have said - it depends if you just 'need' and AMG car, in which case I'd say go for the V8 if you can, or if you merely 'want' one, in which case go for the C43. Also bear in mind you might get a little schtick with the C43 not being a 'true' AMG as the engine is tuned not built by AMG.

 

[f17ant]

I would take the C63 estate over the C43 both good cars as @sgregory124 said if you got heat in the tyres they do put the power down, I run PS4S all round and the car is good off the line I struggled alot with the Super Sports

Edit

Just seen the mpg question best I ever got was 34mpg on a long sensible motorway drive, I live in London and average around 19-21 on a tank

 

[W1ghty]

And this is why you don't belong in the AMG section. It's not about need, it's about want and enjoyment.

Smiles per gallon ?

 

[sprucedmoose]

@Germgh0st interesting to hear your thoughts on C43 over C63. Similar concerns to me. Ghost autowatch will be on my list whichever car I get - my brother in law had his Land Rover stolen off his drive a few months back. I don’t want to risk it.

I don’t think I “need” a V8, but it is probably my last chance to get one while they’re still available and relatively new. Either one will be a step up from my previous cars and definitely a quicker and louder car than I’ve had before.

 

[sprucedmoose]

@sgregory124 thank you again for your comprehensive post. Good to hear about few faults in your experience. The C63 i’d seen had a full MB service history so I’d assume it had been done correctly. I’d definitely have to check it when viewing the car though.

 

[sprucedmoose]

@f17ant thank you. Good to hear real world MPGs. I’d do a mixture of both, and expect to become a frequent visitor to the petrol station! Tyres will be something I definitely want to invest in. Common consensus seems to be P4S or Super Sports, so it’s interesting to hear you struggled with the latter.

 

[sgregory124]

@sgregory124 thank you again for your comprehensive post. Good to hear about few faults in your experience. The C63 i’d seen had a full MB service history so I’d assume it had been done correctly. I’d definitely have to check it when viewing the car though.

No problem. Ask anything you like, I’m happy to share any knowledge.

A word of warning, my car had a full dealer history and I learned the hard way that that wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The previous owner of my car had skipped some essential items prior to selling (ATF fluid change, diff oil change, spark plugs and air filters). But, rather than record those as missed on the system, the original supplying dealer (Mercedes Taunton) just omitted them altogether, so I had no visibility of that on the service documents.

Worse still, when I asked my current servicing dealer (Mercedes Nottingham) if they needed doing (as I knew they should have been done at the mileage I was at), they simply said ‘computer says no’. It took me a lot of phone calls and another £800 to sort out (I have a service plan, but because the items above were missed, they wouldn’t cover them, so I had to pay to have them done separately).

Not saying this is the case in general but just something to be aware of.

 

[Spider10]

PFL C63 saloon best mpg 31 on a run they handle great and in my opinion if not driven by a idiot you wont loose the rear (MPS4S all round) the sound is epic performance exhaust is a must as mentioned above MB history is good if all additional items were done on time as its still full history if they weren't if that makes sense ive also owned the w204 ppp car and if its tech your after you wont like it they are abit dated now but still a fantastic car the c43 i can't comment on as they've never interested me if you want an AMG get the v8

 

[Engadine]

OP, firstly, it’s great you would like to join the club and let me say, those who join the V8 AMG club rarely leave it voluntarily!

There are caveats of course so my view on some of your questions, in no particular order:

- Traction: this was a real dilemma for me when deciding whether to get the Brabus 600 over the standard C63S. I thought I would be in wheelspin hell in winter.

Amazingly, the Brabus with +100 hp and lb ft over the standard c63S, almost never spins its wheels or engages traction control and is better than the not turbocharged w204 C63 I had before. Just get PS4S tyres.

- Estate vs coupe: my 204 c63 was an estate, my 205 Brabus is a cabrio, same platform as a coupe. Plenty of space for a nice dog..

- V8? Nobody needs these cars. I use mine mainly for a school run in central London. You can figure out whether I need 700 lb ft and 600 hp but damn, best thing I ever did. And when it’s on the open road….

C43 and E53 very good cars but there’s a reason to go V8. And by the way I don’t agree with the comment that E63 is an upgrade. It’s bigger, sure, but that’s not the same as better or more fun.

If you buy one, I think it’s extremely unlikely you will be here posting about how you regret your decision. If you don’t buy one….

 

[f17ant]

@f17ant thank you. Good to hear real world MPGs. I’d do a mixture of both, and expect to become a frequent visitor to the petrol station! Tyres will be something I definitely want to invest in. Common consensus seems to be P4S or Super Sports, so it’s interesting to hear you struggled with the latter.

Day and night difference with the PS4S would never go back to Super Sports unless I lived in a hot country