So here is the 6 month report
Total mileage : 5264
MPG : 19.7
Costs : £33 (2 litres of oil)
Cost to the other guy's insurers : probably lots...
No servicing yet and tyres holding up pretty well.
While Brunhilde is laid up for some reconstructive surgery I thought I would try to sum up the ownership experience to date. I have already gone into the ordering and dealer experience in some detail so I'm going to focus on the car.
The looks of the coupe can be divisive, but I have to say they have grown on me. You really need to see one in the flesh as pictures can be deceptive, but there is a purposeful, understated aggression to the sleeker stance of the coupe, and no shortage of road presence. It certainly stands out in the supermarket car park and 99% of comments from passers by have been positive.
As you would expect for a small car lugging around a 6.2 V8 the engine dominates every piece of the experience. While the steering may be quick and accurate (despite being a little slack around the straight-ahead when driving in a straight line), and the chassis nicely balanced, the big lump out front is the alpha and the omega. It is a masterpiece of engineering; responsive, explosive, endless power with linear delivery and a soundtrack from the lower levels of pandemonium. It is an awesome, and at times slightly unnerving, device.
What you slowly come to realise however is that Mercedes have not built a car here. They have built a cage to try to keep the monster in check. It really is that dominant, and anything not specifically there to showcase the engineering is secondary. And this is where the first of the cracks appear. Build quality...
The materials used in the cabin and exterior are first rate. The plastics soft, the aluminium paddles brushed nicely and cool to touch, the leather just the right side of "too shiny". Likewise the design shows flair and class. Unfortunately it is not bolted together as well as you would expect from a 60k car. The drivetrain feels bulletproof but the cabin is a martyr to rattling trim and vibrating vents. A VW Golf built like this would not pass quality control, despite the superior materials used. It is a common complaint from C63 owners it seems and is bad enough to be distracting. When she returns from the body shop this is getting taken up with the dealer.
Despite the dubious build quality of the cabin the rest of the experience is overwhelmingly positive. On an open road the sheer performance available is in a different league to 99% of the other traffic on the road. This is really brought home when you are waiting to overtake a truck on a dual carriageway which is overtaking another. One of those rolling roadblocks we all love following for miles. When the one in front eventually completes the manoeuvre and moves over you complete the overtake. The hot hatch that had been crawling all over your rear bumper rapidly becomes a speck in the mirror. It is the ease with which this happens that makes you re-evaluate the comparative performance
When things get twisty the steering weights up nicely in the corners and is direct enough to inspire confidence to carve through the turn, making the most of the flat chassis. Various ESP systems keep everything in check, although can be a bit heavy handed. Be careful if you switch them "fully" off however, as it is so easy to get the back moving - LSD or not...
This brings me to another thing about the AMG as your everyday wheels - self control. Brunhilde only really lifts her skirts and makes for the horizon when everything really hooks up with the road north of 60mph. It is then only a second or two before you become very attractive to anything in white and blue (or yellow with a flash and a roll of film). And you get there VERY fast. There is always a slight sense that the real fun is about to start just when you need to put a lid on it. Not the fault of the car for sure, and after all there are race tracks out there. You need to be careful nonetheless as going 20mph faster than you thought you were is not an acceptable excuse in a court of law.
I have only done a dozen or so 100+ mile trips but another nice feature is the way the C63 chomps through the motorway miles. The ride is firm, but( if you can ignore the rattles and creaks) a 250 mile trip is pretty effortless. Range from the 66 litre tank is around 300 miles, and with £100 or so to fill it with super unleaded that's around 30p a mile in go juice.
Special mention to the excellent seats(although do they really need to move thaaaat slooowly when trying to let someone in/out of the back?) and I really like the COMAND online system. At the moment I am chugging around in a Range Rover Vogue. It may have more toys than a branch of Hamleys but the COMAND system on the C is far more intuitive and user friendly than the touch screen button-fest of the tonka toy.
So really a fun 5000 mile intro to the C63 Coupe. BUT that build quality is a real issue. Hopefully I can get it looked at in more detail with the dealer once she gets home. I know I owe some pics as well. There will be plenty before Xmas. Promise...
The Good
THAT engine, accurate steering through corners, confident handling, tremendous drivetrain, competent cruiser, COMAND online, NOISE! Did I mention the engine...?
The Bad
Some slack in the steering at straight ahead, slightly harsh ride on bad surfaces (19" wheels), even 7/10ths only reachable on the roads at license threatening speeds.
The Ugly
Rattling trim, drivers of AMG-seeking Vauxhall Combi vans
