Decisions decisions

[Captain Twinky]

Dear mbclubbers!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Captain Twinky, and over the last five years or so, I've flitted between German and Jap cars. I owned a C180 some years ago and really liked it. It wasn't very fast but the interior was nice and it was a really comfortable and reliable car. A few weeks ago, I developed an itch that I want to scratch. That itch is a car with a large, naturally-aspirated engine. I've been looking online at the usual suspects: E92 M3, Audi RS5, and C63 coupe. Of the premium German marques, I've always had a penchant for Mercedes, plus I think the C63 is the best looking and best sounding of the trio, so I quickly discounted Munich and Ingolstadt and trained my sights firmly on Stuttgart. My budget is an absolute maximum of £30k, although I'd rather spend nearer to £26-27k. I've done some quick research and read that some pre-2011 C63 experience head bolt issues, so am I right in thinking 2011-onwards coupes do not suffer this problem?

Now, I realise this next bit totally contradicts my 'itch' comment above, but whilst I've been looking at Mercs within my budget, I've had my head turned by the A45 and the E400. If money were no object, I'd go for the C63, but I could get a newer, lower-mileage example of an A45 or E400 for the same sum, plus running costs would be considerably lower. And they both have blowers, so a tune would see some fun power gains.

You can probably tell I'm a little confused. One thing I know for sure is that I want another Mercedes! Just sharing my thoughts - any feedback or advice is gladly welcomed. By the way, I've never driven a C63, so should probably do that first. Sorry for such a long first post.

Best regards.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Have you driven them? The driving experience is quite different. Quite wonderful, but different all the same. You'll love both the 45 and 63 but which will you love the most?

I enjoy driving 45s but they demand my full attention, and won't tolerate me wafting, so for me a 63 suits my preferences more of the time. Someone who enjoys being "on it" more of the time may find the 45 a better choice. Nice problem to have

 

[MarkACLS]

I do read that many a45s appear to have a serious gearbox issue though that Mercedes are struggling to solve according to the AMG Private Lounge.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Captain Twinky]

Thanks for your replies.

I've driven an A45 on a limited test drive. The sales guy was a complete stiff, so sadly I didn't really get any sort of feel for the car.

Haven't driven either of the coupes, though.

I was going to ask about reliability/issues with the other two. How bad are the 45's gearbox problems? Any known issues with the E400?

Best regards.

 

[MarkACLS]

I was going to ask about reliability/issues with the other two. How bad are the 45's gearbox problems?

Best regards.

From AMG Private Lounge:

A45 facelift brand new - 2 months and 1500 miles in and gearbox makes a loud 'crunch' when placed into reverse when the car is cold, demonstrated here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A88M6din1s

Mercedes said it required a new 'synchro ring' and can no longer be driven.

Currently there are over 59 pages of owners complaining about the exactly same issue with their gearbox. http://www.aclassclub.co.uk/forum/fl-gearbox-issues_topic8043.html and 13 pages over two threads on AMG's own private owners community - Private Lounge.

Many members have said that they had work carried out to solve the fault for it to continue or even get worse. Some forum members are on their second replacement gearbox and still the problem hasn't been solved.One member has been without his car for over 12 weeks after having 2 replacement gearboxes and still the problem persists.

These are some YouTube clips of various owners with the same issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdbI5GE5EMI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izIsIJKPYd4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsP2WxNn380

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u-1w_OCCr4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqVsALzk9Kg

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eQ1a11MSneI

 

[gramey]

As you say a complete contradiction, looking for a big capacity N/A and then discussing blown 2 & 3 litre engines???
The A45 is already pushing towards 400bhp so not sure about the reliability of that if you tune it further? The E400 appears to be a completely different kettle of fish, more a GT than a raw edged sporting coupe.
Personally if I had that sort of money to spend I wouldn't go with any of them, I'd go for something more interesting than any of those, in my humble opinion, like this -
https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...t-prepped-today-by-ferrari-birmingham/7161702

or if you don't mind a few miles this-

https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...smo-v8-skyhook-20-inch-alloys-fsh-nav/6902926

 

[Captain Twinky]

A45 facelift brand new - 2 months and 1500 miles in and gearbox makes a loud 'crunch' when placed into reverse when the car is cold, demonstrated here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A88M6din1s

Mercedes said it required a new 'synchro ring' and can no longer be driven.

That doesn't sound good at all! Thanks for sharing. Can this be an issue on all model year A45s or just the FL cars?

I'd go for something more interesting than any of those, in my humble opinion, like this -
https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...t-prepped-today-by-ferrari-birmingham/7161702

or if you don't mind a few miles this-

https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...smo-v8-skyhook-20-inch-alloys-fsh-nav/6902926

Stunning cars, especially the one in the second link, but I'm not sure whether they're for me. Think I'd prefer a 63!

So if I go C63 coupe hunting, is there anything particular to look out for? Any specific issues or recalls to check?

Best regards.

 

[GeeJayW]

Avoid Fire Opal Red, there are many cases of the paint developing micro blisters.
Harmon Karden sound system would be a nice option.
Panoramic roof is great, but reduces rear headroom a little.
Full MB service history is a must IMHO.
Bi-Xenons are a must have.

Not sure about gearbox i.e. MCT vs 7G-Tronic Plus. My gut tells me the MCT will give more responsive changes, but the 7G is more common and perhaps more reliable.

Good Luck

There seem to be some nice ones on AT in the region of £28k