E63(s) future purchase.

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Lennox

MB Enthusiast
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Joined
Sep 29, 2014
Messages
2,518
Location
Scotland
Car
GTD /A6 Ultra - Merc next time!!
Just looking for some advice, looking at buying a W212 E63 wagon, budget circa 35k so a 2014/2015 model. I'm not planning on doing much mileage and anyway the Volvo struggles to get 25mpg so I can deal with projected 18-22mpg. Clean licence and parked in a garage so insurance should be OK.

Qs
1. Anything I need to be wary of?
2. They come pretty loaded but any options that are key? Do fancy vented seats.
3. Is the S worth the extra? I'm planning on mapping it anyway so thd power gain is not a de iding factor.
4. Any big bills I should factor in at specific mileages?
5. Tyres, I'm a goodyear fan but thinking Michelin PSs
6. Buying it in part for the noise but I do t want to piss the neighbours off totally (GT-R and new Panamera turbo S a few doors away so I'm not alone). Standard exhaust ok? Miltek sounds good but expensive.

Appreciate any info.

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Vented seats is a good option. In hindsight I would also liked night pack - but that’s subjective


At the mileage you are picking probably looking at worn front suspension bushes and balljoints. I had all of that replaced at about 30k

Spark plugs have inadequate (IMO) replacement schedule. I had them fail twice before they were due for replacement.

These engines can leak oil, do check. I had leak at rear of engine - about £2k job at dealer

You probably want a warranty, one year just gotten expensive

Brakes - at 35k car should probably be on second set of rotors could be another £2k if you shop wisely.

Now colours - designo white is expensive to respray. I suspect other colours are easier to live with.

Exhaust noise is ok. Quite loud on cold start but once warm it’s relatively quiet. I would certainly welcome a different exhaust.

Tyres - annoyingly Michelin PS4’s is not available in 19/30/285 for rears. Luckily 19/30/295 fits.




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Just looking for some advice, looking at buying a W212 E63 wagon, budget circa 35k so a 2014/2015 model. I'm not planning on doing much mileage and anyway the Volvo struggles to get 25mpg so I can deal with projected 18-22mpg. Clean licence and parked in a garage so insurance should be OK.

Qs
1. Anything I need to be wary of?
2. They come pretty loaded but any options that are key? Do fancy vented seats.
3. Is the S worth the extra? I'm planning on mapping it anyway so thd power gain is not a de iding factor.
4. Any big bills I should factor in at specific mileages?
5. Tyres, I'm a goodyear fan but thinking Michelin PSs
6. Buying it in part for the noise but I do t want to piss the neighbours off totally (GT-R and new Panamera turbo S a few doors away so I'm not alone). Standard exhaust ok? Miltek sounds good but expensive.

Appreciate any info.

Sent from my awesome Samsung Galaxy Note 9
1. Check the brake discs are in decent shape I'd say.
2. With hindsight, the 360 degree camera is something which would be a nice to have. I have it on my W213 E63
3. I'm not so sure the S model is worth the extra, OK you get the LSD, and a bit of extra power, but its not exactly slow in standard form.
6. Standard exhaust is fine, and loud enough as it stands. Cold start is quite loud though, personally I'd leave it standard.
 
1. Anything I need to be wary of?

Brakes and tyres are the obvious wear parts that are easily checked. You should obviously do a full check of the service history. Items that get accidentally "missed" are plugs (every 4 years, even if mileage is low) and gearbox ATF / filter change (at 37k miles) because both are costly. Other than that, the M157 engine is a bit clattery at idle so a bit of noise is generally nothing to worry about, but if you're unsure get someone who's familiar with the "standard" noises to give you a second opinion. Timing chains / tensioners should be ok, but awkwardly you'll only be able to hear if there's a problem on first startup from stone cold when it's stood for at least 6-8hrs. The MCT clutch may judder or give a mid-frequency vibration through the car when you pull away or come to a halt if it's on it's way out.

Try to drive it on a bit of road that will load up one corner of the car - such as putting one wheel over a speed cushion. If you get a fairly loud crack noise from behind you the Pano Roof is not completely tight on its mountings. Relatively easy to fix (tighten the mountings!) but expensive as you need to drop the headliner to do it.

2. They come pretty loaded but any options that are key? Do fancy vented seats.

Dynamic Multi-Contour seats are a nice option (vented seats tend to only be fitted with either Multi-Contour or Dynamic Multi-Contour seats) and the Driving Assistance Package is really good. Split/fold seats are standard on the wagon so that's a plus. A reversing camera is helpful; 360 camera better, but very rare.

3. Is the S worth the extra? I'm planning on mapping it anyway so thd power gain is not a de iding factor.

Most people don't realise but the S front suspension is slightly different to the standard car which gives slightly more responsive steering. Budget for a Quaife or WaveTrac diff if you go for a standard car as getting the power down without one is difficult in less than ideal conditions. Only you can decide if the premium for an S model is worthwhile, but make sure it really is an S you're looking at - I've seen a few standard cars with S badges.

4. Any big bills I should factor in at specific mileages?

See above - spark plugs and ATF / gearbox filter changes.

5. Tyres, I'm a goodyear fan but thinking Michelin PSs

My favourites were the Asymmetric 3's which grip well, are relatively quiet and last reasonably too. Conti 5P's were also good, but more expensive and noisier. Avoid Pirelli P-Zeros which are terrible once part worn.

6. Buying it in part for the noise but I do t want to piss the neighbours off totally (GT-R and new Panamera turbo S a few doors away so I'm not alone). Standard exhaust ok? Miltek sounds good but expensive.

Startup from cold is quite loud as it runs on fast idle with the turbos bypassed for the first 20 seconds or so. Fine unless you want to leave for the airport at 4:30am... Personally, I'd leave the exhaust standard as it's loud enough to be entertaining, but not so loud as to attract unwanted attention.
 
1. Anything I need to be wary of?

Brakes and tyres are the obvious wear parts that are easily checked. You should obviously do a full check of the service history. Items that get accidentally "missed" are plugs (every 4 years, even if mileage is low) and gearbox ATF / filter change (at 37k miles) because both are costly. Other than that, the M157 engine is a bit clattery at idle so a bit of noise is generally nothing to worry about, but if you're unsure get someone who's familiar with the "standard" noises to give you a second opinion. Timing chains / tensioners should be ok, but awkwardly you'll only be able to hear if there's a problem on first startup from stone cold when it's stood for at least 6-8hrs. The MCT clutch may judder or give a mid-frequency vibration through the car when you pull away or come to a halt if it's on it's way out.

Try to drive it on a bit of road that will load up one corner of the car - such as putting one wheel over a speed cushion. If you get a fairly loud crack noise from behind you the Pano Roof is not completely tight on its mountings. Relatively easy to fix (tighten the mountings!) but expensive as you need to drop the headliner to do it.

2. They come pretty loaded but any options that are key? Do fancy vented seats.

Dynamic Multi-Contour seats are a nice option (vented seats tend to only be fitted with either Multi-Contour or Dynamic Multi-Contour seats) and the Driving Assistance Package is really good. Split/fold seats are standard on the wagon so that's a plus. A reversing camera is helpful; 360 camera better, but very rare.

3. Is the S worth the extra? I'm planning on mapping it anyway so thd power gain is not a de iding factor.

Most people don't realise but the S front suspension is slightly different to the standard car which gives slightly more responsive steering. Budget for a Quaife or WaveTrac diff if you go for a standard car as getting the power down without one is difficult in less than ideal conditions. Only you can decide if the premium for an S model is worthwhile, but make sure it really is an S you're looking at - I've seen a few standard cars with S badges.

4. Any big bills I should factor in at specific mileages?

See above - spark plugs and ATF / gearbox filter changes.

5. Tyres, I'm a goodyear fan but thinking Michelin PSs

My favourites were the Asymmetric 3's which grip well, are relatively quiet and last reasonably too. Conti 5P's were also good, but more expensive and noisier. Avoid Pirelli P-Zeros which are terrible once part worn.

6. Buying it in part for the noise but I do t want to piss the neighbours off totally (GT-R and new Panamera turbo S a few doors away so I'm not alone). Standard exhaust ok? Miltek sounds good but expensive.

Startup from cold is quite loud as it runs on fast idle with the turbos bypassed for the first 20 seconds or so. Fine unless you want to leave for the airport at 4:30am... Personally, I'd leave the exhaust standard as it's loud enough to be entertaining, but not so loud as to attract unwanted attention.

I am one of those people who didn’t realise that front suspension is different on S. Do you know by chance what parts are different?


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No, I’m afraid not. This has come up before though so there may be something in another post on the forum?
 
So it sounds like I should definitely be looking for a lower mileage E63 (non s) car rather than a higher spec. One of them has 18k on it, so they are around.

Good shout re the pano roof, already had a complete pzno roof replaced on a 535d touring under warranty.

At the mileage you are picking probably looking at worn front suspension bushes and balljoints. I had all of that replaced at about 30k

Spark plugs have inadequate (IMO) replacement schedule. I had them fail twice before they were due for replacement.

These engines can leak oil, do check. I had leak at rear of engine - about £2k job at dealer

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Where's thd oil leak from?? Can you visually check? Need a lift??

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Pretty certain @developer once posted the differences between the “standard” model and the “S”.
 
Oil leak was found at service. They did visual check under car and found oil on bottom of gearbox housing. Leak was from one of engine rear seals, above gearbox. Symptoms would only show when engine is running making lift essential to even spot this.

Couple of other guys here had similar leaks, some just live with them.


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No, I’m afraid not. This has come up before though so there may be something in another post on the forum?

After a little bit of research it turns out that the only part with different part number is upper control arm. May be it is a little shorter for more camber? Torsion bar can potentially be different too, but that’s about it for front axle.


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When you buy it you have to promise to remove the AMG badge from the back. You’ve used that opportunity up with your non-AMG estate.

:devil:;)
 
When you buy it you have to promise to remove the AMG badge from the back. You’ve used that opportunity up with your non-AMG estate.

[emoji317];)
Deal. [emoji1417]

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Now this is nice......

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I've had both cls non s and a model and in my opinion they are night and day , the s model feels more connected to the road, gearbox is also sharper , feels more nimble and benefits from extra cooling too , if I was in the market for 1 I surely would look for a s model , extras too look for is the 360 camera , distronic , active seats and if you go for black seats cooled seats is also convenient, night pack and stuff like that is subject to your own taste.
 
Update:

Not bought anything yet, been flip flopping about and the role closer to home is still to be signed off..... Allowing me time to recheck my options. (Rs6, Rs7, M6GC, Bentley C, S8, XFr, XJR). And the E63 is still winning the race, so far...

And on that point I've been trying out this beast, they are starting to come into my budget (not this spec) but I was offered it by a mate for the weekend.

I can write a full review if anyone is interested but in summary it's a massively capable car but it hinders you in many other ways that a sorted E63 wagon wouldn't.
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I don't think I will ever lose my lust for one of these.

The burnt orange colour is synonymous with the newest incarnation from what I've seen - not seen an earlier one in it.

If Nissan weren't so crappy, I would be less put off!

How does it hinder you?
 
I don't think I will ever lose my lust for one of these.

The burnt orange colour is synonymous with the newest incarnation from what I've seen - not seen an earlier one in it.

If Nissan weren't so crappy, I would be less put off!

How does it hinder you?
Space, anonanimity, running costs, a ility to park it anywhere...

Reminds me in part with my 1996 Demonstrator Escort Cosworth..... That you couldn't park anywhere.

And yes the orange is only on the face lift. This was the 2nd car delivered in Scotland.

And they are not crappy. These aren't really Nissans. Built in a purpose built factory, they fit and finish is actually quite good. Compared to the new BMW 850i I actually thing the Nissans interior is more honest and usable.
 
who does the blue c63 belong to ?
 

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