MattAu

Historically, how do AMGs hold up over say 10 yrs in terms of reliability? Do they start feeling loose after 4 or 5 yrs? If I want to keep the car for 10 to 12 yrs, am I going to be dealing with a lot of rattles and creaks?

Strickly from a financial standpoint, including resale value, repair and maintenance, insurance and gas, do you think there is any significant dollar difference between the IS-F and the C63 over 10 yrs?

My gut tells me I want a C63 but the same gut also tells me the IS-F makes better financial sense.

EuroB6

honestly, get what you prefer. Your gut says you want a C63, that's what you should get. The build quality of the C63 is up there with Lexus. Of course, Toyota does have a very reliable engine in all of their cars, that's with most Japanese cars. The IS-F is nice, but C63 is much better to me. Financially the I can see the C63 taking the biggest hit, as far as depreciation, but if you plan on keeping it for 10 years, who cares. I buy cars for pure enjoyment and the C63 won me over. Go with your 1st gut instinct, you'll be happy.

GBlansten

I've got a three year business lease but the 6.2 liter V8 is going by the wayside so I'm very tempted to keep this car after the lease runs out.

pmknapp

Wow 10 years??? At my pace that will put me at almost 500,000 miles. Would have to retire the car and let it sit in garage for a least most of it. But yes over all I plan to keep a long time. Esp after I finish my mods and stuff, the car will be so sick I hope.

gsrjc

maybe not 10 years but definitely plan to keep it for a long time. i usually keep cars for 5 years.

Sincity

For a long time. Hopefully in a few years, the headers will be priced cheaper along with other hardware mods. Hey, my DD is an old '86 190e.

MB_Owner

At the end of 10 years, I bet there's not that much difference.

But at the end of five years, I'd be willing to bet the lowest TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) would swing in the Lexus' favor. Better mileage, lower scheduled maintenance costs and I suspect lower insurance premiums as well (but you'd have to check that...insured location, driving record and insurance company can skew those numbers significantly).

As far as depreciation rates, a good place to start is the Cars.com Residual Value calculator which uses data supplied by the Automotive Leasing Guide.

patboyy

i think i will keep it for quite long time....5 years at least, but who knows, mayb i won the lottery and or there is another good AMG product in the future market?

bushburninc63

I'm planning to keep it for as long as I can. Stock too, which would be a hard feat.

propain

If they change the motor in 2011 my C63 will join my others in the garage and ill move on to my next toy...

eagle_lex

im keeping mine for probably at least 10 years. i dont drive it daily. so far it hasnt even been in the rain. usually only driven on saturdays/nights. occasionally week nights to dinner. i think the lexus has lower maintance cost but i didnt let that swing me. my heart wanted the C63 so i got it.

i think the 6.2 liter wont be around long so i think that will make me want to keep it longer plus it will be paid for after 5 years and then why sell it? it might have 30k miles on it at that point. so a free AMG in the garage will be hard to pass up and sell.

i say go with your gut or you will eventually trade the IS-F for an AMG. dont get me wrong the IS-F is nice but if you want an AMG you probably wont be happy until you have it. and that will end up costing you more in the long run.

soldier2304

I love my C63, but as much as i love it and enjoy driving it, it's not the top end car that i have always wanted (life is too short). Hopefully if everything keeps going the way it is now, somewhere in 2011-2012 my C63 will be going away for one of these....

propain

Interesting transition.

60K to 200K

dmyrick

I will probably keep it but i plan to buy a corvette in four or 5 years.

rory breaker

No way. I remember when I got my E46 M3 "i can drive this car for years!!!!" - 14 months later, hello C55. "I'll keep THIS car for 3-4 years easy...it does everything I want perfectly" 2 years almost to the day later - hellloooo C63. I sat in the car in the showroom thinking "should I buy or lease" and remembered that exact same feeling in my previous 2 cars and right away I knew I should lease it.

Just like I got all hot and bothered when the C63 came out...when the next one comes out I'll get hot and bothered about that one and want it just as bad, its just a fact of life.

To answer your question directly resale on these cars SUCKS so really youre better off keeping it 10+yrs if youre going to buy it. A 3yr old $62k 2006 C55 is going for $30k MAX right now. A 3yr old $90k 2006 E55 is going for $40k MAX right now. The largest depreciation as with any other car is year 1...get one a year old, you'll save a ton of dough...if youre gonna keep it, keep it for a long time...

As for squeaks and rattles, my only experience is a 3yr old C55 but it was holding up just fine. HOWEVER I would NOT advise owning one of these cars out of warranty. Bigtime repair costs. Cant say for the ISF.

soldier2304

More like 70k to 170k (will not buy new)

It's alright I've gone from a 500k property to a 1.1 mill one before. There really isn't that much difference between $1150 a month to $3500 when you can afford it is it? Life is too short, plus with all that saying that in December, 2012 we are all going to be history, I will not allow myself to be gone without owning a Ferrari first i can assure you that.

Unbreakable1

haha damn those Mayans and their abbreviated calendars

c32AMG-DTM

Unlike the w202 and w203 c-classes, AMG allegedly has no plans to change the w204's motor or tranny at the mid-model facelift; consequently, we may not see anything other than C63's until the w205 chassis arrives in ~5 years' time.

JM

Sooo true =P

Thats why im planning to get rid of my c63 in 2 - 3 years max, go on to something different

try everything!

mzporto

The answer is already inside of you, my friend. You'll get the Benz.

Imagine yourself for 10 years in a Lexus thinking "humm... maybe I should have followed my heart instead of my head and bought the C63. The cost difference is not that biggie"...

Really, man. And you don't need to stick to any of those cars for so long. Marriage is already a long-run problematic investiment. You don't need another.

eagle_lex

Marriage is already a long-run problematic investiment. You don't need another.


Ha ha ha! they say dont buy a depreciating asset. i guess that goes for marriage too!

Condor Man

10 Years is a ridiculous amount of time to keep one car!!

I plan on keeping mine for 3.5 - 4 years.

Once the new model becomes available you will always want to upgrade.

Think of the technological advances that will be made in 10 years!! We probably won't even be using petrol????

MB_Forever

That is correct..... However, I believe Mercedes may end up raising the hp rating of the C63 by a little bit especially with the new facelift in a couple of years; maybe go from 451 hp to 475 hp (same as CLK63 non black series) in order to boost sales. Mercedes likes to face lift their models every 3 years... coupled with the hp boost, this would be a great sales boost as well.

BoBcanada

you guys completely went offtopic on the subject of the question lol

I say if you want to keep the car for 10 years you HAVE to take care of it, and it will pay back with reliability.

MattAu

Thanks for all your replies! The way I see it, if I were to get the C63 and do an ECU mod, it will be a nice ride for a long time. Does it have to be 10 yrs, who knows, maybe if I win the lottery, I can get something else as well.

Would your answer be any different comparing a new C63 with a 3 yrs old 997 Carrera 2? The Porsche is obviously more timeless but the performance doesn't seem to be up to the same level as a Kleemann C63 is it?