briscoea

I am a prospective C63 buyer and found this forum to be a wealth of information which is helping me base my decisions (among other sources) as to my purchasing a C63.

Now.. I know there will be some people out there who may say "if you're worried about maintenance costs..." Trust me, I can afford the C63 many times over - I just believe in educating myself first before I jump in.

So my question to all of you is:

What maintenance costs do you incur? The more details the better. And, since I live in the US, I'm thinking in US$ - so if you're in another country, please specify this.

It'd be nice to know stuff like:

• How hard you drive it
• Typical MPG
• How often you change your tires
• How often you have the front and/or rear brakes done (and do you replace the rotors every time?)
• Any other typical maintenance costs?

Thank you!

Swamyg1

Thank you for asking this! Very much looking forward to finding out these answers!

avery.whss

I beat on mine good and nothing has blown up.
Gas? Don't even bother asking...you should know it's horrible..you don't buy a C63 for gas milage let's say that.
Changed mine after 5,000KM but they were cheap and I did a bunch of burnouts.
Had 4 pads replaced..was around $1500 at the dealership (don't cheap out on these...the dealership I bought my car from put some cheap crap on and the car sqeeked so bad but luckily it's gone now)

Just change the oil...keep up regular normal maintance that all cars have and the car will last you along time...you'd seriously be surprised how many people are driving around with old ****ty burnt oil that they never change and then everyone wonders why their MPG is down the toilet

briscoea

Thank you, avery.whss!

So how long did your front and rear brakes last? In the US, I'm getting quotes of US$4500 to change out the front brakes and rotors.

Did you have to do the rotors when you had your fronts replaced?

Have you noticed the front and rear brakes wear out evenly, or fronts wear out faster than rear (which can be typical, I presume).

avery.whss

$4500 for rotors and pads isn't too bad..I just had my pads done...think of it this way...you're not getting new rotors every year so mise well get it done properly the 1st time right...I'd say that's probably about right...some advice...get it done at MB...sure you can save "some" money elsewhere but I had my brakes done "elsewhere" the 1st time and they sqeeked for months and the pads were crap...I had it done at MB and no issues since...the pads I had lasted 4 months but they were cheap chinese junk (the brake dust was seriously mental - with the MB pads theres not even nearly as much dust) the dodge dealership I got my car from put on...and no front wore quicker then rear which yeah is normal for most cars im sure

Diabolis

I am one of those people that will tell you that if you need to consider the maintenance costs to help you make your decision, you should probably be looking at something else. It's a high-end, high performance vehicle with lots of expensive parts. Don't buy it unless you are able to afford it.

The question is impossible to answer simply because of all the variables. On a new car, you're looking at consumables only - but how quickly you wear out the tires and the brakes depends a lot on how and how much you drive. On a used car, all bets are off. Unless you're buying it from someone you personally know, you have no idea how it has been driven and maintained by the previous owner so it's a complete crapshoot. And yeah, it's a gas guzzler. It has a 6.2L engine.

briscoea

Diabolis:

I don't think I would be doing too many track days - I'm buying a C63 as a fun/weekend car Yep, I'm aware it's a high-end, high-performance vehicle - I can easily afford it, and the maintenance along with it. I guess it's my personality type to research & educate myself before making a decision like this. hehe. I hope I'm not the only one out there that does this!

My consensus from what I've been reading is that thru casual use, tires should last about 8-10k miles. I'm not clear yet how often brakes/rotors last (for casual non-track use).

Of course once I get the thing, I know I'll take it to the track

KIS007

From the threads that I have seen (not for P31 or 507), brake pads 25-30m, and typically rotors every other pad change. Pads front and rear approximately $1,000. With rotors $2,500. Disclaimer: I have 700 miles on my car, but this is what I've read on another thread (when people are not giving investment advice).

Diabolis

The LCI cars are somewhat easer on tires due to changes in suspension geometry, but again how long they last depends on how hard you press with your right foot and what tires you buy. And, the composite front brake rotors on the P31 cars are about $1K each, so a brake job with rotors is now a $5K proposition. Also based on what I've read as I haven't done either on my car yet. Regarding gas mileage, I get about 300 km (200 miles) per tank in mostly city driving.

briscoea

Wow - are you saying approximately 25-30k miles for brake pads? That's actually better than I was expecting! Casual use, of course

briscoea

Ah yes - very helpful! Excuse my ignorance, but what brand of tires would you recommend? I don't want cheapy tires - I don't mind spending some extra $ to get the good stuff. I know already that "60k tires" are non existent in this echelon of car

KIS007

Michelin Super Sport are excellent tires and I will be getting them once the Continentals wear out. I had them on my M3 and they were noticeably better than the PS2.

alexmtl

People have different priorities... Some people like me want the best car they can get for their money. I'm young and have no family yet, and I'm a car enthousiast. 3 years ago when I bought my 135i it was a big stretch for me to spend roughly 1200$ per month in the car (lease - insurance - gas - tires), but I'm glad I went through it. My car makes me happy, it's my personal roller coaster, and I'm glad to go to work every morning just because I get to drive my car. I'd much rather have that than pay half as much for a mediocre car and save the rest of the money for something I'll enjoy in 20 years. But that's really personal preferences, and I understand most people don't think that way.

Now I earn more money and I'm willing to make the same stretch with a C63, but silly MB doesn't have maintenance programs like BMW has, so maintenance cost is a big deal to me. I want to know if I'm looking at 2000$ per month all inc, or if it's more like 2500$. Kudos to briscoea for raising up this thread!

How much do you guys pay for service at MB dealerships?

Diabolis

You are saying the same thing that I am. My point is that while you and I were "smart" and bought cars that would cost us an amount that we could afford, others go in completely over their head and buy these cars even when they can't. I am completely agreeing with your approach. I would have called you on it if you had you bought a used SLS instead of the 135i when all you could reasonably afford was a 135i, and then subsequently complained about the price of the brake rotors.

I also love cars and spend a disproportionally large percentage of my income on them, but I know what my limits are and am not looking at a Pagani Zonda despite the fact that I would (almost) sell my left kidney for one. That is all I am saying.

Diabolis

Second the Michelin PSS - they are a great tire for the C63.

chris135b

Hi,

For me, the car is still essentially brand new: I have 1042 miles on the clock. Even though I was still in quasi break-in mode, I was told to break the car in as I will drive. So.......

Drive the car fairly hard. But, I'm not "driving it like I stole it" all the time. Recently, been doing WOT runs in S+ and M modes.... Car pulls all the way to redline. Speed comes up very, very fast.

Had to do a road trip during break-in. In C mode, running between 65-75, saw 19.5 MPG on the clock! Was very impressed. After fill-up (including some city driving, highway driving and mixture), got 18.75 MPG. Rather impressive!

N/A yet. I'm thinking if I get 15K out of the stock Contis, I'm good. I'll be going with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports next spring.

N/A yet. Got the maintenance deal with MB. Salesman specifically told me brakes are not included. Seeing how dusty the wheels got in just 700 miles, I'm thinking 15K-20K will be all these pads can handle. But, we'll see.

N/A yet.

Good luck. And my advice to you, purchase this vehicle! It will put a smile on your face and make you giggle every time you drive it. As someone posted here, if you're having a bad day and you have this car, do the following:

• Go into S+ or M mode after oil is up to proper temperature.
• Roll down windows.
• Drive by a wall, in a forest, in a tunnel (plenty of tunnels here in NYC) or some other structure that you are either enclosed or quasi-enclosed.
• Get to about 30-40 MPH.
• Down shift to 2nd gear.
• Get on the gas hard.
• Enjoy the NOOOOOOIIIIISSSEEE!

-C

zcct04

Whats LCI? And do you know what changed in the geometry?

zibby43

Life Cycle Impulse/Improvement

Basically it's a fancy way of saying "car facelift."

2012+ models are considered LCI.

There were little tweaks made here and there (coupled with some major improvements) on the C63 in 2012.

briscoea

Also it is to my understanding that (correct me if I a wrong) the 2012 models do not exhibit the same headbolt failure that earlier models are having?

Diabolis

That is correct - AFAIK the head bolts were revised sometime in 2011 so the face-lifted cars do not appear to be affected. They also have the MCT, a better interior, and I am told handle better at the track (haven't driven a pre-LCI car so I can't speak from personal experience, but my coupe is pretty much on par with an E92 M3).

roadtalontsi

mpg is going to avg 13-15 in the city 19-21 on the highway. brakes very by driver. amg brakes are huge and thus they can last along time. ive seen pads last 50k on amg's but they werent driven as designed. typically you are looking 20-30k miles for fronts, rear usually last 30-40k. rotors every other pad replacement unless they are excessively worn/warped from crazy highway pulls or track days. front tires 8-12kmiles rear 3-5kmiles. once again driver dependent and choice of tires. maint is pretty straight forward. heres the general brake down.

10k/1yr minor service
20k/2yr major service +brake flush
30k/3yr minor service
40k/4hr major service +brake flush+ engine air filters + trans service depending on year
repeat.... throw in spark plugs at 50-60k miles - transervice on later models due at 60k

other than that theres not really much more to it than occasional bulbs and other misc. trim. every now and than maybe an intake gasket or check engine light

Homey63

I'm driving a 2012 (18 months) with about 21,000 KM. Mostly city as a DD, no track, aggressive but not abusive. So far I've done a service A at C$280. Nothing else other than squeaky brakes. Mileage is about 18+ litres / 100km in the city. Done several long drives doing 60mph (this is tough) and averaged about 12 litres / 100KM. Not great but on the other hand, there is no substitute for torque.

Did the math on the incremental cost of gas over my hold period vs. 335i (pick your own fun factor 911). Treated the difference as the total cost of ownership. I concluded that I could live with that.

I agree with you, you can afford it because you are informed.

Good luck in your decision.

Diabolis

From a C&D review (http://www.caranddriver.com/news/201...s-c-class-news):

"Mercedes has made some changes to the C63’s suspension, as well. More negative camber has been dialed in, and a larger-diameter rear anti-roll bar has been fitted. New spring and damper rates are supposed to improve dynamics while reducing tire noise and vibration."

zcct04

It seems contradictory that more negative camber would help the facelift cars be somewhat easier on tires, but I hope it's true!

Diabolis

It's not the camber per se - I am pretty sure that they also changed the toe settings which is the (more) responsible variable for the tire wear. Had that discussion here not too long ago.