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After 6 months of ownership & use as a daily driver . . .

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Old 09-26-2017, 09:13 PM
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2012 Mercedes C63 AMG S
After 6 months of ownership & use as a daily driver . . .

I bought my 2012 C63 on April 1st, and so am now at almost exactly 6 months use. The car is now 5-1/2 years old since it was first licensed by my predecessor, its first owner.

After 6 months of ownership of this used car, and 6 months of use as a daily driver, I have seen the odometer reading move from 43,439 km to exactly 50,000 km, or a total of 6561 km (i.e. from 26,932 miles to 31,000 miles).

In that 6 months and 6561 km, the only anomalous behaviour occurred 2 days ago, when the dash suddenly announced that the lane departure system was "unavailable". And while it allowed me to acknowledge and dismiss the message, It would also not allow me to re-engage it via the steering wheel controls, and I noted that the little icon for the lane departure system had disappeared from the dash display.

However, by the next morning, the car had apparently decided that such behaviour was boorish for a Merc, so the icon reappeared when I started the car up, there was no repetition of that unfriendly dash message, and the steering wheel once again rumbled when I change lanes without signaling.

This, I almost shamefully admit, is the high point of unhappy excitement as far as things going wrong with my C63 in the full 6 months.

The car always starts.

My transmission shifts boringly consistently.

The wipers continue to come on automatically whenever it starts to rain.

The headlights continue to do their elaborate dance on every engine startup.

All the frightfully complicated electronics continue to work, apparently perfectly.

The car's interior remains silent (except for the wind noise when I have the roof rack installed to haul the canoe).

I have noticed no odd cam, tappet, or any other sounds from the engine compartment.

In 6 months and 6561 km, there has been zero measurable oil consumption.

My fuel mileage seems to run between 15 and 18 mpg overall, and 20 to 23 on the highway.

I see no measurable tread wear on the tires.

ICBC, the government-run insurance company from which we British Columbians MUST buy our mandatory insurance coverage from, just LOWERED my insurance premium, despite their simultaneously RAISING the AVERAGE rates across the entire province by at least 10%.

And here's the best part: My wife continues to be intimidated by all the fancy electronic systems, and by my consistent measures to prevent parking lot door dings, so she simply never drives it, so I GET ALL THE FUN!

After everything I read on this forum daily, this must be a dream . . .

Jim G
Old 09-26-2017, 10:12 PM
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2009 C63 AMG Sedan
Originally Posted by JimGnitecki
I bought my 2012 C63 on April 1st, and so am now at almost exactly 6 months use. The car is now 5-1/2 years old since it was first licensed by my predecessor, its first owner.

After 6 months of ownership of this used car, and 6 months of use as a daily driver, I have seen the odometer reading move from 43,439 km to exactly 50,000 km, or a total of 6561 km (i.e. from 26,932 miles to 31,000 miles).

In that 6 months and 6561 km, the only anomalous behaviour occurred 2 days ago, when the dash suddenly announced that the lane departure system was "unavailable". And while it allowed me to acknowledge and dismiss the message, It would also not allow me to re-engage it via the steering wheel controls, and I noted that the little icon for the lane departure system had disappeared from the dash display.

However, by the next morning, the car had apparently decided that such behaviour was boorish for a Merc, so the icon reappeared when I started the car up, there was no repetition of that unfriendly dash message, and the steering wheel once again rumbled when I change lanes without signaling.

This, I almost shamefully admit, is the high point of unhappy excitement as far as things going wrong with my C63 in the full 6 months.

The car always starts.

My transmission shifts boringly consistently.

The wipers continue to come on automatically whenever it starts to rain.

The headlights continue to do their elaborate dance on every engine startup.

All the frightfully complicated electronics continue to work, apparently perfectly.

The car's interior remains silent (except for the wind noise when I have the roof rack installed to haul the canoe).

I have noticed no odd cam, tappet, or any other sounds from the engine compartment.

In 6 months and 6561 km, there has been zero measurable oil consumption.

My fuel mileage seems to run between 15 and 18 mpg overall, and 20 to 23 on the highway.

I see no measurable tread wear on the tires.

ICBC, the government-run insurance company from which we British Columbians MUST buy our mandatory insurance coverage from, just LOWERED my insurance premium, despite their simultaneously RAISING the AVERAGE rates across the entire province by at least 10%.

And here's the best part: My wife continues to be intimidated by all the fancy electronic systems, and by my consistent measures to prevent parking lot door dings, so she simply never drives it, so I GET ALL THE FUN!

After everything I read on this forum daily, this must be a dream . . .

Jim G
I was thinking the same thing!!! I've put 4,000 VERY HARD miles on the car since owning ...even for a 2009 with "high" miles, a maintained AMG holds up great. Nothing but an oil change, and it looked good.

Though, I don't know how your tired tread hasn't gone down...I'm ready for new rears VERY soon, ha!

Cheers to a solid, well built car! Out of every brand I've owned, which adds up to quite a few, the AMG family treats me the best.
Old 09-26-2017, 10:45 PM
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Similar experience here Jim. Coming up on two years of ownership. I put about 3000 MPY on the car and just turned 8500 miles. I thoroughly enjoy every weekend I take it out and the odd trip in to the office during fair weather.

Never owned a MB before and I love the tank like build quality, from the way the door sounds when it shuts, to the growl of the stock exhaust.

Best purchase I ever made...although the E63 Edition 1 Wagon in Midnight Black Magno is a tempting thought.
Old 09-27-2017, 02:31 AM
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I think there is a loose nut behind the wheel quite frankly.
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Old 09-27-2017, 08:00 AM
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Originally Posted by JimGnitecki
I see no measurable tread wear on the tires.
That's 100% your fault and shameful. Why would you even admit that here?

Disappointed...
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Old 09-27-2017, 09:55 AM
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Originally Posted by JimGnitecki
I bought my 2012 C63 on April 1st, and so am now at almost exactly 6 months use. The car is now 5-1/2 years old since it was first licensed by my predecessor, its first owner.

After 6 months of ownership of this used car, and 6 months of use as a daily driver, I have seen the odometer reading move from 43,439 km to exactly 50,000 km, or a total of 6561 km (i.e. from 26,932 miles to 31,000 miles).

In that 6 months and 6561 km, the only anomalous behaviour occurred 2 days ago, when the dash suddenly announced that the lane departure system was "unavailable". And while it allowed me to acknowledge and dismiss the message, It would also not allow me to re-engage it via the steering wheel controls, and I noted that the little icon for the lane departure system had disappeared from the dash display.

However, by the next morning, the car had apparently decided that such behaviour was boorish for a Merc, so the icon reappeared when I started the car up, there was no repetition of that unfriendly dash message, and the steering wheel once again rumbled when I change lanes without signaling.

This, I almost shamefully admit, is the high point of unhappy excitement as far as things going wrong with my C63 in the full 6 months.

The car always starts.

My transmission shifts boringly consistently.

The wipers continue to come on automatically whenever it starts to rain.

The headlights continue to do their elaborate dance on every engine startup.

All the frightfully complicated electronics continue to work, apparently perfectly.

The car's interior remains silent (except for the wind noise when I have the roof rack installed to haul the canoe).

I have noticed no odd cam, tappet, or any other sounds from the engine compartment.

In 6 months and 6561 km, there has been zero measurable oil consumption.

My fuel mileage seems to run between 15 and 18 mpg overall, and 20 to 23 on the highway.

I see no measurable tread wear on the tires.

ICBC, the government-run insurance company from which we British Columbians MUST buy our mandatory insurance coverage from, just LOWERED my insurance premium, despite their simultaneously RAISING the AVERAGE rates across the entire province by at least 10%.

And here's the best part: My wife continues to be intimidated by all the fancy electronic systems, and by my consistent measures to prevent parking lot door dings, so she simply never drives it, so I GET ALL THE FUN!

After everything I read on this forum daily, this must be a dream . . .

Jim G
Sounds like you've enjoyed owning your C63, to which I see nothing wrong with
Old 09-27-2017, 10:05 AM
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I already got the "check engine oil at next refill" twice, and both times I was short about 1L of oil. Seems my car consumes a litre of oil close to every month? I put a lot of hard KM on it though, got the car at 69k and its close to 78k in about 3 months. Lots of spirited driving, highway pulls, and high revs. Par for the course, right?
Old 09-27-2017, 10:09 AM
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I've put 13,000 km on my car, and I'm still on the same set of tires with enough tread left that I don't need a replacement, but will replace next year if I get new wheels.

Maybe us Canadian C63 owners aren't as ham-fisted as you Americans...
Old 09-27-2017, 10:14 AM
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Originally Posted by Ambystom01
I've put 13,000 km on my car, and I'm still on the same set of tires with enough tread left that I don't need a replacement, but will replace next year if I get new wheels.

Maybe us Canadian C63 owners aren't as ham-fisted as you Americans...
A ham fist is not a lead foot haha.

At the same time I've been up to Canadia plenty of times. Seems like you're either flooring it in a sports car or driving 10 below the limit in a versa. [hasty generalization, don't take to heart]. :P
Old 09-27-2017, 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Adi-Benz
A ham fist is not a lead foot haha.

At the same time I've been up to Canadia plenty of times. Seems like you're either flooring it in a sports car or driving 10 below the limit in a versa. [hasty generalization, don't take to heart]. :P
Maybe it's the cooler weather up here
Old 09-27-2017, 10:17 AM
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Originally Posted by NotABaller
I already got the "check engine oil at next refill" twice, and both times I was short about 1L of oil. Seems my car consumes a litre of oil close to every month? I put a lot of hard KM on it though, got the car at 69k and its close to 78k in about 3 months. Lots of spirited driving, highway pulls, and high revs. Par for the course, right?
Yes!

Most of my driving is running daily errand tasks in and around my town of 12,000 residents, so very little opportunity for speed, acceleration, and other fun stuff.

I get my fun on runs to the city and up scenic roads, and also when I just put the shifter into "M" mode and enjoy the higher revs, quick shifting, and exhaust sound on decel, even when in the city! But this is a much smaller percentage of the total time then yours apparently is!

My wife really likes the quietness, comfort, and smoothness. My young son drove it a couple of times and remarked on how "effortless" it makes everything seem. HIS fun car is a Dodge Viper, so I found this comparative "effortless" remark interesting. I drove his Viper just a bit when I was still in Texas, and would agree that the C63 is indeed "effortless" in comparison to the Viper.

Jim G
Old 09-27-2017, 02:33 PM
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This has been a very solid car for me as well. There's something about to say about Afalterbach built AMGs. This one's a keeper.
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Old 09-27-2017, 02:53 PM
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I've had my 2013 sedan for just about 4 months now, and put about 6000km on it. A few fun road trips and an airport runway drag race later and the car is still working great.

Only issues I've had was the check oil light, which required a top up, and it would seem my HVAC blower might need replacing (annoying chirping noise when the AC is on).

Very happy with the car otherwise, it puts a smile on my face every day on the way to work.

Next year I'll be getting a tune and deleting the secondaries, maybe some springs and spacers for aesthetics. Oh and I'm sure new tires will be necessary sooner then later lol.
Old 09-27-2017, 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by JimGnitecki
My fuel mileage seems to run between 15 and 18 mpg overall, and 20 to 23 on the highway.
...
I see no measurable tread wear on the tires.
You must have been driving it wrong...
Old 09-27-2017, 10:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Ambystom01
I've put 13,000 km on my car, and I'm still on the same set of tires with enough tread left that I don't need a replacement, but will replace next year if I get new wheels.

Maybe us Canadian C63 owners aren't as ham-fisted as you Americans...
Lawyers always buy fancy cars they have no fkn clue how to drive...
Old 09-27-2017, 10:49 PM
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I have had 3 of these (08,09,12) and been driving them more than 6 years. Decent amount of mods on all three, numerous track days on the first two. Lots of city driving, which ain't good, and I have driven them all....vigorously.

Other than consumables and inevitables like batteries, I would say that they have been damn near bulletproof. Drivetrain, electronics, bells and whistles, all of it.

I would rate this car exceptionally high for reliability.
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Old 09-27-2017, 11:14 PM
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Originally Posted by 604 C63
I have had 3 of these (08,09,12) and been driving them more than 6 years. Decent amount of mods on all three, numerous track days on the first two. Lots of city driving, which ain't good, and I have driven them all....vigorously.

Other than consumables and inevitables like batteries, I would say that they have been damn near bulletproof. Drivetrain, electronics, bells and whistles, all of it.

I would rate this car exceptionally high for reliability.
That's a pretty good testimonial.

Jim G
Old 09-27-2017, 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Jasonoff
Lawyers always buy fancy cars they have no fkn clue how to drive...
I think getting more than an oil change out of a set of tires says more about my restraint than anything else. Or maybe the roads here aren't as hard on tires for some reason. God knows I tried to burn em off.
Old 09-27-2017, 11:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Ambystom01
I think getting more than an oil change out of a set of tires says more about my restraint than anything else. Or maybe the roads here aren't as hard on tires for some reason. God knows I tried to burn em off.
Ambient temperature has a big effect on tire wear (as well as performance). When I lived in Texas, the road surface was hot enough to fry eggs, and tire life reflected that.

On Vancouver Island, not so much hot weather. . .

Jim G
Old 09-30-2017, 08:11 AM
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How are you guys doing with paint chipping on the nose of the car and on the flares below the rear doors?


My car is black, so everything shows.
After one year, where I started with 2-3 chips on the hood and 4 or so on the front bumper, now there are many.
After my Subaru experience (they only spend so that the robot puts down a paint coat 1 molecule thick, some new cars had to be repainted under warranty), I was hoping I would be pleasantly surprised by the Mercedes.


This was not a problem with my old school w124, the w126 were in bad paint shape to begin with and much of the nose was chrome anyway.


Also couple chips in the windshield.
Old 09-30-2017, 08:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Vladds
How are you guys doing with paint chipping on the nose of the car and on the flares below the rear doors?


My car is black, so everything shows.
After one year, where I started with 2-3 chips on the hood and 4 or so on the front bumper, now there are many.
After my Subaru experience (they only spend so that the robot puts down a paint coat 1 molecule thick, some new cars had to be repainted under warranty), I was hoping I would be pleasantly surprised by the Mercedes.


This was not a problem with my old school w124, the w126 were in bad paint shape to begin with and much of the nose was chrome anyway.


Also couple chips in the windshield.
My 2012 with 50,000 kilometers on it shows no windshield chips, but I don't know the history with the 1st owner before I bought it.

The paint has had only one stone chip right behind the passenger side front wheel (as shown in a previous thread back in April or May of this year), and the Mercedes dealer's detail shop made it disappear at no charge.

Assuming you stay off unpaved roads, and out of construction-heavy neighborhoods, a lot depends on the amount of rain (more is better) and cleaning maintenance of the roads in your area (again, more is better). When I lived in Texas, it was a common occurrence to get windshield chips and paint chips (dry climate and low taxes). Nowhere near as many in MInnesota (moderate climate and high taxes), and none so far on either of 2 cars owned in one year in British Columbia, Canada (wet climate and moderately high taxes). No kidding.

Jim G
Old 09-30-2017, 08:53 AM
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I just moved from Texas last year (north Dallas area). The roads here in Dallas are terrible condition (road construction everywhere) compared to Georgia where I originally bought my car... I can imagine what a viper feels like on these roads. My other gripe is they're too many cops shooting radar k-band alerts and laser hits in Dallas.

My drive from Georgia to Dallas earlier this year I was hit by laser twice..(once in Alabama and Mississippi). Dallas? At least twice everyday to work. Sucks. That's another topic of discussion.

Originally Posted by JimGnitecki
Ambient temperature has a big effect on tire wear (as well as performance). When I lived in Texas, the road surface was hot enough to fry eggs, and tire life reflected that.

On Vancouver Island, not so much hot weather. . .

Jim G
Old 09-30-2017, 10:59 AM
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Originally Posted by Vladds
How are you guys doing with paint chipping on the nose of the car and on the flares below the rear doors?


My car is black, so everything shows.
After one year, where I started with 2-3 chips on the hood and 4 or so on the front bumper, now there are many.
After my Subaru experience (they only spend so that the robot puts down a paint coat 1 molecule thick, some new cars had to be repainted under warranty), I was hoping I would be pleasantly surprised by the Mercedes.


This was not a problem with my old school w124, the w126 were in bad paint shape to begin with and much of the nose was chrome anyway.


Also couple chips in the windshield.
Sounds like you need to get clear bra bro. That stops the paint chips. Especially on the rocker panels and behind the rear wheels where our tires love to kick up stuff to co the paint.
Old 09-30-2017, 08:17 PM
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Here is my question about the clear bra, when it needs to be replaced, does it come off without damaging the finish?
Old 09-30-2017, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Vladds
Here is my question about the clear bra, when it needs to be replaced, does it come off without damaging the finish?
Yeah it does. Otherwise no one would get it lol


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