Advice for somebody coming from VWAG
Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 179
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C43
Advice for somebody coming from VWAG
Hi all,
I've driven almost exclusively Audi/VW products but am seriously looking at jumping to MB for the C43 or C63. Can anybody who has owned both products comment on how the ownership experience compares (dealer service, treatment from other drivers, reliability etc)? Do Mercedes dealers try to drive a hard bargain on AMG pricing?
If I go with a C43 there's a good chance I would go with an ECU tune. How does Mercedes view ECU tuning from a warranty perspective? VWAG has become so hostile that they scan cars for tuning every time they are in for service and will automatically flag warranties if they see anything unusual.
Also, this is not a new question but can anybody comment on cross-shopping the C43 and C63? I know the C43 is more or less a badge-engineered C450, but I drove one and it reminded me a lot of the B8 S4 (which is good). How much better is the C63? Is the C63 as bad of an idea as it seems for a 4-season daily driver? I'm in SoCal now but might live in a snowy climate while I own the car.
Any known reliability issues on either car so far?
Thanks!
I've driven almost exclusively Audi/VW products but am seriously looking at jumping to MB for the C43 or C63. Can anybody who has owned both products comment on how the ownership experience compares (dealer service, treatment from other drivers, reliability etc)? Do Mercedes dealers try to drive a hard bargain on AMG pricing?
If I go with a C43 there's a good chance I would go with an ECU tune. How does Mercedes view ECU tuning from a warranty perspective? VWAG has become so hostile that they scan cars for tuning every time they are in for service and will automatically flag warranties if they see anything unusual.
Also, this is not a new question but can anybody comment on cross-shopping the C43 and C63? I know the C43 is more or less a badge-engineered C450, but I drove one and it reminded me a lot of the B8 S4 (which is good). How much better is the C63? Is the C63 as bad of an idea as it seems for a 4-season daily driver? I'm in SoCal now but might live in a snowy climate while I own the car.
Any known reliability issues on either car so far?
Thanks!
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 537
Likes: 81
From: North NJ
2016 C63S
Welcome, I actually came from an Audi s4 so very familiar. I will respond tomorrow with more details. But long story short I had an s4, went to test out a c450, ended up with a c63s.
If you look at some of my early post you may get some details you are looking for especially my intro thread.
If you look at some of my early post you may get some details you are looking for especially my intro thread.
Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 240
Likes: 8
2013 BMW 328i
i have a 2010 A4 before my current car. Haven't owned a benz yet but will in a few weeks.
I think like most brands it all depends on the dealership. I got a pretty good deal on my A4, under invoice in palo alto. The dealership in oakland would barely pay attention to me.
I moved to LA, and the LA dealers were similarly hit or miss.
Santa monica gave me this huge run around and tried to convince me that burning a quart of oil every 750 miles was normal. LA dealership repaired my blown injector super quickly and even gave me an audi loaner car (oakland dealer did for the palo alto dealer leaving suspension blocks in the car at delivery...) Santa monica dealer... gave me a toyota yaris rental when my catalytic converter failed....
My friend is buying a b9 A4 from an LA dealership in the city of torrance, and they have treated him great, and even gave him friends and family discount for an ordered fully loaded prestige...
so yeah always depends on the dealer. I will add though that I had my car for under 3 years and had all those problems and it had more problems than every single car i've owned combined (i'm 35, so in 3 years I had more problems with an audi than I did in the other 12 years i've owned a car) so there... is that.
I think like most brands it all depends on the dealership. I got a pretty good deal on my A4, under invoice in palo alto. The dealership in oakland would barely pay attention to me.
I moved to LA, and the LA dealers were similarly hit or miss.
Santa monica gave me this huge run around and tried to convince me that burning a quart of oil every 750 miles was normal. LA dealership repaired my blown injector super quickly and even gave me an audi loaner car (oakland dealer did for the palo alto dealer leaving suspension blocks in the car at delivery...) Santa monica dealer... gave me a toyota yaris rental when my catalytic converter failed....
My friend is buying a b9 A4 from an LA dealership in the city of torrance, and they have treated him great, and even gave him friends and family discount for an ordered fully loaded prestige...
so yeah always depends on the dealer. I will add though that I had my car for under 3 years and had all those problems and it had more problems than every single car i've owned combined (i'm 35, so in 3 years I had more problems with an audi than I did in the other 12 years i've owned a car) so there... is that.
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 6
Likes: 1
C63S
I have just purchased my first MB (C63s coupe), most of my last 15 years driven Porsche and Audi, like you. Amongst the cars I have owned, included are RS7, Boxster Spyder, 996 and 997 GT3's, and a 996 Turbo. I was attracted by the beautiful coupe shape of the C63 and the wonderful sound of the engine. The interior is not as nice as Audi, but very close. The feel of the switch gear is a bit cheaper relative to Audi and Porsche. But it appears to be very well put together and I am looking forward to a few years of enjoyment.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 179
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C43
Thanks everybody. Can anybody speak to how MB views tuning from a warranty perspective? If I show up for a routine service with a tune or a piggyback, is MB going to nuke the warranty? Is something like a BRABUS piggyback going to be less problematic than other tuners?
I don't have a problem with paying for mechanical issues that clearly resulted from a tune, but VW and Audi have become absurd and are permanently flagging cars to deny any warranty services.
Need to think some more, but I'm leaning towards the C43. Better MPG and a car that won't try to bite my head off in bad road conditions seems almost worth giving up the V8.
I don't have a problem with paying for mechanical issues that clearly resulted from a tune, but VW and Audi have become absurd and are permanently flagging cars to deny any warranty services.
Need to think some more, but I'm leaning towards the C43. Better MPG and a car that won't try to bite my head off in bad road conditions seems almost worth giving up the V8.
Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 146
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2017 c63 Amg s (almost)
I think that's going to a be a dealer to dealer question. Some seem to me more comfortable than others. One dealer in my area claimed that they got Mercedes to sign off on one specific tune. I believe it was Kleeman. They said so long as they install it they will honor the warranty. Something I would of course get in several forms of hard copies.
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 405
Likes: 72
From: NV
,
The current gen C-Class has statistically been not so great reliability unfortunately. The silver lining is that most of the issues are related more to annoyance/convenience types rather than catastrophic failures that will leave you stranded.
Common complaints I've heard are stuff like rattling from the dashboard, faulty speakers, jammed panoramic sun roofs and stuff like that.
I've driven a friends C450 on track last summer, and I can say that it is a VERY different experience from the C63S. Personally, I found a huge enjoyment delta between the two. The C63 just feel so much more powerful and raw.
And finally, while I'm located in California now, I drove my C63S through one season of Canadian winter without any issues. This included 3 nights of black ice. I never felt in danger. Just make sure you get top tier winter tires. I used Blizzak LM-32
Common complaints I've heard are stuff like rattling from the dashboard, faulty speakers, jammed panoramic sun roofs and stuff like that.
I've driven a friends C450 on track last summer, and I can say that it is a VERY different experience from the C63S. Personally, I found a huge enjoyment delta between the two. The C63 just feel so much more powerful and raw.
And finally, while I'm located in California now, I drove my C63S through one season of Canadian winter without any issues. This included 3 nights of black ice. I never felt in danger. Just make sure you get top tier winter tires. I used Blizzak LM-32
Member
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 132
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W205 C63S AMG
I currently own an Audi RS4 as well as C63s. I originally bought the RS4 for winter time when the C63s would be impractical. I barely drove the RS4 last winter because the C63s was so usable. My driveway is also very steep. Just get some winter tyres. I think the C63s is a much nicer place to be in as well.
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C43
As a follow-up to this, how do people expect the running costs of the 43 to compare to the 63? Particularly curious about things like brake service (which obviously is $$ for the 63, but the 43 has aggressive brakes too) and unusual service requirements like the early diff service the 63 apparently requires. Presumably tires will live a lot longer on the 43.
And am I wrong in thinking that the 43 will likely have more standard engine service costs because it's basically a tuned mass-production engine, rather than an AMG special?
And am I wrong in thinking that the 43 will likely have more standard engine service costs because it's basically a tuned mass-production engine, rather than an AMG special?
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Joined: May 2014
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EQS 580+ SUV, G550, Porsche Taycan Turbo S, McLaren Artura Spider
Establish a good relationship with your local MB service advisor. They'll definitely look the other way when you come in with a modified AMG. I've got a Rebellion piggy on mine, and my SA just chuckles when I regale him with stories.. he's done several warranty related things on my C63S. He's even cleared some codes from when my first piggy up and died.
As for overall dealership experience; I have a Porsche, and I'd say both are on-par with each other. On the other hand, when I was shopping at Audi, I just didn't get that great of a vibe. But this is definitely a YMMV on a per dealership basis.
I wouldn't worry too much about engine service costs; the M177/178/derivatives are going to propagate across the entire AMG line, it's not going to be 'rare'.
As for overall dealership experience; I have a Porsche, and I'd say both are on-par with each other. On the other hand, when I was shopping at Audi, I just didn't get that great of a vibe. But this is definitely a YMMV on a per dealership basis.
I wouldn't worry too much about engine service costs; the M177/178/derivatives are going to propagate across the entire AMG line, it's not going to be 'rare'.
Last edited by vaelin; Nov 18, 2016 at 02:01 PM.
