Hello all! Long time since I posted to MBWorld (12 years). Prior MBs are a 2004.1 C230 Kompressor, 2014 E350, and a 2020 C43 AMG (returned on lease 2 years ago).

I am thinking of buying a 2021 C 63 AMG S. My two questions are

1. how important is the Driver Assistance package? This car doesn’t have it and it’s kind of a bummer
2. Is $62k a decent price for a CPO with 33k miles (has lighting package, command, parking package, 19” black forged rims, ventilated seats, and night package). Car had one owner, full service records, brand new brakes all around (completed for the CPO program), and new tires (also CPO program). Dealer had asked $63 and they came down a bit threw in all season floor mats

Car appears to be in excellent condition. I am checking AutoTrader and the price doesn’t seem bad, but it’s not a steal either. I do think CPO is important for a car like this, but I would welcome your thoughts. Thank you very much!

 

1. As important as you think it is to you. Nobody can answer this for you. I can tell you this, DISTRONIC and Active Steering is nice in stop&go traffic and on long highway journeys. While I don't commute or do much daily driving, so I don't find myself in stop&go traffic much, the Driver Assistance package was kind of a must for me as regular cruise control is largely useless. However, during the pandemic I didn't use any of the Driver Assistance features, because the roads were empty, so it really only pays off if you drive in situations where you can actually use it. I do long road trips and it drastically reduces fatigue on those trips, so I'd miss it if I didn't have it. It also makes the safety systems more capable, because the package adds additional sensors such as stereo camera, so you get less false positives and the safety systems work better in general.

2. I don't know what they go for these days. Haven't looked into selling mine, but for starters the C63 comes in three different body styles and you didn't say if this is a sedan, coupe or convertible. The latter two will fetch more, because they had higher MSRPs to begin with, so need to know what body style this is. You can enter it in Kelley Blue Book and see what the dealer price range is for this car, so that gives you an idea. That's pretty much as good as anyone can tell you, or you can scan the market for comparable cars and see what they sell for and use them as leverage to negotiate the price. You can also try to negotiate them down because it's lacking the Driver Assistance package and you really wanted it, and see how desperate they are selling this car. Walk away and see if they stop you and make you a better offer. Always a good idea to find out how long this car has been sitting in their lot.

 

Can't weigh in too much on item 1, although I have it on my car and I do like it. 2, though - that's very comparable to the pricing I was seeing in the Philly tri-state area back when I picked mine up in February (specifically for a Coupe). The CPO aspect is very helpful since I had an issue within a month of buying the car. Probably a freak thing, but the peace of mind is nice.

 

Driving Assist Package is something you don't think you'll ever want or need but you will. The prefacelift package changed my life (then), and years after when I test drove a facelift coupe in 2020 as I was totally blown away especially the lane changing function which automatically transfers you to the lane of choice in the facelift.

The best feature for me was the Active Distance Assist Distronic (cruise control) with auto steering. This feature alone seriously makes commuting in traffic something to look forward to and driving long distances a breeze.

I hope you get a car with this package and if you can get a Coupe, that would be the best. Even if it means delaying the purchase for some time, it'll be damn worth it.

 

Read about OVS and RMS failures before you buy. W213 AMG section is best. Plan for a Fidelity warranty or set aside $6k to self insure.

 

Thanks all. I forgot to mention this a sedan, which is my preference over a 2-door coupe.

appreciate the perspective on the Driver Assistance package. It is a shame because this car is damn near perfect otherwise

My 2020 C43 didn’t have it so I won’t miss it per se. but it sounds like a great feature

just not many CPOs out there

 

What makes you want the sedan over the coupe?

 

Both form and function. I like the look of the sedan a lot more. For function, four doors is most practical day-to-day: throw stuff in the back seat, transport more than 2 people, smaller doors so it’s easier to get in and out (in terms of door clearance)

 

If the price seemed fixed. You could negotiate/ include a 1 year MB Extended warranty that is beyond the current CPO warranty.

 

The sedan isn't made in Germany right? At least usa bound cars?

 

Correct. Most were built in the USA factory in Alabama, but the last model year or so was built in South Africa. Neither plant has a particularly good build quality record. Something to keep in mind. The coupe and cab were built in Bremen, Germany. We debated coupe vs sedan plenty in the past, so don't really wanna start another one, but coupe all the way, sedan looks too plain for starters . I get the practicality aspect of 4 doors and the long doors do make it an exercise to get in and out of the coupe sometimes, but hey, it's a sports/performance car. I've got the performance bucket seats, too, so getting in and out in general requires more fitness than a normal car.

 

Sedan makes you look like a dad, coupe make you look cool....

 

 

I heard, but thought only the C 300 and C 43 sedans were made in Alabama, didn't know the C 63 S as well during that time.

 

Coupe doors are also heavy I suppose, getting in and out is a back workout, opening the doors is an arm workout. Oh boy, can skip a gym day

 

No, it was the complete sedan line up. Even when they were built in Alabama, once in a while one from South Africa was sprinkled in for some reason, so have to check the VIN. The Alabama VINs don't start with a W (West Germany), so that's the easiest way to spot it. MB USA had their own manufacturer identifier until recently. The South African VINs start with W as well and if I remember correctly digit 11 is the factory code. R I believe is for South Africa.

 

Was the East London factory in charge of C sedans for other markets prior to the Alabama transition?

 

Yes. The sedans and wagons for Europe were built there. The W206 is built there, too.

 

Products not built in the country that they are technically from is a topic that's being discussed now in the context of the US tariffs. Personally, I would not buy a German car that wasn't built in Germany. When it comes to higher end and luxury products, part of their appeal and desire is where they were made. So making them in US takes away a lot of the appeal. As a European politician said the other day, Switzerland is known for making watches and Italy is known for making pasta. People don't wanna buy pasta from Switzerland and watches from Italy. This goes especially for luxury products.

 

Sorry for the confusion, my question was prior to Alabama making W205 C sedans for the USA market and Canada, was the East London factory only making C Sedans for other countries just never imported to the USA, or they just simply were building other types of MBs? Did Alabama make C sedans for other countries excluding USA and Canada?

 

That is very reasonable. You don't want to buy a designer handbag and expect it to be made anywhere else other than the country of their brand's origin (mostly France and Italy). I mean they are high priced items and you kind of buy it for the reason of where they are made.

 

The US spec W205 was built in Alabama from the get go, so you are asking about the W204, which was primarily built in Germany, but was also built in South Africa. As far as I know, no MB didn't export W205s made in Alabama to other countries with the exception of Canada.

 

Thank you, cleared it up for me.

 

apologies for the dumb question but what is an OVS and RMS failure? The dealership offered a 2 year extension to the CPO warranty for $6k, so 3 years warranty total

 

There are no bad questions: )
Oil vapour separator and Rear main seal.