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For years, I was a big BMW fan...owned many, many BMWs highlighted by an e46 M3 convertible and an e39 M5. But three years ago I decided that I wanted to get a fast wagon, BMW only had the 3 series wagon w/ the four cylinder, so after a nine month search, I found an outstanding 2014 E63S Wagon. It had a whopping 9500 miles on it, was never driven in the winter, pretty much the exact provenance you'd want out of a used performance car.
It was great. I especially loved the double takes I'd get at stoplights, the occasional thumbs up or "nice wagon" I'd get, and probably most satisfyingly, dusting pretty much everything off the line with a 577HP V8...wagon. And, the car never, ever let me down. Mechanically, it ran like a top, the only issues it had were around trim pieces/rattles and a front suspension problem I chased and eventually solved. And, I even found a very, very reasonable local shop to replace the brakes for more than half cheaper than the dealers.
Alas, fast forward three years. It now had 38K miles on it and my ELW was set to expire in March. The value of these cars drops off a cliff after 50K miles. I'm not in a big hurry to own an AMG outside of warranty. It was time to look for something else. If you haven't seen the 2021 E63 facelift, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Simply beautiful. Or, there's also the RS6 Avant that's finally coming to the US. Unfortunately, both of those cars start in the $110K range, and I really don't want to spend $110K right now. But, I love the wagon.
I came up with a simple plan - get something to tide me over for the next three years and then look for a used 2021 E63S wagon or RS6 Avant.
Enter the GLC63. I've had GLC 300s as loaners and they drove pretty well with decent, though smaller than the wagon, cargo capacity. I drove a GLE and it felt and drove too big. I drove an X3 M and was left with "meh," it didn't feel like a true M car. I drove an X5 but BMW seems to have over-teched things - one of the great things about my wagon was it had very, very few options - pretty much parking assist and rear heated seats only, no drivers assist, blind spot, lane keeping, etc. etc. etc. The BMW driving experience just was kinda there.
I was fortunate that a local dealer had a 2020 GLC63 in stock, so I took a test drive. Immediately, a few things stuck out. The car is very tight. The engine isn't as powerful as the wagon's but very responsive. I found I actually liked the nine speed transmission. MBUX is far better than my old COMAND system. And I really liked the MB-Tex/Dinamica seats. Finally, it wasn't the same car than everyone else had - you don't see many GLC63s on the road, maybe a few 43s, a ton of 300s. However, the local GLC63 was red and was at a dealer that's notorious for very, very high pricing.
After a brief search, I found my GLC63. Night package, parking package, sunroof, and that's pretty much it. No driver's assistance and MB-Tex/Dinamica seats. It's a lease so after three years I'm done. Admittedly, I was very skittish about giving up the wagon, but every day I drive the GLC I find I enjoy it more and more. Probably wish I had the Nappa/Dinamica steering wheel, cleaning the wheels is going to be fun (very strongly recommend Gyeon Iron), and the shift from 1st to 2nd is sometimes harsh when cold, but otherwise, I find myself looking for excuses to get out and drive it.
Congrats on the GLC man! If you're interested I have a whatsApp GLC63 group chat with about 20+ GLC owners. Let me know if you're interested and I can PM you the invite for the group.
Congratulations on the new GLC63. I have a 2019 GLE 63s that I got about 9 months ago. There are a lot of strong points to it, but in the end it is a bit bigger than I like. I got it for its ability to have a dog crate in the back without folding the rear seats - its a big dog. In any case, the 2021 GLE and E Wagon are too small to fit the crate in. I was looking at a new GLE 63s since it was supposed to have a bit more room since the chassis is new. It really does not and it is just as tall - even with the entry exit feature to lower the car (getting out is a bit awkward since I don't have long legs). I too, would like an E63s Wagon but it is pricey and very low to the ground. I live in an area where it is not unusual to have to go over a dirt road. Nothing too bad, but bumpy neverthe less.
As a new GLC63 owner perhaps you could answer a question for me. Since this is based on airmatic, is there a button to raise the height. I have this in my GLE63s and even had it in a 2011 E550.
Thanks.
P.S. I would love to know why there is no GLC 63s SUV. It makes no sense to me. They sell that in Canada.
Congratulations on the new GLC63. I have a 2019 GLE 63s that I got about 9 months ago. There are a lot of strong points to it, but in the end it is a bit bigger than I like. I got it for its ability to have a dog crate in the back without folding the rear seats - its a big dog. In any case, the 2021 GLE and E Wagon are too small to fit the crate in. I was looking at a new GLE 63s since it was supposed to have a bit more room since the chassis is new. It really does not and it is just as tall - even with the entry exit feature to lower the car (getting out is a bit awkward since I don't have long legs). I too, would like an E63s Wagon but it is pricey and very low to the ground. I live in an area where it is not unusual to have to go over a dirt road. Nothing too bad, but bumpy neverthe less.
As a new GLC63 owner perhaps you could answer a question for me. Since this is based on airmatic, is there a button to raise the height. I have this in my GLE63s and even had it in a 2011 E550.
Thanks.
P.S. I would love to know why there is no GLC 63s SUV. It makes no sense to me. They sell that in Canada.
From everything I can tell, the 63 does not have an option to explicitly raise the vehicle. Instead, the suspension height is adjusted automatically based on your speed and/or dynamic select settings. It does have the option to lower the rear when you open the tailgate and subsequently raise it, but that's for loading/unloading. There is mention of air body control in the manual along with a button to raise the suspension, but that button doesn't exist in the 63.
Yeah, no S in the US for the SUV.....why I have no idea. And of course all E63 wagons are S models. Not sure of the rhyme or reason.
As a new GLC63 owner perhaps you could answer a question for me. Since this is based on airmatic, is there a button to raise the height. I have this in my GLE63s and even had it in a 2011 E550.
Yes, there is a virtual button to raise the vehicle in Settings > Quick Access within MBUX.
Thanks for the information everyone. It is great news that you can raise the vehicle. At about 6.2 inches of ground clearance, it 'should' be OK, but another inch or two will be very nice. I am always amazed at how little Mercedes sales people and dealerships know about the cars they sell. I find that BMW sales people often know more about the product they sell.
In any case, I just got back from configuring my car for a December build. Cardinal Red with the black nappa interior. I did not want the sport seats. Lots of other options though.
I wanted to know if you have anyone in your group chat that has taken delivery of a 2021 GLC63 SUV yet. I have one configured and in my name at our locaL MB dealer. It is scheduled to be built in December so I should have it by February some time. The MB site does not yet have the 2021 GCL 63 configurator up even thought the dealer was able to configure one for me there. What I wanted to know is if the plastic around the wheel arches is painted in the body color or is it black. I am pretty sure it was always black until 2020. My dealer said it would be paint colored in 2021 which is what I have on my GLE63s that I am trading. I like that look.
I don't like to trust dealers, especially MB dealers. It's not an honesty problem, it is just that in my experience they are not as into cars as many of the BMW and other dealers I have purchased cars from in the past so they don't know and don't seem to be able to find out.
I wanted to know if you have anyone in your group chat that has taken delivery of a 2021 GLC63 SUV yet. I have one configured and in my name at our locaL MB dealer. It is scheduled to be built in December so I should have it by February some time. The MB site does not yet have the 2021 GCL 63 configurator up even thought the dealer was able to configure one for me there. What I wanted to know is if the plastic around the wheel arches is painted in the body color or is it black. I am pretty sure it was always black until 2020. My dealer said it would be paint colored in 2021 which is what I have on my GLE63s that I am trading. I like that look.
I don't like to trust dealers, especially MB dealers. It's not an honesty problem, it is just that in my experience they are not as into cars as many of the BMW and other dealers I have purchased cars from in the past so they don't know and don't seem to be able to find out.
Thanks for any info.
we have one guy that his 2021 just arrived at the port and should be taking delivery soon.
Thanks. My dealer told me it would take up to 8 week from production to delivery. I guess that is influenced by how far you are from the port. Since I am in the southwest, It may be closer to the 8 week range.
Yes, there is a virtual button to raise the vehicle in Settings > Quick Access within MBUX.
Thank you so much. I picked mine up on Thursday and have yet to find the place to do this. There is a button on the GLC300 which is convenient but I don't mind having to go through the menu since I won't use it that much.
Congratulations on the new GLC63. I have a 2019 GLE 63s that I got about 9 months ago. There are a lot of strong points to it, but in the end it is a bit bigger than I like. I got it for its ability to have a dog crate in the back without folding the rear seats - its a big dog. In any case, the 2021 GLE and E Wagon are too small to fit the crate in. I was looking at a new GLE 63s since it was supposed to have a bit more room since the chassis is new. It really does not and it is just as tall - even with the entry exit feature to lower the car (getting out is a bit awkward since I don't have long legs). I too, would like an E63s Wagon but it is pricey and very low to the ground. I live in an area where it is not unusual to have to go over a dirt road. Nothing too bad, but bumpy neverthe less.
As a new GLC63 owner perhaps you could answer a question for me. Since this is based on airmatic, is there a button to raise the height. I have this in my GLE63s and even had it in a 2011 E550.
Thanks.
P.S. I would love to know why there is no GLC 63s SUV. It makes no sense to me. They sell that in Canada.
I have a 2019 GLC 43 and it has a button to raise the vehicle at speeds up to ~40mph before it lowers itself back to normal ride height.
09-22-2020, 01:45 PM
