Do ML63's make good pre-owned cars (looking at 08/09)?
06-30-2011, 10:09 PM
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01 S2000, E46 M3, 99 ML320
Do ML63's make good pre-owned cars (looking at 08/09)?
Any problematic years to look out for?
I'm in need of a bigger "family" car for my DD when I need to take out daughter out so looking at a few cars:
a) Cayenne GTS (08/09)
b) ML63 (08/09)
c) BMW X5 M (this car is slightly out of my budget even used)
Looking to spend around $60k and want something reliable/safe but also somewhat fun when my baby is not in the car.
We have an older ML320 and it's been relatively trouble free so just wondering if current ML63 owners can chime in. Is this a car you would buy if there is no warranty left? I heard most AMG cars you want to stay away from...
P.S. I currently have an IS-F but it's a bit too small (amazing how much stuff a little baby needs when going out!)
thanks!
I'm in need of a bigger "family" car for my DD when I need to take out daughter out so looking at a few cars:
a) Cayenne GTS (08/09)
b) ML63 (08/09)
c) BMW X5 M (this car is slightly out of my budget even used)
Looking to spend around $60k and want something reliable/safe but also somewhat fun when my baby is not in the car.
We have an older ML320 and it's been relatively trouble free so just wondering if current ML63 owners can chime in. Is this a car you would buy if there is no warranty left? I heard most AMG cars you want to stay away from...
P.S. I currently have an IS-F but it's a bit too small (amazing how much stuff a little baby needs when going out!)
thanks!
07-02-2011, 05:01 AM
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1961 Mercedes-Benz 190SL and 2016 BMW X5M
ML63 AMG as a Daily Driver (Pros & Cons)
s4play:
I did a "cut & paste" of a response I made not too long ago in another thread in this forum that you may find usefull for consideration in your vehicle choice:
For me as an automobile enthusiast, I want to drive an automobile that makes me happy. Happy to look at it, happy to drive it and enjoying the entire experience of driving it and its ownership, regardless of whether it is my daily driver or some other vehicle that is only driven occasionally. A key issue when considering a ML63 is whether it will be your daily driver or just one more car in your stable of automobiles. From my perspective, each of us will determine and probably rationalize what is most importent to them in a daily driver vehicle. For me, the most important actual and subjective variables for a daily driver are:
1. Safety features/design
2. Attractive aesthetics
3. Fun driving experience
4. Decent (if not good) gas mileage.
5. Powerful (meaning, fast acceleration, for fun and safety)
M-B has a proven track record in their design of vehicles for safety. The M-B ML is has the highest safety rating from a number of Transporation/Highway Associations, so it would be hard to do better than the ML in that category.
When I first leased my 2007 ML63 AMG I drove it as my daily driver, using it to commute to and from NYC. I averaged approx. 15.5 mpg for these trips... not great gas mileage but what was advertised when I originally selected the vehicle, so not a surprise. I also became increasingly concerned about getting nicks and scrapes on the bumpers from the urban parking garage ballet and fearless/hapless attendents. Eventually, my wife and I agreed to have me drive her BMW 335 xi as the daily commuter car and use the ML63 for our weekend errands and as a long trip/vacation vehicle. The Bimmer gets between 19 - 25 mpg, depending on the aggressiveness of my driving and is far more practical and easier to drive in congested urban traffic. Both vehicles require the use of premium gasoline and I am on a first-name basis with several gasoline station attendants along my commuting route, so that is a fact that will not change.
The ML63 works great as a very fast, comfortable, and fun long distance cruiser, capable of accommodating and carting all of our luggage and "stuff" on our long weekend excursions and vacation road trips. It really is only on the long trips in this country on interstate highways where the ML63's incredible acceleration capability is able to be best used in the most appropriate way, such as on entrance ramps and for lane change passing, etc. I rationalize the ML's poor gas mileage as just one more vacation cost and realize and appreciate that it is also part of the cost of putting a silly smile on my face whenever I am driving it....
In the summer of 2010, my '07 ML63 AMG's 3-year lease expired. After much deliberation whether to get a new similar vehicle and test driving the new ML63, and competing vehicles such as the BMW X5M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo, I decided that the most cost effective solution was to buy my ML63 from Mercedes-Benz Financial at the end of the lease since it only had about 37,000 miles on it. I decided that since my '07 ML63 was loaded, I had everything I really needed in that vehicle other than the latest electronic communication/entertainment gagetry. I realized that if I purchased my vehicle off of lease it would cost me about half the cost of buying/leasing a new one, ($50,000 vs. $100,000). I was able to negotiate with MBF what I thought was an acceptable deal to buy it for approx. $2,000 below my lease's stated residual value of the vehicle. As an enthusiast, I always baby my vehicles and had the MB Dealer always perform all of the necessary regular and preventive maintenance and servicing so the vehicle was and remains in great shape.
The important fact to keep in mind is that all of today's AMG vehicles are very expensive to repair, especially if there is any issue involving the engine or transmission. The cost of replacing the entire 6.3 engine alone has a msrp of over $60,000! So in April 2011, nearing the end of the original M-B mfgrs warranty, I decided to purchase a Mercedes-Benz Extended Limited Warranty (ELW) for the ML63. The ELW can be purchased from any M-B Dealer and is available in a number of different milage/months combinations at different costs. I elected to go with an ELW for an additional two years and/or 25,000 miles (up to 75,000 miles on the vehicle). The ELW was not cheap at $4,171 (which includes 7% NJ sales tax), but there is no deductible and I view it as an additional "insurance" cost that gives me important peace of mind. Repair or replacement of just one key covered component on this vehicle could easily total this amount. So if you have or buy a ML63 that is still within the original mfgrs. warranty I strongly suggest that you seriously consider exploring getting a M-B ELW that works for your budget.
This strategy allows me to continue my enjoyable ownership and driving experience of my ML63 for 2-3 more years before I may be tempted to consider a new replacement vehicle. I wonder at that time what type of performance/economical hybrid vehicles M-B, BMW, Audi and Porsche will have available... As you will see from my other posts in this and other forums, I am not happy with the design of the new 2012 ML, which just reinforces my decision to buy my '07 ML63.
Good luck and enjoy your search....
AVB-AMG
I did a "cut & paste" of a response I made not too long ago in another thread in this forum that you may find usefull for consideration in your vehicle choice:
For me as an automobile enthusiast, I want to drive an automobile that makes me happy. Happy to look at it, happy to drive it and enjoying the entire experience of driving it and its ownership, regardless of whether it is my daily driver or some other vehicle that is only driven occasionally. A key issue when considering a ML63 is whether it will be your daily driver or just one more car in your stable of automobiles. From my perspective, each of us will determine and probably rationalize what is most importent to them in a daily driver vehicle. For me, the most important actual and subjective variables for a daily driver are:
1. Safety features/design
2. Attractive aesthetics
3. Fun driving experience
4. Decent (if not good) gas mileage.
5. Powerful (meaning, fast acceleration, for fun and safety)
M-B has a proven track record in their design of vehicles for safety. The M-B ML is has the highest safety rating from a number of Transporation/Highway Associations, so it would be hard to do better than the ML in that category.
When I first leased my 2007 ML63 AMG I drove it as my daily driver, using it to commute to and from NYC. I averaged approx. 15.5 mpg for these trips... not great gas mileage but what was advertised when I originally selected the vehicle, so not a surprise. I also became increasingly concerned about getting nicks and scrapes on the bumpers from the urban parking garage ballet and fearless/hapless attendents. Eventually, my wife and I agreed to have me drive her BMW 335 xi as the daily commuter car and use the ML63 for our weekend errands and as a long trip/vacation vehicle. The Bimmer gets between 19 - 25 mpg, depending on the aggressiveness of my driving and is far more practical and easier to drive in congested urban traffic. Both vehicles require the use of premium gasoline and I am on a first-name basis with several gasoline station attendants along my commuting route, so that is a fact that will not change.
The ML63 works great as a very fast, comfortable, and fun long distance cruiser, capable of accommodating and carting all of our luggage and "stuff" on our long weekend excursions and vacation road trips. It really is only on the long trips in this country on interstate highways where the ML63's incredible acceleration capability is able to be best used in the most appropriate way, such as on entrance ramps and for lane change passing, etc. I rationalize the ML's poor gas mileage as just one more vacation cost and realize and appreciate that it is also part of the cost of putting a silly smile on my face whenever I am driving it....
In the summer of 2010, my '07 ML63 AMG's 3-year lease expired. After much deliberation whether to get a new similar vehicle and test driving the new ML63, and competing vehicles such as the BMW X5M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo, I decided that the most cost effective solution was to buy my ML63 from Mercedes-Benz Financial at the end of the lease since it only had about 37,000 miles on it. I decided that since my '07 ML63 was loaded, I had everything I really needed in that vehicle other than the latest electronic communication/entertainment gagetry. I realized that if I purchased my vehicle off of lease it would cost me about half the cost of buying/leasing a new one, ($50,000 vs. $100,000). I was able to negotiate with MBF what I thought was an acceptable deal to buy it for approx. $2,000 below my lease's stated residual value of the vehicle. As an enthusiast, I always baby my vehicles and had the MB Dealer always perform all of the necessary regular and preventive maintenance and servicing so the vehicle was and remains in great shape.
The important fact to keep in mind is that all of today's AMG vehicles are very expensive to repair, especially if there is any issue involving the engine or transmission. The cost of replacing the entire 6.3 engine alone has a msrp of over $60,000! So in April 2011, nearing the end of the original M-B mfgrs warranty, I decided to purchase a Mercedes-Benz Extended Limited Warranty (ELW) for the ML63. The ELW can be purchased from any M-B Dealer and is available in a number of different milage/months combinations at different costs. I elected to go with an ELW for an additional two years and/or 25,000 miles (up to 75,000 miles on the vehicle). The ELW was not cheap at $4,171 (which includes 7% NJ sales tax), but there is no deductible and I view it as an additional "insurance" cost that gives me important peace of mind. Repair or replacement of just one key covered component on this vehicle could easily total this amount. So if you have or buy a ML63 that is still within the original mfgrs. warranty I strongly suggest that you seriously consider exploring getting a M-B ELW that works for your budget.
This strategy allows me to continue my enjoyable ownership and driving experience of my ML63 for 2-3 more years before I may be tempted to consider a new replacement vehicle. I wonder at that time what type of performance/economical hybrid vehicles M-B, BMW, Audi and Porsche will have available... As you will see from my other posts in this and other forums, I am not happy with the design of the new 2012 ML, which just reinforces my decision to buy my '07 ML63.
Good luck and enjoy your search....
AVB-AMG
07-02-2011, 12:47 PM
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Mercedes ML-350
I upgraded from a Ml350 to the 2009 Ml63. I am having a few issues but the dealer is taking care of everything at no cost to me. Mine came with all the bells and whistles: backup camera, parktronic sensors, illuminated door sills, etc. So I feel pretty damn safe driving it. Almost like a tank I would say. Be prepared to pay a lot more for gas. It averages out around 10 mpg for me, a lot less when I have some fun with it 
Just make sure you buy CPO, otherwise you'll put a small fortune into repairs.
Just make sure you buy CPO, otherwise you'll put a small fortune into repairs.
07-15-2011, 08:03 PM
#5
I don't own ML63 but I'm on my 3rd ML. First ML350 was an 06 that just ran out of warranty at 46k miles. With this car it had intermittent ac problem that I didn't notice until few days after purchase. It cost me $1300 out of pocket and sad part is that ac problem wasn't resolved. See where I'm getting at? If you must buy ML63 or any Benz warranty should be a requirement. Without warranty is like driving your car without insurance.
07-18-2011, 09:52 AM
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08-03-2011, 10:58 PM
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1961 Mercedes-Benz 190SL and 2016 BMW X5M
What did you decide to do?
s4play:
I am curious to hear your reactions and thoughts after your recent test drive of a 2009 ML63. Is it what you had expected? better or worse? why, etc...
What condition was the vehicle in that you drove and its milage? Also, what was the Dealer advertising it for ($)? Was it offered with the M-B certified pre-owned warranty (CPO)?
Let us all know, when you have a chance.....
AVB-AMG
I am curious to hear your reactions and thoughts after your recent test drive of a 2009 ML63. Is it what you had expected? better or worse? why, etc...
What condition was the vehicle in that you drove and its milage? Also, what was the Dealer advertising it for ($)? Was it offered with the M-B certified pre-owned warranty (CPO)?
Let us all know, when you have a chance.....
AVB-AMG
12-20-2011, 10:26 AM
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2007 ML63 AMG
Completely agree with AVB-AMG above
Go ahead and buy it, but always have either CPO or ELW coverage. Any unforeseen event could absolutely ruin the vehicle & piece of mind is worth the cost of coverage. This machine is so dang complex & expensive to repair, that you simply don't want that sword of Damocles hanging over your head.
