DarrVao777

I've agreed to a deal on a 2018 G550

My local dealership (same one selling me the G550) just got 2 new G63 AMGs, same color as the 550 I wanted.

Assuming money is not a problem, what is everyone's recommendation on which version to pursue?

In reading around, many recommend the G63AMG saying that if you've already spent all that money, why not spend another 30K (or less if good at negotiating) for a better engine?

Others have stated that if being used as a daily driver, the 550 has the more forgiving suspension setup and the engine difference isn't significant enough to warrant spending the extra money (particularly for what the car is typically used for)

The car is for my wife. I've asked her and in test driving both, she couldn't notice a difference and just wants the cheaper version. We were actually more interested in the 2019 but couldn't wait until it is available.

Do you think it would be smarter to just go with the 550? (We plan to keep it at least 4 years, possibly trading into the new variant 4 years from now)

Or would the better engine (and presumably better resale value since I keep hearing the G63 is the most popular variant) in the G63 be the better way to go even if it won't be noticed by my wife in every day driving?

juanjose89

Hi i place an order for the 2019 g550 and they build in June I have July delivery check in your dealership if they have allocation or if they can check other store if they have allocation for July delivery if you want to spend 100+k suv is better new style wait 3 months I hear some dealerships don't have deposits in the g550, the g63 coming in October but honestly I prefer the g550 more daily driving

pdeacon

I was faced with the same consideration when I purchased my G 550. For the use my wife and I intended I just could not justify the extra dollars for the G 63. Looking back, I don't have any regrets. The 550 has more than enough power for any situation you are likely to encounter. Keep the additional money you would spend for the AMG model and put it towards the newer model when you are ready to make the move. Happy motoring.

DarrVao777

twist-a-grip

MBUSA says difference is $19,200, not $30k! One has 563hp/561lbft and the other has 416/450. Check out drive by exhaust notes on youtube - if you still want a G550 after that, then you made the right choice.

DarrVao777

s4awd

Markup on an '18?? You should be getting thousands off MSRP.

ItalianJoe1

The '18 has the new 4.0 biturbo engine, so you are actually getting the new engine in the 550 vs the "old" M157 engine in the 63 models, which will probably go away next year, it already has in every other vehicle.

That said, the real world differences in a 63 vs a 550 are almost negligible, outside of cosmetics.

pdeacon

Good point. This should lite a fire!

DarrVao777

greynlds

Having owned a 2014 G550 with the 5.5, a 2016 G550 with the 4.0 biturbo engine and adjustable suspension, and now a 2017 G63 with the 5.5 biturbo engine, I disagree.

The suspension tuning on the G63 is significantly different and better in most conditions IMHO.

While the G550 isn't slow by any means, the more powerful engine in the G63 is a big difference, again for the better.

The quilted seats in the G63 are also a significant improvement over the seat options in the G550.

Once you configure a G550 as close as you can to a G63, the price difference really isn't that significant and is well worth it. Comparing a "base" (no options) G550 to a fully loaded G63 isn't exactly a fair comparison of the price difference IMHO and it sounds like that's where the $30K difference is coming from.

ItalianJoe1

Fair enough, I only work on them so I don't get to drive them for extended periods.

I do agree though, at this price point and on a vehicle like this, get it loaded or don't bother. There's no reason to splurge and buy a G wagon (let's be honest, 99.999% of buyers don't NEED it), and not get one with all the toys. If you can't afford it, then it's probably not wise to buy a base one either for the money. The G65 is another story, they are ultra rare and $240k, but there's just something about a V12 in a G wagon that's really special.

DarrVao777

juanjose89

yes is confirmed ask your dealer not any dealership have June production only big stores

tmcde

DarrVao777

Well, that cleared it up quickly

I spoke with my dealer who said they had even less room to move on the G63AMG (they gave me 3.5% off MSRP for the 550), I guess they don't want to make that sale or have plenty more buyers in the wings

The guy I spoke with also told me they weren't expecting shipments of the 2019s until next winter. I'm thinking either he doesn't know what he's talking about or he meant this coming winter.

Either way, not a great experience thus far in dealing with the dealership via email/phone. Will see how they are in person when it comes time to pick up the 550 . Maybe too high an expectation but I would have counted on better service when purchasing such a pricy vehicle?

greynlds

We obviously haven't seen the email exchanges or been on the phone, but there's a lot more to great service than just getting a big discount. Especially when you're buying a low volume vehicle that's going to be even harder than normal to get for a while.

DarrVao777

I agree.

It's hard to read tone over emails/brief phone calls as well but it's a little more casual than I'm expecting. No punctuation, no capitalization, disorganized sentence structure. In my eyes, I put more thought into the posts on a messageboard than they're putting into emails to a client who's spending a lot of money on a vehicle.

I certainly don't expect a dealer to give me 7% off immediately upon asking but it would be nice if they sent a longer email explaining why they felt they couldn't budge on price for a car that is about to be significantly updated or perhaps call to see if I was interested. The info about the 2019s coming in was a 1 sentence reply too. Maybe I'm reading too much into this but it almost makes it seem like they're annoyed with me for inquiring.

Again, we'll see how everything shakes out once we meet face to face. They're a big dealership and a brand new facility. I'm hopeful they'll make a more positive impression in person

Holson

Best of luck! I am sure it will be a great experience

I'm usually a very formal person but I ended up buying my 2018 G550 over text messages with a young enthusiastic junior sales rep who was just greeting customers by himself outside of the dealership when my +1 and I visited.

He enthusiastically greeted us, remembered almost off the top of his head the Gs and the colors/general options. We talked about MBs in general and even R500 and R63s. I knew I was talking to a car guy. So I kept an open mind at the lack of formality and it turned out to be a great fuss free experience.

I also learned from another sales rep at another dealership that they don't make as much commission on the G compared to the more volume C, CLA, etc. Could be a factor!

NYCBenz

Lol, this isn't true at all.

Commission is based on total gross profit, regardless of the car. MB/AMG ALL run on the same invoice/profit formulas, so obviously the higher MSRP will yield higher gross profit.

Sure, most dealers offer incentives to sell certain models, usually aged inventory/volume bonuses, but it sounds like the guy you spoke to was very inexperienced.

After reading so much information on this thread, it goes to show that sometimes it is better to pay more, than to call around asking for the biggest discount. 99% of the time, you are going to get involved with an idiot salesman, and a crappy dealer. All of this equals misinformation.

You get what you pay for....

DarrVao777

Agreed, I expect to be a repeat customer so I'm hopeful the in-person experience is better

I wonder if it makes a difference if reaching out via email as opposed to going in person. As much as I can, I dislike the dealership experience so much that I would rather negotiate all the details over email and have the dealership deliver the car to me (the only reason we are picking up this time is because my wife wants to do so) so I never have to step foot within the dealership

In my limited experience, it's usually a more junior person manning the emails since I'm presuming most of the people who reach out via email may not actually end up purchasing.

Holson

I initially reached out to the same dealership via email (auto trader) for the car I now have and was quoted $50K over - almost didn't want to go check it out in person.

The in-person experience was much better and I got MSRP and the fleet discount. Probably could have wrangled a few K's on the 550 but it was almost exactly my 2nd choice for a custom order and I enjoyed the experience!

My sales rep saw the notes about 50K over in their system and laughed it off. I wonder if the internet sales rep was confused between the G550 and the G550 4x4^2

eball77

Jagdpanzer

I just traded my black 2017 G63 for a 2018 G63 with designo paint in mystic white. The AMG has the badging and bragging rights yes, but it also has other things like the more aggressive front end and chrome side pipes. That 5.5 liter motor has a deeper growl as well as 147 more hp.

They had the same vehicle in a 550, but I wanted the last model year in the G63. They traded me decent, and said there is still about 50 percent of the people who want the old model over the new. I don't think it will be uber collectable, but I feel if a person takes care of it and doesn't bombard it with miles, they will be a nostalgic one to have and will hold their value fine. I just like the looks better. No offense to the new buyers. But I dont like the softened outside and interior. As well as all the screens. I really don't care about better milage and drivability. I like the army truck way (: And the stadium seats in the back are classic! As well as being a bit narrower. Easier to park and less door dingers (:

Festertester