Hi everyone,
Long time lurker on the forum but I believe my first post in the W212 E63 section. I am an avid car enthusiast and have owned mostly BMWs along with several P cars and Audis. I am now in the market for a new daily driver to replace our 2012 Audi A6 3.0T. The car has been a superb overall car with great tech, ample power, a very nice interior, and has not had a single issue. We now have approximately 41k miles and our warranty is up in 5 months. I have decided that I want a more fun daily driver (MORE POWA!!!), though my wife says she would just prefer to keep the A6 and buy an extended warranty. Of course I told her that is not going to happen, so we have been looking at several vehicles: S6, RS7, M3, M5, C63S, E63S.

I have gone for a test drive in all of these vehicles except the RS7. My wife has also looked at them and she does prefer the larger vehicles due to slightly more interior space, though I don't think we necessarily need something larger than a M3 or C63S since we do have a SUV. So on the MB side we have the C63S and E63S. My wife and I went to MB Dallas a few weeks ago to test drive both. My thoughts from the test drive are this:

-I was surprised the E63 didn't have a much smoother ride than the C63. The difference on even the bumpy roads was perhaps 10%.
-The C63 was much more lively in terms of throttle response. Due to this, the E63 felt like the slower vehicle of the two even though I know it is much faster.
-E63 had perhaps a few extra inches of rear legroom, though my wife did comment that it is wider as well. I suppose this is true, but need to look up the interior dimensions.
-Not a huge fan of the E63 interior. Small nav screen for this class of car, and obviously it is a 6 year old design since it is from the previous gen of MB design language. We looked at the E350 and 535 back when we purchased our A6 and even then the E class interior was disappointing to us. New C63 interior is far superior IMHO from a design and visual perspective.

It has become a tough choice to narrow down a clear winner in our quest for a new daily. I like the M5 very much, but the $10-15k premium over the E63S is IMHO not worthwhile. M3 vs C63, I much prefer the overall exterior of the M3, but C63 has nicer interior. And the I6TT on the M3 sounds awful, especially with the fake engine sound played over the speakers. This is coming from someone that has owned three M3's and a 1M, all of which I loved very much. So from my experience the AMG's are better choices currently, though on a used M5 vs E63S my opinion may differ.

Now I would like some feedback on the E63S vs C63S from current owners. If you were in the market today or even a few months from now, would you purchase a new or used (2014) E63S over the new C63S? Please explain your rationale behind the decision. Whichever car I end up getting next I am thinking of not only modding visually (wheels, suspension, etc) but also tuning it for runway roll events in Texas. Hence this is one area where I think the E63S will be superior thanks to that monster 5.5L biturbo! I have been looking at leftover 2015 E63's on Autotrader to see if dealers will discount them heavily. There are two of them in the Dallas area, but the dealer is only willing to discount $10k, which IMHO is not good enough. Used I have seen 2014 CPO cars for low 80's, but logistics can be a pain when the car is half way across the country and I ideally would like to trade in the A6 for the tax credit. That obviously can't happen when a car is more than a few hundred miles away. Hope to get some feedback and especially some insight on the maximum possible discount on a leftover 2015 E63. Thanks in advance!

 

Wow, that's a lot of questions.

I purchased a 2nd hand 2014 E63S several months ago. Absolutely love the car and here's my notes.

My previous car was a 2008 535i (over) modded to around 600hp and track use. Don't ask. BUT it was crazy fast, handled fantastically but had serious traction problems. So I decided my next vehicle would be some type of awd. I also have two small kids, so needed a car large enough for two child seats and two tall adults in the front for daily driver use.

I looked at the RS7 and the E63S. I *really* liked the RS7 but the lack of adult headroom in the rear and the significant premium price over the E63S (about $40k for what I was looking at) leaned me towards the MB. Absolutely agree with the tiny nav screen and its not touch screen. Small things but after looking at the Teslas Model S control screen you see what can be done.

Of course the modding bug didn't lay idle for long, so it took me approximately 1 week to add a Weistec tune. Its now around 700hp crank and IMO has livened the car up. An auto mechanic friend mentioned that he hasn't driven many cars from a dig that he can feel the blood moving to the back of his head. LOL

Yes it still doesn't *feel* spritely like my E60 but it is definitely quick. As a daily driver its super comfortable, even with the firmer suspension. (I've also ordered some H&R springs to drop the ride and firm it a touch more.) I've done a handful of 4 hour drives in it and it's as good as my 535 with comfort seats.

The modding bug is continuing though and I'm probably getting the Weistec turbo upgrade (W.4 package) that takes it to 900hp crank (on crappy CA 91 oct). We'll see how that pans out. They claim it maintains a daily driver character.

I considered trading in the E63S when the new C63S was released, but didn't see the bang for buck. I got my E63S for a really good price, although I had to ship it from Pennsylvania to California. A little bit of a slow process, but the main thing is I lost probably a few thousand on my trade in. Although I saved a lot more than that not buying the car here in Silicon Valley with it's "dealer markup". So all up worth it.

The interior seems a step up in the C63S, but again comparing the price points of the two MB's I was coming out on top with the E63S. Also the C63S isn't available as an awd which was one of my personal criteria.

Well hope that helps.

 

AWD sold me on the E63S. Also the availability of a wagon which is the ultimate sleeper.

 

AWD is one of the main draws I have to the E63S actually. My wife will be driving the car as well, and I do feel more comfortable with her having AWD with that much power. No wagon though as she HATES wagons.

 

A tuned rwd c63 (s or non s) may very well outrun an awd e63(s or non-s... The tune makes them identical in rolling races) from 60mph on up, but if you search sdg's recent videos he pretty much demolished everything in his wake from a roll with this renntech tune and renntech exhaust ... He's got a 2015 E63s

I don't believe he's ever raced a tuned c63s and I haven't seen a roll race with a tuned c63s on YouTube or this forum ... It's all theoretic so far... From a roll the c63S stock or tuned struggles to gain traction

I have three car seats in the rear of my e63S and it gets garaged for the winter. I needed a bigger family sedan and didn't trust my safety without awd and all that underrated stock power

The m5 will have X-drive within a year or two if you can wait and it may very well trump the e63S in performance knowing bmw

The c class interior is nice but I don't like the iPad, and the new e class has integrated screen in the dash if you can wait

Also the c class has a line if quality control issues arguably because it is built in the great state of Alabama. E's are still entirely built in Germany

Read up on the c class bugs and quality control issues

 

You'll still need a nice winter set however for safety as I know you know

 

Oh yes well aware. I'm in Dallas so it doesn't really snow that often, but I do plan on running all season UHP tires for the winter months.

 

Does anyone have some inside info on what would be considered a good deal on a leftover 2015 E63S? Am I crazy to think that 15% or more off should be realistic? The local dealer is only giving $10k off MSRP.

 

10k is strong but not that much more than folks have negotiated without any model year incentives (which I'm not sure exist - any truck money in the 15s?)

Out of all the cars listed my preference is the Rs7 but not worth the premium...if you lease Audis rates are horrible, so expect to pay significantly more than the E.

E is most well rounded, C is more tossable and agile and dare I say fun. Up to you.

 

E63 is the best overall AMG for the cost and value.

 

I'm considering upgrading to the '16 E63S from a '14 C63 coupe. I love the C, but want a little more room in the car and to be able to actually entertain the idea of having someone in the backseat. And although I love the 156 and the '14 design of the C (much more than the '15 onward), I'm drawn to the new E63S and the performance specs too. I actually prefer the older interior NAV screen as well, rather than the stuck on ipad. So I'll have to see where I end up. For a while I was considering the GTS, but that front seating area is tight for me since I'm 6'5".

 

I have driven the new C63S and the E63S (rwd) on a very demanding race tract (Mt Panorama, Bathurst Australia) at the time of the launch for AMG GT and C63.
The C63 is a very quick car, and it has the 'active' exhaust (as does the GT). The E63 is an extremely competent vehicle on the track.
Given the choice to take either the C or E I would take the E every time as it is a much better 9/10ths vehicle for my situation.
Only at 10/10ths on a track would I say the C edged it.

 

Go test drive the RS7. Trust me. If I had the money for on right now I would pick it up over everything else in that class. One tune away from crazy HP too and the advanced quattro in there is awesome for handling. Best car in the segment IMO.

 

I've got the RWD version of E63s so there's much more "fun factor" than AWD with it. Nevertheless, it's E63S over C63S all day every day, just because size actually matters when it comes to engines And trust me, you'll forget about the old interior, screen, etc. when you hear the ROAR of the 5.5 V8. More so if you plan to tune it...

P.S. If you want the best geek tech on the market - BMW is the only choice. If you want to have an erection every time you floor the gas pedal - AMG ) And Audi... well, it just does what a car should - get you from point A to point B (and in case of RS7 - does it very fast).

 

You've got a fun short list. I don't think you can go all that wrong.

I like the suggestion to drive the RS7. I personally don't like the 4dr pseudo-coupe look or the motor hung out in front of the front wheel, but it's get and go can't be ignored. Give me the RS6 Avant, but I digress...

While I like the idea of the S6 in my personal situation, I think it's more comparable to the 2012-14 biturbo E550. I don't think you'll be happy with the S6's power output now that you've driven the two AMGs.

With respect to the current gen E63S, it's replacement is just too close to market to seriously consider it in my book. Like you said, it's a six (?) year old design with six year old tech (at least). Unless you get a crazy good deal, def wait for the new E AMG. As is almost always the case, it'll be better at nearly everything.

I can't comment on the M3/5. I don't know enough about them.

 

Agree with most of this except that Audis tech is better than BMW by a longshot.

 

Agreed. If mercedes-benz did not exist I would buy Audi. BMW is irrelevant.

 

I am comparing to my current 2014 E63S to the the previous model W205 C63 which I previously own.

Main reasons for the upgrade:-

- Comfort - C63 is an awesome car; after having it for 2 years, my spine just about had it. I miss the sportiness of C63 - small cabin, snug seats, firm ride, great on corners. But as a daily drive, it took the toll on butt. E63S has three suspension settings options, and overall significantly more comfortable than the C63. Of course the NEW C63S has the suspension setting - I wonder how it compares. I heard it is still firm despite the settings. I don't like the look of the sedan but on the other hand, the coupe looks like a true monster.
- Space - E63 has more space which I needed, as well as for the passengers. Works out so much easier with luggage, leg room, cabin space. The luxury option of massaging seats is good plus.
- Fuel consumption - Better on the E. I supposed the new C63S has better fuel consumption?
- Rarity - The rarity of the E also was a plus considered there are many C63 arounds.
- Exhaust - The exhaust sound of the E63S IMHO is a better sounding car - a deeper and more mature growl. The C63 has a badass V8 monster growl but I have moved on to a more deeper exhaust note. My fiancé commented on how loud this car sounds from the outside - at that time, I was merely driving 'C' mode.

A negative for the E63S was the turbo engine response compared to punchy N/A 6.2L. I supposed they corrected it in the latest 'V' twin turbo 4.0L engine. It was not a big deal for me. Once switched to S+, the E63S becomes a real roaring animal.

The new C63S coupe, for me, is a true contender given the modified muscular front fascia - wider arches, and distinct chiselled lines - more aggressive compared to the sedan.
It will be a great car solely as a driver's car and I am certainly seriously considering adding the coupe as a second car. Part of me still yearn for the sportiness and agility of the compact C63. IMO the E63 and C63 are two different animals; each with a different character and feel; and driven for different purposes.

Hope you decide on one; otherwise, just get both!