Hey guys!

I'm in a weird spot, and could use some help. I live in downtown Chicago, and have lived comfortably without a car for the last few years. I'm a big car nut, however, and have finally decided to pull the trigger and buy something fun for the occasional spirited driving. After almost moving on a c63, my fiance and I decided that something a little bigger would be a lot more practical, especially since I'm a larger format guy.

The problem is I'm having trouble finding a dealer who will let me test drive an e63 without jumping through ridiculous hoops. There are a few available locally, but each time I try visit a dealer they have refused to let me try unless I commit to a price pre-test drive, which obviously I'm not going to do on an out of warranty 2011 e63 pre-PPI. It's extremely frustrating spending time and money to check out a car, especially since I need to rent a car each time, and then showing up after making an appointment and they aren't ready for a test drive. It's even worse when it's an hour and a half drive each way and I dragged my fiance along. I know this is part of the game, but it's getting long in the tooth.

I really, really want to check out one of these cars in person and get a feel for driving one, so I can further focus in on finding the right car.

I was wondering if there were any forum members located in the Chicagoland area who'd be open to meeting up and letting me check out their car. I'd love to learn more about their ownership experience and possibly take a car out for a spin together. I'd be happy to pay for the trouble, and obviously I wouldn't expect to do anything without supervision. I have HNW renter's insurance which covers everything auto, that I can provide in advance, and am happy to provide as much additional background info as is needed to show that I'm not an axe murderer. I have experience driving everything from 458s to c63s to off-roading, but it would be game changing to get experience with the specific model I'm looking to buy without all the shenanigans of used car dealers.

Any help is greatly appreciated, I'm hoping to join your ranks soon!

Sincerely,
Zack

 

Keep in mind 2010-2011 e63 are using the 6.2L NA V8 engine while 2012+ are m157 5.5L biturbo

big difference in power between those engines

 

That's a great point, thank you. I'm heavily leaning towards M156 (as long as the VIN clears on head bolt issue), however, I'm still open minded and could spring for a 12 with bi-turbo. I loved the M156 in the c63s I test drove, it's so meaty.

 

if i was in the area i'd meet up with you, sadly im in Louisiana.

on a side note, i've owned my 2010 e63 for a year and half now, getting close to 140,000 miles. i got it at 100k. i've had to do the following

voltage regulator

serpentine belt

air filters

transmission fluid/filter change

rear diff fluid change

main battery

3 alignments (first two were horribly done by indy shop that claimed they knew what they were doing)

passenger HID bulb

engine mounts

sway bar end links

power steering fluid change

oil cap (mine cracked)

new dipstick on the way (also cracked)


im leaving little things out such as me destroying my gear selector trying to install the 2012+ one, and soldering the wires to my glovebox light back together when it started flickering.

oh- and A LOT of tires

hope you get one, you'll love it (i think)

 

I appreciate that! And thanks for all the info on the repairs. I've got a good repair shop locally that gives me confidence that anything I can't fix myself shouldn't be too rough, especially since I'm looking at lower mileage cars.

Im really frustrated because one of the best 2011s I've seen for sale was in the area, and I was supposed to test drive it Saturday, and then it was sold last night. Loved the color and the VIN cleared on head bolts.



Back to the hunt

 

I'm telling you get the biturbo, for cars this heavy it's much more well suited and fun to drive.

 

the power from the biturbos is there, but i find myself missing the m156 due to the lovely sounds the m156 makes.

Oh how i miss the downshift gargles when you let off....

but then again, I don't think i'd trade my car for another m156 lol

 

I know Motorwork in Barrington has a beautiful white 2012 e63 for sale. Im sure they would let you drive it. I agree that I would defiantly get the biturbo. Having a 12 e550 myself, these biturbo engines are just something else.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. It means a lot.

It sounds like I need to test both the biturbo and the M156. I''ll check out the 2012 in Barrington when I'm back in the country.

 

surprisingly the biturbos with downpipes also sound amazing, more of a deeper growl tone vs the m156

 

A car transaction is very similar to real estate transaction. Agreed price before PPI is not set in stone. One way is to make that clear to the sellers so you can test drive. I assume those sellers are non-dealerships. When I was in the market 6 years ago, dealerships always insisted I test drive before price negotiation because it's in their advantage for you to bond with the car first.

Another option is to keep an eye out for the car you want at CarMax. If I were to shop for a car that is available thru CarMax, that's what I would do from now on. Yes, it's a more pricey, but you are able to get the MaxCare if you plan to keep the car for more than a few years.

Too bad, I'm not near Chicagoland anymore. I used to be at NW Indiana. BTW, Marcin at Speedriven at Palatine is a great place for indy work if it's not too far from you.

 

Thank you for the buying advice. There are a couple carmax cars available, but would need to ship. Also I'd prefer a different color. Definitely something for me to consider given the warranty options

 

When I walked into MB in Chicago, no appt, I had not issue driving whatever I wanted. Weird that they're giving you a hard time.

 

Yeah, I had a great experience at MB Chicago too. I've test driven some of their more insane cars (AMG GTS, s63) no problem. It's the local used dealer who are a pain in the ***.