how good is the 2012 E amg 63?
I am looking for a dally driver for my wife and myself that we can also use for touring with luggage, golf clubs and one or two dogs. We drove a new E400 station wagon, and it was nice, but not much fun. We drove at a 2018 E amg 63s and were impressed. However, (1) it costs a lot, (2) depreciation seems to be rapid, and (3) if one can judge by the posts here, some of them spend more time in the shop than on the road. The depreciation isn't a huge issue, because I usually keep my cars a long time. On the other hand, if I can get a used amg station wagon for half the price of a new one, that is tempting. I have seen 2012 amg 63 wagons, some with the performance option, for $45,000 for one with 50,000 miles, to $65,000 for a very low mileage example. That was the result of a nationwide search. There are none near me, and I don't know how different they drive and ride from the 2018. I have seen the Doug DeMuro videos of both the 2012 and the 2018, which seems to conclude that the 2012 is a good car and the 2018 is a great one. My sense is that the 2012 may ride a little harder and lack some electronic features of the new one - no Apple CarPlay, DeMuro says no back up camera (though I've seen ones that are said to have one), no way to charge a phone through a USB port, etc. Can anyone tell me what to expect of the 2012 in terms of both driving and maintenance, and what I should expect to pay for a pristine, low mileage example? Are warranties available from third parties and what might they cost? I have an excellent independent Mercedes mechanic who services my SL, and is not encouraging me to buy an amg, but it seems to be my nature to fail to benefit from such good advice. Any information, opinions, experiences, etc., would be welcome.