Hello All!

I’ve been looking to converge down to one car from a Jeep Grand Cherokee and a moderately modified E46 M3 and I think the W212 E63 sedan checks all the boxes for what I am looking for. Essentially a land missile that I can put a baby seat and a stroller in. I’d love a wagon but not patient enough to find the right at my price point.

When I bought the E46 in 2012, the fear mongers had me convinced that BMW tax was going to bankrupt me. Fast forward 7 years and the car has been bulletproof and only expenses have been maintenance and consumables.

Found a really nice 2013 near me with performance package with 39,000 miles for $37. Car is immaculate in and out and has good service history.

My two concerns are:

- Obviously no factory warranty. I’ve researched a couple of aftermarket options and have received quotes from Circle Auto Shield and Infinite Auto Protection, but BBB reviews have me concerned about shelling out $5k and having an issue using the insurance. My gut says to avoid these companies, put aside some cash for an unforeseen issue and keep my fingers crossed any issues are less than that $5 premium. My research points to these things being pretty stout, but all the electronics scare me. Just takes one module with an issue to turn in to a lot of money spent on diagnoses. Am I crazy to buy a $100k+ AMG without a safety net?

I’ve checked the Aftermarket Warranty section, but didn’t seem to find much in terms of actually using the insurance with non-dealership sold packages.

- Car has CCB package. They look amazing and the initial bite is awesome. I’m not concerned about a replacement in my ownership, but concerned about resale. Those with CCB and more miles, has this been an issue on sale?

Thanks a ton in advance. Hoping my next post is an intro photo!

- Joe

 

Hey Joe - searching for a supercar is a lot of fun, milk it for all its worth and test drive as many as you can. You never know, you might end up loving a C, E, S or even GL unless you sample them all.

If you have small kids with car seats or boosters the E isn’t exactly Noah’s Ark... I have to move the passenger seat up to make comfortable room for my 9yo and the 5yo behind me is almost touching knees. Adequate family car but the 3rd row in the driveway does the lion’s share of kid stuff, as much fun as the E63 is. It “can” transport the family, but definitely not the function it was designed for.

As far as the ceramic brakes go, just my opinion but I wouldn’t pay a premium for them unless you plan on running at the track. The basic irons are more than plenty in street driving - if I stab the brakes at speed I’m headbutting the windshield. If they happen to come with the car at market value, great, but be prepared to pay out the nose or swap them out when they wear or crack.

Lastly warranty. If you choose to stick your noodle into the town ***** without a rubber, you are either brave or used to a burning sensation in your pants. That’s your wallet on fire. Seriously, we all know warranties are priced so the house wins, but what is peace of mind worth to you? Living in constant fear of a $50k motor blowing out on you would suck all the fun out of owning this beast. Just my $0.02.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the reply!

Your warranty analogy gave me a chuckle!

With that said, any suggestions on a warranty company?

 

I've never heard personal experience with this company but have seen people mention it favorably: https://fidelitywarrantyservices.com...cle-protection.