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Another new owner of a 2018 E63S Wagon checking in.
Having grown up in the UK, the monster German wagons have long been on my dream car list. I always loved the idea of sleeper cars and none seemed to fit this criteria better than a long, practical car with near super car performance. That these vehicles are rare and near universally loved by anyone that drives and reports on them, only increased my desire to be able to one day own one. I came close to purchasing a CPO 2018 model in early 2019, but at the time could not make the finances fit. I instead went with a CPO 2017 S550 which I have been driving for the last 2 years. I have constantly kept my eye on the preowned market and finally everything came together to allow me to get my own Wagon.
The vehicle I found was located at a Honda dealership in Fort Worth, approximately 270 miles from my home in Houston. After a bit of back and forth with the dealer, and some clarification on the vehicle's eligibility for warranty, I decided to pull the trigger and put in place the required approvals to secure the vehicle last weekend. This past Wednesday, one day before the arctic weather closed in on the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I made the 4 hour trip from Houston to Fort Worth, taking my S class in one direction before picking up the Wagon and making the 4 hour trip home.
I will say I have been fortunate to own several "nice" (read relatively expensive) cars. Some have instantly won me over, yet others left me with some buyer's remorse, especially in the immediate aftermath of the purchase. I remember when I went from an M4 to a Range Rover Sport driving away and thinking "what have I done". Ultimately I loved owning the Range Rover, but there was definitely an adjustment required. I will readily admit I was concerned before picking up the Wagon. This is a vehicle that had been built up in my head so much, and yet was being purchased unseen. I was really scared that I would not like it as much as I hoped and would fall into that area of buyer's remorse.
When I arrived at the dealership, the dealer I was working with took a copy of my license and insurance and handed me the keys so I could take the Wagon for a spin. From the first moment I heard the engine fire up, my fears of remorse completely subsided. That start up sound and tick over is such a guttural emotive sound, that alone is worth the entry price in my mind. So I set off onto the feeder and headed for the first onramp I could find. Flicking the car into Sport+ I made sure the car was pointing in a straight line and hit the gas. Oh! My! Gooooooooooooooodddddd! I have driven some quick cars before. The M4 was fast but also aggressive like a sledgehammer. I had also previously owned a Porsche and had ridden shotgun in a several high spec vehicles through friends I made at PCA track days. Nothing I have ever been in moves the way this Wagon does. So much thrust. And the sound track that accompanies it makes me giggle like a school kid. It may be fake and computerized, but the lift off bangs and pops from the sports exhaust are just fantastic, especially when I think about the drivers around me who must be looking at this WAGON and hearing that noise.
After getting back and closing out the deal I had 4 hours to get to know the car on the way home. I can say I am absolutely onboard with this being "the best car in the world". It is as well appointed as my S class was, yet has more performance and capability than anything I have ever driven. Add to that the fact I can fit my 3 kids under 4 in the back comfortably, and even get the dog in the trunk and I hope to be able to say I own this vehicle for many years to come.
I wasn't able to see the original window sticker but did a VIN decode and was able to get the original build codes. Below is a list of the major specs. Also attached a few pics, though most were taken after my drive back, so the car is a little dirty.
It has been really good to be able to read this forum from time to time during my search. Hopefully sharing my experience will spark some happy memories in other owners.
Phil
799 Diamond White
RTS 20" AMG Forged Cross-Spoke Wheels, Matte Black
61U designo Black Dinamica Headliner
P03 AMG Premium Package
PAF Acoustic Comfort Package
445 Warmth & Comfort Package
319 AMG Advanced Lighting Package
521 AMG Night Package
773 AMG Exterior Carbon Fiber Package
B07 AMG Ceramic Composite Braking System
U78 AMG Performance Exhaust System
Congrats. Glad another Houstonian grabbed up this car as I was also considering it before purchasing another in Tulsa.
Your car is HIGHLY optioned and a real find especially for those (you) who are seeking the ceramic brakes. I had a buddy that was interested in your car after I took delivery of mine. I was able to get my hands on the MB build sheet through my dealer for him if you are still needing it.
I’ll be on the lookout for you around town; enjoy it!
Thanks everyone for the feedback and messages. Will be sure to get Sir Winston up into the trunk and take a pic to share.
Managed to get all 3 kids into the car for a quick drive yesterday. All the kids, but particularly the 2 year old twin boys, were loving the exhaust noise. Most of our travelling all together is done in a Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid that spends most of it's time in electric only mode. The experience of me sticking the car in Sport+, dropping down to second and giving the gas a quick squeeze had them all in fits of giggles. Perfect family car in every way.
McDougall - I would be interested in seeing the build sheet if possible. Not sure if you can DM it to me or something. I did do a VIN decode, but there was a lot of build codes in there and some didn't line up exactly with the order guide I found on this forum.
I did hear from the dealer that there was a ton of interest in this vehicle. It's is pretty close to exactly how I would spec it if I was in my "money is no object" mode. Glad I pulled the trigger when I did.
I haven't yet seen another W213 AMG wagon around Houston, but definitely keeping my eyes peeled for them now. Otherwise, stay safe over the next week. Fingers crossed they'll manage to keep power and water flowing to all of us.
McDougall - I would be interested in seeing the build sheet if possible. Not sure if you can DM it to me or something. I did do a VIN decode, but there was a lot of build codes in there and some didn't line up exactly with the order guide I found on this forum.
Great story and nice car, well spec’d. I can tell whoever ordered it was an enthusiast (door sills too). Have any other photos of the interior trim? Im ordering a 21 wagon and keep going back and forth between the matte black ash and your glossy brown ash (also black interior). Your trim looks like a dark brown, which I like, where other photos I’ve seen make it look like a lighter shade of brown.
bullmrkt, sorry for the delay following up, been a bit of a week down here in Houston.
I tried to get some decent pics of the interior, but was struggling with light and reflections. Honestly when I was looking for a vehicle I was trying to steer clear of the brown trims and ideally go with the matte black. But I will say having lived with it for a week or so it is actually a really good option. It is definitely a dark brown, but I honestly don't see the brown unless I am looking right at the trim. In normal use, when the trim is just there in my peripheral vision I don't notice the brown shades at all. In fact I think now that perhaps the matte black may be a bit too same-y with the rest of the black interior. I empathize with your situation though. I built many cars on the configurator over the years and it's tough to get a feel for the trim in particular. Buying pre-owned solved that problem for me by removing the choice, and of all the options I was looking for the choice of the trim was about the lowest on the list.
Ask and you shall (eventually) receive. He was not in a modelling mood. This is about the best I could do while he averted his condescending gaze for a brief moment.
He is getting old. He is actually generally a pretty happy fellow, but I woke him up from his late afternoon nap to make him sit in the car and he made sure to let me know he wasn't happy about it. It definitely would be tight for him in there with the back seats up, but we have the minivan for moving the entire family at once, should the need arise. I also think that if the kids were in the back seats he would be much more interested in getting up inside the trunk and laying down, at which point it would probably be fine for an excursion to the dog park. Will have to give it a go once the city sorts itself out and normality returns.
We have a 75 pounder, who is cramped in the cargo area of our Q5. I’d thought the Ê Wagon cargo would be bigger, at least based on stated dimensions. Now I’m kinda confused...
This was a nice story and your enthusiasm for the car really shines through. I am also a Houstonian and have a 2021 E63s wagon in its way from Florida so we may see each other around town. We have a 1 year old Great Pyrenees who weighs about 85 at this point so will definitely post some photos of her in the cargo area. I traded my 2017 Audi R8 for this car for lots of reasons but not the least of which was being able to transport her in comfort. A 100 lb dog in a 2 seat mid engine sports car definitely makes you consider your life choices!
Congrats on a sweet wagon. You are in for some fun. I got a laugh of the ol' dog in the back. I won't let my 100lb lab in my car as the hair is impossible to get out. He can pollute my wife's car.
Wow, I feel like you are putting me to shame here. 2 dogs AND a set of golf clubs! In regards to Sir Winston, I have been poking around and think I have a path to getting him a comfortable trunk-bound spot. Will require the removal of the privacy shelf, which I assume can be done and estimate will get me another 4 inches or so of depth. I have also changed out some of the kids car seats for some more svelte versions which helps the trunk to feel less isolated from the rest of the car. Will catch Sir Winston on a less grumpy day and see if we can get him comfortable. For reference he is 80lbs (about 5lbs overweight per the vet).
As a general update, I am completely smitten with this car. It definitely is the best car in the world and anybody who thinks otherwise is definitely wrong. My Covid lifestyle means that I am spending a lot less time on the road than I used to and I have yet to see another W213 wagon (63 or otherwise) in the wild but I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled. I have already received multiple compliments about the car, but it is the fact that it is just such a joy to drive that is really doing it for me. It is definitely firm (but remember I am coming from the land yacht that is the S550) and I do find myself scanning the road for imperfections, but honestly I do that anyway given Houston's terrible paving and my desire to not have to continuously fix wheels. But the connectivity between the car and the road is awesome. And as for the power, I find it perfect in the most absolute sense of the word. I mean it is immense, but manageable. Can be instantly available and simultaneously capable of surprising you.
Couple of other quick first impression updates:
CCBs - I love the CCBs. I was anxious about squeaky brakes, or grabby brakes or even weak-until-they-get-warmed-up brakes. Not noticed any of the above. What I have noticed in my 2 weeks of driving is I see dirt on my black wheels and not brake dust. Outside of that they function like absolutely normal brakes and look awesome sitting behind the black rims.
Multi-contour seats - I had these in the S class, but the implementation in this vehicle is better. The seats were a bit loose in the S (built for a larger framed person perhaps) whereas in the wagon they are just the right amount of snug (6' 1" - 210lbs for reference). I found having the dynamic bolsters at level 2 was a bit much as they jump at the tiniest lateral movement induced by a slight steering alignment adjustment. But overall the seats are incredibly comfortable and I highly recommend them.
Road noise - surprisingly quite a lot of it. I expected the acoustic glass to hush things down to near S class levels, but not seeing it. Definitely a decent amount of road/tire noise at cruising speeds. Not sure if the car is actually very noisy and the acoustic glass is helping, or if it really isn't making that much of a difference. Not a big issue, the car is still absolutely fine but had some expectations of whooshing along in quiet opulence when the mood struck which is really not viable.
Anyway, just want to say thank you all for the feedback. It's great to hear from others. It definitely feels like a special privilege to own one of these vehicles and appreciate being able to share that experience with other like-minded folks.
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