Muscle car commute?

[Bob_Defly]

I'm looking to buy something a few years old and fairly powerful for the daily commute, which will be about 85 miles per day. My shortlist consists of:

Jaguar XFR-S
Audi S7
BMW 550i or 6 Series Gran Coupe
C63 AMG

I think I am ruling out the Jag due to long term/high miles reliability, plus the older interior. Plus I am also ruling out the BMW's because they just don't excite me that much. So down to the C63 and S7, I know which aren't really direct competitors, it's just that I don't like the look of the E63.

So any thoughts on these two? I know the C63 with it's large NA engine would probably be bullet proof long term, but the Audi has a nice waftiness to it that would get me home on those days where I just want to relax and get home. Plus the boot is a lot bigger.

I'm interested in hearing from owners of these two, specifically on maintenance/reliability issues. I'm assuming they are both crap on fuel, hey ho.

thanks!

[Strudul]

You're ruling out a Jag for reliability and looking at a Merc / Audi instead??

[Strudul]

I'd look at a 2010+ IS-F (or GS F if you can afford it) or a Panamera.

[Prof Prolapse]

Audi, s-line suspension, "wafty"? Genuine question, have things moved on for Audi then?

My recollection over the last 10 years has been that I would not have an S-line car because of the harsh ride regardless of the settings.

Have you factors in consumable costs? I don't know about the others but C63 pads and discs are a bit pricey...

[DanL]

As is the way with these sort of threads, I'll suggest something not on your list.

Have you considered some sort of CLS? Better looking than the E class, bit more refined than the C63.

[Ares]

I was wildly underwhelmed with the RS7 when I had one for 2hrs at an Audi RS day. I can't think the S7 will excite.

The AMG C63 however, I very nearly ordered one last month (in 's' guise) having had if for a weekend, and compared it with it's competitors (each borrowed for a weekend), but the C63 is a fabulous car. For me it came second, but I wouldn't have complained climbing into it every morning!!

[SirSamuelBuca]

mustang?

[300bhp/ton]

Are any of those 'muscle cars'?

[Prof Prolapse]

300bhp/ton said:

Are any of those 'muscle cars'?

Not by my understanding. But we all know what he means.

[parabolica]

A 650i Gran Coupe is as rare as hen's teeth, but if you could find one that would be my choice. Ride is very comfortable on 19s even with RFT, although I suspect most 650s would have come with 20s which thump about a bit. Nice sound from the 4.4 V8 though, assuming you're standing outside to hear it

[Alex_225]

The C63 gets my vote if you're talking about the 6.2 V8. Why? Because I have a CLS63 and the engine is just awesome.

Terrible on fuel but if you're worried about fuel you wouldn't even consider one. The sound is fantastic, the power is addictive and it just feels like something special. Also, last of an era of big V8s which I think adds coolness.

[Krikkit]

XFR would be my choice, wouldn't be frightened of piling on the miles as it's a relatively well-known platform with a very strong drivetrain.

[dougt]

I’ve had my 2010 C63 for a year now. I’ve only done 5000 miles in it, but I don’t use it for weeks on end then it goes on 500+ mile weekends so I’m reasonably familiar with longer trips in it.

No problems with it other than a puncture and a couple of issues the previous owner left me with, it seems pretty solid. I’d go for a post headbolt car if you’re looking for ultimate peace of mind. Mpg is horrible round town as you’d expect, creeps up towards 25 on long trips. Tyres can wear quickly as there’s a lot of camber in the setup. Ride is fairly hard, especially on 19’s. I like it because it’s quite fun going slowly as well as pressing on, largely because of the excellent noise it makes.

Fuel tank size is pitiful, 200 miles is about the sensible limit between fill ups. Bear in mind it’s traction limited and most C63’s don’t have an LSD, this takes a bit of driving around sometimes. Tidy works well, untidy generates smoke :-)

Also, depreciation so far has been minimal, which helps.

[MorganP104]

I'm surprised to hear the Merc's tank is so small. Only getting 200 miles between fill-ups would really wind me up.

I'm assuming that for cost/packaging reasons, the C63 gets the same size fuel tank as lesser models (the same amount of fuel would probably return 400 miles in a C180, or even more from a CDi).

[schmunk]

dougt said:

Fuel tank size is pitiful, 200 miles is about the sensible limit between fill ups.

66 litres = 14.5 gallons, according to Parkers - are you really only getting 14mpg average...? Presumably a "commute" would be a bit gentler?

[PenelopaPitstop]

I would suggest S7 as C63 has rather small tank. You would be visiting petrol station every 2 days with C63 and if you sit in traffic it will be very thirsty. I'm talking from experience of driving C63 for 2 years. S7 should be a bit better on petrol. Not sure if it has start/stop which is quite helpful in S8.

However C63 is great and S7 will feel very boring comparing to it.

[Ares]

parabolica said:

A 650i Gran Coupe is as rare as hen's teeth, but if you could find one that would be my choice. Ride is very comfortable on 19s even with RFT, although I suspect most 650s would have come with 20s which thump about a bit. Nice sound from the 4.4 V8 though, assuming you're standing outside to hear it

The 650i is a belter if you can find one. I currently run a 640d GC but with 380bhp thanks to Schnitzer. It's also on 20" wheels and the ride is great - that said I did put the Schnitzer springs on which improved it further.

They are a great car, handle well, very pretty and with a V8 soundtrack would be a compelling argument. BUT....compared to a C63, its a big car. It may only be 200kg heavier than the AMG, but feels a lot more. As a cruiser however, its a tough car to beat.

On the devils fuel, I get 50mpg+ on a motorway run.

The fact that now it's 3 years old I'm chopping it in for a 500bhp smaller, petrol powered saloon shows that despite it's HUGE attraction and near faultless character, sometime you just crave a charismatic sound track (and 300bhp/tonne or more ;-) )

[StuTheGrouch]

300bhp/ton said:

Are any of those 'muscle cars'?

You've changed. A couple of years ago you would have suggested some real muscle cars, a few pickup trucks and a Winnebago

[Ares]

300bhp/ton said:

Are any of those 'muscle cars'?

Define Muscle Car? 500bhp RWD V8 fits the bill in my book?

Or has it got to have a set number of doors? Be American?

[Strudul]

Ares said:

Define Muscle Car? 500bhp RWD V8 fits the bill in my book?

Or has it got to have a set number of doors? Be American?

"any of a group of American-made 2-door sports coupes with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving"

"A muscle car, by the strictest definition, is an intermediate sized, performance oriented model, powered by a large V8 engine, at an affordable price. "

(Second link provides a good breakdown and explanation)

Edited by Strudul on Thursday 15th June 17:42