Discussion
Hey All.
In the market for a used C63 to update the family wagon from the current hot Saab.
Been doing a fair amount of googling, and so far have decided that I want the LSD and Perf Pack as must have options.
Can anyone tell me what changed in 2011 apart from the external look stuff?
Also, are there any issues with 50/60k miles on the 6.2?
In the market for a used C63 to update the family wagon from the current hot Saab.
Been doing a fair amount of googling, and so far have decided that I want the LSD and Perf Pack as must have options.
Can anyone tell me what changed in 2011 apart from the external look stuff?
Also, are there any issues with 50/60k miles on the 6.2?
I’ve had both a pre and post facelift one of these.
The biggest change is with the gearbox - the facelift uses an MCT (multi-clutch) and is much less “slushy”, with faster shifts than the pre-facelift. The chassis generally felt much more precise and less wayward in the facelift, not sure if the setup was changed but it didn’t feel the same (but in a good way).
I didn’t take them up to the 50/60k mark but they’re generally regarded as pretty reliable. Look out for a tappy engine once warm.
The cosmetic stuff you know about; the facelift is a nicer place to be inside but for me the prefacelift has the more characterful exterior.
Go in with your eyes open on tax and maintenance (it’ll eat through a set of rears in 6-8k without too much bother if you drive it correctly).
The biggest change is with the gearbox - the facelift uses an MCT (multi-clutch) and is much less “slushy”, with faster shifts than the pre-facelift. The chassis generally felt much more precise and less wayward in the facelift, not sure if the setup was changed but it didn’t feel the same (but in a good way).
I didn’t take them up to the 50/60k mark but they’re generally regarded as pretty reliable. Look out for a tappy engine once warm.
The cosmetic stuff you know about; the facelift is a nicer place to be inside but for me the prefacelift has the more characterful exterior.
Go in with your eyes open on tax and maintenance (it’ll eat through a set of rears in 6-8k without too much bother if you drive it correctly).
Edited by cduk on Tuesday 17th October 20:59
What are you aiming for? Pre or post facelift. I have a pre-facelift. Previous post has covered most stuff. Just be aware of headbolt issues on pre 2011 and worn lifters on all m156 engines (noisy engine when warm). My car has had both of these issues and luckily both covered by warranty. The lifters didn’t need replacing but the engine was open already and my local merc garage covered it.
I'm looking 
Once I've made garage space...C63 owners are not the only people who want 'em...
The magic engine number is 60658 - anything before this could have head bolt problems.
A lot of the later 2011-ish pre facelifts are ok - don't think everybody knows this, so a late pre facelift could be a bargain.
Other stuff - injectors can stick open, causing hydraulic-ing and bent rods. There's a silver one for sale now that's been repaired. Not sure that's specific to the C63, but it does seem to have happened to a few cars.
Wheels can crack. Needs regular oil changes - lifters and cam wear are other possible failures.
They all seem to have hammered bolsters unless they're 20k-odd low milers - not surprising as they grip you like nothing else.
I agree the pre facelift looks better, just looks 'right'. Then you spot the dashboard...
I'd get a bulletproof Merc/Mondial warranty personally - had a BMW on a similar scheme and it did pay for itself over 4 years or so, but that was at £3-400 per year, not the £1600 a C63 will cost to cover. Anything on these cars will be £££.
A PPP with LSD will be tricky to find. Big red caliper PPP brake jobs were silly money, much less than 1k now.
A Quaife LSD is under 2k to retrofit I believe, and better longevity than the Merc diff - worth considering it as it'll open up a wider choice of cars.
Best of luck with the hunt.
Once I've made garage space...C63 owners are not the only people who want 'em...
The magic engine number is 60658 - anything before this could have head bolt problems.
A lot of the later 2011-ish pre facelifts are ok - don't think everybody knows this, so a late pre facelift could be a bargain.
Other stuff - injectors can stick open, causing hydraulic-ing and bent rods. There's a silver one for sale now that's been repaired. Not sure that's specific to the C63, but it does seem to have happened to a few cars.
Wheels can crack. Needs regular oil changes - lifters and cam wear are other possible failures.
They all seem to have hammered bolsters unless they're 20k-odd low milers - not surprising as they grip you like nothing else.
I agree the pre facelift looks better, just looks 'right'. Then you spot the dashboard...
I'd get a bulletproof Merc/Mondial warranty personally - had a BMW on a similar scheme and it did pay for itself over 4 years or so, but that was at £3-400 per year, not the £1600 a C63 will cost to cover. Anything on these cars will be £££.
A PPP with LSD will be tricky to find. Big red caliper PPP brake jobs were silly money, much less than 1k now.
A Quaife LSD is under 2k to retrofit I believe, and better longevity than the Merc diff - worth considering it as it'll open up a wider choice of cars.
Best of luck with the hunt.
Looking for a face-lift, outside doesnt look no where near as good, but where you spend most of the time (inside) the difference is remarkable.
Market is very scarce at the moment and has been for a couple months.
Definitely thinking of getting an official MB warranty with it, and have been watching the approved used pages for a while now. Ben at Winchester MB has been really good looking up cars for me and checking specs/service history.
I didn't even think of an LSD originally, a friend has a CLS63 without one and it seems to go just fine. However everywhere I've looked online, people say it completely transforms the driving experience, now a lot of that could just be internet bluster, but I'm thinking if it has one then that can only be a bonus come re-sell time.
PPP, as it saves remapping a non PPP and losing the warranty, plus everyone wants a race mode in a family car.
As for running costs, current estate goes through a set of MPS4's in 8kish miles on the fronts already, Fuel economy is about the same (averaged 23mpg so far in current family car), and servicing doesn't seem to be too bad. Standard you pay to play level.
Market is very scarce at the moment and has been for a couple months.
Definitely thinking of getting an official MB warranty with it, and have been watching the approved used pages for a while now. Ben at Winchester MB has been really good looking up cars for me and checking specs/service history.
I didn't even think of an LSD originally, a friend has a CLS63 without one and it seems to go just fine. However everywhere I've looked online, people say it completely transforms the driving experience, now a lot of that could just be internet bluster, but I'm thinking if it has one then that can only be a bonus come re-sell time.
PPP, as it saves remapping a non PPP and losing the warranty, plus everyone wants a race mode in a family car.
As for running costs, current estate goes through a set of MPS4's in 8kish miles on the fronts already, Fuel economy is about the same (averaged 23mpg so far in current family car), and servicing doesn't seem to be too bad. Standard you pay to play level.
I think you could be in for a long wait, I don’t think there are many at all. I looked for around a year before selling mine to get an idea of pricing and during that time only two came up (on here, Autotrader and eBay), typically one at the exact time I was selling mine.
The performance pack on an estate was a rare option. That seems to carry over to the E63s estate which I went to. My dealer tells me they only sold 19 of those in the entire country.
The performance pack on an estate was a rare option. That seems to carry over to the E63s estate which I went to. My dealer tells me they only sold 19 of those in the entire country.
Another C63 estate hunter here too! It seems the good ones don't hang about but there are some that have been for sale for months...
I can't really get one till next summer but I think if the right spec does appear (Grey, 19s, Black Leather and PPP) before then I'll go for it as I don't want to miss it...
I can't really get one till next summer but I think if the right spec does appear (Grey, 19s, Black Leather and PPP) before then I'll go for it as I don't want to miss it...
I've noticed that too, its not only the estates some of the saloons sell very quickly whilst others hang around for a very long time. Pre facelift cars don't appear to be selling very well from what I can see.
There is a nice PPP estate car on the approved web site at the moment, but has nearly 50k on the clock... which I guess means those expensive discs will need replacing soon
There is a nice PPP estate car on the approved web site at the moment, but has nearly 50k on the clock... which I guess means those expensive discs will need replacing soon
nutey said:
I'd seen the MB Winchester one but was after one with a few less miles and not black if possible...but they've knocked a grand off this morning so it's at £27900 now so probably won't hang around much longer
Yeah, I got asked about the MB Winchester one before it went on the website. Here's the spec I got sent:
213 Parameter steering - speed sensitive power steering 0.00 A 1
0 218 Reversing camera 325.00 A 1
0 249 Auto dimming rear-view and driver's exterior mirror 0.00 A 1
0 294 Kneebag driver's side 0.00 A 1
0 345 Rain-sensing wipers 0.00 A 1
0 347 Ecall emergency call system, Europe 0.00 A 1
0 500 Exterior mirrors - electrically folding 0.00 A 1
0 502 3 years of free map updates 0.00 A 1
0 513 Speed Limit Assist 0.00 A 1
0 518 Media Interface 0.00 A 1
0 537 Digital radio DAB 279.17 A 1
0 600 Headlamp wash 0.00 A 1
0 608 Adaptive high beam assist 0.00 A 1
0 776 Wheel-arch widening for AMG wheels 0.00 A 1
0 797 19" AMG alloy wheels (4) - multi-spoke design, painted black 1,291.67 A 1
0 803 Technical modifications (03) 0.00 A 1
0 810 Harman Kardon® Logic 7® Surround-sound system. 541.67 A 1
0 840 Privacy glass (from B-pillar backwards) 275.00 A 1
0 885 Enhanced anti-theft protection 0.00 A 1
0 916 Fuel tank 66 l 0.00 A 1
0 923 Increased power version 0.00 A 1
0 928 Emission control system with Euro 5 technology 0.00 A 1
0 966 CoC document EU5 without Reg. Cert. Part II 0.00 A 1
0 989 Identification label under windshield 0.00 A 1
0 B12 Tyre-change toolkit 0.00 A 1
0 P30 AMG Performance Package Plus 3,900.00 A 1
0 P47 Steering Code Package for Auto gearbox 0.00 A 1
0 P64 Memory package 0.00 A 1
0 R Right-hand drive 0.00 A 1
0 U70 Red brake calipers. 0.00 A 1
0 X11 Designo leather - single-tone - black 0.00 A 1
2 197 Obsidian black metallic 0.00 A 1
4 221 Leather - black 0.00 A 1
0 230 Parking Guidance 0.00 S 1
0 240 LED daytime running lights 0.00 S 1
0 241 Passenger seat electrically adjustable with memory 0.00 S 1
0 265 Omission of line logo 0.00 S 1
0 275 Memory Package: Driver's seat and passenger seat. 0.00 S 1
0 287 Rear seats - split folding 1/3:2/3 0.00 S 1
0 299 Pre-Safe® intelligent 0.00 S 1
0 414 Electrically operated tilting/sliding glass sunroof. 0.00 S 1
0 427 AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed automatic 0.00 S 1
0 440 Cruise control with SPEEDTRONIC variable speed limiter 0.00 S 1
0 461 Instrument cluster with mileage reading 0.00 S 1
0 477 Tyre pressure loss warning system 0.00 S 1
0 527 COMAND Online system with Media Interface 0.00 S 1
0 551 Anti-theft warning system and immobiliser 0.00 S 1
0 580 Automatic climate control 0.00 S 1
0 584 Electric windows - front and rear 0.00 S 1
0 621 Intelligent Light System (inc. Bi-Xenon) 0.00 S 1
0 666 Vehicle freight packaging without tie-down loops 0.00 S 1
0 690 Spare wheel - space saver 0.00 S 1
0 739 Brushed aluminium 0.00 S 1
0 772 AMG Bodystyling - front and rear aprons and side skirts 0.00 S 1
0 817 Alarm for anti-theft warning system 0.00 S 1
0 873 Front seats - heated 0.00 S 1
0 882 Alarm system with immobiliser and interior protection 0.00 S 1
0 890 Easy-Pack tailgate - opens/closes automatically 0.00 S 1
0 954 AMG 0.00 S 1
0 K11 Adaptive brake lights 0.00 S 1
0 P49 Mirror Package 0.00 S 1
0 P54 Anti-Theft Protection Package 0.00 S 1
0 R01 Tyres steering code 1 0.00 S 1
0 U01 Rear belt status indicator 0.00 S 1
0 U18 Automatic child seat recognition sensor 0.00 S 1
0 U26 Black floor mats with AMG lettering 0.00 S 1
0 Y90 black fabric roof liner
I went from a 2010 C63 sedan to a 2013 ie FL C63 Estate. My gut feel when I drove the pre FL and FL versions back to back was that there was a subtle difference in the steering/handling between the two. As I also test drove a FL sedan when considering the Estate I remember concluding at the time that this was not a sedan v estate difference to account for the steering.
And I am sure I heard/read somewhere that MB made tweaks to the steering and suspension during the midlife update.
Compared to the sedan the Estate definitely has a little more tyre and exhaust sound though.
And I am sure I heard/read somewhere that MB made tweaks to the steering and suspension during the midlife update.
Compared to the sedan the Estate definitely has a little more tyre and exhaust sound though.
Out of my budget, but there's a 2015 Post FL FL, in Blue with 'S' spec, so equivalent of the new PPP and an LSD in Poole...
https://www.mercedes-benz.net/p/uk/en/used-cars/me...
Just encase anyone was looking at spending a bit more. (Granted its the 4.0 not the 6.3 too :/)
https://www.mercedes-benz.net/p/uk/en/used-cars/me...
Just encase anyone was looking at spending a bit more. (Granted its the 4.0 not the 6.3 too :/)
As an update to this thread I'm almost the proud owner of a C63 Estate.
After looking for about 5 months I'd almost given up as nothing seemed to come up in that time that ticked the boxes ie Not White, LSD, PP and low mileage. I came close to giving up on the estate idea and just going for the more common saloon option - was due to test drive one this week.
However, Saturday morning the usual Autotrader email turned up but for once there was something interesting in it. By 9am I'd already left a voicemail, sent an email and was on the phone again as it was too good a deal to miss...
So I have now reserved a White Estate with no LSD - so exactly what I didn't I want! The reason for the change of heart was that this one is actually a 507 Edition for little more than a standard C63!!!
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
Deposit down and finance agreed so they're just sorting the B service it needs and then I can collect it. Can't wait!!!
After looking for about 5 months I'd almost given up as nothing seemed to come up in that time that ticked the boxes ie Not White, LSD, PP and low mileage. I came close to giving up on the estate idea and just going for the more common saloon option - was due to test drive one this week.
However, Saturday morning the usual Autotrader email turned up but for once there was something interesting in it. By 9am I'd already left a voicemail, sent an email and was on the phone again as it was too good a deal to miss...
So I have now reserved a White Estate with no LSD - so exactly what I didn't I want! The reason for the change of heart was that this one is actually a 507 Edition for little more than a standard C63!!!
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...
Deposit down and finance agreed so they're just sorting the B service it needs and then I can collect it. Can't wait!!!
Congratulations! Btw that is an absolutely great price for a 507!
I had an estate (2012 FL) for 2years loved it...didn’t have the LSD, and I didn’t get on too well with the conti tyres but switched to MPSS and then a set of Goodyear eagle F1s and it handled pretty well, and traction light didn’t light up like a Christmas tree every corner (think the eagle F1s were actually my preferred on the 19” multi spokes I had)
Will probably return to the fold one day!amazing cars, all the best.
I had an estate (2012 FL) for 2years loved it...didn’t have the LSD, and I didn’t get on too well with the conti tyres but switched to MPSS and then a set of Goodyear eagle F1s and it handled pretty well, and traction light didn’t light up like a Christmas tree every corner (think the eagle F1s were actually my preferred on the 19” multi spokes I had)
Will probably return to the fold one day!amazing cars, all the best.
Nice one - I thought they were north of 40k now? Classic in the making I reckon. Look after it and you'll always get your money back - the latest 'AMG' is half-electric ferchrissakes.
Really nice place to sit - suede touches inside are beautiful and it's probably worth the extra over the standard car simply for the view down the bonnet over those angry looking snouts.
LSD is an easy fix, and I believe the Quaifes are longer lasting with no wearing parts compared to the Merc LSD.
Proper hot rod
Really nice place to sit - suede touches inside are beautiful and it's probably worth the extra over the standard car simply for the view down the bonnet over those angry looking snouts.
LSD is an easy fix, and I believe the Quaifes are longer lasting with no wearing parts compared to the Merc LSD.
Proper hot rod
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