Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (W212)

60 sales analyzed · 20 topics from real Bring a Trailer & Cars & Bids comments.

“I can see the appeal of a stealth supercar disguised as a family wagon. Serious performance car!”Gulf-Porsche_21 · Jan 30, 2019 at 5:03 PM

• Wagon rarity and production numbershistory
  The E63 wagon's scarcity is central to its appeal, and owners have built registries around it. The most-repeated figure is roughly 209 W212 E63 wagons for the RWD 2012-2013 run, with one commenter citing 150 for 2012 and 59 for 2013 in North America, and about 783 total for the 2014-2016 facelift S212 wagons. …
• Pre-facelift RWD (2012-13) vs facelift AWD 4MATIC (2014-16)buying
  The 2014 facelift is the major dividing line: it brought 4MATIC all-wheel drive plus revised bumpers, lights, hood, rear doors and gauge cluster, where the 2012-2013 cars are rear-wheel drive. Buyers split deliberately, some seeking out the pre-facelift specifically for RWD, others valuing the AWD traction of the later cars. …
• P30 Performance Package on the RWD carsbuying
  On the 2012-2013 wagons the P30 Performance Package is described as the equivalent of the later S model before the S became standard in 2014, and is widely called the one to have. Owners report a noticeable difference through the whole power band, at the cost of a stiffer, harsher ride, and it is associated with the red brake calipers. …
• M157 5.5L biturbo strength, and contrast with the later M177 4.0Lmechanical
  The M157 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 (577hp in S trim) is regarded as strong, reliable and able to absorb extra power without trouble, with owners reporting well over 100k trouble-free miles. Commenters explicitly steer buyers toward the 2014-2016 M157 cars and away from the 2018-on M177 4.0-liter, citing its rear-main-seal reputation. …
• Brittle plastic coolant fittings and coolant systemmechanical
  The most cited chronic fault is the plastic coolant fittings, which become brittle in the hot engine bay; one owner replaced them with brass so they would last the life of the car. Turbo coolant lines are flagged as a common replacement around higher mileage, and coolant-system work is a recurring expense. …
• Single vs dual-circuit cooling and timing-chain evolutionmechanical
  Owners track a running change during 2012 on both cooling (single vs dual circuit) and the timing chain, with one seller pointing to an engine-number cutoff of 22333 for the older-style chain. Multiple high-mileage M157 owners report the later multi-link chain is trouble-free, with preventive tensioner updates and a check valve, though loud tapping can signal worn tensioners and guides. …
• Cam position sensor leaks and oil in the ECUmechanical
  A specific, well-known M157/M278 failure is oil wicking through the cam position sensors and siphoning into the ECU harness, turning a cheap serviceable item into a potential five-figure repair. Owners advise checking the sensors at every oil change; the fix can be as simple as cleaning the harness connector with contact cleaner. …
• Rear subframe corrosion and warranty extensionownership
  The rear subframe is a documented weak point, particularly on northern cars, with a widely referenced Mercedes warranty extension (cited as 20 years / unlimited miles) covering the repair on many 2009-2016 W/S212 cars. Uncovered, replacement is quoted around $5,000, and the underlying safety concern is deteriorating bolts. …
• Carbon-ceramic vs steel brakes: cost and valueownership
  Carbon-ceramic brakes (CCB) are a costly, polarizing option: replacement is quoted near $15k, but owners note they last far longer and can be verified in-spec by the dealer's weight/sticker test per an MB bulletin. One owner works the math that steel brakes replaced twice over 60k miles roughly evens out against ceramics over a long ownership. …
• Interior wood fading class action and chrome grille delaminationcosmetic
  Two documented cosmetic aging issues surface: the interior walnut trim fades, subject to a settled class-action lawsuit that reimburses replacement (free at some dealers, roughly a 50% co-pay at others), and the chrome-laminate grille delaminates from sun exposure. Both are treated as known, non-structural nuisances. …
• Tire wear, camber, and consumptionownership
  Uneven front tire wear is described as typical for these cars, attributed in part to the lack of factory camber adjustment (an aftermarket camber kit is the fix for small deviations). The near-600hp output also chews through rear tires quickly, with owners citing intervals in the 15,000-28,000 mile range. …
• Market: bottom of depreciation, appreciation, and the BaT bumpmarket
  Commenters repeatedly argue the 2012-2013 wagons hit the bottom of their depreciation curve and are now appreciating future classics, driven by growing US demand for fast wagons and scarce supply. Skeptics attribute part of the strong results to the "BaT bump," pointing to cars that stalled on AutoTrader then sold higher on BaT within days. …
• Wagon commands a large premium over the sedanmarket
  The long-roof body dominates enthusiast demand and value: sedans in these threads trade dramatically lower (examples in the teens-to-40s) than comparable wagons, with owners noting wagons sell roughly 20-40% higher than a similar sedan. A $96k-MSRP sedan selling for around $21k underlines how steeply the four-doors depreciate relative to the estate. …
• Tuning headroom: Renntech, Weistec, and 700-plus horsepowermechanical
  The M157 responds dramatically to tuning, and 700hp is described as easy with intake, exhaust and an ECU flash; a documented Renntech R1 build reached 696hp and 801 lb-ft. Owners cite over 750hp with modest work, and note Weistec is favored in California for making power on lower-octane fuel. …
• Sleeper character and driving impressionsdriving
  Owners frame the car as a stealth supercar disguised as a family wagon, quick and unassuming, bought by people who want to fly under the radar. Despite curb weight near 4,700 lb it is repeatedly called genuinely fun to corner, with more horsepower than a Ferrari 458 and more torque than a Dodge Viper cited as its everyday party trick. …
• Facelift styling debate: hip crease and wide-mouth bumpercosmetic
  Styling is genuinely divisive between the pre- and post-facelift cars. Fans of the 2012-2013 cars, echoed by Doug DeMuro's often-quoted take, prefer the subtler look and the hip crease over the rear wheels that the facelift ditched, and dislike the 2014 wide-mouth front bumper; others prefer the newer, more aggressive facelift face. …
• Third-row jump seats not offered on the AMG wagonownership
  Unlike lesser E-Class wagons, the AMG wagon was not offered with the rear-facing third-row jump seat. The mounting points exist and owners do retrofit them, but a forged aluminum crash bar fitted to non-AMG wagons is absent, leaving the rear cargo area a crush zone that commenters warn against using for children. …
• Canadian 2012-13 import limitation (TPMS)buying
  Several Canadian-market cars appear cheaply, but one buyer reports the 2012-2013 examples cannot be federalized into the US because the Canada-spec tire pressure monitoring system is not US compliant with no workaround. Other commenters push back that cross-border importing is routine, leaving the point disputed. …
• Salvage, buyback, and rebuilt titlesbuying
  Because a single airbag deployment often totals these cars, branded, buyback, and rebuilt-title examples show up regularly and trade at a discount. Buyers disagree on the risk: one seller frames a buyback as a testament to MB customer service, while others warn that a repaired total-loss should command only salvage money. …
• Oil leaks, seal weeps, and consumptionmechanical
  Beyond coolant, owners report minor oil weeps as these engines age, including cylinder-cover reseal jobs (quoted around $2,700) and timing-case-cover seepage. Piston scoring leading to increased oil consumption is raised as a concern even on AMG engines, alongside suspension-leveling and oil issues clustered around certain model years. …