Under the hood of today's Nice Price or No Dice E63 lies Mercedes' legendary M156 V8 brute. That, plus a bunch of other AMG add-ons, can be had for the price of a new Kia K4. Is that a bargain, however?
The song "The Future's So Bright, I gotta Wear Shades" by the band Timbuk 3 was voted by VH1 (remember VH1?) to be one of the 100 Top One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s. While the song has a catchy beat and seemingly innocuous lyrics, a closer listen reveals that it's really about an impending nuclear holocaust. Fun stuff! I'm kind of glad the band didn't have more hits considering how subversive that one was.
Ford was looking to the future in the 1960s with the Falcon compact. That car would become the basis for the Mustang, which would go on to be Ford's biggest hit and, save for the F-Series pickups, its most enduring model. The 1963 Ford Falcon convertible we looked at on Monday was even called the Futura, as if in a nod to that impending debut. Unfortunately, our Futura seemed to have a sordid past, as its somewhat ratty interior and crusty under-hood appearance suggested. For most of you, that didn't add up to the seller's $9,000 asking price, as reflected by the 80% 'No Dice' loss the Falcon received. Obviously, that does not bode well for the Falcon's future.
Hot Rod
Unlike yesterday's Falcon, today's 2011 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG is all stock, seemingly needs nothing, and has been treated to recent service work that saw the replacement of its brake pads, tires, and vital bodily fluids.
Under the hood is an M156 naturally aspirated V8, notable as the first engine wholly designed by Mercedes-AMG, not just a massaged version of an existing Benz mill. Badged as an E63, the engine in fact displaces 6,208 ccs, or just a hair over 6.2 liters. Like obsessive cowboys, those wily Germans are always rounding up.
Such nomenclature discrepancies matter less than the output, which in this model is an impressive 507 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Paired with the monster engine is an AMG Speedshift MCT transmission with seven gears and a manual mode for when the driver's feeling frisky. Other features unique to the AMG E-Class include enormous six-pot front and uprated rear disc brakes, revised suspension geometry, four-port exhaust, and lightweight alloy wheels.
An executive express
That's all yin to this E-Class's yang. Mercedes has never intended its mid-sizer model to stand out or cause a stir. Instead, the model has long maintained laudably restrained styling across multiple generations. That has made it popular with owners who appreciate timeless style over flash-in-the-pan shock value.
The W212 edition, which debuted in 2009 and carried through to 2016, is no exception. This one, in black over a black interior, still looks elegant and younger than its 15 years. According to the ad, the car has a reasonable 108,673 miles under its belt, which works out to around 7,200 a year. Along with the mechanical service, this car also took a trip to the spa for paint color correction and a ceramic coat.
Nothing on the exterior gives away the Benz's age, right down to those handsome five-spoke AMG alloys, which show no sign of curbing, and wear Pirelli P-Zero rubber. The cabin tells a similar story: the leather seating surfaces hold up well, and the dark wood trim adds to the seriousness of the space. As a Benz, it's also outfitted to the gills, with expected luxuries like rear window privacy screens, a panoramic moonroof, and plenty of buttons to play with.
Depreciation is a hell of a drug
Of course, while it's described as being in excellent condition, there are still things to notice and check. In the cabin, the window switches (which will look familiar to any Tesla Model S owner) and the driver's door lock buttons have worn down to the white plastic base. Laudably, the seller shows this in the ad's pictures, so they seem fully transparent about the car's minor blemishes.
Then there are the M156 engine issues. Mercedes was the target of a class action suit over premature wear on these motors, specifically camshaft and valve-lifter issues. Additionally, like most German engines of the era, these suffer from PCV system failures. A thorough check for ticking and excessive crankcase pressure should be undertaken to ensure this motor is in good health.
When new, this car left the dealer with its new owner being $100,000 lighter in their wallet. 15 years later, it's priced similarly to an entry-level Nissan or Hyundai. That makes it a siren song of an opportunity.
FSBO
Notably, this Benz is advertised under the "For Sale by Owner" section of Craigslist's classifieds, despite the fact that the seller is clearly a dealer based on the ad's pictures and the offer of financing and trade-ins being available. That might be a plus, since a dealer will handle the title transfer and the required smog test. That title, by the way, is clean, and the dealer says a Carfax report is available to interested parties.
Before we get too interested, however, we need to consider the car's $23,900 asking price. As noted, that's a far cry from the six-figure price it cost new, but is it a good value at that much lower price?
What do you say? Could this hot-rod Mercedes be worth $23,900, given its presentation and still-in-the-game style? Or is that too much to gamble on any out-of-warranty Benz from this era?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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