The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice AMG wagon has two more estates in his collection, and that apparently makes for one too many. Let’s see if the price will make an eager buyer only too happy to take this one off his hands.
Some people like to bring joy into children’s lives. Others, however, like to terrify and then eat them. This why clowns should never own and operate an ice cream van like yesterday’s 1999 Dodge Ram high top. At its $6,500 asking price, few of you were on board with the idea either. That resulted in a decisive 77 percent No Dice loss. Sorry kids, no joy today.
It’s a verifiable truth that as we mature from childhood into adulthood, our tastes change. Over that time our pleasures become more complex, more nuanced. Oh sure, there’s still some comfort to be had in a simple ice cream cone or a game of tag, but as a grown-ass person, isn’t something like this 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon going to be more your preferred choice?
To back up this argument, let’s look at the specs. First off, this wagon is brown. And, while that trope may be getting old around here, it’s still worth pointing out. I mean, come on, it could easily have been black, white or silver and none of those colors would have warranted any discussion at all. I think the actual color here is called Indium Gray Metallic, but it’s close enough to brown for our purposes.
That paint looks to be in good shape for its age and is complemented on the car by just the right amount of brightwork and a set of gunmetal-gray alloy wheels. We will talk a little more about those wheels in a bit. While apparently in good shape now, the ad notes that the car previously suffered a low-speed shunt in one of the back doors. That was repaired by a Mercedes dealer, and thankfully the cost seemingly didn’t total out the car. A roof rack and sun-fighting window tint are additional plusses here.
That tint hides an interior that looks pretty decent but does show some wear for its near-decade of life and 73,000 miles of use. The beige leather could stand some love, with the driver’s seat being the most in need. The AMG-embossed shift knob is also showing evidence of use, and good luck replacing that down the road. The shifter works Mercedes’ seven-speed SpeedShift automatic, and that’s bolted to the car’s crowning glory, a handbuilt 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 delivering 518 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Yes, the 63 part of the E 63 name is a lie.
That M157 engine is said to work as it should. The ad does note the intermittent presence of a malfunction light on the dash, but that seems to have stymied dealer service techs who haven’t found anything amiss on the car. Other things that have been amiss, and since replaced, include the engine and transmission mounts as well as some suspension links. Other things that still need replacing include a non-working power jack (cigarette lighter to us fogies) and the tires that the seller says are getting old.
The other notable aspect that is brought up in the ad is that it was once the object of a manufacturer buy-back. According to the seller, that was due to a vibration at speed, which was eventually traced to bent wheels. The car now wears un-bent alloys from a later AMG, and the seller says he will give you the wobbly wheels along with the car so you can have proof of the fix.
Other than those issues, this wagon looks to be a great car for doing things like getting the kids to soccer… yesterday. Blowing off Mustangs at stoplights, too. What might something that versatile be worth?
The seller is asking $34,999, which admittedly is a lot of cheddar, but then this is also a lot of car. And it is a car as well. It’s not an SUV or crossover, so while it does offer a lot of utility, you won’t need a ladder to wash it.
What do you think, could this E 63 be worth that $34,999 as it’s described in its ad? Or, does that price make this an estate that will be a no-sale?
You decide!
AutoTrader out of Miami Beach, Florida, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to @JMikkola for the hookup!
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