ML63 AMG 5.5 - am I mad?
Discussion
Looking idly (as you do) on autotrader for potential purchases, it is starting to feel like the 2012-2014 range of these looks like extremely good value - a lot of car for the money. I've got a Cayman GTS 4.0 for fun, but am trying to talk myself out of one of these AMG MLs for my other half.
It would essentially be used for long distances occasionally, lugging things around as and when we'd need to, and as a comfortable car when I don't fancy taking out the Cayman.
Are there any known / major problems with these that I should be factoring in when looking at them? Do they have any significant weak points etc?
It would essentially be used for long distances occasionally, lugging things around as and when we'd need to, and as a comfortable car when I don't fancy taking out the Cayman.
Are there any known / major problems with these that I should be factoring in when looking at them? Do they have any significant weak points etc?
Had mine for about 9 months now, absolutely love it.
Go for 2013 onwards,they have a revised timing chain less prone to stretching.
Obviously a full main dealer history is a must.
Check its had its gearbox and diff serviced,for some reason there not on the official MB service schedule when they should be (40k).
Gearbox and engine mounts are susceptible to wear from all that torque.
Try and find one with the performance package,mine has it (560hp V 525 and 80nm torque increase over standard and top speed raised to 174mph)and it's ludicrously fast for such a big and heavy car (denoted by the carbon engine cover and 21" wheels)
A little under 4.5 seconds to 60 with a good launch.
MPG wise,I'll get late teens around town,just under 30 on a gentle run.
Make sure the adaptive air suspension rises and falls when it should.
I spent a good 3 months finding one with the spec I wanted,have a look at a few first.
Absolutely stonking cars though,very few on the road.
Go for 2013 onwards,they have a revised timing chain less prone to stretching.
Obviously a full main dealer history is a must.
Check its had its gearbox and diff serviced,for some reason there not on the official MB service schedule when they should be (40k).
Gearbox and engine mounts are susceptible to wear from all that torque.
Try and find one with the performance package,mine has it (560hp V 525 and 80nm torque increase over standard and top speed raised to 174mph)and it's ludicrously fast for such a big and heavy car (denoted by the carbon engine cover and 21" wheels)
A little under 4.5 seconds to 60 with a good launch.
MPG wise,I'll get late teens around town,just under 30 on a gentle run.
Make sure the adaptive air suspension rises and falls when it should.
I spent a good 3 months finding one with the spec I wanted,have a look at a few first.
Absolutely stonking cars though,very few on the road.
Edited by crispian22 on Monday 29th November 22:02
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. Looks like standard stuff to look out for on something like this, the timing chain is a good bit of intel in addition, so thank you.
I think we're going to go and look at one or two, until we've both driven one it'll be difficult to know whether it is our sort of car - although with that engine I can't see how it won't be. It definitely ticks a lot of boxes on paper.
I think we're going to go and look at one or two, until we've both driven one it'll be difficult to know whether it is our sort of car - although with that engine I can't see how it won't be. It definitely ticks a lot of boxes on paper.
Thanks, pleased with it so far!
Spec is reasonably good I think; 360 cameras, panoramic roof, logic 7 H/K audio, power closing doors, park assist, ambient lighting package, adaptive lights, memory seats/mirrors, front/rear seat heating, rear entertainment, TV, 21" wheels (just refurbished) with PS4S tyres. I don't actually know what comes as standard with these but I think they're the 'extras'. It seems quite well kitted out for an 8 year old car. Interior is black leather with leather dash and two types of leather on the steering wheel.
It has done 65k miles but seems to have worn them well. There are hardly any stone chips on the front. The paint could do with a correction because it has some swirl marks (which is one of the reasons I've never owned a black car before). I might get it done in the summer as I think the paint otherwise is in pretty good condition. It was owned by an enthusiast before so he'd done a few bits like the wheels, replacing the side steps / various bits of exterior / interior trim that had been marked with use. It had pads all round recently and a handbrake actuator changed.
First impressions are that it is very different from my Cayman (!) surprisingly...! The steering is quicker than I expected it to be, but it is pretty artificial / lacking in feel. It is probably perfectly normal for this sort of car but is just not what I'm used to. The engine is lovely, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how it handles. It feels quite nimble for its size when changing direction, and it feels effortless and invincible on the motorway.
So far we've only been using it to waft about for the most part (obviously apart from a few 'test runs' I did on my own) and it is a very pleasant place to be. I'm not sure how I feel about abusing it and driving it hard, as it is 8 years old and whilst it is very capable it somehow feels like it wont appreciate being driven hard constantly. Plus, fuel consumption so far has been, well, savage!
I think it is a huge amount of car for the money (literally and figuratively) and I'm glad we bought it. It'll be a nice place to do long journeys, handy to have all the space (the boot is massive) and as long as my other half can live with it, I think it'll be staying for some time!
Spec is reasonably good I think; 360 cameras, panoramic roof, logic 7 H/K audio, power closing doors, park assist, ambient lighting package, adaptive lights, memory seats/mirrors, front/rear seat heating, rear entertainment, TV, 21" wheels (just refurbished) with PS4S tyres. I don't actually know what comes as standard with these but I think they're the 'extras'. It seems quite well kitted out for an 8 year old car. Interior is black leather with leather dash and two types of leather on the steering wheel.
It has done 65k miles but seems to have worn them well. There are hardly any stone chips on the front. The paint could do with a correction because it has some swirl marks (which is one of the reasons I've never owned a black car before). I might get it done in the summer as I think the paint otherwise is in pretty good condition. It was owned by an enthusiast before so he'd done a few bits like the wheels, replacing the side steps / various bits of exterior / interior trim that had been marked with use. It had pads all round recently and a handbrake actuator changed.
First impressions are that it is very different from my Cayman (!) surprisingly...! The steering is quicker than I expected it to be, but it is pretty artificial / lacking in feel. It is probably perfectly normal for this sort of car but is just not what I'm used to. The engine is lovely, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how it handles. It feels quite nimble for its size when changing direction, and it feels effortless and invincible on the motorway.
So far we've only been using it to waft about for the most part (obviously apart from a few 'test runs' I did on my own) and it is a very pleasant place to be. I'm not sure how I feel about abusing it and driving it hard, as it is 8 years old and whilst it is very capable it somehow feels like it wont appreciate being driven hard constantly. Plus, fuel consumption so far has been, well, savage!
I think it is a huge amount of car for the money (literally and figuratively) and I'm glad we bought it. It'll be a nice place to do long journeys, handy to have all the space (the boot is massive) and as long as my other half can live with it, I think it'll be staying for some time!
Don't worry too much about the engine,just pop it in AMG mode on the dash display,it gives you the option to view oil/water temperature,once the oil is above 80c(turns from blue to white) your good to go a bit mental,the engines have a good reputation for reliability (as long as they don't have a bad aftermarket map).
The explosive bangs in sport mode on take off's are very addictive ;-)
Sounds like you got a great specimen,not many options left unticked,only vented seats and cooled/heated drinks holder by the sounds of it.
Do keep your eye on the oil level,they do like a sup,mine uses probably around 1ltr every 1500-2000 miles,(well within MB tolerance)the dash should give you a warning when to top up though.
I've only ever seen one other on the road since I've had mine.
The explosive bangs in sport mode on take off's are very addictive ;-)
Sounds like you got a great specimen,not many options left unticked,only vented seats and cooled/heated drinks holder by the sounds of it.
Do keep your eye on the oil level,they do like a sup,mine uses probably around 1ltr every 1500-2000 miles,(well within MB tolerance)the dash should give you a warning when to top up though.
I've only ever seen one other on the road since I've had mine.
Thanks for the tips, will definitely check.
The car is growing on me, really enjoying the duality of it’s character. My other half isn’t sure yet, but rather than try and sell it to her I’m going to keep quiet and hope she comes to the right conclusion
It’s due an A service in March, looks pretty simple, what sort of cost is reasonable?
The car is growing on me, really enjoying the duality of it’s character. My other half isn’t sure yet, but rather than try and sell it to her I’m going to keep quiet and hope she comes to the right conclusion
It’s due an A service in March, looks pretty simple, what sort of cost is reasonable?
I have the same engine in my 2014 GL63, even rarer than the ML. I bought mine 18 months back as, like a few of you, I though these things ain’t going to be around or acceptable for much longer.
You can get Brembo disks and pads for all corners for £400 all in from AUTODOC when they have a sale. The GL eats brakes, due to its extra weight, but doing the job myself makes it not unreasonable. I imagine the ML has the same 390mm drilled/slotted disks. Can’t remember rear size. I also found Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres to be a huge improvement or Pirelli’s.
I’ve also had my radiator replaced under warranty (approved used) which is a common fault on these. Intake hose split as well, cheap fix.
Anyway, brilliant cars and surprise a lot on the road. Enjoy!
You can get Brembo disks and pads for all corners for £400 all in from AUTODOC when they have a sale. The GL eats brakes, due to its extra weight, but doing the job myself makes it not unreasonable. I imagine the ML has the same 390mm drilled/slotted disks. Can’t remember rear size. I also found Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres to be a huge improvement or Pirelli’s.
I’ve also had my radiator replaced under warranty (approved used) which is a common fault on these. Intake hose split as well, cheap fix.
Anyway, brilliant cars and surprise a lot on the road. Enjoy!
rllmuk said:
You can get Brembo disks and pads for all corners for £400 all in from AUTODOC when they have a sale.
Can you? I thought the brakes were one of the properly expensive parts of these cars - certainly the E63 are. I know that places like ECP will offer you cheap sets but when it comes down to it they aren't the right ones.It may be different for the SUVs so I'm happy to be corrected - might make me look at a ml63 rather than e/cls63 to replace our aging e55.
DKL said:
Can you? I thought the brakes were one of the properly expensive parts of these cars - certainly the E63 are. I know that places like ECP will offer you cheap sets but when it comes down to it they aren't the right ones.
It may be different for the SUVs so I'm happy to be corrected - might make me look at a ml63 rather than e/cls63 to replace our aging e55.
It depends from what I’ve seen, I should have qualified my comment - apologies. If they’re 2 piece, no, you’re out of luck. But the Brembos on the SUV is a one piece drilled/slotted 390mm disk. Performance pack/options may have changed that for certain vehicles though. The GL63 has the higher engine power M157 but ‘standard’ discs, then again that’s why it burns through them so fast. It may be different for the SUVs so I'm happy to be corrected - might make me look at a ml63 rather than e/cls63 to replace our aging e55.
Right now it comes out at £574.03 as they ‘only’ have 27% off. I by a set to store in the garage whenever they have the 38-41% applied. You can buy non Brembo for even less, not that I would.
Edited by rllmuk on Friday 17th December 17:59
rllmuk said:
It depends from what I’ve seen, I should have qualified my comment - apologies. If they’re 2 piece, no, you’re out of luck. But the Brembos on the SUV is a one piece drilled/slotted 390mm disk. Performance pack/options may have changed that for certain vehicles though. The GL63 has the higher engine power M157 but ‘standard’ discs, then again that’s why it burns through them so fast.
Right now it comes out at £574.03 as they ‘only’ have 27% off. I by a set to store in the garage whenever they have the 38-41% applied. You can buy non Brembo for even less, not that I would.
Cheers chap, useful info. Yes the 2 piece on the 6.2 e63 are massively more than those for my e55 and I thought that was continued into the 5.5 e63. There are various versions for the various vehicles using the m157 so there will be options. I'll look very carefully! Right now it comes out at £574.03 as they ‘only’ have 27% off. I by a set to store in the garage whenever they have the 38-41% applied. You can buy non Brembo for even less, not that I would.
Edited by rllmuk on Friday 17th December 17:59
A gl might be nice but I could always buy a Challenger tank, although it has fewer seats and none very comfortable..
Mercedes Benz of Newcastle are very reasonable for parts for these
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