Help me understand the 63 models...

[john_sf]

Mercedes has 63 and 65 AMG models. (s63/s65, cl63/cl65, etc.)

Why do the 63 models exist ? What person is buying a car and decides to spend a huge pile of money on a car that is almost, but not quite, the top of the line model ?

Surely anyone that can afford a s63 could also afford a s65, so why get a louder car that vibrates more ?

What am I missing here ?

 

[djh]

65 only comes on the S and the CL... and it's 50% more expensive. One's basically an AMG S550, the others an AMG S600.

 

[john_sf]

Ok. Still, you do see S63 and CL63 cars driving around - it seems like an awfully complicated way to advertise that you can't quite afford the best...

I'd think they'd be better off with the sensible, understated plain old S550 and maximizing some other aspect of life.

 

[NTexican]

65's have also gone to custom order only. Aside from the extra $40k-$70k, availability is an issue as well. The extra torque makes 65's very sensitive from a dead stop, and 63's are better daily drivers in that sense too. AMG's are sportier/more aggressively styled than the 600's , so 63's will be more plentiful than 600's too, even though pricing and performance is comparable.

 

[amglol]

Perhaps some people decide that 500hp is enough, or maybe they don't feel the need to have whatever the most expensive model is irrespective of their wants/needs... Driving a $150k MB around hardly says that you can't afford the best.

 

[john_sf]



Perhaps some people decide that 500hp is enough, or maybe they don't feel the need to have whatever the most expensive model is irrespective of their wants/needs... Driving a $150k MB around hardly says that you can't afford the best.

Well, that's my point. If you're not interested in getting on that ladder, then I think it makes sense to just get a plain old s550 and concentrate on other things. But once you do get on that ladder, I think you have to go all in. That being said, I just looked up what NTexican spoke of - the s65 has an old 5-speed transmission and the s63 has a modern 7-speed. I'd say neither of them make any sense.

 

[CouttsClient]

I chose the CL63 over the CL65

 

[Blackhood]

The 63 is always going to be more manageable than the 65. Don't look at it in terms of the numbers but compare it more to buying a Ferrari without the GTB or Challenge Stradale Packs. You could afford it, but at some point, enough is enough.

 

[CouttsClient]



The 63 is always going to be more manageable than the 65. Don't look at it in terms of the numbers but compare it more to buying a Ferrari without the GTB or Challenge Stradale Packs. You could afford it, but at some point, enough is enough.

This was my thinking as well. Doesn't matter now though...the ex took that car

 

[impolyt_one]

the '65' made more sense when it was complimented by '55' series that went on to become the 63's... I guess people get uppity about the trunklid badges after all. Probably why MB went back to the '55' recently.

 

[JayJay]



I chose the CL63 over the CL65

I chose the CL600 over the 63 and 65. I wanted a well-appointed grand cruiser so to speak, and the 600 hit the mark perfectly for me. The 63 and 65 never appealed to me.

 

[CouttsClient]



I chose the CL600 over the 63 and 65. I wanted a well-appointed grand cruiser so to speak, and the 600 hit the mark perfectly for me. The 63 and 65 never appealed to me.

I really like the 600 and probably would have chosen it if the ex didn't have to have something AMG

 

[Cedric]

Yeah, it doesnt make even more sense now that the 63's have Turbocharged engines in there instead of the naturally aspirated one found in the earlier year models. IMO if i wanted the performance of the S65, just buy a 63 Twin turbo and tune it up.
but 65's are all V12's. 63's are V8's
Mercedes does that simply because they can.

 

[impolyt_one]

The '63 biturbo' is 5.5L or something, so it they should really be calling it the '55' series again, but it's likely that MB and BMW will continue to increase the trunklid badges and drop actual displacement, and name the car based on whatever 'virtual' displacement the engine puts out - ie the new 63 is actually a 55, but equal in power to a 6.3; BMW has the x28i and the x35i series, but they're actually pretty close in real displacement as well, etc.... clear as mud, right?

 

[rohde88]



The '63 biturbo' is 5.5L or something, so it they should really be calling it the '55' series again, but it's likely that MB and BMW will continue to increase the trunklid badges and drop actual displacement, and name the car based on whatever 'virtual' displacement the engine puts out - ie the new 63 is actually a 55, but equal in power to a 6.3; BMW has the x28i and the x35i series, but they're actually pretty close in real displacement as well, etc.... clear as mud, right?

+1, I don't think there is an easy answer when BMW has a 3.0L engine in the 330i, then a 3.0L turbo. 330Ti? it makes a little sense to reflect the turbo. Mostly I think they just change it to help snobs differentiate themselves.