E63s wagon to plaid?

[EuroZ06]

Hey guys,

Very recently i’ve purchased 2018 e63s wagon, but for some reason Im not completely in love with it (im a big car guy, had lots of toys). And for some reason i have this urge to trade it for Plaid. Anyone come from my end of thing and can share feedback? i.e. lux performance car to a plaid?
Traffic in Miami has gotten bad, and having experience driving my brother’s Y perf in NYC, i feel like id enjoy a tesla.

Correct me on the downsides:
More spartan interior on plaid
Bad brakes (unless u have CCB)
No apple car play
Anything else to consider?

My wagon has 2 yr CPO, pretty loaded (minus CCB’s). But does like eating gas (another reason to get a tesla). Ride is fairly harsh, so i think tesla would be an upgrade.

I was looking at used, and maaaaaybe could consider a new one (if i get good trade in value- speaking of, on tesla site, i got a very low trade in estimate, can that be negotiated with tesla?).

 

[EuroZ06]

On another note: in eastern europe they can “hack” tesla’s to unlock FSD and other features (like top speed), is that something common in the US? Is warranty void afterwards?

 

[DerbyDave]

I had an e63 s wagon I bought new in Germany. Absolutely the highest build quality and best car. Fastest car I had owned until I bought my 2020 S long range plus. It is faster. Build quality is at best good, but really no issues, no service required, will need tires soon. Fun to drive if you don't use all the automation. Fast, fast, fast, and not even a plaid. Any service needed is not easy or good at this point, but Elon says he is going to work on that. 402 miles range when new.

 

[beatle]

The notion that the car has "bad brakes" is forum hysteria IMO. The newer cars have bigger brakes than the older cars (my 2015 and 2019) but even the older cars had good brakes. The factory stoppers are not up to the task on a track, but when in good repair, they'll still haul you down to a stop with confidence. If you enjoy stopping as much as going, just make sure you have good tires on the car (LRR tires are lousy) and perhaps buy a slightly more aggressive street pad compound. I've had no issues with even the relatively pedestrian stock pads or aftermarket passenger ceramic pads. If you just want big brake parts to fill your wheel wells, there are options that are way less expensive than the factory CCBs.

But with all that said, when driving an EV you probably won't use the brakes very often anyway unless in an emergency. In which case they're still capable of activating ABS and stopping the car quickly.

Also consider any Tesla will not be as cool as an E63S wagon.

 

[DerbyDave]

As far as cool, yes the wagon was cool to me. It was a sleeper though. Only very few around here ever noticed it. Everyone wants to see the Tesla. Of course they were rare around here. Not so much now, but still a looker.

 

[Beandoc]

Last 3 vehicles: 14 M5 then 17 X5M then 20 M5. Tesla S Plaid is my favorite car. Fun to drive. Never get tired of the acceleration. Handles highway sweepers well with the center of gravity being low. I like the tech. Great functionality with a large hatch. No regrets.

 

[DayTrippin]

My neighbor had an E63s wagon. I absolutely loved that car. It was a great sleeper. I've been very happy with the AMG cars I've owned in my lifetime. Any more though I bail on Germain cars as soon as they are out of warranty.

On the flip side, I took him for a ride in my MS LR and it wasn't but a few weeks after that he put in an order for one. He sold the wagon. At the time he had been considering a Plaid when I took him for a ride and I was unaware of it. What blew him away about the experience was the instant acceleration at any speed and how smooth the car was. His wagon was one of the few gas cars that would consistently beat my LR to 60. About 40 mph though is where the LR would really start to pull the MB. As we all know the Plaid is another league with respect to acceleration than the LR.

He really liked the smoothness of the LR. It was way quieter than his E63. He thought the seats were a bit better in the MB. He really loved the infotainment on the Tesla. Build quality on his MB was good and he got a pretty good LR. All this was about a year ago and he loved the LR so much he ended up buying a Plaid earlier this year when the prices dropped and gave his LR to his wife. He did miss the versatility of the wagon a bit but he said the hatch of the S helped a lot. He never was a big SUV fan and the wagon was as close as he'd get.

I'd say take a long test drive or rent one on Turo, or even an LR (same car, just less speed) for a few days and see what you think. In Miami traffic, I think you are going to love the car. Superchargers are everywhere in Florida so range is never an issue. The AC is outstanding and so nice to be able to cool off the car in the heat without ever needing to start an engine. I can't think of a better daily driver than a Plaid. Could it be better, sure? It still gets so many things right. I can't tell you how many days after work, I just get in the car, look for a clear spot and push the pedal to the floor. A 2-3 second blast and my stress levels drop like a rock. Best therapy I have in my life.

 

[EuroZ06]

My neighbor had an E63s wagon. I absolutely loved that car. It was a great sleeper. I've been very happy with the AMG cars I've owned in my lifetime. Any more though I bail on Germain cars as soon as they are out of warranty.

On the flip side, I took him for a ride in my MS LR and it wasn't but a few weeks after that he put in an order for one. He sold the wagon. At the time he had been considering a Plaid when I took him for a ride and I was unaware of it. What blew him away about the experience was the instant acceleration at any speed and how smooth the car was. His wagon was one of the few gas cars that would consistently beat my LR to 60. About 40 mph though is where the LR would really start to pull the MB. As we all know the Plaid is another league with respect to acceleration than the LR.

He really liked the smoothness of the LR. It was way quieter than his E63. He thought the seats were a bit better in the MB. He really loved the infotainment on the Tesla. Build quality on his MB was good and he got a pretty good LR. All this was about a year ago and he loved the LR so much he ended up buying a Plaid earlier this year when the prices dropped and gave his LR to his wife. He did miss the versatility of the wagon a bit but he said the hatch of the S helped a lot. He never was a big SUV fan and the wagon was as close as he'd get.

I'd say take a long test drive or rent one on Turo, or even an LR (same car, just less speed) for a few days and see what you think. In Miami traffic, I think you are going to love the car. Superchargers are everywhere in Florida so range is never an issue. The AC is outstanding and so nice to be able to cool off the car in the heat without ever needing to start an engine. I can't think of a better daily driver than a Plaid. Could it be better, sure? It still gets so many things right. I can't tell you how many days after work, I just get in the car, look for a clear spot and push the pedal to the floor. A 2-3 second blast and my stress levels drop like a rock. Best therapy I have in my life.

Thank u for a great story.

Big item for me is the noise e63 makes. But i do have a big block 68 charger with header cut outs for noise

 

[DayTrippin]

The e does sound great. I'd hear my neighbor every time he'd drive out. I've always had a thing for fast wagons. Going way back to the Volvo GLT wagon. The flat plane cranks in the Mustangs and Vettes sound great too.

 

[LowlyOilBurner]

Wagons are the absolute most underrated, best cars around. I LOVE wagons.

 

[DayTrippin]

I am a big wagon fan. If Tesla made a wagon (aka estate car in the UK), I would definitely be interested. If they made a Plaid version, I'd buy one. I don't really like the X with the gimmicky doors and terrible driving dynamics. Give me a wagon with 2 rear facing jumpseats as an option, add towing capability in the US based on Plaid underpinnings and that is car I'd drop a deposit on instantly assuming its pricing is in line with the current S/X.

I think I got the wagon bug when my uncle bought an Olds Vista Cruiser and we drove all over the US. My last wagon was a highly modified Ford Flex Ecoboost. That was a helluva sleeper. That could be a fun swap. Put the Plaid drivetrain under a Flex's body. What a sleeper that would be.