[russellm]

hi all,

long time lurker first time poster...

So I just ordered a 2012 E63 (getting rid of my 2005 E55) and all of the research I have done to-date (which there is limited info on the web) stated that the new engine and the predicted 15/22MPG was going to mean the car would not get stuck with the Gas Guzzler tax.

well, during the configuration of my vehicle, low and behold, the $1700 tax shows up on the Ticket.

Has anyone else ordered a 2012 E63 and experienced the same situation? The info is limited at this point, but I am wondering if the performance package (adding the horse power) but it over the top.

Thanks
Russell

 

[gh429]

hi all,

long time lurker first time poster...

So I just ordered a 2012 E63 (getting rid of my 2005 E55) and all of the research I have done to-date (which there is limited info on the web) stated that the new engine and the predicted 15/22MPG was going to mean the car would not get stuck with the Gas Guzzler tax.

well, during the configuration of my vehicle, low and behold, the $1700 tax shows up on the Ticket.

Has anyone else ordered a 2012 E63 and experienced the same situation? The info is limited at this point, but I am wondering if the performance package (adding the horse power) but it over the top.

Thanks
Russell

Congrats on the new E63! I had an E55 also - kind of jealous wish the wife would let me pick up a new 2012

Gas Guzzler Tax: Program Overview | Fuel Economy | US EPA

The weighting is apparently 55% city, 45% highway so I don't think you make it.

Maybe you can keep us posted if the car will truly get 15mpg city - I got 10mpg in the E55 all day long despite a claim of 14mpg LOL.

 

[6.2AMG]

The only AMG escaping the tax entirely is the CLS63.

 

[ERC4]

hi all,

long time lurker first time poster...

So I just ordered a 2012 E63 (getting rid of my 2005 E55) and all of the research I have done to-date (which there is limited info on the web) stated that the new engine and the predicted 15/22MPG was going to mean the car would not get stuck with the Gas Guzzler tax.

well, during the configuration of my vehicle, low and behold, the $1700 tax shows up on the Ticket.

Has anyone else ordered a 2012 E63 and experienced the same situation? The info is limited at this point, but I am wondering if the performance package (adding the horse power) but it over the top.

Thanks
Russell

Did your dealer have exact prices or were you ordering based on an invoice + or msrp minus basis?

 

[russellm]

gh429 -
I wont get it until late Dec/early Jan but I'll give updates once I do.

also, my E55 typically does an avg of 16-17mpg but granted of the 25 miles per day I drive 60-70% is on freeway (though with really bad traffic so not always at speed)

6.2AMG -
There have been lots of articles claiming the 2012 E63 would not have the gas guzzler tax... and until I actually configured the car it did not show up... practically as I was walking out the door the dealer manager comes over with a single sheet of paper (basically the reconfigured build slot) saying "hey this thing has the Gas Guzzler tax on it)... which I was dejected after I had just got them to drop $2k of the MSRP which was a really good deal considering they would have had no issue selling the car.

ERC4:
The prices were exact. there are 2 Mercedes dealers in Portland and each one has a E63 build slot. The dealer I am buying from had their slot in 11/11/2 Half so it was far enough in the future to allow me to configure the car how I wanted.

For reference here are the details and option pricing:
Base Price: $88,900
197: Obsidian Black (same as my 2005 E55)
801: Black Premium Leather - $1370
P30: AMG Performance Package - $7300
U70: Red Brake calipers - $1000 (forced to buy them as part of Perf Package config)
230: Parktronic - $970
298: rear side air bags - $420
471: limited slip differential - $2030
610: Night View Assist PLUS - $1780
797: 19" AMG 10 Spoke Alloy wheel - $500
P09: Driver Assistance Package - $2950
SPC Special Order - $250

By the way, it appears what would normally be a "premium launch package 2" in an E550 is included in the standard build of an E63... I need to go double check that though.

in my research, the only site that seemed to let me "build" a 2012 E class Sedan was the AOL.COM site. Although it is not completely accurate with what happened at the dealer.

Thanks
Russell

 

[ERC4]

gh429 -
I wont get it until late Dec/early Jan but I'll give updates once I do.

also, my E55 typically does an avg of 16-17mpg but granted of the 25 miles per day I drive 60-70% is on freeway (though with really bad traffic so not always at speed)

6.2AMG -
There have been lots of articles claiming the 2012 E63 would not have the gas guzzler tax... and until I actually configured the car it did not show up... practically as I was walking out the door the dealer manager comes over with a single sheet of paper (basically the reconfigured build slot) saying "hey this thing has the Gas Guzzler tax on it)... which I was dejected after I had just got them to drop $2k of the MSRP which was a really good deal considering they would have had no issue selling the car.

ERC4:
The prices were exact. there are 2 Mercedes dealers in Portland and each one has a E63 build slot. The dealer I am buying from had their slot in 11/11/2 Half so it was far enough in the future to allow me to configure the car how I wanted.

For reference here are the details and option pricing:
197: Obsidian Black (same as my 2005 E55)
801: Black Premium Leather - $1370
P30: AMG Performance Package - $7300
U70: Red Brake calipers - $1000 (forced to buy them as part of Perf Package config)
230: Parktronic - $970
298: rear side air bags - $420
471: limited slip differential - $2030
610: Night View Assist PLUS - $1780
797: 19" AMG 10 Spoke Alloy wheel - $500
P09: Driver Assistance Package - $2950
SPC Special Order - $250

By the way, it appears what would normally be a "premium launch package 2" in an E550 is included in the standard build of an E63... I need to go double check that though.

in my research, the only site that seemed to let me "build" a 2012 E class Sedan was the AOL.COM site. Although it is not completely accurate with what happened at the dealer.

Thanks
Russell

Russell,

Thanks for the great info. I see the prices for the options/packages. What's the price for the base E63?

Thanks,
Gene

 

[russellm]

base price is: $88,900.

 

[russellm]

looking at the EPA website that gh429 posted no 2012 E-Series Sedans are posted yet.

However, looking at the CLS63 which has the exact same motor (5.5 Bi-turbo) with same base horse power rating (518),

The EPA site (Fuel Economy) lists that vehicle as having a combined rating of 19, which implies it should have a $2100 Gas Guzzler Tax.

however, I just went and did a build on the car on MB's website (you can build a 2012 CLS there) and the Gas Guzzler Tax does not show up...

so strange...

Russell

 

[gh429]

looking at the EPA website that gh429 posted no 2012 E-Series Sedans are posted yet.

However, looking at the CLS63 which has the exact same motor (5.5 Bi-turbo) with same base horse power rating (518),

The EPA site (Fuel Economy) lists that vehicle as having a combined rating of 19, which implies it should have a $2100 Gas Guzzler Tax.

however, I just went and did a build on the car on MB's website (you can build a 2012 CLS there) and the Gas Guzzler Tax does not show up...

so strange...

Russell

Isn't there no sales tax in Oregon? If so consider yourself lucky with just the gas guzzler tax! We pay 8.75% here in cali!

 

[russellm]

no sales tax, that is correct and it is a nice benefit

You have 8.75 sales tax, we have a 2 week long summer (escpecially this year). I lived in California until I was 32. There are trade offs we all have to make

Russell

 

[6.2AMG]

This is from MBUSA as reported in Wards (the news source for the automotive industry): Mercedes Polishes Reputation With Assault on U.S. Gas-Guzzler Tax

I can't remember when the 2012 W212 E63 sedan and wagons were announced for import by MBUSA but the above article is from May of this year. The new CLS was announced late in the year in 2010. It may very well be that in the end the E63 will also escape the tax. And if that's the case, you'll get that amount credited back to you. But so far it doesn't sound like it did, unless MBUSA hasn't yet turned in all their lab test computations to the EPA, which may be the issue here. Or maybe the EPA got their hands on a 2012 E63 and did a test and it failed (they do random testing to confirm the mfg's submissions on about 10% of all models of vehicles at their NVFEL facility.) Although I doubt that since the car is not here yet.

SUVs over a certain weight are exempt. The US auto industry pretty much stopped building big American boat like cars and replaced them with SUVs to escape the fuel economy regulation. If the SUV has replaced the big American car and gets a pass on the gas guzzler tax, there really should be a performance car class exemption. After all, performance car sales are a minor part of the entire fleet and a small part of overall sales. The gas guzzler tax was to get mfgs to increase economy on individual passenger car models. CAFE rules are something different and are to get mfgs to become more efficient and less polluting over their entire fleet of production. That can be done while still allowing a few performance cars to be built. There's really no reason to penalize a few performance cars with the gas guzzler tax. Most performance cars aren't used as daily transportation and owners usually have a more fuel efficient car as their second car.

 

[russellm]

thanks for the additional info and article.

I too agree that it is possible that they just have not done the work needed to get the final EPA stuff done. Afterall, even the process of ordering it at the dealership is not even refined... They are charging me $1000 for the red brake calipers when every article I have read says they are included in the $7300 package. So, at the end of the day, when the car arrives in ~4 months, I'll know what it actually costs and whether it ends up with the Guzzler Tax I guess

As for when the car was annouced, it was before that article you posted. But there are articles in July that state they expect to not have the Guzzler tax.

from: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG First Drive - Motor Trend

Final EPA certification is still pending, but AMG engineers expect the 2012 E63 to hit 15/22 mpg in city/hwy EPA cycle (14/21 mpg for the wagon). It may not sound like much, but these figures represent a 22-percent improvement over the last generation (13/20 mpg), and should be enough to keep E63 from incurring the gas guzzler tax. What's even more impressive is that fuel economy doesn't change when the AMG performance package is selected. This means the E63 should be the most powerful and efficient vehicle in its class

P.S. - My E55 is my main mode of transportation and drive it 99% of the time (though only 52k miles in 6 years). It is a great joy to drive and I LOVE the seats and the feeling of sitting in the car. Frankly, its that joy of driving it that made me go for a 2012 E63 versus a 2012 E550... At the end of the day, I want to be 100% satisfied with what I am driving and dont want to feel like I made a mistake. Never have I felt that way about my E55, its been a great car. Given I have to pay $30k more for the E63 which loses most of its resale value quickly it was not the easiest of choices

 

[6.2AMG]

Yeah, I read all those articles, too. But it's pure speculation on the part of Motor Trend, Car and Driver, etc.. Their test drives were done in Europe and if you know car "reviews" these are junkets paid for by the manufacturers. Read this: Taking Readers for a Ride *|*American Journalism Review

The press packs and the info they get are just what's assumed at the time and not necessarily reality. The AMG people would want (and hope) to have no gas guzzler tax assessed and it makes for good press to say that to the editors. But we won't know until we actually know...

 

[russellm]

yes, i agree on the review sites. And they all regurgitate the same dang info at that.

however... The CLS is built on the E chassis isn't it?

In 2012 it's using the exact same motor with the exact same HP/technology setup and managed to get out of the Guzzler Tax.

Unless that CLS body was able to cut through the air for better mileage (which I guess is possible), one would hope the E63 would get similar results.

given we cant even built the 2012 E Series Sedans on MB's website, none of us will probably know for sure until we get closer to cars hitting dealers. I was just hoping someone else who ordered one would be able to confirm their build also got hit with it.

Thanks
Russell