Mercedes-amg E 63
We find out whether our current supersaloon champ can hold on to its title
MODELTESTED: Mercedes-amg E 63 S 4MATIC+ PRICE: £89,330 ENGINE: 4.0-litre V8, 604bhp THE £89,330 Mercedes-amg E 63 S is our current supersaloon champ, boasting an incredible power output and stupendous performance. On paper it offers more grunt than the M5, but does this advantage translate?
Design & engineering
ANY questions over AMG’S decision to turn to four-wheel drive were instantly answered in the most emphatic way when the E 63 arrived. The E-class’s MRA platform was designed with all-wheel drive in mind, so the alterations to the bodyshell aren’t too drastic.
Suspension geometry changes and wider front and rear tracks are combined with Amg-specific air suspension that has three different damping modes. As with the BMW, it uses double wishbones at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear.
The 4MATIC+ four-wheel-drive system is also bespoke and is more biased towards the rear, and features an electronically-controlled limited-slip diff like the M5. It has a Drift mode function, too.
There’s more power from the 4.0-litre twinturbo V8, at 604bhp, and a lot more torque, with 850Nm on overboost; that’s 100Nm more than in the BMW, although the E 63 S is also 100kg heavier. The engine has cylinder deactivation to help boost economy, as well as active engine mounts to improve cruising refinement and dynamic performance.
The number of modes isn’t quite as overwhelming as in the BMW, but it’s still highly configurable. As you move through the drive modes, the nine-speed auto’s behaviour changes; there are Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race and Individual settings, plus a manual box mode.
It feels like a nicer balance of settings, but cabin quality trails the M5’s. The heated sports seats offer lots of support and place you lower than in the BMW, but they’re firmer; when combined with the ride this affects comfort, as we’ll see. It also causes the dash plastics to creak and buzz more; the M5 feels better built inside, with more tactile, expensive materials.
There’s nothing wrong with the level of kit you get in the E 63, though. Keyless entry and go are part of the £2,595 Premium package, which adds a panoramic roof, matrix LED lights and a Burmester stereo, too. Also included as standard are Apple Carplay and Android Auto, unlike with the BMW.
Parking sensors and a reversing camera are fitted as well. The twin screens give a hi-tech feel and the level of safety kit is strong. The only options you might want are wireless charging (£150), ceramic brakes (£6,995) and a performance exhaust (£1,000).
Driving
THAT incredible V8 defines the E 63 S and gives it an addictive personality. While it was one tenth slower than the M5 from 0-60mph in our tests, taking 3.3 seconds, this is still incredibly rapid for a near-two-tonne supersaloon.
The motor feels even more explosive than the BMW’S and romps from low revs, rocketing through the mid-range and hammering towards its rev limiter with an incredibly bassy but rich and purposeful soundtrack, popping and banging with that AMG exhaust engaged. The shifts are a match for the M5’s in manual mode, while it’s as smooth in Comfort and therefore as easy to drive as the BMW.
It has nicer steering that delivers more feedback than the M5, without its squidgy and indistinct feel; as you move off centre the weightier set-up in the E 63 feels more natural. Adding weight to the M5 with its different modes makes it even more artificial.
There’s lots of grip to exploit, but the AMG is much firmer than the M car, even in its Comfort setting. On 20-inch alloys – standard on the E 63 S – it thumps over potholes and expansion strips, while even smaller ridges and inputs to the suspension unsettle the car more than in the BMW. The tighter focus means body control is good, but the road noise from the big wheels and tyres isn’t suppressed as well as in the BMW.
Toggle through to Sport+ mode for the dampers and the E 63 ramps up control, with a more rigid feeling. It’s surprising just how hard you can lean on the chassis and how well it stands up to this punishment, but as with the M5, its size means it’s better suited to more open B-roads and A-roads, where the 4WD system can work to enhance agility.
Practicality
WITH 540 litres of luggage space, the E 63 just pips the M5. What will be more important to usability is the parking sensors and reversing camera, as well as the brakes, which are easier to modulate than the M5’s at low speed – even if the ride comfort isn’t quite as good, making long journeys a little more taxing.
It’s easy enough to manoeuvre, but the fast steering and big, wide tyres mean that on full lock the E 63 judders nastily as the rubber slips over the road. It’s something we didn’t experience in the M5.
Ownership
MERCEDES’ performance in our Driver Power 2017 satisfaction survey lagged behind BMW’S, but both brands’ images mean they’re otherwise difficult to split.
Safety equipment is strong on the E 63, too, with one more airbag (seven in total) than the M5, autonomous braking and traffic sign recognition included. If you want lane keep and blind spot assist you’ll have to add the £595 Lane Tracking package.
Running costs
DEPRECIATION on these cars will be steep. According to our experts the M5 will hold on to 43.7 per cent of its price, meaning it’ll lose £50,470. This compares with an expected 41.8 per cent retained value for the Mercedes, which equates to depreciation of £52,035.