Mercedes-amg E63 S
Why the facelifted E63 is better suited to daily life than its predecessor
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER CHRISTMAS is a bit of a blur in evo Fast Fleet life. Prior to overdosing on mince pies there’s the rush get the final photoshoots of the year in the bag, the occasional end-of-year meet-up, the last-minute purchasing of something you’re never going to consume and the present delivery service that’s a great excuse for getting out of decorating the tree. The ‘during’ part can mean days of nothing happening interspersed with bursts of activity to alleviate the boredom, then the ‘after’ kicks off with a deadline for the magazine we didn’t quite finish before the Brussels were done and a flurry of New Year test car rotations.
What’s all this got to do with the E63 S? Not once did I have to think twice about the journey, or what needed to be achieved, because of it; it’s a car that slips into your life without you noticing. Which I wasn’t expecting. Far from it.
Previous exposure to the earlier E63 S portrayed a car that was a little uptight, pent-up with performance that it couldn’t hide its willingness to unleash at any given moment. Like an angry short man in a pub. It’s why I’ve preferred BMW’S M5 and Porsche’s Panamera for how they mask their ability to scare sports cars until you need that side to reveal itself. To me, the E63 felt like a car that permanently wore its underpants over its trousers.
But something has changed with the facelift model. It’s a much calmer car, most noticeably in how it rides and how its air suspension has a new level of suppleness for when you simply want to get somewhere and not feel like you’re trying to pummel the surface into submission. Part of me was concerned that the family would spend every journey asking why the dampers were filled with Type 3 aggregate, but it appears AMG has found a more suitable filling because this E63 S has a daily ride comfort that’s hard to criticise. There’s still next to no body roll, and while the whole car feels solid there’s a pliancy to how it flows over the surface and reacts to imperfections, with the front axle far less likely to crash through compressions, the rear more planted and settled. Improved bushing? Most likely, along with some recalibration to the air springs and adaptive dampers.
Ramping up the dampers to their Sport setting doesn’t undo all the good work, either. Yes, it’s firmer, but the payoff is greater control at speed across poorer surfaces and more confidence when it comes to directional changes. On slimy roads there’s plenty of feel to judge the grip, too, though as with our M3, tyre temps are crucial: below 15 degrees you get a slightly glassy sensation on initial turn-in if you’re too enthusiastic.
Finally, one more thing the Christmas break revealed is that I didn’t make a mistake choosing a saloon over an estate: I am happy to report that you can fit a family of three and an 8ft Christmas tree in an E63 S saloon. Unfortunately, the ceilings in my house are just under 7ft…
Date acquired November 2021 Total mileage 8976 Mileage this month 1421 Costs this month £20 (pine needle removal) mpg this month 21.6
‘There’s a pliancy to how it flows over the surface and reacts to imperfections’