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2011 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

By Phil Floraday, Eric Tingwall, Rusty Blackwell, Amy Skogstrom

Photography by Matt Tierney

Yes, the E63 is expensive, and it barely reaches the 20 mpg mark on the highway. But with enough horsepower (518 hp) and torque (465 lb-ft) to provide a huge adrenaline rush and a luxurious interior to cosset you when you come down from that rush, the E63 is has just about everything you can ask from a luxo-sport sedan. Everything you see and touch on the E63 is well executed, from the understated Mercedes badge on the hood to the carbon fiber interior accents to the perfectly symmetrical layout of the five round gauges on the instrument panel. This is a car I could happily drive every day.

- Amy Skogstrom, Managing Editor

AMG is known the world over for dropping massively powerful engines into luxury cars. If you've got the means, I highly recommend any of the AMG sedans as a daily driver. The E63 AMG is particularly enticing because it's the perfect size for transporting four adults in comfort, and the 6.2-liter V-8 offers a much more usable power band for daily driving than a BMW M5's high-revving V-10.

Even with the slightly sinister AMG touches, the E63 still looks upscale and wouldn't be out of place at a formal event. Leave the transmission in comfort mode and the shifts are as smooth as you'd expect in a traditional Benz. Twisting the transmission dial to S+ provides much more aggressive programming that begs for more spirited driving. I didn't have a chance to do much spirited driving during my time with the E63, but I was impressed by how well the car handled more menial tasks like transporting four people to dinner.

This might be the last brutish AMG product I drive. The next "63" cars are going to downsize and add turbochargers and direct injection, in order to meet upcoming emissions regulations. I've no doubt the future AMG powerplants will do the division justice, but they won't quite be the same as this 6.2-liter normally aspirated V-8. Technology tends to tame high-performance engines by reducing NVH and smoothing out the power delivery. Those are admirable qualities, but there's still something special about the sound of a hot cam in a big V-8 at idle, that direct injection can't match.

- Phil Floraday, Senior Web Editor

As Phil notes, the E63 AMG slams a monster engine under the hood without compromising the signature Mercedes-Benz luxury and comfort and that's what makes this product so different than the competition. The E63's unparalleled refinement and rowdy engine make it the perfect car for a cross-continent blitz on Europe's unrestricted highways. Unfortunately, we don't have those here and I'm left wondering what's the point of a high-performance engine without and agile chassis to back it up. Both the Cadillac CTS-V and the departed BMW M5 offer sharper, sportier dynamics to back the big engines and they're much more my taste.

The column-mounted shifter belongs in a truck or a minivan and the driving experience is dampened by the cruise control stalk that's often in the way or confused with the turn signal stalk and. Mercedes' Comand infotainment system also lags behind those offered by BMW and Audi in terms of user friendliness. Still, I have no trouble understanding the appeal of a well-equipped E-class, with it's sumptuous interior and those heated, massaging seats that will never grow old.

- Eric Tingwall, Associate Editor

A couple weeks ago, I argued that the best thing about the E-class is its available turbo-diesel engine. I should have preceded that statement with a qualifier like "for reasonable consumers," because the E63 AMG is pretty badass. Its high-revving, normally aspirated powerplant goes a long way toward improving my opinion of the E-class in general. A base E350 Bluetec costs half as much as this AMG test car, though, so the customer base is obviously quite disparate. The diesel customer gets excellent fuel economy and plush luxury; the AMG buyer gets a luxurious drift machine with oodles of passing power and great steering feel.

Random comment: is it just me, or is this steering wheel offset to the right of the center of the driver's seat? This results in a slightly twisted driving position, like in an old Jeep Cherokee or a Lamborghini Gallardo. Fortunately, I forgot about this idiosyncrasy as soon as I revved the engine.

- Rusty Blackwell, Copy Editor

2011 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

Base price (with destination and guzzler tax): $90,175

Price as tested: $100,045