Brand Loyalty Tested: BMW M5 or Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S?

By Tony Markovich - September 9, 2016

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In the video below, the Vehicle Virgins host calls the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S the “perfect everyday car that’s also incredibly fun.” And yet, in the 10-minute comparison with its arch nemesis, the F10 BMW M5, he picks the M5 as the winner. That should tell you how great both of these cars truly are at being super sport sedans.

Quick story time: when I was shopping for a new camera, I was trying to decide between an entry-level Nikon and an entry-level Canon. When I asked trusted camera-savvy friends which one I should get, it came down to one thing: feel. Which one felt better in my hands? Which one did my gut naturally like more? I bring this up because I feel like it’s pretty similar to choosing between two cars like this.

That might be blasphemous to say on a Mercedes-Benz forum, and there are certainly some key differences between the two cars, but at the end of the day, you’re going to be getting a solid German sport sedan.

In a spec comparison, the M5 has a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 that puts out 560 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque, and the E63 has a 5.5-liter biturbo V8 that makes 577 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. Both sport sub-four-second 0-60 times, both weigh around 4,500 pounds, and both get lousy gas mileage.

So where do the differences come in? Well, to start, the AMG uses its 4-Matic all-wheel drive system these days, whereas the M5 still uses the old-school full rear-wheel power. As the presenter points out, that matters if you’re into big wheel spin and burnouts. Other than that, he finds that the M5 feels like a much more driver-oriented experience. He thinks it has a more driving-focused seating position, that the car feels more raw, that it’s more pointed with its suspension and steering, and that the dual-clutch makes for quicker and smoother shifting. The E63, on the other hand, has great blend of superior luxury and enjoyable driving dynamics, and it sounds remarkable with that signature AMG cough.

Some want their luxury sedan to feel more luxurious, others want a sedan that doesn’t feel like a sedan. Either way, it’s about feel.