The E53 to me, is just a dressed up regular car, with an AMG badge, regardless of the amount of lipstick we try to put on this pig. And yes, with electrification via the PHEV hardware, which is at best transitional technology till they discover how to do things better. This is no E63 AMG, in any way shape or form. An E63 was a special product, and I am not talking about its hand-built engine alone, but every bit in that car was special, and not just a dressed up consumer-grade product with an impressive sounding badge tacked to it.

Thus far, even the BMW M5 with the same PHEV type hardware weighing down the car, has had a luke-warm reception in the marketplace. That's the same failed approach that Acura took, when they came up with their latest NSX, where people waited for over a decade for a top-notch sportscar, and Acura bought out an electrified, heavy mess....and as expected, the NSX bombed spectacularly in the marketplace, until they eventually put it out of its misery and withdrew the vehicle from the marketplace.

 

It’s a fact there is not a car with the hand made plate on the top of the V8, neither a 63. OK
What is an AMG, now in 2025? Is a G63 a sporty car despite the V8 or a S63? A CLE53 …
For me, this a MB with something more that makes it special, powerful and able to drive fast on roads (as on tracks for some)
This is not a badge on the grill, this is more and an E63 V8 will be launched soon…
Just read official MB and AMG sources on how and where are made all these AMG without hand built V8 …
just some pictures, screenshots of a video, AMG specific parts and equipments

 

I haven’t seen a 2025 or 2026 M5 stay on a dealer lot. The wagon, especially, sells quickly.

BMW says the increase in M car sales is due to the M3 and the new M5. It seems like the M5 is selling well in its first year and is probably selling more than planned.

I suspect that the “lukewarm reception” to the M5 is from people that haven’t driven the car and who think it is too heavy.

People don’t mind weight in a Tesla or a Lucid, but don’t want a similar weight in an E53 or M5. When reviewers drive the E53 and M5, both cars score well.

I have seen a few reviews where the reviewer assumed they would prefer the Audi RS 6 Avant to the M5, but when comparing them head-to-head at the same time, they preferred the M5.

Maybe the M5 hasn’t won in public opinion polls, but it seems to be doing well in sales and with people who have driven it.

 

The M5 Touring is outselling the sedan in all markets, including the US. This has surprised BMW M executives, who adjusted production to compensate.

I had an order in for one with an Individual color, but ultimately cancelled in favor of the E53. The interior appointments and overall quality of my G81 M3 Touring are far better than the G90/G99. Plus, the lack of various creature comforts on any model of the current 5, like massaging seats, is a bit strange.

I had a demonstrator M5 Touring for 3 weeks in Germany and loved every minute of driving it. I agree with you, the critics haven't had any seat time. Is it perfect? No. But it's pretty damn good. Just not for me.

 

^ Can't tell if you are in the US or EU...or if you've spent time with the E53 wagon yet...but if you have driven it and the M5, would love to hear a comparison...

 

I live between both and am currently in Germany. I'll be bringing my E 53 wagon back to the States in a few months. I have driven both wagon versions extensively, as well as their sedan counterparts.

The M5 is brutally quick but has one of the worst-sounding exhaust systems of any modern "M" car. Electric-only range is okay. The ride is firm in all modes, but expected. I grew used to it quickly. The weight of the car isn't really noticed in most driving scenarios. There were a few launches where the car almost seemed to bunny hop, which I feel is something BMW should've noticed in testing and fixed before series production. The transition between petrol and electric, when pushed, is generally pretty smooth, but there were a few times where it wasn't and I thought I broke something. Rear wheel steering makes the car much more maneuverable, especially in tight European streets. 2WD (rear bias) mode is super fun! Drifting a car that weighs as much as this does seems wrong on so many levels but was incredibly enjoyable. Fuel economy was fairly close to WLTP estimates. It drinks a lot.

Inside, the interior fit and finish feel cheap. Lower-end mainstream brands use better materials. My demonstrator car already had some of the material on the center console lid starting to peel away. Lower trim cars, like a 540d wagon I borrowed while my M3 Touring was in the workshop, had more leather/leatherette around the sides of the transmission tunnel. The seats were comfortable, nicely bolstered, offered good adjustment, and look very sporty, especially with the light up logo below the headrest. No massage available. The Bowers and Wilkins sound system is fairly mediocre. I have a similar system in my 2 Volvo wagons and our Volvo SUV, and it is miles and away better in those cars than here. The ambient lighting is overkill. It's disappointing that the rear door panels have illuminated speakers, but the fronts do not. Likewise, the front doors have large ambient lighting strips, and the rear doors do not. The touch-sensitive vent airflow controls are pointless, as are the little controls you need to use to direct the airflow. Storage is okay. Door pockets are NOT felt lined, which adds to the cheap feeling throughout. My biggest interior gripe (wagon-specific) is the cargo cover. It is manually operated, which is fine, however, there's a mechanical link between the tailgate hatch mechanism and the detents for the cargo cover. Whenever you open the tailgate, the cargo cover opens about 1/3 of the way on its own. You then have to manually close it, otherwise it rattles and flaps around. This drove me nuts. Either open all the way or don't open at all, if you can't put a power cover in, like the E. 2026 (and some later 2025 cars) received revised window switches, with gloss black finish. These look more impressive but still cheap.

Technology-wise, the M5 shines. I am a HUGE fan of iDrive 8.5. They finally nailed it. Yes, it can be cumbersome and complicated, but once you've mastered its quirks, it is terrific. The HUD is also incredibly impressive. I was able to drive a newer model, which added some additional content to the driving assistance package, including automatic lane change (my M3T has this), where the car can change lanes after you look at one of the wing mirrors to ensure there's no traffic. All ADAS worked particularly well. For the EU folk, the adaptive headlights were good. Charging is SLOW. The steering wheel controls are great. The plastic paddle shifters and M1/M2 buttons are a disappointment. The center console controls are good, and I appreciate the rotary controller stuck around. The Braun-shaver-esque gear selector is fine once you get used to it.

Now, let's talk E 53.
The drive is pretty great. There is plenty of power on tap, and the car makes good noises, if not too many noises. EU cars are generally less rowdy than US versions owing to OPF and other emissions regulations, so I get why there's so much artificial sound in the car. I tried my best to figure out what was real and what was fake. That got tiring, so I just drove. That the car makes petrol noises when in full Electric mode is our German sense of humor at its finest. My car had the Dynamic package, so that adds all the unnecessary electronic things to the engine and chassis. The suspension was also firm, but compliant, and I felt it edged out the M5 in terms of overall tuning just a bit. The damping between modes was more dramatic in the E. Ultimately, I programmed my preferences into the Individual drive mode. I was never able to find a mode where the transition between petrol and electric was harsh and abrupt like I experienced in the M5. The rear axle steering is also very helpful here. Steering in the E felt a little less connected than the M5. Dialing everything up to Sport+ makes the car an absolute hoot. It is quick. Race Start is fun and easy to get situated. The electric range beat the BMW by almost 20 km. The E also weighs a lot and like the BMW, it was generally masked in day-to-day driving.

The interior is vastly nicer. You can tell there is some cost-cutting, but it is not as egregious as BMW has done. The door pockets are lined with felt. The door panels feel solid. The hovering/cantilevered armrest did not make a sound. The window switches have great feedback. I hate the seat controls. I also hate the touch-sensitive controls for the position memory, seat heating, and ventilation. This is repeated in the back seat, if you opt for that. Fortunately, adjustments aren't frequent and you can use MBUX voice commands to turn on some features. But you will inevitably touch them, and gloss black leaves fingerprints quickly. The digital vent control is kinda neat. It worked well at determining where to point the air, which is computed based on seat position, assumed driver height, etc. Another thing that can break, yes. But at least there are backup knobs that make sense, unlike the BMW crap. The ambient lighting is also overkill and can be distracting at times. The front and back doors have similar lighting (a halo around the controls). This car had the multicontour seating package (thank god) and the seats were supremely comfortable. The massaging functions and heated armrests are gimmicks, but appreciated on longer drives. Even the base "seat kinetics" is good for ensuring blood flow and reducing fatigue. The animated "AMG" door projectors were cool! I am a sucker for stupid things like this and I think my neighbors started to question my mental well-being watching me open and close the door a dozen times. At least they were soft-close!

The rear seats seem roomy. 4-zone climate (on this car) was nice. I briefly sat in the seats and think I preferred the E to the M5. The M5 rear room also seemed a little less.

Boot-wise, there's a power cargo cover, and depth-wise, I think a bit more space than the M5. There is no underfloor storage at all. This means that the charging cable bags (2 for EU cars), your breakdown tools, first aid kit, etc., all just roll around the back. This is the BIGGEST drawback to the E. I understand the battery placement and for me, this isn't a dealbreaker, but it could be for some. Boot lighting is also better in the E.

AMG steering wheels are incredible. To me, the right thickness. This car had the alcantara/leather version, which I thankfully deleted from mine. Alcantara on low-touch spots only, please. The stalks are meh. The shift paddles feel premium and solid. The AMG DRIVE CONTROL units are such a nice feature, but I do prefer the simplicity of the BMW's M1 and M2 buttons. The capacitive controls on the steering wheel are stupid and clumsy. Forthcoming MB models keep some, but add back some of the rotary controls for things like speed and volume. THANK YOU.

MBUX is good. The new zero-layer menu layout is nice. The endless customization of the instrument cluster is amazing and something I have missed. In the end, I still prefer iDrive to MBUX, but like MBUX better than what I had in previous MBs. ADAS worked well, equivalent to the BMW. Things like traffic light assist are handy. The BMW, however, can recognize a red light and stop the car (in the EU, at least) while in assisted driving modes. I don't believe the MB can, but perhaps in a future update - or I just never figured out how. The DIGITAL LIGHT projections are a gimmick. I eventually just turned them off. The overall headlight performance was much better than the BMW. The "AMG" drive mode shortcut is nice, but again, I prefer BMW M1/M2 buttons. The fingerprint reader seems... dumb and ergonomically challenging to hit.

If you want a V8 and a more sport- or race-focused car, you buy the M5. It's not as raw and clinical as the previous versions, but it does a good job blending luxury, comfort, and performance. (Or, skip the M5 and go XM.)
If you want creature comforts, a more refined ride, more EV capability, and, critically, faster charging, you buy the E 53.

I enjoyed my time with both. But in the end, the E 53 won me over. I wanted those creature comforts and the more premium interior. I felt I would be settling with the M5 and making excuses for missing options.

If there's anything else I can answer, please ask.

 

Look what they say a little after the 5min mark (for roughly 1 minute) in the video. About how the car “heaves in corners, when there’s a bump”, due to the aspect of the weight management issues due to the PHEV battery. And they state that this is not a problem in an EV, since the battery is situated really low etc. Was that the bunny hop you experienced ?

 

No. Watch this video from here:
They're both friends, and I'm glad they saw the same thing.

 

@wdimagineer I appreciate you taking the time! Great write-ups, thank you!

BTW I worked at Imagineering briefly about 20 years ago.

 

I accept what they experienced, but attributing that kind of vehicular behavior to the roughly 100 lbs that the wagon adds, is just nonsense, in my opinion.

For whatever reason, the 800 lbs of battery that is sitting in the hatch area (just like with the E53), heaves the vehicle up-and-down right above the suspension. Not a problem in a straight line or when accelerating smoothly, where the weight transfer to the rear is more controlled. But during bumps or road-joints in corners, no amount of suspension calibration can avoid the relentless laws of physics. As the video that I posted above, shows (between minutes 5 and 6)

 

Agreed. But that specific chassis response (when launching) is not something I've personally experienced in the E 53, nor my other PHEV performance wagons. My V60 weighs 2.053 kg (~4,500 lbs) and the E 53 is 2.435 kg (~5400 lbs). The M5 is 2.508 kg (~5,530 lbs).

I did experience some of the heaving and general mass shift in various scenarios, something I'm accustomed to.

 

Happy to help! I was there for over a decade and built some amazing things. I left to work in the automotive industry with Volkswagen/Audi, Daimler, and a few others, focusing on ADAS and autonomous driving technologies. I'm still tickled every time I visit a Disney property and watch guests' reactions as they ride my attractions. I get a similar feeling when I see my tech in various cars or autonomous vehicles doing their thing safely.

As I mentioned before, feel free to ask anything about these cars.

 

If that's the case, then this is a trade-off they decided to allow into the final production version. The overall design probably solved several other suspension related aspects, but as a trade-off, the designers allowed in this bunny-hop quirk that rears its head, under specific situations.

I would be curious to see if this buny-hop situation is present, in a non-PHEV 5-series wagon (say with an ICE V8 or I-6 Turbo). I would suspect this is a PHEV exclusive "feature".

 

I think that's a great summary of the M5 - lots of trade-offs. It's certainly a good car, just not a great one like its predecessors.

EDIT: I couldn't launch the 540d wagon in the same way as the M5, but it did not experience the same phenomenon when I did stomp on it.

 

Thanks for the comparison on the M5 and E53. Both the E53 and the M5 are excellent cars. You have had far more seat time in the E53 and M5 than I have, so your insights into the two cars are appreciated. I would not have thought of the issue with the M5 cargo cover retracting and then flopping.

Here are some questions on the E53:

• Reviewers have commented that in comfort mode, the E53 electric generator regeneration while braking is variable, and it makes brake pedal feel less predictable. How do you find brake feel and consistency in comfort mode?
• Reviewers have commented that with the Michelin summer tires and 21 inch wheels there is too much tire noise. Some owners, perhaps with the Michelin all seasons have said that there is no tire noise. One owner mentioned that he has the pinnacle trim that includes noise insulating glass. It looks like reviewers with tire noise had the pinnacle trim, so it seems that either the summer tires are noisy, or some cars are quieter than others. When I test drove the E53, I didn't notice any tire noise on a car without noise insulating glass and with all season tires. What is your experience with tire noise and overall noise in the cabin?
• Owners have posted on MBWorld that there are software issues with the 2025 E-Class such as the MBUX screen turning off, and hardware and software issues on the control modules that require dealer visits to correct with multi-hour software updates. (Car manufactures should target 5 minutes for a software update, not 5 hours per module. The Mercedes updates are so slow, that a dealer never updates the entire car.) I am hoping that the hardware and software issues have been resolved now. Have you had any software issues or hardware issues that required dealer fixes on your E53 wagon?

Due to the hardware and software issues on the 2025 E-class as well as not being able to have an upright seating position where I can see the entire driver display, I was leaning to the M5, which seems to be pretty solid right out of the gate. The M5 only has summer tires available, which concerns me since I would drive this car frequently in winter in the US northeast. I'm sure that Michelin Pilot Alpins will be available for the M5 as winter arrives, but the uncertainty on availability of the high load index M5 specific tires still concerns me. if I lived in Austin, the M5 tires would be much less of an issue. The previous generation M5 also had some engine seizing issues with BMW suggesting the fix of a $50,000 engine replacement. Due to the tire and engine issues with the M5, I have a 2026 E53 wagon scheduled for build.

Third party companies have developed protective screens for the M5 radiator, intercooler and oil coolers to prevent coolant and oil leaks after damage from road debris. These were created due to known issues with prior M5 generations. It looks like the E53 has exposed components under the car and in front of the car probably for the intercooler and possibly an oil cooler. (I haven't looked up what they are on the E53.) I haven't seen any postings about E53, suffering from loss of coolant or oil from object strikes, but I am wondering if the E53 could suffer similar high-risk damage.

 

I would say this is subjective, but true. I didn't think the learning curve would be as steep as it was in the E 53, compared to my current daily, which is a Volvo V60 T8 Polestar Engineered. Kudos to Volvo for (in my humble opinion) the best-tuned PHEV drivetrain in the business. I grew used to it fairly quickly, but there were a few moments where I said in my mind, "why the efff isn't she slowing down?!" You can adjust levels of recuperation using the shift paddles, and I recall I settled on "2" for the most similar feeling to the Volvo. (The Volvo has no adjustable recuperation, but does have a B mode, which slows you fairly quickly and maximizes regen. I was trying to emulate this mode.)

I would also argue this is subjective. I have run Michelin Pilot Sport tires (summer and all season) on nearly all of my cars. They immediately replaced the brand new Pirelli and Continental tires on our current fleet, which always gets a chuckle from my tire vendors. I did not find anything about the noise levels to be above what I would consider 'good' for a luxury, sport vehicle. It is what I would expect. The Edition 1 wagon I borrowed had the noise insulating glass, but the sedan I drove did not. I really do not remember a discernible difference between both cars.

If you want to look at how NOT to do software updates, buy a recent Volvo. Part of the reason they are leaving the fleet is because of how awful their software is. I had one issue with the E 53 wagon, where the Active Park Assistant wasn't working. The dealer got me in quickly, and it was a simple software update. It did not take more than 3 hours, but most of that time was the car sitting waiting for a free tech bay. Outside of this, the software was excellent. I still prefer iDrive to MBUX, though. BMW appears to release software updates more frequently.

I would not hesitate to recommend the M5. It is a good car. The beauty is that it can get better over time, with OTA updates, just like the E 53. So some of the quirks can be ironed out, at least those related to software. I'm sure they will.

I have similar guards on my M3 Touring, and also had them on my 213s and a few other cars. It's probably not the worst idea. The ones targeted at Mercedes-AMG models seem better integrated and look less obvious.

 

Can you say "analysis paralysis"

 

Thanks for the insights.





Based on this image posted by @JLMdu83, earlier in this thread, it looks like the undercarriage and lower front coolers are unprotected, but it is hard to know 100% from a picture. Can you say which company you purchased your 213 guards from or recommend some companies that make intercooler guards for the E53?

 

I used Zunsport on previous cars. I don't see them offering for the 214 yet.

 

Thanks! I'll watch for them.

 

I contacted ZunSport. They are looking for an E53 development vehicle in the UK now for design of the E53 protection grills. US deliveries
may follow later.

 

Nice E53DadWagon! I also ordered a 2026 E53 Wagon. I ordered it in April, my dealer contacted me with a production date of August 5th. Then contacted me again to say my production was moved up, but didn't specify a new date. Then I received a communication on July 15th that my new E53 wagon was built and on the vehicle carrier to the Port of Baltimore with a live-tracker. She arrived in Baltimore on July 28th.
Here is my configuration:
Manufaktur alpine gray with black MB-tex/microfiber w/red stitching and red seatbelts
Driver assistance
Sun protection
AMG Dynamic Plus
Exclusive Trim
AMG Night Package Plus
All season tires on 20" AMG twin 5-spoke with black accents
Energizing air control

Like others, I do not know when it will be delivered to my dealership. I also do not the price! Hahaha.

 

^ Mine was originally scheduled for 7/17 completion, but was pushed to today!

I see you have a BlueTec...my W211 is a CDI.

 

whoa! You may very well be the first with one in the US. Keep us posted. Will be very interested to know the price

 

I love my 2011 E350 bluetec. I have had so few maintenance issues over the past 140,000 miles. She goes like the day I bought her. After she was retrofitted with the revised diesel emissions system they extended the warranty for another 48,000 miles/4 years. Completely crazy. LOL.