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While my GLE 450 is in for some work, the dealership gave me a GLE 53 loaner. Holy bejesus this thing is quick, and I didn't even try sport mode. Fun car to drive, would definitely get me in trouble!
While my GLE 450 is in for some work, the dealership gave me a GLE 53 loaner. Holy bejesus this thing is quick, and I didn't even try sport mode. Fun car to drive, would definitely get me in trouble!
Rarely do they offer a higher tier vehicle than the one being serviced, glad to hear that.
While my GLE 450 is in for some work, the dealership gave me a GLE 53 loaner. Holy bejesus this thing is quick, and I didn't even try sport mode. Fun car to drive, would definitely get me in trouble!
....every once in a while. Nice.
Lemme guess---- about 1,500 miles? Boss's spouse's demo, exchanged for next, and put into Loaner "retirement."
I had gotten a GLE 63 AMG SUV as a loaner when I had my GLE 53 AMG Coupe in for warranty work recently and they definitely upsold me on it! Hoping to get a 63 AMG Coupe once the buyback is complete on my 53 AMG!
I had gotten a GLE 63 AMG SUV as a loaner when I had my GLE 53 AMG Coupe in for warranty work recently and they definitely upsold me on it! Hoping to get a 63 AMG Coupe once the buyback is complete on my 53 AMG!
Interesting that you’re thinking that the 53 is that much faster. It shares many of the same components as your 450. Coming from a 350 to 53. I would completely agree it’s night and day.
But you are very familiar with the 450 and you’re saying the 53 is that much faster is an interesting point.
It’s not just the engine and exhaust sounds that make it sound mean and fast, right?
Interesting that you’re thinking that the 53 is that much faster. It shares many of the same components as your 450. Coming from a 350 to 53. I would completely agree it’s night and day.
But you are very familiar with the 450 and you’re saying the 53 is that much faster is an interesting point.
It’s not just the engine and exhaust sounds that make it sound mean and fast, right?
On paper the 53 isn't much faster and doesn't have much more power/torque than the 450, but what OP is most likely noticing is the much better responsiveness of an AMG compared to a regular Mercedes-Benz. AMGs have a much better throttle response and engine mapping, especially in Comfort mode compared to a regular Mercedes-Benz. Regular Benzes have a horrible throttle response in Comfort mode. It's tuned purely for Comfort. As an AMG owner I can't drive a regular MB in Comfort mode. They are complete turds. Nothing is happening for about the first half of throttle pedal travel. Sport/Sport+ is more acceptable, although nothing sporty about those modes, just responds more normal as one would expect. The 53 feels likely much faster to OP because it actually goes the moment you step on the throttle.
Last edited by superswiss; Apr 25, 2025 at 08:50 PM.
On paper the 53 isn't much faster and doesn't have much more power/torque than the 450, but what OP is most likely noticing is the much better responsiveness of an AMG compared to a regular Mercedes-Benz. AMGs have a much better throttle response and engine mapping, especially in Comfort mode compared to a regular Mercedes-Benz. Regular Benzes have a horrible throttle response in Comfort mode. It's tuned purely for Comfort. As an AMG owner I can't drive a regular MB in Comfort mode. They are complete turds. Nothing is happening for about the first half of throttle pedal travel. Sport/Sport+ is more acceptable, although nothing sporty about those modes, just responds more normal as one would expect. The 53 feels likely much faster to OP because it actually goes the moment you step on the throttle.
Thank you for the excellent explanation! Yes I knew it was still a 6 cylinder and expected it to feel much the same as my 450. Although I'm not a fan of the AMG exhaust note, the rest of the driving experience totally blew me away! If I owned this car I'd surely get in trouble with law enforcement. It's just plain fun to drive.
The 53 has 54 more horses than a 450, but the throttle response is quicker than just horses.
The reason is the electric supercharger, which is designed to spin up and be at full boost a second and a half prior to the turbo kicking in.
In either case, you have the EQ boost, but the horsepower and supercharger is where it's most notable.
The 53 has 54 more horses than a 450, but the throttle response is quicker than just horses.
The reason is the electric supercharger, which is designed to spin up and be at full boost a second and a half prior to the turbo kicking in.
In either case, you have the EQ boost, but the horsepower and supercharger is where it's most notable.
I have the 63s, and I have never been disappointed. The only thing I’ll say though, in comfort mode, it really doesn’t kick in unless you slam the pedal. Then the horses run. Sport is much more responsive, sport plus is amazing, and race takes off all the controls. Put it in manual no-nanny mode and you are gone. I still haven’t been able to drift it bc I’m too scared and I don’t have a big enough space, but I’ve def kicked out the rears more than a few times! I love this car.
Got one for my wife for our place in FL and she loves it, but she complained it doesn’t sound like her GLC 63 she has in GA. It’s a 2018 and she will not depart with it, the V8 is a beast. The GLC is much softer but secretly fast.
Got one for my wife for our place in FL and she loves it, but she complained it doesn’t sound like her GLC 63 she has in GA. It’s a 2018 and she will not depart with it, the V8 is a beast. The GLC is much softer but secretly fast.
Good to have both but should had brought the vehicle over if she misses it that much.
I have the 63s, and I have never been disappointed. The only thing I’ll say though, in comfort mode, it really doesn’t kick in unless you slam the pedal. Then the horses run. Sport is much more responsive, sport plus is amazing, and race takes off all the controls. Put it in manual no-nanny mode and you are gone. I still haven’t been able to drift it bc I’m too scared and I don’t have a big enough space, but I’ve def kicked out the rears more than a few times! I love this car.
The velocity at which you depress the loud pedal tells the control units what you want to do.
In essence, it appears that it overrides your comfort/sport settings and puts it in Sport Plus if you smash it.
I find that useful, but the associated drawback is that now you're in Sport Plus and it will stay in whatever gear it has selected (downshifted to), thinking you're going to be continuing in your "Sporty" behavior. (Hung shift, or delayed upshifting.)
It also adds to the transmission learning algorithm, and IMO might contribute to some of the harsh downshifting that we've seen on the forum.
I have the 63s, and I have never been disappointed. The only thing I’ll say though, in comfort mode, it really doesn’t kick in unless you slam the pedal. Then the horses run. Sport is much more responsive, sport plus is amazing, and race takes off all the controls. Put it in manual no-nanny mode and you are gone. I still haven’t been able to drift it bc I’m too scared and I don’t have a big enough space, but I’ve def kicked out the rears more than a few times! I love this car.
As per AMG, the 63 models are designed and tuned for high speed driving whereas the 53 are designed and tuned for low speed driving. In other words, the 63 are focused on the top end, while the 53 is focused on the low end for daily driving. Not that the response of a 63 is disappointing, but it does need a bit more to get going than the 53 down low. As said above, the 53 has the electric supercharger that gives it more low end response, but runs out of steam at the top end sooner than a 63. It's all about the mission of the specific vehicle. Personally I drive about 90% in manual mode for the best response, but I have the MCT transmission as opposed to the TCT in the GLE. Torque converters always add lag and have higher inertia than a clutch so they reduce the responsiveness.
Last edited by superswiss; Apr 27, 2025 at 03:55 PM.
For ultimate performance in my 53, whether on track or just having fun, manual mode just does not work with the TCT.
If I hit the rev limiter there is a full second + delay before the fuel turns on again.
In manual, I spend too much time watching the tachometer, and end up short shifting for the most reliable performance. There is a significant response delay in a paddle shift, AKA "slow."
OTOH automatic mode does a great job of revving to 6300 RPM and shifts are very quick.
Downshifts are appropriate and provide good engine braking and I stay in the power band.
I'm not sure I agree that the 53 is designed for low speed performance, but it does run into a lot of wind at about 115 mph. With the windows down as required for track use, that speed is reduced to 95 MPH.
A 53 certainly does not have as much power to overcome Aerodynamic drag as a 63, and it's nowwhere near the fastest in its sector, but I think it puts us 429 horsepower to work pretty well throughout the Rev range.
If I wanted more I'd probably get a Brabus 500 kit. My service manager says that his customers with that kit are impressed and happy.
For ultimate performance in my 53, whether on track or just having fun, manual mode just does not work with the TCT.
If I hit the rev limiter there is a full second + delay before the fuel turns on again.
In manual, I spend too much time watching the tachometer, and end up short shifting for the most reliable performance. There is a significant response delay in a paddle shift, AKA "slow."
OTOH automatic mode does a great job of revving to 6300 RPM and shifts are very quick.
Downshifts are appropriate and provide good engine braking and I stay in the power band.
I'm not sure I agree that the 53 is designed for low speed performance, but it does run into a lot of wind at about 115 mph. With the windows down as required for track use, that speed is reduced to 95 MPH.
A 53 certainly does not have as much power to overcome Aerodynamic drag as a 63, and it's nowwhere near the fastest in its sector, but I think it puts us 429 horsepower to work pretty well throughout the Rev range.
If I wanted more I'd probably get a Brabus 500 kit. My service manager says that his customers with that kit are impressed and happy.
Yes, this is part of the reason I have a 63 with MCT. The TCT is just too laggy and delayed in manual mode. I come from driving manual transmissions for over 20 years, so torque converters don't do it for me. I drove the CLE 53 on the track last September and while I liked it quite a bit, the transmission still let it down. The old 7-speed MCT wasn't very good, either, but the 9-speed MCT bangs gears instantly the moment the paddle is pressed. Manual mode is super responsive.
As for the 53 and 63 differentiation, we actually had a discussion about this in the AMG Private Lounge and AMG chimed in with exactly what I said. The 53 are optimized for low end performance and the 63 for top end performance. The 53 is basically more livable and handles daily driving better than the 63. The 63 is most at home at high speeds and on open roads. It's partly why I don't really daily mine. Tooling around in stop & go, city traffic etc. is not its forte.
EDIT: Just to clarify, the GLE 63, GLS 63 and G63 are the outlier 63 models that don't use the MCT, and instead rely on the TCT like the 53 models.
Last edited by superswiss; Apr 27, 2025 at 05:10 PM.
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As for the 53 and 63 differentiation, we actually had a discussion about this in the AMG Private Lounge and AMG chimed in with exactly what I said. The 53 are optimized for low end performance and the 63 for top end performance. The 53 is basically more livable and handles daily driving better than the 63. The 63 is most at home at high speeds and on open roads. It's partly why I don't really daily mine. Tooling around in stop & go, city traffic etc. is not its forte.
.....
Was this before or after the EQ Boost arrived in the 63?
I could see that as improving the 63 around town performance.
There is also what I consider the overly harsh suspension on 166 AMGs, and the improved chassis combined with AMG ride control on the 167s.
Do you think the AMG statement applies to the newer versions?
As per AMG, the 63 models are designed and tuned for high speed driving whereas the 53 are designed and tuned for low speed driving. In other words, the 63 are focused on the top end, while the 53 is focused on the low end for daily driving. Not that the response of a 63 is disappointing, but it does need a bit more to get going than the 53 down low. As said above, the 53 has the electric supercharger that gives it more low end response, but runs out of steam at the top end sooner than a 63. It's all about the mission of the specific vehicle. Personally I drive about 90% in manual mode for the best response, but I have the MCT transmission as opposed to the TCT in the GLE. Torque converters always add lag and have higher inertia than a clutch so they reduce the responsiveness.
In comfort the transmission def bangs around a little bit esp downshifting. I daily mine for 2 years now and have put on about 44k. I mean daily - I drive in and out of NYC and Westchester a lot from further north. This car is really a dream on any road. It lightens up Mercedes style if you put it in comfort, and then hammers down bmw style when you’re in sport plus. I like having both on hand.
Was this before or after the EQ Boost arrived in the 63?
I could see that as improving the 63 around town performance.
There is also what I consider the overly harsh suspension on 166 AMGs, and the improved chassis combined with AMG ride control on the 167s.
Do you think the AMG statement applies to the newer versions?
It was after and still applies to the newer versions, with the exception of the new E Performance models. EQ Boost really doesn't do much on the low end. 48V is just not powerful enough. The E Performance models on the other hand with 400V high voltage battery have that instant EV torque off the line. EQ Boost mainly does torque fill during shifts
Originally Posted by GLE 63S Insane!
In comfort the transmission def bangs around a little bit esp downshifting. I daily mine for 2 years now and have put on about 44k. I mean daily - I drive in and out of NYC and Westchester a lot from further north. This car is really a dream on any road. It lightens up Mercedes style if you put it in comfort, and then hammers down bmw style when you’re in sport plus. I like having both on hand.
As said, the GLE 63 has a torque converter, so it is more daily driving friendly, however many have criticized the TCT for being clunky at times. AMG attempted to make it feel similar to the MCT, but the result is somewhat unsatisfactory. The MCT can naturally be jerky due to having a clutch, but it can be driven smoothly at low speeds with proper throttle modulation similar to a manual transmission. You can control the throttle input to be in tune with the clutch engagement. The TCT on the other hand doesn't give you any control over the lockup clutch, so you are at the mercy of the TCU to decide when to lock up the torque converter and at times let's say it leaves room for improvement.
Last edited by superswiss; Apr 27, 2025 at 05:28 PM.
So would you folks choose a four cylinder with a MCT or a six cylinder with a TCT? (Just putting the V8 and MCT aside for like a sec... a second...)
Well, AMG hosed the 9-speed MCT in both the W206 C43 and C63 SE (and the GLCs for that matter). In the C43 it has adaptation issues leading to harsh shifts and supposedly they are working on an update, but I believe owners are still waiting for it. In the 63 SE it is laggy as hell in manual mode and at the same time unnecessarily harsh in Sport+ and Race mode. Don't know why, but it's tuned terribly. When I drove the 63 SE it reminded me of the 7-speed MCT. Noticeable delays between pressing the paddle and the shift actually taking place. On top of that as I mentioned a while back, at 120 kph in Sport and up, there's a power delivery delay when the 2-gear transmission for the e-motor shifts from 1st to 2nd. This delay is not there in Comfort mode, because in that mode it's permanently in 2nd gear. So at least based on my experience driving the CLE 53 and C63 SE back to back, it would be the I-6 with TCT. The MCT was specifically designed for the V8 engines and it seems AMG is struggling with adapting it to the M139.
Well, AMG hosed the 9-speed MCT in both the W206 C43 and C63 SE (and the GLCs for that matter). In the C43 it has adaptation issues leading to harsh shifts and supposedly they are working on an update, but I believe owners are still waiting for it. In the 63 SE it is laggy as hell in manual mode and at the same time unnecessarily harsh in Sport+ and Race mode. Don't know why, but it's tuned terribly. When I drove the 63 SE it reminded me of the 7-speed MCT. Noticeable delays between pressing the paddle and the shift actually taking place. On top of that as I mentioned a while back, at 120 kph in Sport and up, there's a power delivery delay when the 2-gear transmission for the e-motor shifts from 1st to 2nd. This delay is not there in Comfort mode, because in that mode it's permanently in 2nd gear. So at least based on my experience driving the CLE 53 and C63 SE back to back, it would be the I-6 with TCT. The MCT was specifically designed for the V8 engines and it seems AMG is struggling with adapting it to the M139.
I see. So the choice is clear, leave the MCT for the V8 and that got me curious if they put the MCT in the new C 53 with the six, more likely they will stick with the 9G tronic tct.
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