.............to be fair, I don't think the difference in acceleration between the E550 and E63 are insignificant. 0.5 sec difference in 0-60mph acceleration is huge in the performance world. At the atlanta meet, the E63 ran a 12.6 in the 1/4 mile. As far as I know, the E550 is a mid 13sec car. This a full one sec difference in 1/4 mile times. This means that these cars are not in the same league. It is the same difference between a stock W210 E55 and a stock W211 E55.

...........I understand the idea behind saving $40K and buying an ML550, but a car that out accelerates the other by a full sec in the 1/4 mile is worth the extra $40K.

Ted

 

I think .5 sec 0-60 difference is significant. The difference between the 2003 E55 and E500 was huge. The performance gap between the AMG and the mundane MB lineup has narrowed substantially the price gap has not.

 

Actually the price gap is not that great between the ML500 (soon to be ML550) and the ML63. The ML500 on the build your own website is $75,368 with all the options, AMG sport package, 20’ wheels etc... and that is without the leather dash or soft leather seats (N/A on the ML500 and one of my favorite things about the car). If it were an option I would have to guess between $2,500 - $4,000. (it was $3500 on my Boxster)

That makes the difference less that $10,000 apples to apples. I thought about waiting for July to get a ML550 all decked out but the AMG was a better deal.

 

NHSI 'safest SUV' -- and it is damn quick...

I just don't see what the problem is.

It is a 5300 pound SUV - not a friggin Porsche sportscar!

 

+1

Also, it's great to have a good looking 500bhp AMG with AWD.

 

When does this ML550 arrive?

M

 

July 07

 

If all that matters to people is the 0 - 60 and quarter mile times, I suggest you buy a trashed Camaro or Mustang, drop a crate engine in it, put in a beefed-up transmission and rear end and save yourself $60,000.

This preoccupation with drag strip results is boring.

 

Good call

 

+1

 

Oh gawd yes. Mercedes is going for a more well rounded package with the "63" cars not impressing dragsters. I'd been waiting for someone else to see this!!!!

M

 

Really as a 2008 model huh. Intersting. Will there be a ML450 too? What about the R and G-Classes? Lastly of course how/where did you find this out?

M

 

While 0-60 mph is not a standard drag strip performance metric (maybe you meant 0-60 foot time), your point is well made that there is much more to a performance car than quantitative straight line metrics. Rather, the focus perhaps should instead be on the overall feel, balance, ride quality, braking, turning, etc. -- and that goes a longer way to "defining" the driver experience than quant items. And that says nothing about all the other things that impact the driving experience from an owner's point of view, such as build quality, the presence of creaks and rattles, interior space comfort and utility / cabin layout, transmission smoothness, seat comfort and support, whether the interior lights are bright enough, whether the cupholders securely hold your favorite drink, how good the stereo sounds to your ears, if the glovebox can fit all the user manuals, navigation interface efficiency, and on and on...

However, an issue is when there is a big discrepancy between what people expect from a car and what they get -- people can simply feel shortchanged. While 0-60 mph is not a very reliable metric in terms of apples-to-apples comparisons among cars tested on different days / tracks (and too much can often depend on variables outside of the driver's and to some sense, the car's, control; e.g., track conditions, miles on the engine, tires, etc.), 1/4 mile is more reliable because by that distance, a lot of the 0-60 variables are generally mitigated, though the new variable of vehicle drag comes into play somewhat.

In the quarter mile world at the passenger car level, .5 seconds in the quarter mile is actually fairly noticeable while driving the 1/4 mile (and at elite drag racing vehicles' level, .5 sec is absolutely enormous). And this .5 seconds often translates to a fairly noticeable different power level feel in day-to-day driving on public roads. 0-60 mph, quarter mile times, etc. are useful in the sense that they can provide a general idea of a car's straightline capabilities (plus the numbers make for interesting headlines in more general public car magazines). There certainly is a lot more to a car than such #'s.

For day-to-day driving, I'm much more interested in low-end torque from a standing stop (the "get up and go" of a car), and in the overall vehicle dynamics (how the car feels, including braking, turning, ride quality, etc.), and in the in-gear acceleration (how the car accelerates thru typical ranges of speeds in different gears -- better known as engine "gutsiness"). At the end of the day, I gotta live with the car... so while 1/4 mile performance metrics definitely matter to me, especially when I'm at the drag strip, the metrics don't mean nearly as much to me the other 99.9% of the time I'm driving the car...

 

I'm not sure about the ML450 or the R and G. It is a very reliable source. If I told you I have to kill you. (sorry)

 

I understand (007).

M

 

Doing 60-0 braking or driving in circle on the skidpad all day would be boring.

However the data that is collected from these tests gives a good picture of how a vehicle will behave when being driven daily or on a road course.

The 1/4 mile is a TEST to determine a vehicles performance.
To many of us, this is the MOST imortant test of a vehicle's performance;
followed closely by braking and handling.

So,
when I hear people say that 1/4 mile performance is "boring",
I feel like directing you to a snob or "waxer" discussion board.
I assumed that AMG guys are true performance "car guys" and they are focused on how well their cars accelerate, brake, and handle.

Yes, I am new here to this site. (thanks to the new ML 63)
But, true performance cars only care about how well their cars run,
they don't care about the name on the grill.

 

There is no question that the ML63 is an exceptional vehicle and fantastic SUV.
But it important that MB claims for power and acceleration be easily duplicated by testors. It is particularly important for the first AMG developed powerplant. While not a real comparison, I don't believe that SVT ever recovered from down on power Cobra's built in 1998-99.

 

It is only a matter of time B4 MB decides to put a blower on this Baby...it will probably be in response to the next generation Cayenne T Bo....


So Say what you will, Mercedes , and Especially AMG will not go down without a fight.These are Marvelous Times we are living in....Have your cake and eat it TOO!


Remember when 0 -60 in 7 seconds was fast??

 

You are correct. My point was that there are some people who are "disappointed" with one road test and seem to be generally grief stricken that a nearly 3 ton vehicle did a 0 - 60 time in just over 5 seconds. Motorweek is not what I would consider to be a true enthusiast program but a generalist program that is consistently conservative. As others observed, acceleration times can vary greatly because of temperature, ashphalt conditions, wind etc. and in no way do I consider this to be a representative test.

And yes, I consider myself a "car guy" having owned my CLK55 since new and picking up my ML63 on Wednesday. If that makes me a snob, then so be it.

By the way, welcome to the board.

 

Thanks for the welcome.
Sounds like you have a nice "stable" of toys over there.
Owning 2 great vehicles would definitely not make you a snob.

I agree that 0-60 times are not the best tool for measuring performance.
The 1/4 mile is a much better test.

I also agree that Motor Trend should post some good test numbers;
as should Car and Driver as well.

Usually fellow "car guys" on internet forums end up documenting the best times and I GREATLY look forward to owners posting their timeslips and videos.
"Ranger" from the Corvetteforum has gone 10.8x at 129.x in his 100% showroom stock 2006 ZO6.
He outperformed the magazines significantly and I expect a ML63 owner to do the same.

I agree with many that the SRT-8 is a great performer for the money.
Jeep and Chrysler need to seriously address their interiors.
But when money is not a issue,
the ML63 is where it is at.