Morning everybody!

I was driving for 3 years a X5 SUV for daily. I'm very happy with that car.
But now I already sold my last X5 that is the 4.8is. I have nothing bad to say about this car and specially then 4.8 engine and also will miss it.

I recently ordered the ML63 with all the goodies. Never drove one so I hope I'm not making a mistake getting this car and already sold the X5.

I'm curious if somebody can tell if we compare the performance of 4.8is vs the ML63 in braking, confort, handling... Does the difference is night and day??
I'm excluding the power becuase I know that has NO comparacion, and basically that's the big reason I choose the ML63 over any other SUV!!

Thanks in advance for any input!!

 

The 4.8is has nothing on the ML performance wise. The 4.8is is comparable to the ML55 its a last gen sport suv. My father was considering a 4.6is vs the ML55, he went for the ML just because it was a much more comfortable car, the ergonomics in the BMW suck, it is a much tighter car than the mercedes. The only downside was that the ML did not handle as well as the 4.6/4.8 and that it was a bit less reliable. Im sure with the new w164 ML63 it is not the case. Its a much better handling car, and it is what an AMG is supposed to be, not like the ML55 where they slapped the 5.4 v8 motor in there, put a body kit on it, changed the interior a bit, and lowered it and then called it an AMG.

 

the breaking and handling will certainly be better being that its an AMG(I hope)...comfort should be as well but knowing that the suspension is tuned it may be just a little different...I actually have the loaner 07 ML350 I've had for the past couple days and its been nothing but great, very comfortable and has pretty good handling for an SUV...certainly a night and day comparison to my 98 ML thats being fixed

If you're actually interested in getting into a white ML63 ASAP...my dealer has one alabaster white /black with an msrp of 92,535 ready for immediate delivery ...

 

i just drove the x5 the other day and oh god is it fugly inside and out.

 

Do you live in the USA?

 

Just picked up my ML63 on Saturday. I am coming from an S55, I looked at and test drove the X-5, S550 with the amg package, and the Jeep SRT8. You will not be sorry with your decision the ML63 is much nicer inside and out no comparison to the X-5 and the engine of the ML 63 VS the X5 is night and day not even in the same league IMO. Before my S55 I had an M5 and a 7 sport I was big fan of BMW until they change the body on the 7. Thought about a new M5 also but did not drive one. there is somthing to be said for BMW handling but as far as braking and comfort the AMG wins hands down I am very happy with my ML.

Best of luck

 

no comparison 4.8 to the 63... night and day one has an air ride suspension the other full sport tuned suspension... ML55 and the 4.6 were almost identical in performance reviews except for handling, the 4.8 was a slgiht nod better performance wise then the 4.6 so it should still be compared to the 55... wait till the redesigned X5 comes out then you can compare the two vehicles...

 

Braking - I prefer the 4.8is, the ML just doesn't provide the same level of feel and control as the 4.8is. It's not that the brakes aren't powerful but I suspect Mercedes system has too many electronic controls trying to be clever. As it is when braking from speed, the ML doesn't impart the same level of confidence as the 4.8is that you will stop in time, resulting in braking increasing the closer to the 'target' you reach and passengers noticing that an effort had to be made. It's all about 'feel' rather than 'power'/

Comfort - no comparision, the ML63 is much more comfortable than the 4.8is, a smoother ride and less effort in covering the ground. In the ML you can adjust the dampers from SPORT->COMFORT->REGULAR and also the ride and handling is adaptive, so better balances the compromise of handling with ride.

Handling - difficult one this. The ML's adaptive handling allows it to feel slightly more secure at normal speeds, so it provides the feeling of handling better than the 4.8is. However, up the speeds (admittedly to the kinds of speeds that most people would never consider driving an SUV) and the 4.8is has better suspension control and feels more keyed to the road surface. The ML63 feels like its CofG is higher than the 4.8is and therefore feels less stable through high G corners or in fast switch-backs.

The ML63 is the kind of SUV that you could have a very big accident in, partly because it reaches speeds much more quickly than a 4.8is and partly because once up to speed it isn't quite as composed as the 4.8is. It's very good, but you get the feeling that BMW would have engineered it to handle in extremis whereas Mercedes (rightly I guess) presumes that no owner would ever consider driving it so fast so better use the ESP safety systems to keep things tied down.

Ultimately the 4.8is encourages you to drive to the limit of the tyres adhesion, whereas the ML63 prefers a more considered style of driving. It's 95% as good as the 4.8is in this respect, but perhaps because of all that extra power it's less accomplished at using all its power as freely as the 4.8is.

You will enjoy it, there's no doubt about that, but the 4.8is is the car that's been engineered to be more accomplished on a track whereas the ML63 would be the better car in most road conditions.

Hope that helps.

 

I considered the new X5 -- and I actually think they did a good job with its' styling -- but I'm 6'7" and the ML has about 2 inches more leg room. No contest, and though you pay for the extra power I'm coming out of an E55 wagon. Absolute power corrupts absolutely...

 

Depends on which X5 you drove...The 3.0 and 4.4 look totally different than the 4.8is. We wouldn't have bought the 3.0 or 4.4 simply because they look "incomplete", especially from behind, but the 4.8is is in a different "optical" league...

 

I like your stable Florida E55. It was going to be an M5 for me until the ML63 came along. The AWD is a necessity in BC in the winter. I'll get some kind of fast sports sedan in a year or two. Who knows what AMG and BMW will have come up with by then. I also think that the X5 4.8is is a great looking machine. A little more HP and some interior work would have made it a serious contender for me.

 

Thanks, kokanee...Yes, in my case, it's almost the same story, just the other way round: I was waiting for my CLS55 but it never arrived (dealer's fault?) and since I needed a car, I got the M5.

We would never say "We don't want a Mercedes.." - if we pick a car, it has to be a Benz or a Bimmer and in that case, it's a matter of timing (what car is available right now). A year ago, BMW had the better selection, right now, Mercedes has...

But you're right - driving the M5 in the Canadian winter might not be the best idea..

 

I'll take an ML anytime of day over those ugly BMW's. Plus the ML63 would just crap all over the X5 performance wise. This is coming from someone who owned 5 BMW's in the past. I loved the old ones, but they can keep the new ones.

 

Only in a straight line..

 

Agreed. One problem with the X5, though, is the run-flats. A number of testers have commented on the brutal ride; not sure the trade-off is worth the improvement in handling...

 

X5 didn't have run-flats. Although the new E70 version being launched this month does.

 

No comparison could be made between the 2, since they are not in the same league, unless they have an X5M to offer, then it's a different story. My choice is obvious, see my signature.

 

Sorry to be unclear; the E70 is the version I was referencing. I've read two consecutive reviews where the tester felt the ride was overly harsh -- though they loved the handling on smooth roads...

 

Hmm, there is no "older" X5 4.8is than the one this thread is referring to, it's based on the first X5 generation and I don't think Bangle had his hands on it..

Once again, the 4.8is is not the ordinary X5 you see on the street on a daily basis (on average, BMW sold more than 2,000 X5/month, only 50 of them being the 4.8is).

If you park a non-AMG ML next to the 4.8is, the ML wouldn't look as impressive..

And let's not forget what you get for the money - a fully loaded ML500 is not much cheaper than a fully loaded 4.8is, and performance wise, the ML500 had no chance at all (I even doubt the ML550 would). The ML63 is a different story, but is at least $20K more...

 

Ahh, I see. Yes I don't know why they have started fitting run-flats to the new X5. Run-flats are responsible for single-handedly spoiling the dynamic qualities of modern BMWs.

The ML63 does ride better than the 4.8is, but then it doesn't handle as well, so its swings and roundabouts..

 

If I recall correctly from the BMW-board, the new X5 comes with run-flats only if you order the optional 3rd row seats. The reason is that the third row takes away the space for the spare-tire...

I'm not 100% sure on that one, but I think I heard something like that...

 

Yes I know all about the 4.8 liter motor and have been to the BMW Spartanburg plant where they build them along side of the Z roadster. I'll still take the ML anytime of day. Like I said before I've owned 5 in the past. Love the old BMW's(E30,E36,E34,E39). The new ones BMW can keep all of them. I'll stick with my Benz.