justthebest

2012 ML 63: What a vehicle. Comfortable & easy-riding in "C" / sporty and aggressive in "S"

I have not found one thing to criticize, constructive or otherwise. Good work, AMG.





If anyone is considering buying one - stop thinking & just buy it!

dr. ss

Are those 21" wheels? They seem smaller in diameter

justthebest

I chose to stay with the "stock" 20s rather than the optional 21s. There are way more winter tire choices in 20", and I'll get a set of HREs for summer use.

qadhi79

wow..congratulations

Nachtsturm

Nice! Can't wait to see how this truck compares to the X5M.

Hope to get one of these one day.

_AMG_

Congrats, beautiful ride!

MB63

Wow. Beautiful!!!

sinistersurge

NICE WORK!! I have a '12 CLS63 and I am getting a white '13 G63 to match. Gotta have the truck version of my car.

ULJets

Simply gorgeous! Love the color. Interior pics???

GMW

Nice!!! Very nice!! A lot more pics please, from all angles. I'm contemplating getting one of these or a CLS63 or E63. As you have both the AMG CLS and ML, how do they compare?

jasonrhcastle

Please some more pics! Congrats!

Thinking about this as a replacement for my car in a year. What are your impressions of the gearbox? Shifts, are they fast? Throttle blipping?

Jason

EGray@Germain

CONGRATS. I Love the new look and the beefiness of the front end and the throatiness of the biturbo sound!!!
I get to stare at one sitting in our show room from my office

justthebest

The CLS feels much more purpose-built (it dominates the corners, ridiculous acceleration, etc.), while the ML places a tad more emphasis on the overall capability of the car, i.e. smoothness or ride around town, ridiculous cabin space, etc. I do have to say that both vehicles can handle the speed very well, it's just hard to completely overcome the physics of a 2.5-ish ton SUV (but I'll probably drive the ML more than the CLS as the months wear on).

Thanks - the shifts are definitely quick, there is spark / fuel retardation for full-throttle up shifts, as with all 5.5 BiTurbo engines, and there is also throttle blipping for the downshifts. The completeness of the package in this particular version of the ML, with the active body roll cancellation, etc., is unreal. Make a point to drive one soon (as they are hitting showrooms pretty much everywhere right now).

And without further ado, here are more pics - there's one crappy iPhone pic in the mix.





The seats are absolutely perfect - except for the conspicuous absence of a massage function (1% or what).



And the panorama roof is a must.



Designo leather is standard on the ML 63 nowadays



Larger back seat than my '09 GL550



And ridiculous head room



Two backpacks stacked on top of each other for a size reference



Anthricite Poplar wood trim

02Drunkenup

that interior

GMW

[QUOTE=justthebest;5128363]The CLS feels much more purpose-built (it dominates the corners, ridiculous acceleration, etc.), while the ML places a tad more emphasis on the overall capability of the car, i.e. smoothness or ride around town, ridiculous cabin space, etc. I do have to say that both vehicles can handle the speed very well, it's just hard to completely overcome the physics of a 2.5-ish ton SUV (but I'll probably drive the ML more than the CLS as the months wear on).



Thanks - the shifts are definitely quick, there is spark / fuel retardation for full-throttle up shifts, as with all 5.5 BiTurbo engines, and there is also throttle blipping for the downshifts. The completeness of the package in this particular version of the ML, with the active body roll cancellation, etc., is unreal. Make a point to drive one soon]

Wow!! I love that black nappa leather interior!! The contrast white stitching must look even better in person! Thanks for the ton of pics! Thanks for the comparison, it's also great to know it has the blipping downshifts. It must be silly fast with the performance pack you have, like the silliness felt when accelerating a G55K AMG.

One last question....for now, does the active curve system really prevent body roll noticeably?

justthebest

The system does have tangible effects - it was actually a little unnerving turning on to the highway on ramp as I left the dealership. There is still body roll as you approach the limits, but for all sane in-town driving, it's pretty impressive.

GMW

Thanks! Now I really need to test drive this beast!! I hope the exhaust sounds louder than the previous ML63 or at least as loud as the CLS63.

jasonrhcastle

Did you cross shop at all?

Did you drive a Porsche Turbo or BMW X5M? I have had both, would be interested in your comparisons if you have any.

Did you get carbon ceramic breaks? I was told they are a special order option, but not sure of price.

Lastly, is that the standard headliner or the alcantara-ish headliner?

Thanks, and absolutely stunning. I am thinking the diamond white with auburn interior.

J

justthebest

I did not cross shop for a number of reasons, so I can't be of help there.

I was under the impression that CCs are not available on the ML. That comes from an AMG PL conversation from a while back, so I trust the source.

The ML 63 comes with a Designo interior as standard, but the headliner is not alcantara for some reason. And the interior is black, not auburn (some of the pictures do look more brown).

303E550

Justthebest,

Beautiful ride! I love it in White. I also just drove home an ML63 from MB of Westminster! I posted about my move from a Cayenne Turbo to the ML63 in a separate post.

I'm sure we'll see each other around!

dacls63amg

Looking good!

GMW

Please post more exterior pics. As you are one of the first I believe a lot us still have a great thirst for pictures! :-)) Thanks!!

303E550

GMW,

What products are you using to make your C63's finish look so amazing?

GMW

Thanks! Here's a quick breakdown of the cleaning process & products:

To wash: microfiber sponge, garden hose and Meguiar's car shampoo (just water, no car shampoo, if I'm not polishing right after!)
To dry: The Absorber, PVA drying skin
Polishing stage 1: Mother's clay bar - only on cool bodywork and in shade
Polishing stage 2: Meguire's 3 step system of polish and I only use microfiber clothes to remove the polish and buff by hand only! No buffing machines!
Polishing stage 3: Turtle Wax Silver Chrome polish for exhausts, Rainex for windows exterior all round and Meguiar's Tyre shine for lots of gloss or Zaino tire gloss for a more subtle sheen.
Finally: don't drive the car till the next day. The shine is more durable that way.