jbattan

I'm the happy and lucky new owner of a 2019 Mercedes-AMG S63 Cabriolet, and wanted to share all of the delightful upgrades over the 2017.

My review of my 2017 is available here.

In what is surely one of the biggest MB marketing blunders ever, they called the 2018/2019 A217/C217 models a "facelift". When I think of facelift, I think new front and rear bumpers, with maybe new headlight and taillight placement. It happens all the time in the industry, to keep the models fresh. As you'll see below, there are so many upgrades to this car inside and out (I count 80, as you'll see below), it's clearly a major revision, not a mere facelift. Or, to keep with the facelift idea (new grill), it also got a Brazilian lift (new diffuser), heart transplant (M177 engine), new circulatory system (4Matic+), a Masters in Intelligent Drive, upgraded body armor (Pre-Safe), a Cross-Fit membership (9G and upgraded kinematics), learned a new language (Linguatronic), a manicure (new steering wheel), new voice box (flaps), LASIK (higher resolution monitors), a diamond ring (key fob), and dozens of other nips and tucks. This ill-chosen terminology led the trade press to do little digging like I did to find out all that was changed, and they wrote just a few short articles about it. It's surprising and highly unusual that MB made so many changes to the car after only one model year, but I'm not complaining! It's probably because the S-Class Coupé had been introduced in early 2014 and was due for a makeover.

I had originally ordered a 2018 from my dealer. But they again messed up my order (previously, they had ordered my GL550 without Active Curve, something I was clear on) and inexplicably changed it to have four different options (paint and leather color, badging, and Swarovski headlights) after I put down the deposit, and so when the car arrived it was not what I had ordered, so we had to start all over, and by that time the 2019s were in NetStar. (There are only a few trim color differences between the 2018s and 2019s. The 2018s only had a 3-month model year.) The dealer gave me $2,000 additional off for my troubles. I changed it from domestic to (my 3rd) European delivery. MB now offer 5% off on AMG S63s, but by the time I learned of this I had been able to negotiate 7% off the MSRP of $200,650 as a repeat customer. Of course, when it came time to sign my paperwork and pay the balance in full, they had strangely "forgotten" that we had agreed to 7% off, in writing months ago, and only had 5% off listed. So they had to rewrite the paperwork while I waited. Not to denigrate my lovely wife, but if she had gone in to sign for the car, she likely wouldn't have noticed this $4,013 "oversight". I also had the $500 AMG PL certificate, so total spend was $184,105.

The only changes I made to the config between my 2017 and 2019 were springing for the Burmester High End 3D audio, and going with carbon fiber trim instead of piano black. My config is:
890 Lunar Blue
585 designo Porcelain/Deep-Sea Blue Exclusive Nappa Leather
445 Warmth and Comfort Package
997 Driver Assistance Package
H10 AMG Carbon Fiber & Black Piano Lacquer trim
L6J Porcelain AMG Performance Steering Wheel
P34 Exclusive Interior Control Code
U24 AMG Exclusive Floormats
U70 AMG Red-Painted Brake Calipers
610 Night View Assist PLUS
65U Porcelain headliner
654 5-Spoke alloy wheels
744 Dark Blue Soft Top
811 Burmester High-End 3D Surround Sound System
820 Factory Delivery
068 Wheel Locks

The car was ready in Sindelfingen on the first day of availability: 20180927. Sascha at the Center of Excellence was the consummate host, and extremely knowledgable about the product line. We also spent a couple hours looking at designo custom color options for my next car (I have my heart set on Mauritius Blue paint, but they nixed deep white leather ("es ist verboten") in the Cabriolet due to glare). My wife and I had a great time driving 2,800 miles through Germany, France, and Spain. Lots of folks gave me the thumbs up as we drove through tiny villages and large cities. I then dropped off the car in Nice and waited almost three months for it to show up in Oregon. Specific dates: IFF sent shipment info 20181105. Orion stopped in Bremerhaven, Southampton, Florida, Honduras, and Mexico. Arrived at Long Beach 20181202. Cargo release 20181204. In Customs 20181210. Arrived at dealer 220181221. I learned that the car doesn't get washed at all between drop-off and the final dealer, so all the road grime of two weeks around Europe stayed on the car all that time, the poor thing.

So far, I've driven the 2019 3,400 miles over 74 hours, averaging 17.6 MPG.

So now, on to the [numbered if significant to me] improvements for the 2019 over the 2017:

[1] New engine: M177 LS2 4.0l Hot-V twin-turbo twin-scroll engine with 612 DIN 603 SAE HP and 900 Nm 664 lb-ft torque. [2] Faster to 60: 3.4 (Car & Driver test got 3.1; for comparison, 2017 was 3.8, and 2019 MB GT R is 3.5). Cylinder deactivation (Comfort mode only). New layout in the engine compartment; OMOE badge now right of center.

[3] 9G MCT transmission with simplified race start and [4] four Dynamic Select programs (Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Individual) affecting engine, transmission, suspension, steering, ESP, and all-wheel drive. Glide Mode via Sailing Function (In "Comfort" mode, when the driver releases the accelerator in a speed range from 60 to 160 km/h, the clutch of the DCT transmission is disengaged.)

[5] AMG 4Matic+ AWD with 3-stage ESP (Comfort, Sport, Off) but no drift mode as in E-Class.

[6] Ride Control+ suspension with 3 settings. Front axle kinematics have higher wheel camber. Bigger stabilizer bar. More rigid subframe mount at the rear axle.

New Intelligent Drive system with [7] improved DISTRONIC Active Proximity Control (now recognizes stopped cars!), [8] Route-based Speed Adaptation, [9] Extended Restart (now 5s in city; 30s on freeway), Active Steer Assist, Evasive Steering Assist (only from 12-43 MPH), Remote Parking Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Congestion Emergency Braking, [10] Active Speed Limit Assist, [11] Active Lane Change Assist, [12] Automatic Speed Takeover, and Active Emergency Stop Assist. [13] Blind Spot Assist now active at 8 MPH (was 20). Stereo cameras now have three guidance lines. [14] Pre-Safe Impulse Side, [15] Pre-Safe Sound. Now 2 radars in rear at 45 degrees, one in front. Infrared in visor for near-range system use; far-range sensor for night vision is in grill. If rocker switch 4 is pressed up twice, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is activated with the speed limit displayed in the instrument cluster, but who wants to go that slowly?

[16] Exhaust flap button, infinitely variable flaps.

[17] Track Pace vehicle data.

[18] New bumpers and Panamericana grill. Pronounced bulge at the top of the shark-nose grill. [19] Restyled rear diffuser.

ILS headlights with [20] Ultra Wide Beam.

[21] OLED tail lights with locking/unlocking animation. OLED advantages include detectability from extreme viewing angle, largely no cooling, low DC voltage required, stepless dimmability, no shadows, uniform illumination, and less glare, but concerns about longevity.

[22] New steering wheel with [23] touch control pads and [24] Distronic controls. Distronic set speed can increment by 5MPH [79] continuously by holding the control. Can use steering wheel touchpad for COMAND movement and selection.

Dual displays now under [25] single pane of [26] glass (so much easier to clean!) but still separated by 2" blank space. [27] Higher resolution 1920 x 720 pixels (200 dpi).

NTG5*5 COMAND Online:

• 3D navigation with topographical map display, photo-realistic 3D buildings, and 3D map rotations.
• [28] New display modes "Classic", "Sporty" and "Progressive" (although there is very little difference between Sporty and Progressive).
• More AMG info (engine and transmission oil temperature, [29] % gas/brake usage, lateral and longitudinal acceleration, engine output HP and torque, boost pressure, tire [30] temperatures and pressures, and [31] current vehicle set-up).
• [32] "More responsive" UI (now it is only incredibly slow rather than intolerably slow; e.g. it takes three seconds to display the interior lighting menu).
• [33] Revised menus.
• [34] New button layout around the COMAND controller. Favorites button moves to the right touchpad area of the steering wheel. To create your own Favorite: select the desired function in the multimedia system. Press and hold the Home button until the favorites are displayed. [35] 12 custom Favorites.
• [36] CarPlay and Android Auto (wired).
• [37] Mercedes me Connect app replaces MB Companion.
• Many more System options [38] available: display and styles, input, audio, connectivity, Bluetooth devices, COMAND Touch, time and date, language, units, Personalization, software update, system back up, pin protection, info on the system, reset. You can configure a skeuomorph of an analog clock to show in the Additional Display Area of the right monitor when looking at radio but not navigation.
• Vehicle menu options include seats, climate control, dynamic select, track pace, assistance, consumption, light settings, vehicle settings, and owner’s manual. All of the vehicle function menus have been moved to the right monitor.
• Assistance menu includes traffic sign assist, camera and parking assist, active brake assist, speed adjustment, attention assist, active lane keeping assist, lane change assist, active blind spot assist, and automatic night view assist.
• COMAND Touch app (not available in US).
• [39] Last trip info available via app, in addition to last start and last reset.

[40] Adjustable Parktronic distance, audio muting, volume, and pitch. [41] Individual clear/orange/red dash segments for each Parktronic sensor and [42] 2-per-side segments for camera-based lateral side impact warning (but only if already detected by an ultrasonic sensor). Parking Assist use when exiting a parking spot requires pushing the Parktronic button.

[43] Drive Away Assist.

[44] New Bluetooth Device Manager. Bluetooth name now has five-digit number appended, but not editable.

Linguatronic voice control [45] extended to 450 commands including vehicle functions (air conditioning, seat heating/ventilation, interior lighting, fragrance/ionization, seat massage, and HUD). [46] No beep between prompts.

[47] New AMG key fob.

[48] Multi-color higher resolution HUD. Calls and audio selection info displayed in it now.

[49] Improved clarity in 360 and reversing cameras.

[50] 360 camera automatically turns on when Parktronic activates. Manual activation is now via Favorites instead of dedicated button.

[51] ENERGIZING comfort control with six programs.

[52] Frameless rearview mirror. [53] Larger HomeLink buttons, and HomeLink indicator light now inset in mirror.

[54] Info and roadside assistance wrench buttons combined into single “me” button.

[55] Door can be unlocked with NFC, but via Android only. iPhone requires an NFC sticker.

A housing for the digital tuner takes up half the space of the trunk cubby, but presumably won't be in US models.

[56] New glowing Start button.

3 ambient lights ([57] added one to mirror) for console. Four door-open lights (at lower color temperature)

Night View Assist PLUS available [58] at all speeds. [59] Night vision automatic activation at speeds <37MPH.

[60] Steering wheel heater indicator on dash (temporarily).

[61] Microphones at the top of the windshield frame. Centered in Coupe, outboard in Cabriolet.

[62] Wireless Qi smartphone charging for devices up to 15.2cm diagonal.

[63] "4Matic+" label added to side badges.

[64] Door rocker panels now chrome rather than matte silver.

[65] 64 interior lighting colors, multi-colors, AC indicating, welcome lighting, and lighting scenes.

No CD player. Replaced with cubby and [66] 12V outlet.

[67] SD card reader moves to center console.

[68] DISTRONIC lowest speed that can be set is 15 mph (was 20).

[69] Press and hold the voice button to start the voice assistant (Siri) of the mobile phone.

[70] If you switch the power supply off and on again within 20 minutes, the previous setting of the driver's seat heater remains active.

Seat memory sets seat, headrest, multicontour settings, heat distribution, steering wheel position, outside mirror position, and [71] HUD.

[72] Transmission goes into P when ignition turned off.

[73] Parking brake automatically released.

[74] Two Attention Assist sensitivity levels.

[75] When low beam is activated, the indicator lamp for the parking lights is deactivated and replaced by the low beam indicator lamp. When the high beam is activated, the indicator lamp for low beam is deactivated and replaced by the indicator lamp for the high beam.

[76] Battery standby mode.

[77] AMG Supplement manual.

[78] Exit warning (when opening door up to 3 minutes after parking)

[80] Infotainment volume indicator.




Other notes:

• There are 3 kinds of Burmester audio: Base, High End, and High End 3D. The High End system does not include 3D in the Cabriolet since there is no overhead speaker, but MB claim it still has 23 speakers and 1,520 watts. The High End audio is definitely worth it: great separation and clarity, plenty of power, punchy bass, lots of surround sound options including VIP seat. Really noticeable. By comparison, the standard Burmester in my 2017 is no better than most any car's audio system and is underpowered when the top is down and the exhaust is loud.
• The steering wheel touchpads are really useful.
• The exhaust sound is different. I like the old one better.
• The parking brake is much quieter.
• I really like that the "real" AMGs get a differentiated Panamericana grill from the plebeian S560, but I can't say I dig it.
• Using Distronic+ in Sport mode is much more responsive.
• The engine cooling fan is often on when I stop the car, which rarely happened with the 5.5l V8. The "Hot-V" runs hot!
• I lucked out in getting Michelin tires. MB should stop using Continental period.
• It's pretty cool to have the 2nd fastest AMG 0-60 (the E63s wins even over the GT R), until the GT 63s gets here.
• The in-car WiFi uses AT&T's network. 1GB free trial. But my iPhone's personal hotspot works fine, so I'll stick with that.
• 3 new trim lines (high-gloss brown burr walnut wood, satin-finish grey ash wood, and flowing lines designo magnolia wood).
• 3 new upholstery lines (AMG Line Plus (semi-aniline) porcelain/tizian red, designo Exclusive nappa leather porcelain/tizian red and AMG Line Plus bengal red/black).
• The German BB plates did not fit on the US license plate holder so they had to bend back the sides to prevent Parktronic from false positives.

And now, a long list of complaints:

1. The 9G-Tronic is better than the 7G, but still jerky in C at 0-12 MPH. Why can't MB use the superior ZF 8-speed?
2. Most every UX interaction is agonizingly slow, especially compared to the UI in an Audi, BMW, or Tesla. Map renders, mode switching, camera activation, massage settings, screen startup, lighting settings, etc. are all laggy, showing they’re trying to do too many things with the CPU/GPU they have.
3. The “Last mode save" feature (to stay in Sport mode) is not available in the USA.
4. No animated turn signal light sequences in US; MB say "regulations in certain markets, including the US, require a certain amount of lighted surface area at all times for the turn signal. With our tail light design on the S63A4, it cannot both be progressive and comply with the US regulations. Audi is able to get around this because a portion of their turn signal lights up all at once while layering the progressive turn signal on top of that.") That would certainly be possible in the Cab with all those OLED panels.
5. Turn signals in the rear should be yellow, as in the front. They use red rear turn signals in the US due to misunderstood “size regulations”.
6. The entertainment volume indicator looks like a horizontal analog thermometer with no numeric indicator. Tacky. A -dB digital indicator would be better.
7. Can’t adjust the passenger seat from driver side. Rear headrests button moved there.
8. No seatbelt extension button. Manual says it’s the last button in the driver assistant cluster, but it's not there, perhaps because I have night vision. I have to open/close the door instead if I don't want to turn my torso 90 degrees.
9. Not sure why they dedicate a button to HUD on/off when it's so rarely used.
10. The infotainment menus are right justified so you have to click right to go back which is opposite from the 2017 and is counter-intuitive.
11. Bring back the blind spot assist yellow/red indicators so I know when the system is active. The new method of having no light if either the system is not active OR nothing is detected is dangerous.
12. Many false positives for steering assist thinking I am not holding the wheel when I do in fact have both hands on the wheel.
13. Slightly rough idle when in P, but not D Hold.
14. Half the time when I shift into Reverse, it only goes to Neutral. I think this is because the amount of brake pressure required went up.
15. I wish they would have put carbon fiber on the console covers rather than piano black, which scratches when you merely look at it. I'd also like the option of maple trim like the "ahorn" they have in Germany, or the matte carbon fiber from the E63.
16. The mirror flap is in the way of the visor light, so it only lights up my forehead.
17. Want to go up a channel on the radio? Swipe down on the touchpad. Not up. SMH.
18. Remote Park app available in sedan only.
19. No Multibeam LED headlights on A/C217 due to lack of space.
20. Sometimes it takes three or four pulls on the door handle before the keyless entry system unlocks the door.
21. Rear cross traffic assist not sensitive enough compared to Lexus’s.
22. Wireless charging mat takes up all (sedan) / some (Coupe) / much (Cabriolet) of the center console. Conflicts with NFC-based Apple Pay. Barely charges the phone if the phone is in use, even with no case.
23. When the steering wheel heater is on, the steering wheel is freezing near the aluminum bits.
24. The subtle blue background and slightly increased font size of the menu system to indicate cursor location is very poor UI. Can't wait for a touchscreen interface.
25. There are 3 speed limit signs in the left/right/HUD displays.
26. There's no evidence they changed the brakes, but they feel less powerful.
27. The manual doesn't specify what "early warning" means for Parktronic distances.
28. The owner's manual is awful, but the leather binder sure is nice. They would be easier to handle if they were twice as tall and half as thick, like the last MY. It’s printed in 3 colors and can’t show the red, yellow, and green of the illustrations. MB should ditch printed manuals altogether and go to a fully hyperlinked app, customized based on the options ordered and country, per the VIN. The Guides app, a QR code for which is printed on the back of the manual, isn't available in my country (US). Retake all pictures and illustrations in high def. Write safety warnings once and only once, rather than repeating them throughout the manual. Allow them to be turned off after the first reading.
29. Active Speed Limit Assist and Route-based Speed Assist often conflict and are wrong, and they annoyingly flash at 5 MPH over.
30. Active Speed Limit Assist only allows auto-adaptation at that speed, not the +15 MPH that is common in the US, so I won't use it.
31. The mats pill, and aren't durable based on how worn my 2017's were.
32. Wait 2 seconds before Eco Start/Stop automatically shuts off the engine, because I might be shifting into reverse.
33. The YYYY/MM/DD date format doesn’t obey ISO 8601, which specifies dashes.
34. The whole MB app ecosystem needs an overhaul. Combine the Mercedes me and Mercedes me Connect apps. Improve speed and reliability. Improve web site integration. Improve activation process. I activated me at the dealer, but still had to access the web portal later to activate the dozens of services. The activation web site shows most services being initialized for hours, but when I refreshed the page, they were all active. The Connect app shows the door lock status in the center of 3 buttons when the car is unlocked, but puts it on the right when it's locked. Only after using the app numerous times did I notice that I can scroll to the right to see more buttons. Text messages from door unlocking comes from a variety of phone numbers. The web site says the color of my interior is beige, which it's not. There's no way to tell via the web site or app how long my current subscription goes; I have to call them.
35. The trickle charger cable connection is delicate. I've broken it twice.
36. I don't get why they went from the nice % fuel level to an analog slide gauge.
37. I can’t smell the fragrance, even on the max setting.
38. There are two connectors for a trunk net, but not four, and no trunk net for sale.
39. It has seat weight sensors, so why does it extend the seatbelt when no one’s sitting there?
40. Don't make me hold down the seat stored memory button for 16 seconds. Push once and push again if I need to stop the movement.
41. The "Don't forget key" reminder and ding when opening the door is absolutely bonkers. Of course I'm not going to forget my key if I'm going for a drive. And I probably won't when I leave since I always lock it. Sascha says it's an America-only "feature".
42. No one-touch up on rear windows.
43. If I rest my head on my hand with my elbow on the center console, it cuts out part of the HUD.
44. The artist and song are reversed if the intention is decreasing order of specificity station/artist/song, but then the song wouldn't fit in the left side of the dash display.
45. Doors should have no detents, and stay open at any position like on the SL. The first detent is too close.
46. The sunglasses cubby is too small.
47. The US don't get the convex left-hand mirror that Euro cars do. So I have to install tacky bubble mirrors since lane change assist is too slow for my quick driving.
48. I wish locking the car locked the console and glovebox storage, since I often leave the top down when parking.
49. When I picked up the car, it didn't have the wheel locks, despite me reminding them three times (it's a VPC-added item for EDP cars).
50. The US dealer network has not attained the status of "The Best or Nothing".

Some suggestions for the future:

• Hybrid powertrain with emphasis on the battery side for more immediate low-end torque and <2.8s to 60.
• High density dash with every value displayed on-screen.
• 20K paint color options.
• Hydrophobic paint and wheel coatings so I don't have to wash it all the time.
• Get rid of all skeumorphisms.
• Change "ventilated" seats into actually "cooled air" ones.
• Bring the AMG Performance Center Powerwall to iOS.

I can't wait for the next major revision, which will hopefully have a hybrid powertrain and MBUX, perhaps wrapped in new skin from the Maybach Vision 6.

This review required three trips to Germany and 60+ hours of reading, analysis, and discussions. It has been a labor of love. Let me know of any errors or omissions.

absent

Thanks for this thorough review, sounds like an all new car indeed, not just a mere facelift.
I was recently tempted to replace my daily driver with a left over 2017 S63 Coupe at a steal price but now I am glad I did not do it.

HAWKiS63

Great write up JB, will add my remarks later this weekend.

efathalla

I need a piece of advice here, please.

I have been driving S63 for roughly 7 years, 2011 2011 & 2016.

I just traded my 2016 S63 for the new G63 E1 and now I don't feel as comfortable as before, so I'm thinking to trade it for the 2019 S63 Coupe, what're your thoughts on this?

I'm very confused, I LUV THE G63 E1 but will not work as a daily driver.
BAD MOVE FROM MY END.

jbattan

HAWKiS63

Since you know the 2016 S63, you know what kind of car it is. The MT2019 is a major upgrade (not just a facelift), see the detailed revew of JB in this thread, and also my first impressions after a long testdrive here: https://mbworld.org/forums/s63-amg-4...ml#post7664578

RBR has also a great review, that is not exaggerating, but close to my own experience driving it:


PS: sorry JB, not enough time this weekend to read it all through, will follow up!

efathalla

Thank you for your feedback.

I'll go check this one tomorrow.

https://www.flagshipmotorcars.com/ne...b49a5a79cb.htm

Rad22

I would like to respond to a couple of these complaints with my own experience. I have a new 2019 S560 Coupe rather than an AMG Cabriolet, so that might account for some of the differences.

BTW, I also coincidentally had a delightful European Delivery experience on 10/16/18, courtesy of Sascha. My wife and I found him to be a superbly competent and incredibly friendly gentleman and a fine representative for Daimler Benz.

Can’t adjust the passenger seat from driver side. Rear headrests button moved there.
PASSENGER SEAT ADJUSTMENT BUTTON IS RETAINED IN THE USUAL POSITION ON MY DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT CONTROLS. REAR HEADREST CONTROL BUTTON ON RIGHT SIDE OF CONSOLE.

No seatbelt extension button. Manual says it’s the last button in the driver assistant cluster, but it's not there, perhaps because I have night vision. I have to open/close the door instead if I don't want to turn my torso 90 degrees.
I HAVE NIGHT VISION ALSO AND THE SEATBELT EXTENSION BUTTON IS RIGHT THERE IN THE DRIVER ASSISTANT CLUSTER.

Bring back the blind spot assist yellow/red indicators so I know when the system is active. The new method of having no light if either the system is not active OR nothing is detected is dangerous.
I HAVE THE TRIANGULAR YELLOW/RED LIGHTS EMBEDDED IN THE OUTSIDE MIRROR ON EACH SIDE.

Slightly rough idle when in P, but not D Hold.
HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS (NOT AMG THOUGH).

Half the time when I shift into Reverse, it only goes to Neutral. I think this is because the amount of brake pressure required went up.
HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS.

Sometimes it takes three or four pulls on the door handle before the keyless entry system unlocks the door.
HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS. RESPONDS WHEN I TOUCH IT, WITHOUT EVEN PULLING ON IT.

Wireless charging mat takes up all (sedan) / some (Coupe) / much (Cabriolet) of the center console. Conflicts with NFC-based Apple Pay. Barely charges the phone if the phone is in use, even with no case.
MY WIRELESS CHARGING PAD IS RECESSED IN THE FRONT OF THE LARGE COMPARTMENT BETWEEN THE SEATS AND TAKES UP NONE OF THE USEABLE SPACE. NO NFC APPLE PAY CONFLICTS (iPhone XS). CHARGES WELL, EVEN WITH CASE.

There are 3 speed limit signs in the left/right/HUD displays.
I SEE THIS ON OCCASION AS WELL, BUT ONLY WHEN THERE IS A SCHOOL ZONE, RAMP SPEED OR CONSTRUCTION ZONE SUPPLEMENTAL LIMIT OR RECOMMENDED SPEED.

I can’t smell the fragrance, even on the max setting.
WORKS VERY WELL IN MY CAR AND THE FRAGRANCE IS IMMEDIATELY APPRECIABLE (COUPE, NOT CABRIO).

Don't make me hold down the seat stored memory button for 16 seconds. Push once and push again if I need to stop the movement.
EXPLAINED BY SASCHA TO ME AS A SAFETY FEATURE. YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GET INTO THE CAR AS A 6'6" MAN AND HAVE TO FUMBLE AROUND TO STOP A SEAT FROM JAMMING YOUR KNEES INTO THE DASH IF YOUR 5'3" WIFE ACCIDENTALLY RESET THE MEMORY FOR HER.

No one-touch up on rear windows.
SAFETY. YOUR DOG'S HEAD OR CHILD'S ARM MAY BE OUT THE WINDOW, OUT OF YOUR VISION. IT WILL STOP WITH AN OBSTRUCTION, BUT MAYBE NOT IN TIME TO PREVENT INJURY. I'VE NEVER OWNED A CAR WITH THIS FEATURE AND WOULDN'T WANT IT.

The sunglasses cubby is too small.
ON COUPES WITH 3D SOUND, THE CUBBY IS REPLACED WITH A SPEAKER ANYWAY.

The US dealer network has not attained the status of "The Best or Nothing".
DEALER DEPENDENT, I AGREE SOME ARE THE PITS. MY DEALER IS SUPERB AND EXEMPLIFIES "THE BEST OR NOTHING".

HAWKiS63

AFAIK the S63 has different buttons in the middle console (Exhaust, Suspension, ESP, Manual, etc) so no more room for rear-headrest control button there, that moved in S63 to the door seat controls (on position where passenger seat control button was).

In the driver assistant cluster, there are max 6 buttons? In the S63 the last one is "car lift" (that used to be on the center console), but no seatbelt extension button anymore AFAIK....

So apparantly button layout and features are slightly different in the S560 and the S63.

BTW, the Coupe has a "rear sunscreen" button (when ordered) where otherwise the Memory-3 button is (so reducing it to 2 memory positions instead of 3).

HAWKiS63

Looks great, especially the "silver" interior you don't see often, curious how you like it in real life!

jbattan

jbattan

HAWKiS63

Thanks again JB for the extensive write-up, very useful. Here some of my remarks / comments to make it even more complete

Totally agree, the differences in looks are maybe "just" a facelift, but a totally different engine, tranmission, 4Matic+, COMAND 5*5, etc makes it a different car (especially to drive it, see my earlier test drive experiences here: https://mbworld.org/forums/s63-amg-4...ml#post7664578

There is even another big internal change that is not directly noticeable: it seems that communication between system modules in facelifted cars now uses FlexRay (10 Mbit/s) instead of CAN-Bus (1 Mbit/s).

About marketing: what surprised me (already when I bought my current MY17 A217) is that Mercedes does not explicitely promotes the fact that not only the S63 AMG engines are hand-built (in Affalterbach, according the OMOE principle) but also the final assembly of the C217 and A217 is done by hand (in a different hall than the W222 and Maybach versions), where every production step of the Coupe and Convertible takes much more more time/attention than for the Limousine (and even Maybach!). Did visit this assembly hall in 2016 and was impressed. But it seems a hidden secret not communicated so much.

Strangely enough we don't seem to have this option overhere (800 km from Sindelfingen....), pity

Not only on paper it is faster, I did find it much more involving, more direct response on gas pedal, etc.

Beware, MCT (Multi Clutch) is not the same as DCT (Double Clutch) transmission. And the 9-MCT is a big upgrade from the 7-MCT, see https://www.autoevolution.com/news/m...ms-112461.html

I did not see 3D buildings, it seemed gone (it is there in my current COMAND 5*2). Maybe different per region/area?

About responsiveness: I though the new COMAND 5*5 is much slower than the current/old 5*2.......when changing from Navi to Car Settings or Telephone or Music it took ages.........in my current car this goes smooth......maybe software version dependent?

Is this the same as HOLD (when pressing the brakepedal firmly) in the pre-facelift model?

And apparantly the new Bluetooth stack does not support BT MAP anymore for displaying email messages on COMAND screen (SMS messages are still displayed)

Still there I thought (above the volume wheel on the right of center console, see your last picture ) ?

Can be ordered as an option (870, or "preparation" with 320). Will be placed in dashboard locker.

Both already work like this in pre facelifted car?

Overhere all cars seems to be delivered with Michelin PS3 (MO). Would always upgrade to PS4S (but not available in MO)

1. I like the 9-MCT (and even the 7-MCT) much better than the ZF-8-spd with torque convertor. Test drove the new DBS Superleggera recently and it is a great, amazing car, but the ZF-8-spd is preventing it from being (almost) perfect! Too lazy, not responsive enough (but ok, I am used to Manual stick performance cars, so for sure I am biased )
2. Indeed strange, this seems only the case with AMG cars, the S560 has different button layout and there this feature should be there.
3. That is indeed annoying, I use this button so now and then in my car. Also AMG cars only?
4. Matter of taste apparantly: I prefer the more analogue gauge

And finally, as I also wrote in my small test drive review, I was very happy to see that now a decent Winddeflector is available (285), one that really works, also at moderate speeds (despite tot almost useless fancy electric one in the back).

All and all I think it (still) is a great car, and the facelifted version is even better than the "old" one. Let's see where that brings me coming weeks

jbattan

I had not heard of FlexRay. I'll check it out!

I saw them building Coupes, Cabs, limousines, and Maybachs all on the same main line, but there were a number of Cabriolets off to the side, perhaps for the folding roof fitting.

I'm still not a fan of the 9G MCT. It's great in S and S+ mode, but in C it is much too jerky for an S-Class.

Well, on mine, it does show SOME buildings in 3D when in the downtown area, when in the first three zoom levels. Very limited and nothing like what you see on Google Maps.

No, this is different. Drive Away Assist can prevent collisions when pulling away. If an obstacle is detected in the direction of travel, the vehicle's speed is briefly reduced to 1 mph (2 km/h). If a critical situation is detected, a symbol appears on the camera image of the multimedia system.

Yeah, that button is there, but I still haven't figured out what it does, because when pressed it says it's looking for parking spaces, but it doesn't show the camera view. The car automatically searches for parking spots at slow speeds, so the button doesn't add value.

Ah. We don't have that option in the US.

I didn't realize Siri worked that way in my MY2017. Cool.

The 2017 parking brake is automatically released once you press on the gas enough, so there's a slight surge as it releases. In the 2019, it releases as soon as you move the transmission into D or R.

Yeah, despite all my complaints, I do love the thing. Everyone who has a 17 should get a 19. :-)

-Jim

exi

Nothing of value to add. Just wanted to say thank you for your detailed review and breakdown of your new cabrio. Nice to see in a lower-volume subforum.

CARMAN1815

Here’s my review of a first generation. Point of the review is mainly a size comparison of the vehicle for people. Enjoy!

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