pmrogers

Hi all,

I have an S63 on order and would be very interested to hear input about handling from those who have also driven a 2003+ SL55, or the base 550 without ABC. I've been on a steady progression from pure sports cars to less nimble, more planted cars, from a 93 RX-7 to a 95 NSX to an 03 SL55, then 05 545.

Of these my favorite balance of handling vs comfort and noise was the SL55. Today, the SL55 is too noisy for me, and of course has no back seat. The 545 is great handling when I want to drive like a fiend, but too fatiguing for daily use or long trips. The S550 without ABC is definitely too boat-like, but I do love the quietness at 80+ and the aplomb with which it handles potholes and moderately rough roads.

So, to cut a long-winded question short, how would you compare the handling of an AMG S-class to the SL55 or to a base S without ABC?

Thanks!
Paul

IngenereAMG

I own an SL55 and have alot of track time on the car as well. It is a great handling car, and the electronics help to negate the weight.

I also own an ECU tuning company (Veloce Performance), and I have had some seat time in the S class AMG car and they are very good......for what they are......a big, heavy sedan......with alot of HP!

If you are expecting the 'S' class to handle like the SL, you will be dissappointed. It does handle better than the 550 though.

lkirchner

I have an SL 55 and the previous 220 bodied S55. The S55 is an improvement over the normal S but does not come anywhere near the SL. You will get quite a bit of astonished drivers who don't know what the S55/S63 is from an acceleration point of view but don't expect it to be anywhere near the SL55 in terms of handling.

pmrogers

Thanks for the input, guys. So I'm clear now that it is nowhere near the SL.

Can anyone offer comparison to any of the mid size sport sedans? I have extensive time with the 2005 545, 2006 M45, and 2003 E500. Of these, the M has my favorite ride characteristics: somewhat numb steering, but very capable when pushed, and fairly quiet at cruising speeds. The M would probably be my car if it had another 2" of rear legroom and prettier sheet metal.

My hope is that the S63 can match a typical mid-size performance sedan. I remember being pleasantly surprised at how well my 4300lb SL with pano roof did vs. the outgoing 2900lb NSX thanks to the magic of ABC. Is it reasonable to hope for the same (relative) performance make-up with the S63?

Best,
Paul

shaw01

Think this may be a hard one for anyone here to answer since you consider you can get the S63 with the 030 package and it was not avail. on previous AMG S's ... maybe someone with an S65 would have input? I believe they come with with most of the 030 stuff standsard (minus LSD) ..

Doctodd33

i owned a 2003 SL55 for 2 years and upgraded the SL55 rims to the AMG 19", twice drove them in an AMG challenges(not my car though ;-)), and now own an S550 w/ AMG package but without ABC. They are 2 totally different animals in terms of size, weight, suspension. The SL55 had tight handling with the 19's even on the soft mode. The sport mode was tighter but not alot. The s550 is a big, floaty sedan with the current wheels and AMG package. I have taken my s550 around tight corners or highway ramps and i dont feel confident in it at all. But i shouldnt.....it isnt a sports car. I wish i had ABC, but i expect a much better handling car with 20's. I suspect a lowering module will help too, but i dont plan on doing that. I might just get a sports car for whenever i get the urge.

T

whoover

The S65 is surprisingly more nimble than my S55 was. The recalibrated ABC makes the handling more neutral that I imagined it would be for such a heavy car, especially with such a heavy engine. But the car is a joy in the twisties and traction is much better than the S55. Nobody has mentioned it yet, but traction is more of an issue for the SL65 than the S65. I don't know how they did it, but the 220 S65 sticks better than earlier 220s and, from reports, the SL65.

I'm sure you'll find the steering more numb than the M -- it's an MB trait. But you can drive for hours at high speed and get out wanting to drive some more. I've done the 800 mile round trip from San Jose to LA four times in four months because it's way more fun than flying and faster door to door. Other than one stop in Buttonwillow for gas and Starbucks, it's like attending a concert thanks to the DVD MP3 playback.

With the V-12 anyway, the car is ungodly smooth and quiet at any speed. At one point on I-5 I was tempted to point out the clock to my wife (145 MPH), but knew she'd go ballistic and spoil the fun. She had no idea. You can also cruise at redline and your passengers would have no idea. No vibration or noise in the cabin whatsoever.

I assume that the chassis attributes carry over to the W221 S63. While you can't expect the total lack of vibration with even the new AMG V-8, it's bound to be a formidable highway cruiser.

WSH

Doubt anyone will really know until we can actually drive an S63 w/030....

Too many variables vs older SL55/S55/S65 or even curr-gen SL/CL/S-cars....AMG-calibrated ABC 2.0; ?250 lb lighter motor than 65's (over nose of car); 030's wheels are some 30lb lighter than std S63 wheels; bespoke-factory-spec 20" tires calibrated for S63 030; paddleshifter tranny w/AMG-programmed shiftpoints, susp settings, and throttle resp linked to Manual mode vs Sport vs Comfort mode; likely better traction than last-gen 55s and curr-gen 65s; supposedly better brakes/brake pedal feel than prior AMGs; etc etc....

And, when in twisties, I suspect S63's latest-gen AMG sport seats and thick-rimmed, all-leather AMG steering wheel may add to a driver's sense of precision/control.....

Have been quite impressed by handling dynamics/traction of my prior '07 CL550 and curr CL600....and find myself driving as fast/faster in the codger-oriented CL600 (in both twisties and straight-line...and esp in rain) than my prior '07 SL65, b/c IMO 65's traction (even on dry, uneven pavement) was not confidence-inspiring (note 599 has superb traction, even in wet vs 65s)....clearly SL65 has better steering than a non-AMG CL....but, then again, even vs CL600, SL65's brake pedal feel was awful (brakes had great stopping ability/fade resistance, but way too much pedal travel before they'd work).....hopefully, S/CL63 brakes will have pedal feel more similar to those of 997TT PCCB/599 CCM (IMO, the two best braking systems today)....