I thought I would give a preliminary review of my 2007 E63 AMG, after only about 200 miles. I am comparing my E63 (with P2 package) to my beloved 2003 E55 AMG and its features, and stock engine. I realize that some of the features I list as new to the E63 may have been added to newer E55s than mine.

Styling
I was not that impressed with the styling of the front end of the E63 when I looked at the pictures of it. In person, however, looking at an E63 and E55 side-by-side, it is easy to see the improvements in the new front design. The front end really looks great compared to the E55. If you are going to eventually comply with the law and put on a front license place, the pointy front end of the E63 is no longer noticeable because it is hidden behind the license plate. Overall, the E63’s front end is a bolder, more aggressive, and better looking than the E55.

Added Features of the E63
Paddle shifting is a big improvement. Much easier to use than old buttons. Does not need to be in “M” mode to activate. Can be used to limit gears to certain range (for example 1 – 4)
Telescoping steering wheel, in addition to tilt.
64/40 Folding rear seat. Great for carrying big items like bicycles inside the car. A feature I have loved since my first SAAB 99GL.
Ski pass through into trunk.
Spare tire (must be inflated).
12v power outlet in the trunk.
Cornering lights. The fog lights illuminate one at a time at night when turning to help brighten the front corners. This seems to be of little benefit.
Headlight washing system.
Black headliner. My old headliner was gray. The new black one is much more attractive. Im sure that other interior colors have different colored headliners.
More attractive instrumentation/dashboard.
More comfortable seats with softer leather. They now have an attractive suede leather insert at the two upper shoulder blade areas.
Auxiliary jack for audio in glove compartment.
Race Timer feature that allows for self-timing of multiple laps of a racecourse.
On screen indication of current gear.
Rims are two-tone. There is a new pewter gray color (similar to the color of the brake dust) on parts of the rims. I think this will help keep the stock rims looking clean for longer. I think its an improvement.
Locking and unlocking the car causes small chirp from alarm.

Missing Features of the E63
Engine noise. I liked the supercharger sound of the E55. The engine sound at idle is very subdued on the E63, and not indicative of its power.
Center console loses pretty much all of its valuable storage. There are 2 good cupholders, but very little additional storage in this area.
Interior a/c cooling fan after engine is turned off is gone. No longer is there a button for this on the a/c controls. No great loss.
Seats no longer have massage feature. No great loss.
Seats no longer have an optional feature that inflates one side of the seat during hard cornering. No great loss.

Other
I think the Navigation system is not as user-friendly as in some cars. The street names on the maps are not labeled that well, the gas stations listed are not very current, and there is no birds-eye view option or 3d option like some other cars have (Infiniti M35 for example). I can not compare this feature to my E55 because I did not have Navigation.

Of course, the thing that all E55 owners really want to know is how the speed of the E63 compares to the E55. In preliminary testing, my highly inaccurate “butt dyno” indicates that the E63 is going to be very similar in ¼ and 0-60 times to the E55. Like you have already heard before, the E63’s power is less of an instant kick-in-the-butt like the E55, and more of a seamless and linear rocket motor delivery of power.

The E63 is an overall improvement compared the E55. There are many small nice new features, and the missing or changed features are not big negatives. The engine is great, and has lots of power. It is lower in torque that the E55, but torque isn’t everything in acceleration, or we would see more diesel race cars.

If it has not already been published elsewhere by then, at least we will have an independent ¼ mile test on September 15th when I take the car to California Speedway for testing.

 

Great write-up. Good points and comparisons. Sounds like you are happy with the car, which really is the only thing that matters. Needless to say, keep us posted on the numbers when you do test. How about some side by side pics since you have the perfect combo for cross comparing (assuming the '03 E55 isn't gone as yet)? Thanks again.

 

good review... can't wait to meet you and see your E63 in person on the 15th.

 

Ditto... I think you win the award for most unbiased review yet... I can't wait to see it in person... especially the front end.

See you soon!



Loren

 

Thanks, BlkE63AMG .

My own guesstimate has been that the many refinements in the new E63 will or should make up for the loss of the supercharged 5.5 in the old E55....

Although tires will make a difference - as well as breaking- in those tires - do you get a sense that the -63 has slightly sharper handling and/or steering than with the -55?

 

And on the tire subject... how much easier is it to launch the car without wheel spin now that the low end torque has moved up the power band? For example, with traction control off... is it still a tire shredder, or does it handle things much better?



Loren

 

2 ML63's + 4 veyrons...how many E63 have you ordered?

 

But I don't think you hit on handling. How does the E63 drive (steering feedback, cornering, stability) compared to the E55?

 

Great write up, thanks!

 

Congrats on the car. Quite a few of the added features you mention were on my 06 E55.

 

I do still have my E55 and will try to post a picture showing it side-by-side with my E63. I dont think the picture does it justice. Its much better in person.

While I have dipped into the impressive power of the E63 and floored it from a roll, I have taken pity on my brand new friend and not floored it from a dead stop. I can not comment on the car’s ability to launch without shredding the tires yet. I want to get a little more mileage on it before doing so…probably next week. I hope to do some informal side by side “testing” of my 2 cars, if the logistics can be worked out, possibly with video documentation.

Regarding the handling and steering, it seems great, even better than the E55. However, this is another “butt dyno” kind of conclusion… I did not do back-to-back testing on the same set of curves with both cars. Take my assessment for what its worth. It handles great. The steering feels better. I love it.

As an aside, while the M5 may be universally acknowledged to be a more sporting sedan with better steering that the E55 and E63, I am so happy to be in my E63. I’m a guy who loves to shift gears, but I could not stand the SMG transmission on the M5. I think the E63 moves a notch closer to the sportiness of the M5, compared to the E55. Again, this is just a very subjective opinion.

I also prefer both the exterior and interior styling of the E63 over the Bangle-styled M5. This not a bash against the M5 at all. It’s a great car by all acounts. To each his own. The E63 was the right choice for me.

PS…I just have to ask what FIXEDupW209 he meant by this non sequitur:
“2 ML63's + 4 veyrons...how many E63 have you ordered?”
What in the h*ll are you talking about, FIXEDupW209?

 

Seats no longer have massage feature. No great loss.
Seats no longer have an optional feature that inflates one side of the seat during hard cornering. No great loss.

The dynamic seats is one of the things I really like with the E55.
I drive windy country roads every day to the office,and I think it was one of the better driver features on the car.

 

Glad to see things are staying civil. It allllmost got out of control a few weeks ago, but looks like it's all settling down.

I think this is great. We got E63's taking it to M5's on the track/ Autobahn and E55's rockin the stoplights.

It's all good. E63 M5

 

"I drive windy country roads every day to the office,and I think it was one of the better driver features on the car."

I am jealous of your commute. I WISH I had a curve on my way to work in L.A.!

The Dynamic Seats did offer good extra side bolstering when needed, without the constant pressure there when not needed, which was a good system. My perspective on the Dynamic Seats reflects the fact that I rarely was able to use them. To me, it was no great loss.

The new seats do have good adjustments, and side bolstering, just not the active feature in the Dynamic Seats.

 

I LOVE the Dynamic seats & the massage features as well... I had that on my 05 E500 Sport, I was in a hurry to buy my Silver 06 E55 w/out this option. Needless to say, 4 months 11.7K miles later, I ditched it for a Black one w/Dynamic seats, PANO & SIRUS.

 

I'm doing an E63 wagon for the States -- just one planned at this point in time.

 

very nice....

run em side by side and report back....

 

I really like the nose on the E63. As someone else mentioned, some of the features on your 07 were on my 06.



Do you have a dragstrip near you? That would be the ideal location. Get a number in each car.



I don't follow MBWorld.org drama too closely, but it seems that ClayJ claims to have like 1000000 cars and many people think he is full of **** and just some loser living a fantasy life on message boards. FixedupW209's comment was directed at him.

 

The new E63 has Dynamic Seats still as an option. I saw a silver one with Dynamic seats and a pano at my dealer last week.

 

It's great in the 3 seasons...winter though is another story.
I do have one long nicely banked right-hand corner that I am taking faster now in the E55 than I could in the M3.I think the seats hugging you in makes it easier to concentrate on the corners simply because you aren't having to also think about not slipping around on the seat.

 

I think they still call them dynamic seats becuase of the adjustments, but from what I know, they are no longer active, meaning, they dont adjust in curves.

 

you need to get the adjustable bolsters in your M3 - because you should easily take that turn faster in the M3 than the E55.

 

You should see the ***** I do in my M5 around corners with the Dynamic seats. Sometimes I feel like Rhys Millen, then I realize I'm just an idiot for trying.

 

The next owner of my 03'M3smg will have to do that.I traded that in on the E55.
On flat corners the M3 was faster,on this one banked corner that I drive everyday I can honestly go through it faster with the E55.

 

Nice write up and congrats on the new car. Seems like the 63's fog lights are bigger than the 55's. There's just one thing I don't like about the E63, the headlight housing where the turn signals are located, why the hell MB wants to put lines/blinds or whatever it's called in it? It kind of takes away the smooth and sleek style of the E. Quick question for you E63AMG, when you have time, if you could test fit the E63's city lights into the E55 and see if that works. I saw the E63 @ AMGFest past weekend and the E63's city lights match the Xenon so well, that I want a pair for mine if they work on mine. Thanks.