jdeastbay

I currently have both an e55 and e63. The low end torque of the 55 motor is such a kick in the a.. fun. That's why I have not sold it.

But I'd still take the 63 and it's NA motor as a daily. The compression of the engine both gearing up or down is much more refined and controlled. Overall it's a better experience. Not many engines allow you to stop 100mph+ to a crawl in a short distance without touching the brakes. All the while screaming pure bliss out the quad pipes.

nizzle

I DONT care for the S class really. The tranny in the E55 has a higher torque rating than the E63 opposite of what someone claimed earlier.

SL55_Forever

Very convincing argument.

SPCJOHNSON

what can i expect in maintenance on each of these cars? is one more reliable then the others?

i would use this car as a DD on nice days. on bad weather or winter i would let it sit in a garage and i currently only drive about 9,000 miles a year so i would guess i would only drive the MB maybe 5-7,000 a year and i dont want to only be driving to the dealership and back.

when purchasing one of these what are some big red flags? i would like to get one where the previous owner was a enthusiast and paid attention to detail on everything (probably forum member) with proper mods to help the car run better but not heavily modified.

of course i would check carfax's and get a PPI done, at what mileage should i shy away from each of these 70k+ ?

2008AMG63

From Wikipedia:


Quality rankings
Objective measures looking at passenger vehicles, such as J. D. Power surveys, demonstrated a downturn in the quality and reliability ratings of Mercedes vehicles in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By mid-2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality, a measure of problems after the first 90*days of ownership, according to J.D. Power.] In J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing from 25th to 5th place, for the first time surpassing quality leader Toyota, and earning several awards for its models.[23] For 2008, Mercedes-Benz's initial quality rating improved by yet another mark, to fourth place.[24] On top of this accolade, it also received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes’ Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant.[24] J.D. Power's 2011 US Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability Studies both ranked Mercedes-Benz vehicles above average in build quality and reliability.[25][26] In the 2011 UK JD Power Survey, Mercedes cars rated above average (scoring ahead of both BMW and Audi, but trailing behind in its quality rating to the industry leader Lexus, as has been the case in all previous years).[27]
[edit]

arcd63

I have noticed that, despite the many many discussions of the e55 vs the e63 AMG's on various MB forums, it is rarely, if ever, pointed out the correlation of the transmission with torque:

The e55 used the 5 speed transmission, not because there wasn't a more gear equipped one available, but rather because of its ability to rangle masses amounts of torque- 796 to be exact; whereas the naturally aspired 6.2L e63, producing less torque but more horsepower than the e55, could much better be mated with the current 7 speed.

I have also noticed that many seem to state that a key point in deciding between the e55 and e63 should be whether you plan any modifications or not. There is no more important single thing to take note of than this overlooked torque transmission issue in that decision:

If you ARE planning on doing modifications, but really like the 63, and now that many more options are available to do so now, due to the availability of parts, etc, DO NOT assume that you can just mod it out like guys do their e55's-- the 7 speed transmission of the e63, although much more efficient and smoother, can ONLY handle 542 pound feet of torque--which already at a hefty torque level, will rapidly approach the tranny's limits, even with slight mods like exhaust, chips, and gear ratios.

So, if you do plan on modding the 63, I would consider taking into account the cost of a different transmission as well!

Keep up the great discussions, and being new, I should have said hello first!

Cheers!

W210

That's a very good point, thinking of tuning the 2012 E550 4matic twin turbo, wondering if the transmission can take the 600+ pound feet of torque from the tune.

Sorry going a little off topic.

skinnes72

CLS55 is one of the best looking Benz ever built. It would be my choice if starting over.

xlr8tin

Wow, good point