When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Mercedes Benz E55 AMG Review: Final thoughts and impressions
I have been browsing the forums regularly but not much of a poster. Recently I passed along my E55 AMG to my father after ownership for 6 years. I have used the AMG as a daily driver and have enjoyed owning her. I'd like to give my final impressions of the car for anyone considering / pondering the idea of getting one of these beautiful beasts.
For a quick background, car's I have owned or previously owned includes:
1. 1998 BMW M3 Sedan, manual
2. 2007 BMW 335i Coupe, 6 speed manual
3. 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
4. 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, 6 speed manual
5. 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo, 5 speed manual
6. 2003 Porsche 911 Turbo, 6 speed manual
7. 2008 Mini Cooper S, 6 speed manual
8. 2011 Ranger Rover Sport
9. 2002 BMW M3, 6 speed manual
Out of all the cars I have owned, there is no real direct comparison to the E55. Prior to the E55, I had the Cayenne Turbo. I initially made the change looking for a little more sportiness and driver involvement, while still being somewhat of a driver’s car and being able to seat 4 adults comfortably for the long drives / road trips.
After selling the Cayenne and getting into the AMG, the car immediately put a big smile on my face. The torque and straight line speed was addicting. The Cayenne Turbo could not compare in any way. I knew I made the right decision immediately.
After the nostalgia of owning the car had passed, I began to test what else the AMG had to offer. I never tracked the AMG like I did with the M3, 911s, and the 944, but I took it on many spirited canyon runs. Sadly, I was very disappointed with the AMGs handling. It’s not fair to compare it to the “sports cars” I’ve owned, but comparing it to the Cayenne Turbo, I would have assumed it would perform much better, especially comparing the sedan to a big heavy SUV. Surprisingly, the Cayenne Turbo felt much better on the twisties. The steering response on the AMG was numb in comparison to the Cayenne and the electronic brakes felt very artificial. Whereas with the Cayenne Turbo, the steering felt immediate and responsive (for an SUV… or even comparing to my 335i the Cayenne Turbo had a much better steering response accuracy). The acceleration did not feel drastically different on the curves. In no way did the Cayenne feel underpowered, and most of the time I still had to feather the throttle out of the turns. The power advantage that the E55 had over the AMG did not give it any advantage on those curvy mountain roads.
So far 1 point goes to the E55 for downright straight line speed and acceleration, and 1 point goes to the Cayenne Turbo for overall handling and steering response.
(Yes, I know, some people will probably call blasphemy and give their 2 cents that a big, heavy SUV with a higher center of gravity can’t possibly handle better than the E55, but unless you’ve owned both of these you truly won’t know). On a side note, I had the chance to take the Cayenne GTS on the track at the Auto Club Speedway at Fontana, and that thing blew me away. I could not believe Porsche could get an SUV to handle that good.
As for long drives and road trips, the Cayenne has the advantage for its ability to load up the mountain bikes (inside the car with the seats folded) and the snowboards. For real life driving situations, the Cayenne had more than enough power to cruise or overtake cars without a problem, so no real difference or advantage having the AMG over the Cayenne in these situations.
2 points for the Cayenne Turbo, and 1 point for the E55 AMG so far.
For overall appearance and attractiveness, this is completely subjective, but in general most people would find the E55 AMG the more appealing car. However, I had more comments and compliments on the Cayenne Turbo with both car enthusiasts and “ordinary” people alike. Actually, I got a few more somewhat negative remarks from people asking why I went with an “E Class sedan”. And although the AMG brand is now known to the masses, unless I tell them it’s an AMG, some coworkers would not even know the difference and a few have told me “You’re a young guy, why not go for a BMW M3 that fits more your generation? That Mercedes kind of makes you appear older than you really are.” Obviously these are stereotypical responses, but nonetheless, this is what stereotype the Mercedes gave me. (Kind of like how some would probably stereotype a dude driving a VW Convertible Beetle and assume he is probably gay… not that there is anything wrong with being gay or driving a Convertible VW Beetle).
The Cayenne Turbo on the other hand gave more of a presence (and maybe it’s not a fair comparison as I had 22” Sport Techno wheels, while the AMG was stock aside from a slight air suspension drop with wheel spacers). So for this category, I would give it a tie.
Lastly, overall crowd that these cars attract. (Please don’t bash me for saying this, but this is just the impressions I get from owning both of these cars).
The Cayenne Turbo does not really have a crowd or enthusiast following. It’s mostly a hyped up Porsche SUV for soccer moms that will rarely ever see anything more than a gravel road.
As for the E55 AMG, there’s a strong following and a very broad mix of enthusiasts.
From what I have mostly observed, the E55 AMG attracts the “drag racing crowd” and not more of the “road and track crowd”. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this car appealing more to the drag racing crowd as I know first hand this car unfortunately handles like it wasn’t meant to driven on the the twisties. This car was meant to be an Autobahn cruise missile, which it does very well and with authority. Sadly, with the prices of these cars coming down, we’re beginning to see “riced out” “mickey mouse” and “how low can you go” versions of these cars. (Again, to each their own, but for me and most people, it’s not our cup of tea).
What about comparing the E55 to the other cars I’ve owned? Again, it’s not really a good comparison. Some would even argue why I compared the Cayenne Turbo to the E55. But for my uses, the Cayenne and E55 served as my daily driver, road trips, highway cruiser, and people hauler to the latest chic clubs in Hollywood.
If I could only have one car to drive, what would it be? Of all the above I’ve owned, it would probably be the Cayenne Turbo. If we’re talking new car today, it would most likely be the BMW M3 sedan in 6 speed manual. It’s a great car for hauling people. It can be taken to the track and hold its own. It’s got most of the luxury comforts you would possibly ever really “need”. And most importantly, you can still shift your own gears, heel and toe, and feel good about yourself that you’ve rev-matched perfectly prior to hitting that apex. Unfortunately, no Mercedes can provide me with that satisfaction. I’m sure one day I’ll love to get back into an MB, but unless MB offers a true manual (which will never happen with how good automatics have come along these days), I’ll wait until I’m old and decrepit to get back into an MB and appreciate all that it has to offer.
So what’s my daily driver now? The 2002 E46 BMW M3. It’s not the fastest of the bunch, but it gives me one of the greatest sensations and rewards of driving the car up to it’s 8,000 RPM redline while still being able to seat 4 adults in a pinch. For the long haul and utility use, the 2011 Range Rover Sport takes over.
The E55 isn't a "cornering" master, that's for sure. I I'm not a drag racer and don't find any interest in it...personal opinion. I have had my E55 on road courses (AMP, Road Atlanta, etc) and was preparing for a disaster in the corners. It really does handle like a dog on the street, I can't figure out why. On high speed circuits the car feels different. The handling is extremely sharp and the car rotates quite quickly for having so many "nannies". I have been able to hang with some Z06's in the corners as well as a Cayman GTS around AMP. I'm sure tire compound, proper alignment and tire temps all play a roll in this but my car will tear your face off. My father has a stock '06 and has a OE Alignment on the car and just doesn't turn in. I have quite a bit of camber, toe and caster dialed in.
I wasn't impressed with the handling until I hit the track and dialed in the alignment.
FYI- you can rev match this transmission. It takes a little practice but it's possible.
2004 W211 E55 AMG >>gone but not forgotten > W123 280E > W124 E280 > W126 380SE
Thanks for sharing this excellent and honest appraisal of your time with the E55. And told from the perspective of a motoring enthusiast respecting the merits of all platforms rather than a brand fanboy. Certainly the first time (and probably last) I have seen it compared to a Cayenne but it especially highlights the the uninspired handling which has always been the W211's achilles heel.
You really should test drive a w211 E63 AMG wagon. Seriously. The w211 E55 and E63 are _very_ different cars in handling, brake feel, power delivery, etc. And with the wagon, you have more cargo capacity than a Cayenne. Heck, I just put our Christmas tree in there with plenty of room to spare.
You're right about the Cayenne GTS - I was very close to buying one (with MT), but in the end I just couldn't bring myself to buy an SUV.
Great honest review, and your list of cars owned is basically everything on my list to own, except I substituted your mini cooper with my GTI.
I've been shopping these cars for sometime as I'm in need of a 4 door due to my 8 month old son, and with me keeping my GTI as a daily I wanted a completely different driving experience. I've driven BMW's and love them and agree, they are masters of handling, but I've been spoiled by Volkswagen with their down low, almost lag free torque. BMW's, to me, are the Honda's of the Euro world. They are blast to drive but you have to ring out the RPM's to get the most out of them. I drove an E55 for the first time recently and was sold solely on the 1 point you gave it, the motor and straight line performance. I agree the steering felt numb and the brake pedal felt odd compared to my "economy" hatchback. But oh the noises this car makes and it's ability to turn 295's in the rear to smoke at 50mph is all I need, that and a comfy family cruiser.
2004 E55 AMG, 2006 CLS63, 2004 ML55, 2014 E350 sport
MB stiffled this cars handling (and numbed the feel) with the factory wheel alignment setup. These cars can be made to handle significantly better without even buying a coilover set and get rid of alot of the numbness you lot are talking about!
Most of the crappy handling is purely related to the stock wheel alignment and non adjustable bolts and top ball joints etc etc. This can all be fixed and cheaply aswell!!
I'll keep stating this until im blue in the face.... But I doubt its going to get though to most of you mericans with the majority of you more interested in going fast in a straight line!!!
The car will never be a porsche but it can certainly be improved upon a great deal.
Last edited by austingtir; 12-07-2015 at 12:09 AM.
2004 W211 E55 AMG >>gone but not forgotten > W123 280E > W124 E280 > W126 380SE
Originally Posted by austingtir
MB stiffled this cars handling (and numbed the feel) with the factory wheel alignment setup. These cars can be made to handle significantly better without even buying a coilover set and get rid of alot of the numbness you lot are talking about!
Most of the crappy handling is purely related to the stock wheel alignment and non adjustable bolts and top ball joints etc etc. This can all be fixed and cheaply aswell!!
The car will never be a porsche but it can certainly be improved upon a great deal.
Please share - I would love to read a post on "How to Improve E55 Handling (without Coilovers)" or "Guide to Making an E55 Handle Significantly Better".
Basically sway bar mod, upper ball joint mod and 4 w211 crash bolts so you can move the wheels as far back in the arch as possible (remove castor) by adjusting the front angled arm then set camber with the inline arm.
You need the upper ball joint mod and the crash bolts in combination imo as you want to remove as much castor as possible.
All this can easily be done for a couple hundred bucks if you have an electric drill etc etc. You dont even "need" to remove the sway bar to drill it. Its "possible" to do on the car.
12-02-2015 | 02:28 PM
