E63 S or RS7
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From: Dallas, TX
SL63
Based on my M5 I'd say it may be due to the fact that the DCT in the M5 just doesn't want to downshift if left in auto. Hit the gas and it just doesn't want to. You can use the paddles, but there's no "optimal" gear feature like in the MB where if you hold the paddle it will go down to the lowest gear for max acceleration. BMW it just goes down 1 gear no matter what you do. So you have to know what gear you want to be in and hit the paddle multiple times. Once you touch the paddle it takes it out of auto and into manual only mode. Which means no auto upshifting when it hits redline. Otherwise it shifts really quick, it's just not user friendly.
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SL63
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2010 S4 (sold), 2014 E63 S Wagon
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'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
It is just one magazine review, take it with a grain of salt. Even though the M5 won (and I have, and love, my M5) you need to drive each car yourself and figure out if it is the right fit for you. There are so many great options out there for high performance cars. What I prefer may be different from what you prefer. So one road test editor can come to a different conclusion as another. Look at the Motor Trend test between the M5 CP and the E63 S. They loved the fact that the E63 S is AWD and they wanted to have the security of that system in putting down the power compared to the harder to drive fast M5. R&T agreed that the M5 was harder to drive fast, but placed more value on it being more rewarding. Different strokes for different folks..
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From: Vancouver, BC
2014 E63 S
It is just one magazine review, take it with a grain of salt. Even though the M5 won (and I have, and love, my M5) you need to drive each car yourself and figure out if it is the right fit for you. There are so many great options out there for high performance cars. What I prefer may be different from what you prefer. So one road test editor can come to a different conclusion as another. Look at the Motor Trend test between the M5 CP and the E63 S. They loved the fact that the E63 S is AWD and they wanted to have the security of that system in putting down the power compared to the harder to drive fast M5. R&T agreed that the M5 was harder to drive fast, but placed more value on it being more rewarding. Different strokes for different folks..
+ 1
Opinions are necessarily subjective. Case in point is my view of the MCT and BMW's DCT. I currently drive a M3 with a DCT and find it quite fussy for everyday commuter driving. It performs very well on the track and when you are driving the car 9/10, but not so well in traffic IMHO. The MCT was one of the reasons I ordered an E63.
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'11 911 Turbo S, '15 HELLCAT, '07 Escalade, '15 Sienna
+ 1
Opinions are necessarily subjective. Case in point is my view of the MCT and BMW's DCT. I currently drive a M3 with a DCT and find it quite fussy for everyday commuter driving. It performs very well on the track and when you are driving the car 9/10, but not so well in traffic IMHO. The MCT was one of the reasons I ordered an E63.
Opinions are necessarily subjective. Case in point is my view of the MCT and BMW's DCT. I currently drive a M3 with a DCT and find it quite fussy for everyday commuter driving. It performs very well on the track and when you are driving the car 9/10, but not so well in traffic IMHO. The MCT was one of the reasons I ordered an E63.
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'12 E63 Wagon
I took my E63 canyon carving a few weeks ago (yes, I took a wagon canyon carving... the Corvette was getting new tires and I wanted to try it out).
The transmission, in S+ is actually better than when you manually paddle it in M. Its quite a bit of fun. It downshifts while matching with a throttle blip and upshifts at the right time without traction robbing violence.
If you look at the dyno of a M157, the torque is MILES WIDE. There's no "keeping it on boil". Its always on-boil.
If you need the satisfaction of 3 pedals and a stick shift, like me, these turbo v8's are a silly place to try and get it. Find a NA, high spinning motor in a car with two seats (and preferably without a roof). No one *really* wants to ride along while you figure out heel-toe'ing. If monetary reality means buying a 95 Miata, then so be it... go grab a nice 95 Miata for that "drivers car" experience. But also keep an E63 in the quiver. Because when you absolutely positively must get between two places as fast as you can, the E63 is really damn good. The RS7 is also good, but practically speaking, the back seat is silly, and the price... is too much for a VW made with really nice materials. The M6 Gran Coupe I understand... I loved it but couldnt justify the extra money.
The transmission, in S+ is actually better than when you manually paddle it in M. Its quite a bit of fun. It downshifts while matching with a throttle blip and upshifts at the right time without traction robbing violence.
If you look at the dyno of a M157, the torque is MILES WIDE. There's no "keeping it on boil". Its always on-boil.
If you need the satisfaction of 3 pedals and a stick shift, like me, these turbo v8's are a silly place to try and get it. Find a NA, high spinning motor in a car with two seats (and preferably without a roof). No one *really* wants to ride along while you figure out heel-toe'ing. If monetary reality means buying a 95 Miata, then so be it... go grab a nice 95 Miata for that "drivers car" experience. But also keep an E63 in the quiver. Because when you absolutely positively must get between two places as fast as you can, the E63 is really damn good. The RS7 is also good, but practically speaking, the back seat is silly, and the price... is too much for a VW made with really nice materials. The M6 Gran Coupe I understand... I loved it but couldnt justify the extra money.
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From: Montreal, Canada
'19 GLC 63S, '17 911 TTS Cabrio, '16 Viper TA2.0, '15 E63S (sold),'12 Harley CVO 2212cc
My lease on a CTS-V comes up next Oct., so I also wanted to compare the E63s vs the RS7. Last week I tested an E63s and was impressed by the combo of muscular sound, comfort and power of the car. To me the car does not look great, but it's not bad either and I could live with that as long as the performance is there, it has a great stealth/ sleeper factor, and I know it has great tuning potential to unleash the beast. Today I had the chance to test an RS7 and came back with mixed feelings. Altough the car is very competent at everything, rides smoother than the E and has ample power too, I felt it's a bit too buttoned down for me, the exhaust sounds nice but it's more muted than in the E. The fun factor felt better in the AMG. I prefer a car that's more brutal than refined and that's why last summer I bought a Viper instead of a ZR1. Now that I know that I'll go for an AMG S model for the DD car, I want to test a CLS next, as to me it looks better inside and has a sexier body, also wondering what the refreshed 2015 model will have as updates.
Last edited by SilveRT8; Feb 28, 2014 at 12:46 AM.
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'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
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'11 911 Turbo S, '15 HELLCAT, '07 Escalade, '15 Sienna
I had an '09 GT-R for 2 1/2 years before the M5. The M5's DCT is SO much better than the GT-R's. I even had the Cobb LC4/5 updates and it was still very clunky compared to the M5's DCT. As JumpinJim alluded to, the DCT can be annoying when it holds a gear way too long before downshifting in auto mode in the highest sport shift setting. Other than that it is a very smooth and quick tranny. But like I said, people need to drive these cars and see for themselves and not take some magazine editor's word.
For what I use my amg for I don't need a DCT, it up shifts and downshifts fast enough for me in sport plus, and I hardly ever use manual, in my gtr I drive only on manual mode.
I looked at M5 but didn't get one bc they are hard to mod and tune and are not available in awd. It's a great car otherwise and I think aesthetically nicer btw the 2.
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From: San Diego, CA
2005 C55 black on black aka DVS C55, 2007 C230 sport silver on black for the boss
The E63S can still kick the tail if you want it to. If you like to have a little fun from time to time the E63S is the way to go. After that its a coin flip.
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) - thanks!
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'14 E63S & '14 Audi SQ5
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SL63
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From: Edmonton alberta, canada.
Porsche 991 GT3, 2012 cls63 Kleemann K3
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Porsche 991 GT3, 2012 cls63 Kleemann K3
of course it would still disappear next to a black cls.
what is it about mercedes AMG, in any other color but black, it looks like it was made for an 82 year old man?
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
2013 SL63, 2014 E63S Estate, 1995 300ZX Twin Turbo (gone but not forgotten), 2015 SQ5
I like the "sleeper" aspect of the E63S. Let the police follow cars with big spoilers and other "attractants". We have driven high performance station wagons for 15+ years and the police ignore our wagon to follow "more obvious" cars. Only the wheels on her new E63S wagon tend to indicate that it is more than an E350 (and it certainly doesn't look like a Korean rental car!).
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2010 S4 (sold), 2014 E63 S Wagon
So a couple of observations:
1. E63 styling gets 2 while BMW a 4.5 - styling is subjective so I would just count that out
2. handling/steering feel - not consistent with other reviews re MB and Porsche
3. "the five door not only looks better, but handles more neutrally"
4. I can't seem to think that there is something wrong with the Panamera Turbo review... no fan of it, but I would rate it higher than they did for sure
finally, they should have done a review in different conditions... ex. rain....
I am tickled... my wagon will be in last week of March.. getting very excited
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2024 C8 Z06- 2025 BMW CS- 2022 Porsche 992 GTS
i think the E63S with blacked out option and a drop would look pretty sick in person. but it needs dirfferent/wider wheels to give it a more mean stance.
of course it would still disappear next to a black cls.
what is it about mercedes AMG, in any other color but black, it looks like it was made for an 82 year old man?
of course it would still disappear next to a black cls.
what is it about mercedes AMG, in any other color but black, it looks like it was made for an 82 year old man?
Just drove this one the other day.... car looks pretty good and sits nicely but the front end is an acquired taste for me
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2010 S4 (sold), 2014 E63 S Wagon
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From: THE Orange County, California
2024 C8 Z06- 2025 BMW CS- 2022 Porsche 992 GTS
The M6 is strong at speed with the DCT but my short test drive with the 63S clearly tells me whats better from a dig (as expected)....a tuned E63S would be faster than a stock M6 from a roll. The M6 to me, looks great but Im all about change and getting something different and the M157 is so attractive due to tuning and sound... I guess Id probably say the reverse if the E63S was the car Ive had for a while.
Both are great car for different reasons.
