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Picking up my recently purchased 2014 CPO E63 tomorrow after having driven my E55 for the last eight years. The E55 was such a great car I'm know I'm going to miss it but hoping the E63 will be just that much better.
Been lurking on the forum for awhile getting educated a little but it would be interesting to hear from others about what I'm going to think about this new one since I have yet to drive it. Bought it from a dealer over a thousand miles away, sight unseen and had it shipped with delivery tomorrow.
Oh yeah. The 2006, silver, "55" is still in the garage if anyone is interested.
Hi!!!
Came from an 06 E55 tuned and here are my thoughts:
- I miss the torque...
-E55 was bulletproof and felt more solid. No creaks or rattles.
-and that's about it...
The e63 feels like a superior car in all other aspects. It fees much lighter, smaller, more intimate. The power stays strong and you can stay in one gear, 2nd, forever throughout the city. The interior is far superior. The looks are superior. The handling is almost night and day vs the e55. The technology far superior. I also like the note of the engine better and the gearbox is also superior.
They have come a long way. I'm hooked to German cars now, would not drive anything else. The 5.5 TT engine is amazing, pulls like a freight train, the faster you go the faster it wants to go, the E55 runs out of steam a little bit at the higher RPMS.
we had gotten a 2005 E55 just about 2 years ago and it was GREAT!!! while it worked... enter the E63 S...
overall the new car is definitely much more smooth and refined than the E55 i think. that supercharged V8 though, damn do i miss it. that twin screw blower just gives it that instantaneous shove that the more gradual progression of boost building simply does not. the E55 feels like it just has a BIG f**king engine up there, the 63 (biturbo at least can't speak for the N/A 6.2) feels like it has a smaller turbocharged engine, despite being the same size. my initial impression was that it really didn't pull that hard until some boost built up. mind you it's full boost at just like 2000 rpm so there's really almost no delay. the newer car is undoubtedly faster and better handing. even though it's actually like over 400 lbs heavier it doesn't feel like it is at all. if anything maybe even a bit lighter, partly due to the steering that's much lighter and easier to turn at low speeds.
i think the actual engine (not exhaust) in the 55 sounds MUCH better than the 63. much more angry and mean sounding, plus you get that characteristic belt chirp that signals the arrival of imminent fun! the 55 feels and sounds more like a muscle car, whereas with the 63 you really can't hear the engine at all. especially with those exhausts that can't be quieted, although i'm definitely not complaining because they sound sick. i do however lose a bit of pride in that exhaust note because i know it only sounds like that because AMG put a lot of effort into making that sound... in the E55 though it sounds like that because that's just the sound of supercharged 5.5 liter 8 cylinder german POWAAHHH
don't get me wrong though the 63 is an INCREDIBLE car, like really really good lol. if anything it's gotten a bit too good, and in becoming so refined it's lost a bit of the theatre and drama i feel so characterizes the ol' V8 kompressor. only a bit though, and it definitely makes up for it with exhaust and turbo noises. plus the 4matic and rear seats that fold down make it infinitely more practical than the 55. the 63 is undoubtedly a more usable and certainly more fuel efficient car, also it can parallel park itself (quite well in fact), turn on and off the high beams automatically, rotate the headlights to follow the curve, and stay still at a light without needing to have a foot on the brake pedal. do i even need to mention the potential to be gained and how easy it is to get tuned?
If the 5.5 supercharged v8 from the 55 alone was transplanted into the current e63s 4matic with the 7mct you would likely have just as strong of a modern muscle car as the e63s with the v8TT
The w211 e55 guys ... Much like the w204 c63 guys... Have developed such a cult following .. It'll have to take something impressive to knock them all off their feet in the future...
Enjoy picking up the car, I've had my E63S for a bit over a month now, so thoughts on E55 vs. E63S:
1) From a performance standpoint, E63S > E55 in every relevant category: braking, acceleration, handling. Just point the car and go, easier to drive.
2) Does everything in #1 with a lot less drama, car is more composed but almost too quiet except for cold start. S/C clutch chirp, startup whine were really hallmarks of that car.
3) E55 has better steering feedback, but that's to be expected since it doesn't need to park itself or keep itself in lane with distronic. Also enjoyed the launch in the E55 better and smoking tires, although top end was crappy
4) The newer car has the far better interior of course, although what is up with the deletion of the passenger's side massage seat, suspension raise button and the new pano shade Car should be adding features not deleting them...
5) No 4-way climate control in the E63S Is it even available?
Long story short, the newer car is amazing and more refined, but with less drama and personality -- MB did a hell of a job engineering it. I'm saying that now, but in 3 years might be swapping out pano motors and installing downpipes to get rid of clogged primary cats, who knows
I miss my E55 it was a great car, but since having put 22k miles on my E63 S i havent looked back!! In every way the S is better as it should be its almost 10 years newer haha that being said, the only thing i miss from the 55 like stated above is that SC engine, but the TT V8 is amazing! to be honest i do miss the look of the W211 body style, i like the curvyness a little better i think! but congrats on your CPO E63 !! looking forward to pics
The w211 e55 guys ... Much like the w204 c63 guys... Have developed such a cult following ..
you got me, i confess!!
the E55 is just a "cooler" car i think. you can get the AMG styling and wheels on a normal E350 these days, and the new amg "quad tips" are literally just the standard bumper integrated exhaust with something stuck in the middle. also an E550 has a twin turbo V8 and the 63 feels for the most part like a faster version of that, and the 550 is already pretty quick... to go from the E500 to the E55 the engine was not only bigger it was also supercharged so you got MUCH more power and a different, more exciting power delivery.
also i can't believe they removed the dynamic passenger seat... hearing someone's first time reaction to the bolster tightening is priceless, i think the european models of the E63 still can get a dynamic passenger seat though. why not here damn it?!? also i love how in the 55 they called the transmission "speedshift" even though it's like one of the slowest shifting transmissions lol... but that somehow just makes it more amusing of a car. you also get to say to people that they HAD to use the five speed because there's too much torque, and that you basically share an engine and transmission with the SLR
Picked up the car yesterday morning and haven't gotten out since. Have to agree with most of the comments here as being accurate in comparing the E55 to the 63. The 55 was/is a great car and the 63 is a ten year improvement in almost every way. Parked side by side in my garage the differences are readily apparent. The 55 sits lower and is noticeably smaller overall with much smaller tires. The interior is much improved over the 55 which is saying something as the 55 interior was very nice. The SC engine in the 55 feels more responsive with a bit more grunt at lower rpms while the TT pulls harder the faster you go and really pulls hard up top. Handling goes to the 63 all day. Overall, I'll miss the 55, it's a lot of car but, I think it will be just a fond memory after driving the 63 for awhile. Also, the 63 is Cardinal Red which I have never seen before and just looks awesome.
There was a thread not too long ago in the w211 amg section ... 99.5% of the responders knocking the ugliness of the new e63S and preaching about the superiority of the e55... Mostly in the "timeless" looks department.
It was definitely a cult discussion of which I was quickly asked to stop participating in. I knew I was in over my head when all concurred the new e63 looked no different than an accord.
There was a thread not too long ago in the w211 amg section ... 99.5% of the responders knocking the ugliness of the new e63S and preaching about the superiority of the e55... Mostly in the "timeless" looks department.
It was definitely a cult discussion of which I was quickly asked to stop participating in. I knew I was in over my head when all concurred the new e63 looked no different than an accord.
I wouldn't go as far as to say they resemble an Accord but would agree that my 2006 E55 may be a better looking design in some aspects than the 2014 E63. One thing I'm not find of is the huge three pointed star in the middle of the grill. Something a little more understated would have appealed to me. But, with the Genisis, Accord and some others taking their styling cues from MB I suppose the huge star in the grill is something the others can't copy and sets them apart.
At least in Distronic's case, the huge three pointed star is functional.
One of the best things about the front end of the w211 is the hood ornament and 4 lights -- timeless, as others have said. Although, hood ornament on w212 facelift would look silly.
FF. W212 E63 M156 non-pano 18" P2 ParkT NightV (gone but will be missed).
It's unfortunate that signature 4 lights were lost with the facelifted E. However, they will probably return again in a decade or so. Even worse, it seems the next all-new E-class will be a smaller version of the S-Class. MB's designing dept needs to clean up such a russian-egg designing trend. I don't like the way it is heading.
Bringing an old thread back to get an update. I'm looking to go from my '05 E55 into a 2014-2016 E63s Wagon, just wanted to see how folks felt a few years later into their ownership experiences. My e55 has been a joy, but I'm looking to consolidate my e55 and my Q7 into one car, so the E63s wagon or GLS63 are on my short list. I wanted to get a heads up on comparable maintenance costs and other tips you might suggest comparing my e55, which has been relatively trouble free, to a 4-6 year old E63s wagon. One specific question I have concerns the Carbon Ceramic Brakes and whether or not I should try avoiding cars with this option since repair costs look like they can get up to $12k to replace pads and rotors (I know you can also convert to aftermarket steel rotors). From looking around this forum, it looks like rotors should last 100k, and pads should be replaced at about 50% wear at around $500 a set. I didn't see what the life expectancy of a set of pads would be. I don't plan on tracking the car, or tuning it, since it's my daily driver, but I don't want to pass on a good car just because they have CCBs. Thanks!
Bringing an old thread back to get an update. I'm looking to go from my '05 E55 into a 2014-2016 E63s Wagon, just wanted to see how folks felt a few years later into their ownership experiences. My e55 has been a joy, but I'm looking to consolidate my e55 and my Q7 into one car, so the E63s wagon or GLS63 are on my short list. I wanted to get a heads up on comparable maintenance costs and other tips you might suggest comparing my e55, which has been relatively trouble free, to a 4-6 year old E63s wagon. One specific question I have concerns the Carbon Ceramic Brakes and whether or not I should try avoiding cars with this option since repair costs look like they can get up to $12k to replace pads and rotors (I know you can also convert to aftermarket steel rotors). From looking around this forum, it looks like rotors should last 100k, and pads should be replaced at about 50% wear at around $500 a set. I didn't see what the life expectancy of a set of pads would be. I don't plan on tracking the car, or tuning it, since it's my daily driver, but I don't want to pass on a good car just because they have CCBs. Thanks!
People are saying, if you race your car on tracks, CCB would be useful.
I won't be tracking the wagon, since it'll be my daily driver. Just want to know what to expect in terms of maintenance costs compared to my e55, which has been relatively bullet proof and surprisingly low cost maintenance wise.
05-15-2015, 02:34 PM
Car should be adding features not deleting them...
