I'm trying to find out if there is a handling difference between years on the W212? I found a 2011 E63 AMG locally that looks pretty nice and since it is the last year of the NA V8, I feel more comfortable about it from a reliability and cost of ownership standpoint, although my heart wants the TT, and even though the car is pre-facelift, it isn't terrible looking by any means. I found a Motor Trend article on the 2011 E63 AMG where they said they liked the "sharper, sportier dynamics" of the CTS-V and M5 better but I don't think a 2011 CTS-V is that great, it certainly isn't better than my 2016 SS sedan I'm thinking of getting rid of for an E63. So, that does not sound like something I want. Then I found another Motor Trend article comparing the 2014 E63 to the M5 and they liked the E63 better. Did something in the suspension change in the facelift also that made the E63 go from a "belligerent muscle car" to a car besting BMW at its own game? Or did the M5 just get worse to where the E63 is better?

 

Just a couple threads to consider to help answer your question:

2013 vs 2014 e63 - which one to get (rwd vs awd)

AWD vs RWD - some things to consider

 

I think Peter has in on the money, the rwd/awd difference and the engines. I considered a 2011 E63 when I was looking to upgrade my 03 E55, drove a couple and they didn't feel like I thought they would. The engine needs to be spun out and it's 'sporty' feel happens high in the rev range, which is glorious in a straight line, but I didn't get the sense I would enjoy it as much on more technical handling roads. It indeed felt heavier than my 2014 E63 (which is what I eventually settled on) despite being a few hundred pounds lighter without the AWD stuff.

When I was younger I was into heavily modified Subarus and those AWD systems are less than ideal from a track perspective, they did just fine on track but you felt all of the wheels fighting traction and it was a little less predictable. The AWD in the E63 is really nice, it doesn't feel like an AWD car if that makes sense. I think that might be why the handling perception is better, it feels more nimble with grip and there is just so much low end torque coming out of corners where the RWD E63 would be unsettled until it straightened out a bit. I hated that about my E55, it made so much power down low but it was almost impossible to keep the traction light from coming on and annoyingly cutting power.

The M5s seem to keep losing character as the generations get on, I had two E39 M5s and those were the pinnacle in my mind, the V10 after that was too unreliable and now they are piping engine sound into the cabin....I still have my '95 M3, only two more years until I can get collector plates for it here in WA!

You're in a warmer climate though so grip is probably less of an issue than in the cold, damp PNW...

Definitely drive both, but I really fell in love with the facelift, it just does everything well.

 

Ok, the RWD vs. AWD makes sense. I didn’t remember seeing anything on here about suspension changes so that’s why those two articles caught my attention with how they described the cars. I really do want the 14+ as on paper it is much more likely to be what I’m looking for and hopefully better than my SS sedan performance wise but all the “extras” the E class has and the twin-turbo engine have always scared me a bit to own with no warranty. I do all my own work so it isn’t like I’ll be paying retail for anything I can do but I’m just so sick of spending money on cars and still not getting the results I want.

 

2011 vs 2014+:

same electronic dampening system with springs up front and bags in the rear ... definitely some minor tweaks up until AWD and then likely a few more minor tweaks due to awd implementation but largely handling improvement was due to awd implementation imho

re: spending money on a losing horse ... that is entirely in your control.

 

I'm still coming up to speed on these. The car I just bought has both rear shocks leaking so I've been learning about the wonderful Monroe supplied shocks on these cars. The number on my car crosses to a "without sport suspension" shock. There is also a "with sport suspension" shock. Mine is an S model. Not sure if the sport suspension was really P30 on the 10-13 cars or if there was some optional suspension on even the S model. I can say I don't need it any stiffer.

I find this car handles like it weighs 3500 lbs. It's only 199 lbs lighter than my S550 but they feel WORLDS apart in terms of handling/weight. It's not even close (obviously).

 

I'd say this description is relatively accurate. It's a double-edged sword. The AWD in the E63 is oriented towards on-road performance - in the dry. It is not intended for snow, etc. It "works" in the snow, but not as well as other AWD systems. But, the trade off is that you get excellent handling and cornering for such a large car in the dry weather. This car hides its weight very well.