Prospective owner, last remaining questions!
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E63 AMG Estate
Prospective owner, last remaining questions!
Hi all
I’ve been back and forth with this decision!
I’ve come full circle back to the AMG! In my heart of hearts, this is the car that filled me with joy both when I looked at it and drove it.
A few last questions if I could indulge you owners and experts?
1. Long distance v daily driving - can anyone give a opinion or experience on how well the car handles both and your experience of both with the car?
2. Tuning? I am likely to get the standard E63, not the S version - I found this more comfortable for some reason. I would like to possibly get it tuned ideally flashed and I’m not greedy, would like to get it to stock E63S numbers - are there many tuning options?
3. Music streaming - the M5 which I have been looking at had really good music steaming options - what is everyone doing with the Merc? It doesn’t have any, do people use Apple CarPlay? Their phone?
None of these are dealbreakers but I thought I would get peoples experience beforehand!!!
Thanks
I’ve been back and forth with this decision!
I’ve come full circle back to the AMG! In my heart of hearts, this is the car that filled me with joy both when I looked at it and drove it.
A few last questions if I could indulge you owners and experts?
1. Long distance v daily driving - can anyone give a opinion or experience on how well the car handles both and your experience of both with the car?
2. Tuning? I am likely to get the standard E63, not the S version - I found this more comfortable for some reason. I would like to possibly get it tuned ideally flashed and I’m not greedy, would like to get it to stock E63S numbers - are there many tuning options?
3. Music streaming - the M5 which I have been looking at had really good music steaming options - what is everyone doing with the Merc? It doesn’t have any, do people use Apple CarPlay? Their phone?
None of these are dealbreakers but I thought I would get peoples experience beforehand!!!
Thanks
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go fast grocery getter wagon
1. It may come down to the seats you are selecting if comfort is your higher priority. The camp is kind of split between standard vs performance seats, hence, you will need to do another round of test driving if possible to finalize your choice. Other than that, DD is fairly comfortable, however, I do have to admit the M5 seats have a bit more bottom cushion. As for handling in LD/DD, different driving modes will obviously give you different feel of the car. I have no complaints of it on both aspects.
3. I am a radio guy. I have used the MB carplay a few times. For me, it works and that's all I care.
3. I am a radio guy. I have used the MB carplay a few times. For me, it works and that's all I care.
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E63 AMG Estate
Thanks, I’ve been disappointed to hear that massage seats are not available in the U.K. which I think it’s poor.
Also been told today, rear heated seats not available nor heated steering wheel.
I do feel you get more car for your buck with the M5 for sure.
Also been told today, rear heated seats not available nor heated steering wheel.
I do feel you get more car for your buck with the M5 for sure.
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go fast grocery getter wagon
Is it just a delay in offering those missing features for UK market only ? I am in Canada, my only missing really usable feature is the heated steering wheel which is supposed to be available for 19 ..
The bottom line is to go with the car that you enjoy driving on a daily basis, after all, both car's performance is almost dead even. What separating out the two comes down to driving comfort and tech gadgets.
The bottom line is to go with the car that you enjoy driving on a daily basis, after all, both car's performance is almost dead even. What separating out the two comes down to driving comfort and tech gadgets.
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E63 AMG Estate
Is it just a delay in offering those missing features for UK market only ? I am in Canada, my only missing really usable feature is the heated steering wheel which is supposed to be available for 19 ..
The bottom line is to go with the car that you enjoy driving on a daily basis, after all, both car's performance is almost dead even. What separating out the two comes down to driving comfort and tech gadgets.
The bottom line is to go with the car that you enjoy driving on a daily basis, after all, both car's performance is almost dead even. What separating out the two comes down to driving comfort and tech gadgets.
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From: NYC area
2019 E63S wagon; 2016 Landrover Landmark
It's OK to be annoyed, because as a consumer you should at least have the option... but in reality, don't lament the loss of availability of the massage feature. I rarely used it in my '14 AMG wagon as it became a bit of a distraction on the road, even in the longer drives. What kept me going: growling V8 engine storming past the losers that cruise in the passing lane. And FWIW, the sport seats I drove in Europe in the '18 wagon were supremely comfortable, even in long drives. The extended leg support (avail in both sport and non-sport) are a welcome upgrade.
Either way, good luck in your decision and safe driving.
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2024 C8 Z06- 2025 BMW CS- 2022 Porsche 992 GTS
I find this interesting based on all your comments over at the F90 M5 board about how bad the E63S is in regards to ride quality and other things. Did you redrive the E63s once again and overcome those objection(s)?
1. Long distance with the performance seats is just fine for me--- but then again whats the definition of long distance as my longest time in the car was circa 90 minutes.
2. Tuning a non S will most likely bring it equal to the a tuned S... I do believe the only difference between the two powerwise is in a tune so if you tune it, it will get a bigger gain than an S and lift it up. Compare this to tuning a turbo s and a non S- the tunes override the current software and bring them to about equal (991.1)
3. I use a bluetooth Ipod in my car and it works fine, it takes a few seconds to connect but once its connected its good to go. If I use the same Ipod via a USB cord, the requests to forward and reverse are terrible slow and almost borderline annoying (10 seconds or more). Thus I only use BT.
1. Long distance with the performance seats is just fine for me--- but then again whats the definition of long distance as my longest time in the car was circa 90 minutes.
2. Tuning a non S will most likely bring it equal to the a tuned S... I do believe the only difference between the two powerwise is in a tune so if you tune it, it will get a bigger gain than an S and lift it up. Compare this to tuning a turbo s and a non S- the tunes override the current software and bring them to about equal (991.1)
3. I use a bluetooth Ipod in my car and it works fine, it takes a few seconds to connect but once its connected its good to go. If I use the same Ipod via a USB cord, the requests to forward and reverse are terrible slow and almost borderline annoying (10 seconds or more). Thus I only use BT.
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From: Southern California
2018 E63S AMG
I don't use the massage function myself much around town and on my short drive to work and back. Mainly I turn it on when showing the car to friends when they first get a ride in it.
But on longer drives the feature is certainly welcome. I used the heck out of it on my cross country drive from Maryland to California. Really made a difference when I was in the seat for several hours at a time.
But, would I have bought the car without it? Yes, certainly. I was really on the fence between these seats and the performance seat. I'm happy with my choice, but I'm sure if I'd have gone the performance seat route I'd be happy with that choice too.
But on longer drives the feature is certainly welcome. I used the heck out of it on my cross country drive from Maryland to California. Really made a difference when I was in the seat for several hours at a time.
But, would I have bought the car without it? Yes, certainly. I was really on the fence between these seats and the performance seat. I'm happy with my choice, but I'm sure if I'd have gone the performance seat route I'd be happy with that choice too.
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E63 AMG Estate
I find this interesting based on all your comments over at the F90 M5 board about how bad the E63S is in regards to ride quality and other things. Did you redrive the E63s once again and overcome those objection(s)?
1. Long distance with the performance seats is just fine for me--- but then again whats the definition of long distance as my longest time in the car was circa 90 minutes.
2. Tuning a non S will most likely bring it equal to the a tuned S... I do believe the only difference between the two powerwise is in a tune so if you tune it, it will get a bigger gain than an S and lift it up. Compare this to tuning a turbo s and a non S- the tunes override the current software and bring them to about equal (991.1)
3. I use a bluetooth Ipod in my car and it works fine, it takes a few seconds to connect but once its connected its good to go. If I use the same Ipod via a USB cord, the requests to forward and reverse are terrible slow and almost borderline annoying (10 seconds or more). Thus I only use BT.
1. Long distance with the performance seats is just fine for me--- but then again whats the definition of long distance as my longest time in the car was circa 90 minutes.
2. Tuning a non S will most likely bring it equal to the a tuned S... I do believe the only difference between the two powerwise is in a tune so if you tune it, it will get a bigger gain than an S and lift it up. Compare this to tuning a turbo s and a non S- the tunes override the current software and bring them to about equal (991.1)
3. I use a bluetooth Ipod in my car and it works fine, it takes a few seconds to connect but once its connected its good to go. If I use the same Ipod via a USB cord, the requests to forward and reverse are terrible slow and almost borderline annoying (10 seconds or more). Thus I only use BT.
Yes, got a drive of a non S E63 with the Comfort Package which was definetly better. It’s still not as comfortable as the M5 but not really an issue either now.
I am finding it tricky, I loved the E63 but there are bits that annoy me, probably the tech more than anything and BMW have shown a lot of love, offering me an amazing deal with the kitchen sink thrown in re Options which has thrown up questions like the massage seats and rear seat heating.
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E63 AMG Estate
Hi Vic
Yes, got a drive of a non S E63 with the Comfort Package which was definetly better. It’s still not as comfortable as the M5 but not really an issue either now.
I am finding it tricky, I loved the E63 but there are bits that annoy me, probably the tech more than anything and BMW have shown a lot of love, offering me an amazing deal with the kitchen sink thrown in re Options which has thrown up questions like the massage seats and rear seat heating.
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2018 GLE63S Coupe, 2018 E63s
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2018 E63 AMG S, 2016 Porsche 911 GTS Coupe
I believe the engine hardware is completely identical between the S and the non S. The only difference is the tune with the S getting more boost. I would imagine it's pretty trivial to get S levels of power from a non S motor. In terms of comfort I find the e63S I have very acceptable. My other car is a 911 GTS and the AMG replaced my daily M4 so I guess I'm not typical. The ride is a bit busy on bad roads and I can see how somebody expecting a luxury cruiser would find it off putting. That said that car is my daily and I've driven it to Austin several times and Dallas once and have been so comfortable I've not had to make a stop on any trip. In comfort, the car rides well and the engine is smooth and quiet. The Burmeister is outstanding and I have zero complaints with apple car play (though I'm waiting on apple to unlock waze).
The only BMW thing I really miss is iDrive. COMAND is not even as good as the iDrive on my old 2015 M4 in terms of integration and functionality. It has all the features but the interface feels clunky to me. The best way I can describe it is that COMAND feels like its been designed by some software team. iDrive feels like its been designed by the same guys that built the car. Still not a huge factor to me in a car purchase.
The only BMW thing I really miss is iDrive. COMAND is not even as good as the iDrive on my old 2015 M4 in terms of integration and functionality. It has all the features but the interface feels clunky to me. The best way I can describe it is that COMAND feels like its been designed by some software team. iDrive feels like its been designed by the same guys that built the car. Still not a huge factor to me in a car purchase.
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2018 E63S Wagon
I believe the engine hardware is completely identical between the S and the non S. The only difference is the tune with the S getting more boost. I would imagine it's pretty trivial to get S levels of power from a non S motor. In terms of comfort I find the e63S I have very acceptable. My other car is a 911 GTS and the AMG replaced my daily M4 so I guess I'm not typical. The ride is a bit busy on bad roads and I can see how somebody expecting a luxury cruiser would find it off putting. That said that car is my daily and I've driven it to Austin several times and Dallas once and have been so comfortable I've not had to make a stop on any trip. In comfort, the car rides well and the engine is smooth and quiet. The Burmeister is outstanding and I have zero complaints with apple car play (though I'm waiting on apple to unlock waze).
The only BMW thing I really miss is iDrive. COMAND is not even as good as the iDrive on my old 2015 M4 in terms of integration and functionality. It has all the features but the interface feels clunky to me. The best way I can describe it is that COMAND feels like its been designed by some software team. iDrive feels like its been designed by the same guys that built the car. Still not a huge factor to me in a car purchase.
The only BMW thing I really miss is iDrive. COMAND is not even as good as the iDrive on my old 2015 M4 in terms of integration and functionality. It has all the features but the interface feels clunky to me. The best way I can describe it is that COMAND feels like its been designed by some software team. iDrive feels like its been designed by the same guys that built the car. Still not a huge factor to me in a car purchase.
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E63S4S
Maybe check the Euro build sites?
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From: Houston TX
2018 E63 AMG S, 2016 Porsche 911 GTS Coupe
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From: 78 degrees North
2018 E63S
I find this interesting based on all your comments over at the F90 M5 board about how bad the E63S is in regards to ride quality and other things. Did you redrive the E63s once again and overcome those objection(s)?
1. Long distance with the performance seats is just fine for me--- but then again whats the definition of long distance as my longest time in the car was circa 90 minutes.
1. Long distance with the performance seats is just fine for me--- but then again whats the definition of long distance as my longest time in the car was circa 90 minutes.
I've done some long distance driving in my E63s with massage seats, a couple of these trips were around 1700km (more than 1000 miles) with just a few short stops.
This was comfortable and OK with my massage seats, I would never even try the same with the performance seats.
2. Tuning a non S will most likely bring it equal to the a tuned S... I do believe the only difference between the two powerwise is in a tune so if you tune it, it will get a bigger gain than an S and lift it up. Compare this to tuning a turbo s and a non S- the tunes override the current software and bring them to about equal (991.1)
The rear differential is different (oldschool mechanical on the E63 vs modern electronically controlled on the E63s), from what I remember I think only the E63s has the active dynamic engine mounts.. Drift mode is only available in the E63s, so is the RACE-mode from what I remember.
E63s has nappa leather covering on the dash and more where the E63 doesn't.
The engine performance isolated will probably be approx the same between tuned versions of E63 and E63s, but the overall performance will not.
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2024 C8 Z06- 2025 BMW CS- 2022 Porsche 992 GTS
90 minutes is in no way at all long distance.
I've done some long distance driving in my E63s with massage seats, a couple of these trips were around 1700km (more than 1000 miles) with just a few short stops.
This was comfortable and OK with my massage seats, I would never even try the same with the performance seats.
However there are some other differences between E63 and E63s..
The rear differential is different (oldschool mechanical on the E63 vs modern electronically controlled on the E63s), from what I remember I think only the E63s has the active dynamic engine mounts.. Drift mode is only available in the E63s, so is the RACE-mode from what I remember.
E63s has nappa leather covering on the dash and more where the E63 doesn't.
The engine performance isolated will probably be approx the same between tuned versions of E63 and E63s, but the overall performance will not.
I've done some long distance driving in my E63s with massage seats, a couple of these trips were around 1700km (more than 1000 miles) with just a few short stops.
This was comfortable and OK with my massage seats, I would never even try the same with the performance seats.
However there are some other differences between E63 and E63s..
The rear differential is different (oldschool mechanical on the E63 vs modern electronically controlled on the E63s), from what I remember I think only the E63s has the active dynamic engine mounts.. Drift mode is only available in the E63s, so is the RACE-mode from what I remember.
E63s has nappa leather covering on the dash and more where the E63 doesn't.
The engine performance isolated will probably be approx the same between tuned versions of E63 and E63s, but the overall performance will not.
My comments are soley related to the tuning aspects of an S and non S (what he asked for)- the post dynos of both tuned cars will be close as the tuning maps override the oem ones. Both cars have the same engine and exhaust delivery.
I know of the other differences and thanks for posting that too.
Last edited by Vic55; Jul 16, 2018 at 10:31 AM.
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From: Southern California
C63s coupe
May also apply ....
There are some subtle, less known differences. I understand that the C63 has smaller brake disks than the C63s, so I wonder if the E63/E63s are similar.
Then there are speed governor settings: 155/180 mph in the C-series versus 155/186 in the E-series? Where you will use the difference in this country is an open question, but I loved watching an M4 top out at 250 Kph (155-6 Mph) on the Autobahn and having the power to rapidly pull past.
There are some subtle, less known differences. I understand that the C63 has smaller brake disks than the C63s, so I wonder if the E63/E63s are similar.
Then there are speed governor settings: 155/180 mph in the C-series versus 155/186 in the E-series? Where you will use the difference in this country is an open question, but I loved watching an M4 top out at 250 Kph (155-6 Mph) on the Autobahn and having the power to rapidly pull past.
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2018 E63S AMG
My top speed on the autobahn was about 170 MPH the night before we turned the car in for the trip back to the states.
Since returning home top speed was about 155 MPH, um oops I mean about 55 . . .
Since returning home top speed was about 155 MPH, um oops I mean about 55 . . .
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From: Southern California
2018 E63S AMG
But the point is well taken, in the US market even if we had the non-S version the restriction to 155 vs 186 MPH wouldn't matter to 99.9% of the drivers of the car.
Now the difference between 577 and 603 HP, that's a different story. That you can use anywhere ;-)
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From: 78 degrees North
2018 E63S
My wagon does 295KPH or 183,3MPH according to the GPS.. This is a bit faster than the 290KPH (180MPH) they says it should be able to go..
Yes, I tested the top speed several times.. One of these times I was driving in more than 280KPH for almost 30 minutes.. Legally of course.
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From: Southern California
C63s coupe
If you want top speed just buy a Cadillac, the one that has windshield wipers that work at 197 Mph - LOL.
I don't know how they found me and decided I was a prospect but a few years ago Cadillac invited me to a free day test driving its performance models at AAA Raceway in Fontana California. Bummer: they made us limit our speeds to 130 Mph. Otherwise, I was really impressed with the value but I just do not fit into their demographic.
I don't know how they found me and decided I was a prospect but a few years ago Cadillac invited me to a free day test driving its performance models at AAA Raceway in Fontana California. Bummer: they made us limit our speeds to 130 Mph. Otherwise, I was really impressed with the value but I just do not fit into their demographic.
