Kevin Ross

Background: I've owned many mercedes between my wife and myself - 2009 GL550, 2010 E550, 2011 S63, 2013 G63, 2013 SLS, 2014 E63S and finally 2018 E63S

My last daily driver was the 2014 E63S and I was quite happy with it. Being four years old, I was anxious to upgrade.

TL;DR - 1 year review
1. The sport bucket seats are a pain in the ***. Literally. Hard to get in/out of the car and I'm physically fit. I also race cars, and figured the comments about comfort were overblown, but I find myself missing the 2014 seats (which look like the standard seats now) - recommendation - get the standard seats.
2. Ride - it is rougher than the 2014. Again, I'm used to the various rides including race cars, but comfort mode isn't comfort enough. The 2014 seemed to have better range of modes, whereas comfort in the 2018 is stiff like the 2014 sport, and just becomes stiffer from there
3. Misc complaints - the passenger seat belt bangs against the bucket seat side (plastic) - quite irritating. Just dropped for Service A, hopefully a change is in order there. Cluster rattles, not sure what we have going there.
4. Engine modes - The engine is great as you might expect. The (comfort mode) optimization of pushing it down to 4 cylinders in the city seems almost useless. The moment you try to maintain speed it switches back to 8 cylinders. This has the effect to the driver of the engine being overheated - the sound changes slightly as does the vibration. Being someone tuned into that stuff for racing, I always think something is wrong. Aside from the optimization complaint - great motor
5. Tires - what can I say, they are absolutely terrible after the first 500 or so miles. Any temp below 70 and the tires spin like they are on a gravel-on-pavement surface. Looking forward to changing them.
6. Suspension - Ride complaint aside, great suspension for spirited driving. Tires are the limiting factor. Easy to slide due to the tires but easy to catch.
7. Handling - much less pushy compared to the 2014. The 2014 4matic was very much understeer in the corner, this much less. Still a reasonable understeer but that is easier to handle than an oversteer
8. Paint - designo magno paint - ceramic coated and covered the nose with film. No problems, cleans up well
9. Electronics - nice upgrade from the 2014, but still feels like it may be a bit behind something like an audi (I don't know for sure as I haven't looked)

All-in-all - still happy, wished mostly that I would have changed my seats to standard. While not as sexy, worth the comfort.

Cheers

joonesthesia

thanks for the write up. this is what's actually valuable vs all the dramatic attention whoring clickbait reviews.
how is it like to live with it, daily it, drive it, does it work for the owner vs always needing maintenance, etc.

cjmk1982

So glad I didnt get the bucket seats. Love how my seats hug my sides as I make turns. Wish the massage feature was a bit firmer though...

Bueller

Nice write up. Which tires came on your car, Pirelli or Michelin?

Michael Khan

I agree, I wish i got the standard seats lmao.

Wolfman

We have had our car for 15 months or so (Edition1) with roughly 12k miles on it.
Your tire comment would only make sense with Pirellis. The Michelin PS4s are fantastic and have great grip.
I personally love the performance seats but it was quite a switch from our S-Class super comfy dynamic bolster massage seats. They fit tight and are comfortable.
The issue is likely the suspension which I consider the only real weak point of the car. This is Airmatic pumped up to max pressure for sporty handling, making the car less compliant and unnecessarily stiff. There really is no comfort mode and the ABC suspension would have been better choice. Or at least a better calibration. This is the stiffest AMG I know of.
In regards to the engine, the 4 cylinder mode is not really meant for city traffic. When you cruise in comfort (typically highway) that mode dynamically engages if a fuel savings benefit is seen. Like the sailing mode. Worthless and needed as much as ECO mode in an AMG - just a nuisance ...

When it comes to electronics there are two 2018 models; the early and the late 18 builds. The early 18's are really 2017 model when it comes to the hardware version of the electronics and there are several modules that impact speed of the interface, Comand interface features, CarPlay, Interior LED's etc.. That improved on late 18 builds and got better on the 19's. Ours is the early build unfortunately and not upgradeable...

Mandarin

About passenger belt. Just pull up that thing you are buckling up into space where you can adjust the height of belt and it’s going to sit there forever with any G-force and not going to disturb you anymore.

About all other things they are only about personal taste, nothing else.

On my taste car is way too soft even with race mode.

Bucket seats are just perfect for me 👌🏻 And I think this car should not have any different option with AMG letters.

I use my e63s as a daily and put over 12kmiles in past 9 months and only one thing I can complain - noise level at high speed.

Slugsy

I love the car, I just wish they had made a proper ‘comfort’ mode, the suspension is a joke driving around town.

dhull100

I really think this is a matter of perspective. I typically drive 911, which have become more comfortable over time. I don't find the suspension (even in sport) to be that unsettling driving in town. On rare roads I've taken notice, but I live in a typical metroplex and just don't find the suspension offensive at all. Typically use sport set up. Of course it isn't as floating as a Lexus or non-AMG mercedes E. There must be some compromises in design, obviously, for the model to do perform at extreme levels. If those aren't desired, wrong car to buy.

mmmamg

15 month here on my 11/18 build. 9000 miles as a daily driver. I have comfort seats with massage and I like them. Wish they wouldn't have alcantara inserts - not my taste. Massage function not strong enough but again, its a car and not a massage chair. I do use it before and after
my tennis matches and it helps.

I have no problem with firm ride....actually almost everything else is too soft for me and I drive on 41psi Michelins. Probably it helps to have nice roads and no snow.

What do I wish....Software updates over the air including Nav, better cooling in seats, more color options for int/ext, more HUD functionality, google maps like Audi, smoother wipers motion,

Agree with all about 4 cylinders mode - it's useless and probably not good for longevity. Also I didnt notice any mpg improvement when its on.

I didn't have any repairs, rattles, CELs etc......and will keep the car as long as it's trouble free.

The car (in wagon form) is remarkable combination of practicality and performance and so far I don't see any possible replacement candidate.

VaserC63S

I have those seats in my C63S. I find them fine. But I test drove an E63S last week with the massage seats and I must say they are better seats albeit not as good looking. The suspension is worlds better than the C63S. I am contemplating getting rid of my C63S tired of the flintstones ride even with softer all season tires. I switched out and dumped the horrible Dunlop Maax standard tires for better All season Michelin AS3+. Another issue is rattling worse than a $20K car on the C63S. The new 2019 E63S I test drove did not rattle at all on my brief test drive.

Dealer has 4 E63S but none has HUD. I am thinking wait for a 2020 E63S and see if HUD is on those. My other option is the 2019 GLC63S but I have yet to test drive one. I want the E63S for the performance. Ride was better than the C but still felt choppy even in comfort. Why cant mercedes just make the suspension softer? Its air, so should not be hard to do a real comfort and real sports modes, but maybe there is something I don't know. Anyone complaining of ride go test a C63S sedan. Now that is wooden as they come.

Slugsy

I agree it’s a matter of perspective, I just have a different one.

The sales guys and all the marketing guys prior to me getting it, called it a ‘luxury performance car’ and a ‘executive performance saloon’.

My sales rep called the Estate that I got, a ‘dual purpose’ car that could go fast but was comfortable and practical for the family.

I respectfully disagree.

It’s not a 911, it’s not a Lambo, it’s a luxury performance car.

And they are not all the same, the BMW M5 is very comfortable in Comfort mode yet has the same performance characteristics as the AMG. Why can BMW get it right?

Mandarin

So many complaints about how Mercedes is "stiff"...

I don't understand what people are looking for when they are buying high-performance super sedan... This is like if someone is going to buy a Tesla and will be complaining about not enough loud exhaust sound.

If bmw is comfier, then buy bmw

VaserC63S

There could be many other things they don't like about BMW. I have had a string of 5 BMWs and one drive in the AMG is all it took for me to switch even though the M4 had better lease terms and was cheaper. The car spoke to me warts and all. Its not perfect. If there was nothing else better I'd keep it, but now I am looking to ditch it for something even more to my liking. Comfort and rattles being my main reason I want to try something else.

Slugsy

I will the next time, while there are many things I love about the E63, I’m in a 3 year lease so can’t change it but comfort will be an aspect of my next car decision criteria

Mandarin

You can always sell your lease or trade it in. There are at least 3 options for that. I assume you are just love your e63

Slugsy

In many ways it’s the best car I’ve ever had! The dealership is not liking the trade in option and to be honest I wouldn’t know where to start on selling the lease.

Its a shame I just don’t have to drive motorways or track as it’s amazing, sadly the UK’s B roads these days leave a lot to be desired!

Wolfman

What an idiotic comparison. It's a fast sedan that features a variety of dynamic driving modes so one can pick the best for specific occasions. I can enjoy the ride while recognizing its limitations. There are also faster cars with more compliant suspensions around.
Mercedes chose Airmatic for AWD AMG's; this wasn't that welcome of a move as Airmatic didn't have a great reputation for reliability nor for being performance oriented. ABC is much better suspension and more capable. Or springs with magneride-type dampers.

I get it that you like the ride harder; good for you; I appreciate you extending the same courtesy to those whose opinions differ.

Mandarin

What an idiotic try to complain about the stiff ride on the low 3s sedan with buckets seats. You are getting what you paid for.

Buy Camry, smooth, reliable, cheap, ****ty, etc.

Wolfman

What a clueless response...
I guess you don't understand the difference between complaining and explaining

Mandarin

It was mostly addressed to people who are complaining, not explaining

2012 merc amg

I did not like the way my 2018 E63 AMG wagon drove, I just could not get use to it. I could not utilize the speed and the performance of the car because of the roads I drive on it was kind of risky, figured one day my luck was gonna run out so why push it? I was putting way to many miles on the car too, I had 14.5 K miles on the car in a year and thats too much for this type of car. I did not feel the car was a good daily driver and was way too rough and uncomfortable on the roads I drive up north. I felt like the car was heavy driving the car, I don't really get that sort of feeling driving my E450 Wagon that I replaced the E63 AMG with. Very strange I dunno if it was just something with my AMG but the Stereo sounded horrible, very muffled and way too flat, I tried every adjustment, dealer told me it was normal. The minute I got in my E450 Wagon last fall the Stereo sounded Audiophile Quality. Night and day difference, not sure why. I find my E450 much more comfortable in the ride quality and average around 30 MPG highway which is nice as with the 21 gallon tank I get a range of over 500 miles. With the AMG and with the way I'd drive that car I was lucky to get 300 miles out of a tank. Not that the money is a big deal spent on gas but it's not easy for me getting in and out of the car to pump my own gas and in Florida it's all self service. Did not like the cylinder shut down feature, I'd turn it off each time I got in the car, with the E450 don't have to worry about that. The E450 is just as smooth as the E63 AMG was and the performance on the car has really surprised me, it's plenty of performance for my needs. The E63 AMG had tons of tire noise and tended to drift around lanes as the tires get worn in, maybe alignment issues I don't know. It all seemed strange because I really liked my 2012 E63 AMG wagon and drove that car over 4 years and 50K miles. I was sorry I sold that car and wish I'd just kept on driving it to 200K miles and dealing with whatever repair came along. Also it really irk'd me those openings that had to be fitted with the screens, even with the screens in place debris would still get in there and I'd have to remove the screens regularly to clean out the cubby holes. Lastly I thought I'd really like the Designo Red color, I did really like it at first but was already getting tired of it after a year. I like the Designo Diamond white of my E450 better. Had I had it to do over again I just would have kept my 2012 E63 Iridium Silver Wagon and used that car as my casual driver and got the 2019 E450 Wagon as my long distance hauler.

cjmk1982

I Looovvveee my e63. Best car I've ever had all around. (Coming from a prior bmw owner and a current Lexus owner).

Dunga

Very interesting take. I cannot disagree on the ride being stiff even with the little seat time I’ve had so far. With all the reviews I’ve seen and read I was only gonna get the comfort seats and I’m happy I did for my wagon.

As for the tech I’m very happy with the current interface and prefer it to the new offerings from VAG with the touch screen everything. Give me buttons!!

Cheers!

HBerman

14 months here and 12500 miles. The only thing that has happened was a series of CEL warnings that went away just as fast as they appeared. No rattles, squeaks, tight as a drum. Ride is a bit stiffer than I would prefer, but the transmission and engine combination are quite exhilarating. I did not like having to change out my summer tires when things got cold, but switching to the Bridgestones Portenza 980 UHD tires was a good choice. Tires are quiet and responsive. I wish they had been a factory option.