Buying advice - the battle of the flawed engines 2000s M5 vs E63

[AMGeed]

Congrats
2 AMG's on the driveway gets brownie points.

Now to keep the missus happy

 

[MrRight]

Congrats
2 AMG's on the driveway gets brownie points.

Now to keep the missus happy

re keeping Mrs happy = Mission Impossible... I'm slightly conflicted about calling in Ethan Hawke as he would also fail lol or worse, succeed!

after I insisted she sat in the M3 today when we ran errands, I doubt she will be upset to see the back of that car I've had enough of it too. time for a super comfortable and refined old school tank ...

 

[John]

It’s absolutely top notch John, bettered only by the same system in the RR & RRS.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn it is better than the Meridian.

The B&W was a lot more powerful (1200w), and although that isn't everything - it certainly helps, and I read that B&W was only dropped at facelift in the XF because they wanted more dosh.

 

[John]

sadly it just failed its MOT due to an issue with the bixenon bulb lol. the vendor has to replace it and then I'll be able to collect the AMG in early January...deposit paid ... for the first time I have ever bought a car based purely on ride comfort lol

Ride comfort was a big factor in my last car change.

I was spoilt with the W211 E55 and finding something to equal or better it was always going be the case.

I can't think of anything worse than a car with hard / tuned / racing suspension now.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Good choice. Looking forward to seeing the photos.

 

[MrRight]

Thanks Mr Dazzler , pictures will be enroute soon! The silver bullet needs a wash and paint seal and then I'll get the old Fuji camera out ...
So far I've been enjoying all sorts of interesting effects. When it got really cold in the morning , the front tyres were causing a bit of tramlining under "heavy" acceleration, but fine in warmer temps. The wet is also very interesting as it loves to go sideways like little red riding hood, she should go straight to grandmas house but instead veers of course and tries to go pick up some flowers from the nearby bushes. Anyone who thinks this NA 6.2 doesn't have enough torque wont be saying that on coldish damp roads... even in comfort mode...

Other than these digressions I've found that it is the first fast car I've owned that I sometimes like to just cruise and drive well below the speed limit and just enjoy the comfort.

One of the other issues I had with the car is that while it was quite nice to have it without any badges for a while, given how rare the w211 e63 is , that it is a shame to not let it wear its name tags so Ebay assisted with the 6.3 side badges and the rear e63 and AMG ones. All in , around gbp 20. Ofcourse , one gets what they pay for and I bet they'll soon fall off... But overall I think the car looks complete now. With the lovely quad pipes and boot lip spoiler it did look quite nice but I think it looks better with the primark quality chrome ID. That said , part of me felt like I was one of those folks that is sticking an AMG badge on his E220D while going through the routine which sort of reminds my when I bought a prior performance car and insisted it was debadged by the dealer only to stick a badge on it a year after buying it .

What else to say except that in a straight line , this thing is a bullet and can probably do its 0-60 metrics consistently as its torque is so nice and progressive. Correcting the little red hood sideways moments is so easy as the torque is in full right pedal control with instant and linear response. I cant wait to see how it drifts when I can get it on a track one day.i certainly don't miss any lack of torque low down as the right foot controls it perfectly.

I think as part of "growing up " , I can see the allure of an older Benz. Having driven more than one old c class, I always found them comfortable and very nice , but then again I had not spent enough time with an E class on front and rear air suspension and it rides beautifully. As a daily driver I've now decided that I much prefer a comfortable car to just waft along in rather than a sporty car that is always switched on and engaging. My last 5 cars before this have been of the sporty type and definitely lighter and sportier than this lump but then again which of those cars had massaging seats and a giant boot... the transmission is also butter smooth most of the time and there isnt much in the way of lag even in comfort mode while driving fast and while I get some might feel the car is laggy, this is simply the transmission very smoothly down shifting before setting you off . I find the shifts in sport and manual mode a bit over the top so I prefer comfort mode which is very fast already and gives this car the perfect GT character.
The brakes are rather great as is the steering , overall I can imagine what a smile this car would have put on the face of anyone who got their hands on it when newish or an E55 for that matter. They are definitely special cars and the perfect luxury cruiser that can be turned into stupidly fast performance cars with a couple of inches on the pedal.

For the moment

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Fiver says you'll be out of it within two years because you're not using the performance and because of the whining noise in your left ear from the passenger seat....
There are great family saloons out there which can be driven very fast with your right foot, but have none of the downsides. Why do i say this? Because many have trodden this path...
But enjoy the journey.

 

[350cls]

Great write up MrRight. We need pics


Also, not one mention of that special engine note .

Like you have said the torque is always there. It's hard to get the torque down as it is with the accelerator being so responsive. This damp wet weather the car goes sideways thinking about it !!! Fantastic engine the big 6.3

 

[MercedesDriver]

I don't think I've read the more nerve wrecking thread recently from post #1 till the happy end. Congrats @MrRight it was sensible decision.

 

[MrRight]

Fiver says you'll be out of it within two years because you're not using the performance and because of the whining noise in your left ear from the passenger seat....
There are great family saloons out there which can be driven very fast with your right foot, but have none of the downsides. Why do i say this? Because many have trodden this path...
But enjoy the journey.

Hahaha very true about the 2 years but I made sure I bought a car with only 50k miles so I can do another 50k in it before it falls apart (or that is the plan! )

Passenger loves the comfort and is impressed with the car thus far.
I will raise you a tenner that I wont sell it within 2 years (this doesn't include crashing it into a wall or fence , which seems far more likely )

Great write up MrRight. We need pics


Also, not one mention of that special engine note .

Like you have said the torque is always there. It's hard to get the torque down as it is with the accelerator being so responsive. This damp wet weather the car goes sideways thinking about it !!! Fantastic engine the big 6.3

Thanks , much appreciated. Yes the engine is quite something, underestimate it and it bites , hahaha. Sound wise , I guess it puts a smile on my face but is really subtle and not in your face. Only when I really push the car does it seem to sort of come to life a bit. It is a case of great sound quality but poor sound quantity !

I don't think I've read the more nerve wrecking thread recently from post #1 till the happy end. Congrats @MrRight it was sensible decision.

Thank you, I do hope it was a sensible decision. It is getting a thorough inspection on Thursday to see if there could be any underlying issues . If there are, that gbp2k warranty cover better come in handy ...

All in all , it is a masterful recipe that combination of comfort and power. Funnily it made me giggle when I drove the smart for four around the other night. Such a slow and light car in comparison had me grinning war to ear that I could actually put my foot down to the mat and the car ... well , it didnt go very fast lol

 

[MrRight]

 

[350cls]

Looks fantastic, congratulations on the purchase.

 

[MrRight]

Looks fantastic, congratulations on the purchase.

Thank you very much indeed. I am thoroughly enjoying the car. It needs an exhaust tune but otherwise, very satisfying to drive.

The major weak point I would say is the transmission in manual shifting mode is quite "disorganised", still at least , the transmission is rather good in comfort mode and even good enough in sport mode. Handling is actually better than I expected of the silver chunk of metal, steering is very very good and the brakes are phenomenal.

One very odd observation and this is something that has now been happening consistently and I've raised an eyebrow multiple times but folks in town and low speed limit roads do think it is okay to change lanes and quickly slip past and get ahead of me even though I'm driving as fast as the traffic ahead. There are quite a few roads around me that are single lane and then two lanes at traffic lights for example and I've noted quite a few folks using opportunities to sneak past. Initially I thought nothing of it but I decided I'm going to put my "foot down" and put an end to it
I'm trying to work out the reason. Is the rear end so unsightly that people cant stand to look at it and have to get past ? . It looks quite handsome to me.
Is it that they see old Benz means it is being driven by a 70 year old which naturally means they must get past at all cost.
It definitely isnt my imagination and it is happening on a daily basis. Sadly the lady in the citroen cactus this afternoon had to be given a lesson in patience as did the clown in a big van this morning. I'm usually a cool driver but I'm getting quite fed up with people thinking I'm my grand dad and am going to cause them unnecessary delay to their journey!
The look on their face when their maneuvers dont achieve the desired result is priceless

 

[John]

Car looks in great condition.

Someone stuck the E63 on the back in a hurry though!

 

[MrRight]

Car looks in great condition.

Someone stuck the E63 on the back in a hurry though!

Hahaha you are very perceptive . I did indeed do a quick cheap Ebay order and the e63 bit was oddly spaced that way. The curved look though is probably my artistic input.


On a slightly more sobering note and this is now happening reasonably often as it gets colder but the grip levels and rolling resistance on the front Michelin PS4 tyres is completely different to the rear conti sport contact 3s. It is never an issue when it is warmer but at around 3 degrees or less, I can feel the front wheels refusing to turn on the asphalt but the rear wheels are trying yo turn much faster without the same level of reaistance and it makes it slightly difficult to enjoy driving the car at normal speeds. As the contis have so much tread left, I dont want to replace them so I'll probably just less with the front and rear tyre pressure to see if I can equalise things slightly . Alternatively i could do a few burnouts and replace the rear tyres . Thoughts ?

 

[John]

I'd make a judgement as to how serious you feel the issue is, try and work around it in the first instance and replace as a last resort.

When I bought my 211 55, it had "Maxxis" tyres on it. They were budget but new so I presumed fitted to get through an MOT or just to sell it.

They were of course utter shyte on that car but I found them useful to learn how the car drove at speed with bugger all grip.

They didn't last that long and when the rears were approaching illegal, I left an enormous 11 on an overpass and then got them replaced.

 

[MrRight]

Yes I think it does indeed make sense to try the tyre pressure route for now and see if this helps at all. I'm definitely tempted to go the giant 11 route
Thanks very much

 

[StringfellowHawke]

I can’t believe I’ve only just seen this thread. What the op was describing is exactly the decision I was going through last September and like the op I also ended up with a W211 e63. Looked at the other options xfr/xkr 5.0 v8 e60 m5 and the amg e55/63/cl63s. For all the reasons already alluded to I ended up with the amg in which I'm more then happy with my choice although the jag did come a close second.

Op you also seem to be experiencing a few of the same characteristics of the car that a dealer would say ‘they all do that sir‘. Namely the auto box while smooth is not the most dynamic and agile certainly compared to more modern offerings. I find it is certainly better selecting a gear before attempting an overtake or such manoeuvre.

I have also made my only modification, (short of possibly making it sound a bit more like a m156 should) of installing a sprint booster. It improves the sensitivity of the throttle and I’ve found it has improved the driving experience of the car. If your interested I’ve done a review in the performance lounge.

I think now is certainly the time to
pick up one of these cars and enjoy it as they are relative performance bargains.

 

[StringfellowHawke]

Also with regard to the tyres mines on sport contact 3s all round and this I believe is the OE tyre they came from the factory on. Therefore I’m a bit surprised you say they are poor? I’ve certainly had no issues with mine and would choose them over Pirelli Pzeros I’ve had on previous cars

 

[MrRight]

I can’t believe I’ve only just seen this thread. What the op was describing is exactly the decision I was going through last September and like the op I also ended up with a W211 e63. Looked at the other options xfr/xkr 5.0 v8 e60 m5 and the amg e55/63/cl63s. For all the reasons already alluded to I ended up with the amg in which I'm more then happy with my choice although the jag did come a close second.

Op you also seem to be experiencing a few of the same characteristics of the car that a dealer would say ‘they all do that sir‘. Namely the auto box while smooth is not the most dynamic and agile certainly compared to more modern offerings. I find it is certainly better selecting a gear before attempting an overtake or such manoeuvre.

I have also made my only modification, (short of possibly making it sound a bit more like a m156 should) of installing a sprint booster. It improves the sensitivity of the throttle and I’ve found it has improved the driving experience of the car. If your interested I’ve done a review in the performance lounge.

I think now is certainly the time to
pick up one of these cars and enjoy it as they are relative performance bargains.

Mr Hawke Thanks and all excellent points , re the tyres, the contis are not bad tyres at all, far from it, it is just the michellins at the front stay softer when it gets cold and the rolling resistance and grip levels are different to the rear tyres and then the car starts to drive a bit oddly as a result. The contis suit the car at the rear at least

So far so good, the transmission is fine (or was till yesterday), it likes to always shift down briefly when I put my foot down and then shifts up to the next gear a bit prematurely sometimes except this afternoon when the car decided to stay in second gear until I turned it off and on. Also looks like a wire has snapped which powers the brake light, number plate and boot which needs repairing .

Otherwise I'm not convinced the Jag drives as smoothly which is why I bought the merc, both are great cars but comfort was the primary goal.

The sprint booster is a good idea. I'll look into that , thanks !