- Joined
- Dec 28, 2007
- Messages
- 8,228
- Car
- Volvo V90 D5 AWD
It's a bit lengthy if you're easily bored.
Sorry for the repeat on the photos - I've been driving too much to take any more...
I've had the car for about 6 weeks now so I thought it time to tell you how it's been to live with.
Exterior Styling
I think that 212's are proper Marmite cars - they aren't as easy on the eye as 211's, but I think the E63 is the best executed of the bunch. It's not 219 CLS pretty, but it's a muscular car with it's wider than the standard 212 front track, meaning the front arches are more pronounced - the body swage where the 6.3 badge sits is rather lovely.
It sits on very wide 19" rubber, at 285 rear and 255 front, which helps it's stance. To my eye, this one looks less hearse like than the 211 and it's been remarked by others that the polished alloy roof rails and brightwork around the windows help this - I agree. The rear lights are enormous, wrapping around the body. making the car very visible side on, which is useful.
I've established that the 19" wheels are forged (£1047 + VAT each
), which is always good forum chat, however, the rim face and spoke faces are diamond cut, so I can see problems in the future, with both kerbing and corrosion. It appears that machining the face is the usual method of getting the finish back, but, bizarrely, the AMG logo is on the rim face too, and it can get machined out - a bad design.
I really like the red painted calipers - they just add that little something extra and get noticed a lot, though at £580.00 they're not cheap.
Front and rear brakes are both 380mm and combined with the bright calipers, it's an impressive looking package.
From the rear you're greeted with four AMG tailpipes, wide rubber and a wall of black paint and glass, leaving you in no doubt this large wagon means business, even when stationary.
The previous owner had the car de-badged (cue the debate), however, it's an E63 and I like it loud and proud, so I had it rebadged prior to collection.
Interior Styling
I found that driving 204 and 212 courtesy cars made my 211 interior feel a bit dated, though like many others, I agree that the quality of the dash plastics in the 212 seems less tactile than the 211.
However, my car has the Luxury Package, meaning Nappa leather seats, armrests and door centre panels, plus the upper section of instrument panel/facia. In addition there's door belt lines in leather, and Alcantara for the roof lining, pillars and sun visors - £3300 as an option. It’s an extravagance, but it really transforms the interior.
The AMG E Gate is a piece of modern art IMO.
I've found the pano roof useful and so far, it's rattle and leak free.
There's ambient lighting throughout, including along the front dash and all four door cards, and combined with the illuminated AMG sills that greet you, it's a nice place to be, after dark.
The rear entertainment (TV/DVD/CD with separate channels for left and right) hasn't been used yet, however, it's great fun offering the remote contol to new passengers. 8" screens in the rear too!
Waiting in the car (for whatever the reason) whilst being able to watch TV is really excellent - the picture goes off at 3mph, but the soundtrack stays on - it's a bit weird listening to "The Chase" as you drive along.
Comfort seats massage you on the go and side bolsters inflate on the corresponding side as you corner - both excellent features.
Handling
As mentioned earlier, E63's have a unique steering rack, 50mm (ish) wider than any other 212. The steering is very quick, very precise, and the car goes exactly where you want it to go. There's loads of feedback, though undoubtedly much if this is due to the suspension set up, which, even on Comfort, is firmer than my S211 was on Sport II Airmatic. It's not "crash" hard, but on anything other than smooth roads you know it's a firm set up.
There are 3 adjustments, Comfort (ho ho) Sport and Sport Plus, each one
tightening the car up more than the last.
Transmission
It's the wonderful 7 speed MCT box with 4 separate offerings (and Race Start) to keep you amused.
Comfort ~ this starts the car off in second and changes up at lower revs, as low as 1200rpm on light throttle openings.
Sport ~ starts off in first and changes higher up and more quickly
Sport+ ~ the fastest of the changes, and includes a fuel induced bang on high rev upshifts and throttle blipping on downshifts - great fun
.
Manual ~ as Sport+ except the box will not change up at all, instead cutting cylinders at the red line and turning the speedo bright red to encourage you to upshift. It will, however, drop to the best gear on downshift, to give you the best power uptake available.
There also three ESP settings ~ On, Sport, and Off (for those with a death wish).
The AMG button, when pushed, sets up the car for your chosen driving preference, in an instant. I have it set to Sport suspension,
Sport+ gearbox and ESP on.
My car has a LSD (why aren't they standard on AMG's) and it's great, keeping the drivetrain/wheels nicely under control.
There is a downside though - between the MCT box, the very sharp first gear and the LSD, it can be jerky at very low speed - though
perhaps I've been used to the diesel with it's slushy torque converter.
Powerunit
I have to say, it's amazing.
In Comfort it can be a bit lethargic and seemed to have less low down grunt than my chipped E320, but it's designed to be that way.
However, select Sport, Sport+, or Manual and you're away, but be warned - you have to work it - it absolutely thrives on revs, topping out at 7200rpm (remember we're talking a 6.2 litre unit here). I have described it previously as a two stroke, and that just what it's like. You can motor along berween 2000rpm and 4000rpm eating most things for breakfast BUT, hit 5000rpm and it's proper warp speed stuff.
There's a step change in the engine characteristics - the exhaust goes from a growl to a roar and you're off -it's just epic.
On the return from the breakfast run yesterday I sat in the middle lane of the M42 (overtaking of course) and a low, big wheeled 3 series pulled alongside and stayed level, with a couple of guys looking at the car. They smiled, I smiled and I hit the fun pedal in Sport+.
In an instant they were history until I backed off. As they passed, their badging said 335d (one of the fastest diesels around) - in the chipped E320 I've have been toasted, but in an E63 it was a walk in the park.
Economy
You're havin a giraffe aren't you?
Miscellaneous
The night vision is a novelty, but it's not in your eyeline so you can't easily drive looking at it. The main beam assist is exceptional - it adjusts each headlight independently from the other and graduates what beam it projects, not just dip or main.
I don't get the reversing camera - it just provides a banana shaped view of what's behind you - Parktronic is plenty, and I haven't used the Advanced Parking Guidance at all.
So, there you have it - overall I'm very very pleased so far. I find that I drive it for no reason other than to drive it, which is what being an enthusiast is all about.
Sorry for the repeat on the photos - I've been driving too much to take any more...
I've had the car for about 6 weeks now so I thought it time to tell you how it's been to live with.
Exterior Styling
I think that 212's are proper Marmite cars - they aren't as easy on the eye as 211's, but I think the E63 is the best executed of the bunch. It's not 219 CLS pretty, but it's a muscular car with it's wider than the standard 212 front track, meaning the front arches are more pronounced - the body swage where the 6.3 badge sits is rather lovely.
It sits on very wide 19" rubber, at 285 rear and 255 front, which helps it's stance. To my eye, this one looks less hearse like than the 211 and it's been remarked by others that the polished alloy roof rails and brightwork around the windows help this - I agree. The rear lights are enormous, wrapping around the body. making the car very visible side on, which is useful.
I've established that the 19" wheels are forged (£1047 + VAT each
), which is always good forum chat, however, the rim face and spoke faces are diamond cut, so I can see problems in the future, with both kerbing and corrosion. It appears that machining the face is the usual method of getting the finish back, but, bizarrely, the AMG logo is on the rim face too, and it can get machined out - a bad design.I really like the red painted calipers - they just add that little something extra and get noticed a lot, though at £580.00 they're not cheap.
Front and rear brakes are both 380mm and combined with the bright calipers, it's an impressive looking package.
From the rear you're greeted with four AMG tailpipes, wide rubber and a wall of black paint and glass, leaving you in no doubt this large wagon means business, even when stationary.
The previous owner had the car de-badged (cue the debate), however, it's an E63 and I like it loud and proud, so I had it rebadged prior to collection.
Interior Styling
I found that driving 204 and 212 courtesy cars made my 211 interior feel a bit dated, though like many others, I agree that the quality of the dash plastics in the 212 seems less tactile than the 211.
However, my car has the Luxury Package, meaning Nappa leather seats, armrests and door centre panels, plus the upper section of instrument panel/facia. In addition there's door belt lines in leather, and Alcantara for the roof lining, pillars and sun visors - £3300 as an option. It’s an extravagance, but it really transforms the interior.
The AMG E Gate is a piece of modern art IMO.
I've found the pano roof useful and so far, it's rattle and leak free.
There's ambient lighting throughout, including along the front dash and all four door cards, and combined with the illuminated AMG sills that greet you, it's a nice place to be, after dark.
The rear entertainment (TV/DVD/CD with separate channels for left and right) hasn't been used yet, however, it's great fun offering the remote contol to new passengers. 8" screens in the rear too!
Waiting in the car (for whatever the reason) whilst being able to watch TV is really excellent - the picture goes off at 3mph, but the soundtrack stays on - it's a bit weird listening to "The Chase" as you drive along.
Comfort seats massage you on the go and side bolsters inflate on the corresponding side as you corner - both excellent features.
Handling
As mentioned earlier, E63's have a unique steering rack, 50mm (ish) wider than any other 212. The steering is very quick, very precise, and the car goes exactly where you want it to go. There's loads of feedback, though undoubtedly much if this is due to the suspension set up, which, even on Comfort, is firmer than my S211 was on Sport II Airmatic. It's not "crash" hard, but on anything other than smooth roads you know it's a firm set up.
There are 3 adjustments, Comfort (ho ho) Sport and Sport Plus, each one
tightening the car up more than the last.
Transmission
It's the wonderful 7 speed MCT box with 4 separate offerings (and Race Start) to keep you amused.
Comfort ~ this starts the car off in second and changes up at lower revs, as low as 1200rpm on light throttle openings.
Sport ~ starts off in first and changes higher up and more quickly
Sport+ ~ the fastest of the changes, and includes a fuel induced bang on high rev upshifts and throttle blipping on downshifts - great fun
.Manual ~ as Sport+ except the box will not change up at all, instead cutting cylinders at the red line and turning the speedo bright red to encourage you to upshift. It will, however, drop to the best gear on downshift, to give you the best power uptake available.
There also three ESP settings ~ On, Sport, and Off (for those with a death wish).
The AMG button, when pushed, sets up the car for your chosen driving preference, in an instant. I have it set to Sport suspension,
Sport+ gearbox and ESP on.
My car has a LSD (why aren't they standard on AMG's) and it's great, keeping the drivetrain/wheels nicely under control.
There is a downside though - between the MCT box, the very sharp first gear and the LSD, it can be jerky at very low speed - though
perhaps I've been used to the diesel with it's slushy torque converter.
Powerunit
I have to say, it's amazing.
In Comfort it can be a bit lethargic and seemed to have less low down grunt than my chipped E320, but it's designed to be that way.
However, select Sport, Sport+, or Manual and you're away, but be warned - you have to work it - it absolutely thrives on revs, topping out at 7200rpm (remember we're talking a 6.2 litre unit here). I have described it previously as a two stroke, and that just what it's like. You can motor along berween 2000rpm and 4000rpm eating most things for breakfast BUT, hit 5000rpm and it's proper warp speed stuff.
There's a step change in the engine characteristics - the exhaust goes from a growl to a roar and you're off -it's just epic.
On the return from the breakfast run yesterday I sat in the middle lane of the M42 (overtaking of course) and a low, big wheeled 3 series pulled alongside and stayed level, with a couple of guys looking at the car. They smiled, I smiled and I hit the fun pedal in Sport+.
In an instant they were history until I backed off. As they passed, their badging said 335d (one of the fastest diesels around) - in the chipped E320 I've have been toasted, but in an E63 it was a walk in the park.
Economy
You're havin a giraffe aren't you?
Miscellaneous
The night vision is a novelty, but it's not in your eyeline so you can't easily drive looking at it. The main beam assist is exceptional - it adjusts each headlight independently from the other and graduates what beam it projects, not just dip or main.
I don't get the reversing camera - it just provides a banana shaped view of what's behind you - Parktronic is plenty, and I haven't used the Advanced Parking Guidance at all.
So, there you have it - overall I'm very very pleased so far. I find that I drive it for no reason other than to drive it, which is what being an enthusiast is all about
.
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