EDITOR WES RAYNAL: This car is a beast. I've liked the new E-class since its introduction, and this hot-rod version is great fun. The steering wheel is nice and thick and the seats are enveloping.
The car is a rocket off the line--as you'd expect--and the power goes down smoothly and with all the right noises. The adjustable suspension gives good body control and a decent ride in the comfort mode and a much firmer ride up in to the sport and sport-plus modes. It's all quiet and smooth no matter the setting. I liked comfort best.
This is a car that was about what I expected--fast as hell, well built and solid as a rock.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: The E63 AMG is my top gun in performance sedans right now. The car is a hoot to hammer around in, with plenty of seat, chassis and powertrain adjustments to fit the kind of driving you're doing at any given moment. I like the sport mode for most driving, with the amped-up sport-plus and sport handling settings dialed in whenever the chance arises for more spirited running. Properly set, the car responds with killer acceleration, a super-solid suspension (punch it--hard--and there's surprisingly little lift), controlled oversteer and steering that comes close to providing the kind of feedback we love in our Bimmers. The exhaust accompaniment on downshift is sweet music, the kind of cacophony that makes you want to run it back up through the gears and back down, again and again.
In the E-class, it is clear the Mercedes engineers seem to be coming to terms with the fact that people spend a lot of time in their cars, and not all of it is devoted to 150-mph-plus runs down the autobahn. As such, the E offers a reasonable place to put a cup of coffee, stowage for other loose items and an easy-to-use interface with all the key systems represented.
Top it off with a menacing, yet understated style, and there's not much to quibble about in the E63 AMG. Of all the E-class variants, this E63 AMG sedan is the clear choice if you can afford the price of entry.
2011 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
Base Price: $90,175
As-Tested Price: $100,045
Drivetrain: 6.3-liter V8; RWD, seven-speed dual-clutch sequential manual
Output: 518 hp @ 6,800 rpm, 465 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm
Curb Weight: 4,058 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 15/14.4 mpg
Options: PO2 premium package including COMAND system with 40GB hard drive, GPS navigation, real-time traffic data, voice control, 6GB music register, heated and active ventilated front seats, drive-dynamic multicontour driver seat with massage, rearview camera, bixenon headlamps with active curve illumination, adaptive highbeam assist, keyless go, electronic trunk closer ($5,000); carbon-fiber trim ($2,580); 19-inch AMG wheels ($2,290)