Mercedes E63 AMG vs. BMW M5
Which is best?
For the past few years, the German automakers have been in a civil war against one another. This is a civil war that is all about power – horsepower that is. The big three automakers, Audi, Mercedes, and BMW have been pumping out a continuous line of monstrous sedans and coupes across the line. But the main focus where this war is most violent is between the super sedans. Audi has a 500hp version of its A6 sedan called the RS6, and then there is the Mercedes AMG E63, and finally, the king of the super sedans, the BMW M5. Sadly however, the RS6 is no longer in the game since it is out of production at this time and won’t return for at least another year. However, the competition is still fierce between BMW and Mercedes.
Last year, BMW raised the bar yet again with its all-new M5. Previous M5s were nothing short of driving perfection and the absolute best sport sedans in the world – they were also the fastest as well. However since the beginning of this war of the German automakers, the M5’s 400hp was no longer enough. Mercedes’ E55 was pushing out 450hp with the latest E class body; then Audi blew AMG away with the stunning 500hp RS6. BMW wasn’t going to be left at the bottom of the scale, so while the M5 retired for a short time, BMW spent quite a while making sure their new M5 would be nothing short of perfection. With an all-new 507hp V10 this engine is a masterpiece of BMW engineering. The new M5 is a technological showcase as well. Its new SMG gearbox has seven gears, and up to eleven different settings that allow the driver to choose how fast he wants the car to change gears. This transmission is a clutch-less manual, with F1-style paddles on the back of the steering wheel to shift, and in addition it does also offer full-automatic mode. The SMG in the M5 is spot-on, and works very well in this car, unlike the way it performed in the older M3 and Z4. However, there is also a traditional six-speed manual available. In addition to the M5’s long list of techno-gadgets and settings, you can also select how much power the engine produces as well.
Mercedes responded promptly this year with a revised version of its E55, now named the E63. The change in numbers is prompted by an increase from the former 5.5L V8 up to a 6.3L V8 that now produces 506hp, and 464lb-ft of torque, which is just slightly more than the M5. The E63 now also has a seven-speed gearbox called 7G-tronic that, like the M5, has F1 style paddles on the back of the wheel that allows the driver to change gear. Unlike the M5 however, this gearbox is a proper automatic, and a complete manual transmission is not available because the E63’s torque would ruin any manual gearbox that Mercedes can make.
Performance wise on paper these cars are almost identical. They both have 0-60 times in under 4.5 seconds and have a limited top speed of 155 mph; and even so, unrestricted both will reach the exciting side of 200 mph. Both of these cars will also reach into the exciting depths of your bank account as well, both start at just over $81,000, and after options, you’ll be pushing nearly six figures for the MSRP. So there you have it, both of these cars are almost identical in just about every way. But how do they drive? I’ve luckily had a chance to drive both of these super sedans, and on the face of it, both of them are just fantastic. Behind the wheel of one of these, it’s easy to forget that you’re actually driving a comfortable four-door sedan because they’re just so fast.
The great thing about both of these cars is that once your finished with fooling around and smoking tires, they settle down, and become comfortable, great looking sedans that you can drive everyday, and hardly anyone will notice. The E63 is conservatively styled, and only the keen automotive enthusiast will regonize your driving something very special. The M5 on the other hand is a bit more aggressive. The base of the normal 5 series is a dramatic departure from the previous model and its not as conservative as before. Like Mercedes, the BMW styling changes are minimal, but it still is far more noticible on the highway with its large, deep-dish alloy wheels, and aggressive front fascia. It’s not as elegant as the Mercedes but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The E63 on the road is very well planted; you can immediately tell that this car was made for the autobahn. Its V8 has a great exhaust note, and its torque surge is addicting under acceleration. The torque that this engine produces is just mind boggling, and it thrusts you into your seat as the traction control light flashes helplessly to try to keep the tires in check. The great thing about the E63 is that this is a very forgiving car. Mercedes has packed it full of electronics and traction control systems to keep you from loosing control. However, these are almost impossible to completely turn off, and for the experienced driver, they really take away from the driving experience. However, the most disappointing part about the E63 is that the steering is much like that of other E-classes; it’s rather numb and lacks feel. It’s heavier than in other models, and it handles well, but the entire time you still somehow feel distant from the car. Added with all the electronic gadgets that work with this vehicle (which is well over 100 different systems and computers) you don’t feel like you’re the one driving this car anymore.
In comparison, the BMW M5 is a bit more brutal in its driving experience; that is of course once you get around the iDrive system, and its driving aids as well. Like the Mercedes, this BMW is packed with just as many electronics and traction control systems to keep this car in check. This car is easily one of the most frustrating vehicles to figure out. Yes, it is a technological showcase, but the automated voice from the navigation system doesn’t shut up, and it always talks over your favorite radio station, which you can’t find anyway because its too complicated, the climate control systems are a nightmare to work properly, and you even have to select how much power you want the engine to produce. This takes forever to adjust all these settings, because they are far too difficult and distracting to do while your driving. Of course, once you get used to it and get your settings all dialed in, you can forget them and don’t have to bother with them again, but its still a hassle regardless. The good thing however is there is a way you can get around all this mess if your in a hurry. Located on the steering wheel is a button that just says “M”. Push this, and the engine produces its maximum amount of power, the traction control is switched off, the suspension goes into attack mode, and the gearbox is switched over to manual. That also activates the unique heads-up display that gives you a color-coded rev-counter and speedometer. The engine barks out a fantastic exhaust note, and once I floored it, this car violated me – personally. The seats squeezed my sides in, and it took me by surprise because this wasn’t a gentle squeeze. The first corner I took, the side bolsters push into your sides to keep you from sliding around, and I’ll tell you what, it gives you one heck of a driving experience. This car is hands down one of the most exhilarating cars I’ve ever driven, and under full throttle, it just makes your heart stop, I couldn’t believe how fast it was. This car put a huge smile on my face in a way that the E63 just doesn’t. That doesn’t mean the E63 is a bad car, but it feels more like an executive car, and you just want to cruise in. The M5 on the other hand is just bonkers, and it’s mad; it wants you to trash it and drive it like your hair is on fire.
Overall, both of these are great cars. But once you get around the complications of the BMW’s iDrive system, it delivers a driving experience that the E63 will never do, and for that reason, I’ll take the M5 every time.
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