Bruce
Kraftwagen König
- Messages
- 11,535
- Name
- Bruce McCulloch
"Last time we tested an M-Class, it was an ML500 in our July 2005 issue. We were impressed with its performance, and noted that the quality, particularly inside, was now up to Mercedes-Benz's high stand­ards. Now, with the new ML63 AMG, there's an even hotter M-Class, one that's even more ferocious than the six SUVs we tested in our November 2006 article.
So, just how scorching is the new ML63? Well, this 5250-lb. heavyweight reaches 60 mph in 4.5 seconds — quicker than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. And in the quarter mile, its 13.0-sec. blast at 108.0 mph bests all other SUVs we've tested.
Its rumbly AMG-built 6.2-liter V-8 is a twin-plug naturally aspirated powerplant that produces 503 bhp at 6800 rpm and 465 lb.-ft. of torque at 5200 rpm. With large 295/45R-19 tires at each corner and 4Matic all-wheel drive sending 60 percent of the power rearward, the ML63 launches with authority, and active Airmatic suspension makes for a remarkably pleasant ride.
At $87,375, the ML63 AMG isn't cheap. But that kind of performance never is.
Last time we tested an M-Class, it was an ML500 in our July 2005 issue. We were impressed with its performance, and noted that the quality, particularly inside, was now up to Mercedes-Benz's high stand­ards. Now, with the new ML63 AMG, there's an even hotter M-Class, one that's even more ferocious than the six SUVs we tested in our November 2006 article.
So, just how scorching is the new ML63? Well, this 5250-lb. heavyweight reaches 60 mph in 4.5 seconds — quicker than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. And in the quarter mile, its 13.0-sec. blast at 108.0 mph bests all other SUVs we've tested.
Its rumbly AMG-built 6.2-liter V-8 is a twin-plug naturally aspirated powerplant that produces 503 bhp at 6800 rpm and 465 lb.-ft. of torque at 5200 rpm. With large 295/45R-19 tires at each corner and 4Matic all-wheel drive sending 60 percent of the power rearward, the ML63 launches with authority, and active Airmatic suspension makes for a remarkably pleasant ride.
At $87,375, the ML63 AMG isn't cheap. But that kind of performance never is.
Last time we tested an M-Class, it was an ML500 in our July 2005 issue. We were impressed with its performance, and noted that the quality, particularly inside, was now up to Mercedes-Benz's high stand­ards. Now, with the new ML63 AMG, there's an even hotter M-Class, one that's even more ferocious than the six SUVs we tested in our November 2006 article.
So, just how scorching is the new ML63? Well, this 5250-lb. heavyweight reaches 60 mph in 4.5 seconds — quicker than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. And in the quarter mile, its 13.0-sec. blast at 108.0 mph bests all other SUVs we've tested.
Its rumbly AMG-built 6.2-liter V-8 is a twin-plug naturally aspirated powerplant that produces 503 bhp at 6800 rpm and 465 lb.-ft. of torque at 5200 rpm. With large 295/45R-19 tires at each corner and 4Matic all-wheel drive sending 60 percent of the power rearward, the ML63 launches with authority, and active Airmatic suspension makes for a remarkably pleasant ride.
At $87,375, the ML63 AMG isn't cheap. But that kind of performance never is."
List price: $85,500
Price as tested: $87,375
Curb weight: 5250 lb
Engine, transmission: 6.2-liter V-8; 7-sp automatic
Horsepower, bhp @ rpm: 503 @ 6800
0–60 mph: 4.5 sec
0–100 mph: 11.2 sec
0–1320 ft: 13.0 sec @ 108.0 mph
Top speed: 155 mph*
Braking, 60–0 mph: 119 ft
Braking, 80–0 mph: 209 ft
Lateral accel (200-ft skidpad): 0.81g
Speed thru 700-ft slalom: 62.1 mph
Our mileage, EPA city/highway: est 10.4, 12/16 mpg
Can't believe that such a heavy car beat an Aston... 
