AMG is Mercedes' in-house speed specialist, and the E63 AMG has everything I expect from an AMG-tuned car: Huge engine, explosive acceleration, a suspension tuned for purists, seating for seven, a roof rack, and -- wait, what? Yep, this is the E63 AMG wagon -- the perfect vehicle for families in a hurry. $88,775 base (including destination and gas guzzler tax), $93,660 as tested, EPA fuel economy 14 MPG city, 20 MPG highway.
First Glance: Funny, you don't look like a Porsche killer
Larger photos: Front - rearThe first thing I found to love about the E63 AMG wagon was the styling -- or rather the lack thereof. Most factory hot rods practically scream "Ticket me!", but the Mercedes E63 AMG wagon is as subtle as -- well, as a Mercedes wagon. Yes, there are hints to its true identity: The four Chunnel-sized exhaust tips and the AMG fender badge (link goes to photo) are the most prominent, along with the fancy wheels and mesh covering on the lower grille. Still, at first glance you'd never guess this was a hot rod. They even left the roof rack on -- how cool is that?
But don't let the roof rack fool you -- this is no ordinary E-class wagon. Under the hood is a new 6.2 liter engine designed by AMG (a new twist -- AMG cars, including last year's E55, have traditionally used modified Mercedes engines). Output is -- are you ready for this? -- five hundred and seven horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes estimates the E63 AMG will get to 100 kph (62 MPH) in 4.6 seconds. That's enough to show your tailgate to the average Porsche.
Other changes include a specially-tuned version of the E-Class' Airmatic air suspension and God's own brake system: Big vented and cross-drilled rotors squeezed by six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers out back.
In the Driver's Seat: Luxury trumps performance
There's a mindset that performance-oriented cars must have dark interiors; fortunately no one at AMG got that memo. A black interior is available, but there was nothing performance-oriented about my test car's tan leather and optional ($290) walnut wood trim -- which is fine with me, as this is my favorite E-Class interior color combination. The cabin is, for the most part, standard E-Class fare, for better or for worse. Better in that the accomodations are first-class all the way, worse in that the stereo and navigation controls are difficult to use and the steering wheel isn't perfectly centered with the driver's seat -- it's slightly offset to the right.
E63 additions include standard leather, suede (or at least suede-like) headliner and heated sport seats with electrically inflatable side bolsters, back contour and thigh support, designed to hold you in should you choose to explore the E63's handling potential. Those seats, along with a unique font on the gauges and shifter paddles on the steering wheel, give some hint as to the E63's sporting potential, but aside from that the E63 is just as stealthy on the inside as it is on the outside.
The back seat is big and comfortable, with a quad-zone climate control system that allows second-row passengers to set their own temperature. The E wagon's cargo bay is bigger than most of its competitors (not to mention several SUVs), and my test car had a $995 rear-facing third-row seat that pops up from the trunk floor to turn the E into a seven seater (provided at least two of those seven are small kids).
On the Road: Talented, but not particularly engaging
You'd expect major-league acceleration from a 500 horsepower station wagon, and the E63 does not disappoint: Flooring the pedal feels like being hit in the back by a jetliner. And the sound -- oh, the sound! With the throttle wide open and the revs high, the E63's yowl is music to a gearhead's ears. Drive gently, however, and the E63 demonstrates the decorum and serenity that befits a Mercedes. I expected the gas mileage to be dreadful, but it wasn't as bad as I feared: I averaged 16.6 miles per premium-unleaded gallon.The E63 uses Mercedes' ubiquitous 7-speed automatic; in addition to the usual Comfort and Sport modes, it has Manual mode that allows shifting with steering-wheel-mounted paddles. (The paddles also work in Comfort and Sport modes, but in Manual mode the transmission won't overrule the driver provided his selection won't over-rev the engine). One annoyance is the need (in manual mode) to shift early -- the engine's rev limiter cuts power abruptly about 200 RPM shy of the engine's redline.
The E63's air suspension has three settings, Comfort, Sport 1 and Sport 2; I could feel little difference between them. The steering has the lazy slowness of a luxury car, but the E63 has a neutral balance, and if you push it hard enough the electronic stability control system allows a bit of oversteer (fishtailing) in the curves (either from lifting off the throttle or mashing the accelerator) and gives the driver ample time to correct before stepping in. Very nice. The brakes take some getting used to, though: they require lots of pedal travel before they really bite.
Journey's End: And did I mention that it's a great family car?
Still, the E63 isn't the most involving car to drive, and the lack of a manual transmission is a real bummer. Of the E63's closest rivals, the BMW M5 offers a manual transmission, the Audi S6 doesn't -- but neither is available as a station wagon (not in the US, at least).
Personally, if I wanted a muscle wagon, I'd opt for the Audi S4 Avant. Though quite a bit smaller (though still big enough for family duty) and not nearly as quick, it offers a manual transmission and all-wheel-drive, both of which enhance the driving experience. It's also a heck of a lot less expensive. Audi's RS4 is way more thrilling than the E63, but it's not available as a wagon.
Still, of all the high-end performance cars I've driven, the E63 AMG wagon stands out as one of the coolest. I love its mix of speed and stealth. It's hard to say "If money were no object," since I'm a writer and chances are money will always be an object. But if it weren't, I'd love to stuff one of these babies into my garage, if only to be able to say that I can get my groceries home faster than anyone on my block. -- Aaron Gold
