CAR REVIEW: The Mercedes AMG E63 S makes the ‘burbs to Atlanta commute (almost) bearable
Mercedes-Benz AG – Global Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans
By Joe Parker
We all know the associated health risks of certain activities like smoking, drinking heavily, using a toaster while bathing, etc. However, the health research community has completely ignored the medical malaise that is the daily commute from metro Atlanta into the heart of the city.
It is slowly but surely draining my life force.
Though the medical community has no cure for the tedium of the daily commute around one of the nation’s worst traffic-riddled metropolitan areas, Mercedes-AMG have offered a sort of homeopathic remedy — the 2021 E63 S.
This 600-plus-horsepower, ultra-refined sedan won’t cure drivers of the malaise that is an Atlanta commute, but it certainly makes it as enjoyable as possible.
Climb into the sumptuous cabin with your morning coffee and you are met with rich amenities like supple leather, carbon-fiber trim and top-tier materials in a modern, pristine and stylish presentation — a cabin rich with all the commodities and features one would expect of a top-trim Mercedes.
If your back muscles like to remind you each morning that it’s time for a new mattress, wash down your on-the-go breakfast with a rubdown from the massaging seats. Just say “Hey Mercedes, I’m cold” to allow the MBUX Voice Control system to crank up the heat for you because, if you’re like me, you spend approximately three hours of your day trying to wake up. And fiddling with buttons is just too much work at 7 a.m.
Available in options packages, there are also amenities like rapid-heating front seats, steering wheel and armrests, and extensive sound-deadening materials that keeps the aural attack of I-85 muted from those inside the cabin. Ride quality is firm given the AMG’s sporty underpinnings, but even cavernous potholes along major highways won’t upset passengers too much.
There is also semi-autonomous cruise control with stop-and-go feature, allowing drivers to enjoy the peaceful setting of the AMG’s cabin without the pesky trouble of having to steer, accelerate or brake when inching along Ga. 400 for mile after interminable mile.
These creature comforts, along with superior fit and finish, are a boon when the Atlanta commute has the E63 S putzing along in crawling traffic.
But in the rare chance the 63 S finds a bit of open road, this pampering Dr. Jekyll brings its bi-turbo V8 to life and becomes the snarling, sinister Mr. Hyde. You know, like the transformation that occurs to otherwise calm, sensible people when they get behind the wheel on I-75 during rush hour.
Power from the V8 is instantaneous and brutal when your right foot slams down to pass someone traveling, in the left lane, at a more-dangerous-than-speeding 62 mph. The bi-turbo powerplant dishes out an eye-popping 603-hp with a peak of 637 ft.-lbs. of torque between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm. The E63 S will dispatch 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 184 mph.
And that’s a lot of numbers to say this — the E63 S is one of the best insurances a commuter can have against being late.
Empty highway on-ramps become personal drag strips, clover leaf interchanges are transformed into the “Big Bend” corner at the Lime Rock Park racetrack and back roads are converted into personal playgrounds when the E63 S can stretch its legs.
Gear changes from the AMG-specific “multi-clutch” 9-speed automatic transmission are lightning fast, and while paddle shifters are fitted, at no point did I feel they were necessary. In all driving modes, shifts are quick, smooth and smart. A wet clutch replaces the torque converter to save weight and increase responsiveness, and the system has a double-clutching feature.
The gem of a transmission underscores the 63’s acuity through the bendy bits.
Sporting AMG Ride Control+ — with its multi-chamber air suspension and adaptive dampening system, a rear limited-slip differential, aluminum suspension components and independent wheel control — the 63 S a bona fide corner carver that will leave you wondering why you can’t see the rails on which it is clearly riding.
And as you blow past the left-lane lurkers and terrified out-of-towners on I-85, you’ll hear the fantastic bellows and growls of the AMG’s V8, which does not suffer aurally despite having two turbos.
When all lanes of I-20 come to screeching halt because the Earth is continuing to rotate the sun (there’s no other logical reason it does this so much), the optional carbon ceramic brakes have the stopping power of driving into wet cement.
But before you head down to your local dealer to check out this supreme commuter, there are a few other points to consider. For starters, good luck finding a new model (there is a reason it’s 2022 and I’m reviewing a ’21 model).
As I write this, the E63 S cannot be ordered with Mercedes announcing last summer that it would discontinue its V8 engine production. While most models equipped with eight cylinders are now available again, the E63 is not among them.
Your checking account might view this news with a sigh of relief because, and there’s no way of getting around this, the ultimate commuter starts at over $108,000, and my well-equipped tester rang in at over $134,000. And there will be few savings at the pumps with the 63 S rated for 18 combined mpg. So, only those commuting to their executive suites in Atlanta will likely be able to experience the E63.
And for those that do, there is another fly in the ointment.
The capacitive “buttons” on the steering wheel for the climate control, cruise control settings and other inputs are as finicky as a hungry and nap-deprived toddler. Compounding this frustration is all the time you’ll spend accidentally changing the radio station from your favorite tunes to something awful, like The Eagles, and not being able to turn it back because the controls are so fussy to work.
Does this annoyance detract from the overall experience of the E 63 S? No, but like rush hour through Atlanta, it’s just one of those incredible irritations you must deal with. Because it’s all worth it when the traffic is nonexistent, and you can enjoy the duality that is a sport sedan that can meet all your daily needs while being ripe for track day use.
The metro to Atlanta commute sucks. But the E63 S eases that headache like no other commuter car can.
More information
2021 MERCEDES-AMG E63 S
Pros and cons
Pros: Jaw-dropping engine performance, supreme handling prowess, blends brutal performance with upscale luxury
Cons: Jolting gear changes at low speeds, some controls are difficult to use
Overall: The E63 S is everything a buyer could want in super sport sedan
Starting price: $108,550
MPG figures (city/highway/combined): 16/23/18
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