Mercedes E63 AMG review

The Mercedes-AMG E63 is one of those cars that makes you question reality, or at least the reality of how much power you need in an 'ordinary' saloon or estate. After all, here's one with more grunt than some supercars.

Really, we're not joking: the E63 kicks out 604bhp and that's backed up with 627 lb ft of shove from its frankly bonkers 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine. That's the same engine that you'll find in a supercar, by the way, because it's also found in the Mercedes-AMG GT but guess what? The E63's version is more powerful and that means it's the quicker-accelerating of the two cars.

Does any five-seater really need so much welly? Well, according to AMG, which is the performance arm of Mercedes-Benz, this one does. It has to compete with the likes of the Audi RS6 Avant, the BMW M5 and the Porsche Panamera Turbo – which are all performance cars with similar outputs or, in some cases, even more. 

If you fancy using your modern V8 muscle car for the school run and family holidays, there's even an estate version. That manages to do everything the saloon does (in other words, go really, really fast) but with a boot full of stuff on board. If that stuff is breakable, though, make sure that it's well tied down otherwise you’ll be in trouble.

Read on over the next few pages of this review to find out what the Mercedes-AMG E63 is like to live with every day, and how it compares with its rivals.

If by the end of it you're dead set on buying one, don't forget to check out the free What Car? New Car Buying service, where you'll find great savings on nearly every new car available, including plenty of tempting Mercedes E-Class deals.