Written by Alan Taylor-Jones Published: 3 November 2022 Updated: 12 October 2023

Overview

In a world of hybrid and electric cars, the Mercedes-AMG E-Class feels like a final hurrah for the big six and eight-cylinder German saloon. After all, the C-Class is now only available with four-cylinder engines, with the hottest C63 switching to a plug-in hybrid boost to get power up to 680hp. You don’t get quite that much in the E-Class, although the six-cylinder E53 has 435hp and the V8 E63 S 612hp.

You get four-wheel drive as standard with both models, with the E63 gaining a Drift Mode that makes it rear-wheel drive only like its predecessors. We’d hazard a guess and say you’d try it once, baulk at the cost of two new rear tyres and leave it well alone after that. Saloon versions of the E53 and E63 are pretty practical, but it’s the enormous estate that’s the ultimate fast family wagon.

Of course, the Audi RS6 might disagree with that statement, while the BMW M5 and M550i should also be considered key rivals. We also suspect a few will be cross shopped against hot SUVs such as the AMG GLE 53 and 63, the Porsche Cayenne and fast versions of the Audi Q7 and Q8.

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What’s it like inside?

The interiors of both the E53 and E63 are essentially gussied-up versions of the regular E-Class. Both have a high level of standard equipment with special editions adding different trims and materials. Expect lots of leather for the heavily bolstered sports seats and even hide on the dash and doors, a bit of suede-like material on the steering wheel of E63s and lots of AMG badging.

It’s an exceptionally flashy interior, especially with the multi-coloured ambient lighting set to a garish colour, albeit one that isn’t quite as well put together as an M5 or RS6’s. You’ll find dashboard trim creaks if you prod it while some of the switches are a bit flimsy and the touch-sensitive steering wheel controls don’t work as well as buttons and dials. Still, at least there are physical switches for the heating and stereo, while the dial-controlled infotainment system works almost as well as BMW’s iDrive.

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Both E53 and E63 get twin widescreens next to each other that can be controlled via touch, a touchpad between the seats and another on the steering wheel spoke. It’s a little fiddly to use the touchpads at first, but they can be useful for some functions. The displays are sharp, with the driver’s able to show a wide range of information clearly via another steering wheel touchpad, whilst the menus are for the most part logical.

Space up front is generous, with lots of head, leg and shoulder room plus a wide central armrest. There are plenty of capacious cubbies with easily accessed USB ports to link your phone to the standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Rear space is good, with plenty of leg and headroom, even with a panoramic roof, and the boot is a generous 540-litres.. If you want to know more details about interior space and infotainment, check out our main Mercedes E-Class review.

Comfort

There’s lots of electric adjustment on the AMG sports seats including under thigh support and lumbar. They prove comfortable over long distances and hold you in place tightly when cornering, although the pedals are slightly offset.

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The rear bench is also comfortable, at least for the outer two occupants. While they have well sculpted bases, the centre seat is higher and flatter, with occupants having to deal with a large transmission tunnel and not much foot space. Again, for more detail check out our main E-Class review.

Safety

Safety is a cornerstone of the Mercedes-Benz brand, and the E-Class comes with a five-star Euro NCAP rating. However, this does date from 2016, and the test has got harder since.

Even so, you’ve got airbags all around the cabin, a bonnet that rises in the event of a pedestrian collision, a fatigue detection system, tyre-pressure monitoring, and collision assistance that prepares the car as much as possible if it detects that an impact is unavoidable. Meanwhile, Pre-safe Sound plays a frequency through the speaker system to prevent damage to ears in the event of an accident.

E53s have the option of semi-autonomous driving tech, a feature that’s standard on the E63. It works well on the motorway with steering, braking and accelerating assistance to help you maintain pace with traffic while keeping in your lane.

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What’s it like to drive?

We’re yet to sample the E53 and its 4.5-second 0-62mph time, although we do know Mercedes can make a good six-cylinder engine. It’s mild hybrid assisted although can’t drive on electric power alone and emits enough CO2 to firmly be in the top 37% BIK tax bracket.

It’s still far more efficient than the engine we have tried, the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 E63 S. 0-62mph takes a mere 3.4-seconds thanks to a swift-shifting automatic gearbox and the traction four-wheel drive provides. Yes, the BMW M5 CS is faster still, but there are very few occasions you can deploy all 612hp the E63 has to offer. It’s not that it can’t put the power down, it’s just you’ll find yourself travelling awfully fast in the blink of an eye.

If you’d prefer a lairier E-Class, you can loosen the stability control’s grip via steering wheel controls or turn it off entirely. This reveals a rear bias to the four-wheel drive system that makes it more entertaining than an RS6, and you can put the E63 in drift mode to make it rear-wheel drive only. This allows big, lairy slides that are best left to the track.

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Not that you need it to have fun. The steering is quick, precise and has reassuring weight that gives you the confidence to really attack a corner. There’s very little body roll and despite its heft it feels surprisingly agile. A twisting road will almost certainly put a big smile on your face, especially with the V8’s switchable sports exhaust in its nosiest setting.

Early E63s of this generation were rather stiff, but a facelift introduced updated suspension designed to improve comfort. It’s certainly worked, with later cars absorbing low speed bumps with far greater aplomb. It’s still firmer than other E-Classes but is perfectly liveable in everyday life.

Ownership costs and maintenance

Expect to be spending a lot of time at your local filling station; officially the E63 is capable of low 20s mpg, and you need a reasonable amount of restraint for that. Go for a blast and economy in the teens is easy, while single figures are doable.

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As we touched upon, it’s in the top company car tax bracket and we wouldn’t expect servicing to be particularly cheap, either. At least the three-year warranty is unlimited mileage and can be extended for additional peace of mind.

What models and trims are available?

At the time of writing, only one version of the E53 Night Edition Premium Plus and E63 Final Edition. Both come rammed full of kit with only a driving assistance package optional. Prior to this there was a range of models and special editions, so keep a close eye on equipment levels and trims when buying second hand.

To find out if we’d recommend an AMG E-Class, click on through to our verdict page.