Despite the world market’s incessant craving for all things SUV-shaped, and EVs becoming more and more common by the day, there’s still room for some cool, fun rarities. I’m not talking about anything mid-engine and chocked-full of carbon fiber, but rather stuff that’s quintessential, understated cool.
Wagons are very much in this realm. They sit much lower than SUVs, so they handle better. They can also haul a ton of stuff, and at least for many European brands’ offerings, look quite striking. They’re also very rare, which automatically boosts their cool factor.
We’ve been told for the past sixty-or-so years that these long sleds are supposed to be harmless, jovial family haulers. That title switched over to SUVs a while back, which then upped wagons’ cool factor quite significantly. This means that fast wagons, therefore, are the epitome cool. Seeing and hearing a wagon mobbing around town, on a twisty mountain road, and up the highway is a real spectacle.
Mercedes-Benz still builds these long, rare birds. They’re also one of the few remaining brands that offers a fast, enthusiast-centric version, and it’s place is in their E-Class: the 2021 AMG E63 S Wagon. It's 4725 pounds of aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, and noise. It’s also dimensionally-massive, quite expensive, and I recently had it for a whole week with a gorgeous, satin Brilliant Blue Magno example. How does it fare as a fast wagon yearning for the attention of a well-heeled enthusiast?
Big thanks to Mercedes-Benz USA for throwing me the keys plus a full tank of gas for this review. My tester’s starting price was $112,450, then after a nice selection aesthetic and driver aid upgrades, came out to $142,100 after destination and delivery.
A solid mix of elegance meets athleticism
The long, flowing figure blends in nicely with its aggressive front end, bright silver mesh wheels, and massive, optionally-equipped ceramic brakes. Walking up to this Teutonic beast, one look at the wheels instantly conveys a sense of confidence in its abilities. It’s understated and reserved, as well as confident and aggressive. Cruising around town at ease would make any passer-by’s quick glance think it’s just a big, comfy Benz driven by someone who’s one of the last holdouts from buying an SUV. Though, its aggressive V8 tone and obviously-massive brakes tell a different tale. Mercedes has always done understated brute force well - I think this is a solid modern example.
When I say long, flowing figure, I truly mean it. Its wheelbase measures in at 115.7 inches, and overall it stretches out to 197.1 inches. It’s longer than a good portion of the SUV market. I mentioned earlier that it’d be piloted by someone who grimaces at SUVs; that’s because they’ve got a certain kind of refined taste. As in, someone who understands the cool factor that comes along with a Benz wagon. Anyone with the scratch who would opt for something like an Escalade just wouldn’t get it
Elegance and athleticism continues inside
The E63’s plush, mostly-leather, brushed aluminum, and carbon fiber interior is a lovely place to be with a beautiful center stack, massive digital dash, and 12.3-inch infotainment screen that blends flawlessly into its design. The driving position is very nice as well: like all modern Benzes, you sit hunkered down, with high door sills that give a sense of performance and security. It’s an all-around pleasant place to be, with immensely comfortable seats that feature both heating and cooling, and offer several memory modes. Deep in its MBUX infotainment system reside a few massage settings as well, bolstering the comfort factor even more.
Its MBUX (Mercedes Benz User Experience) multimedia system is remarkable, offering extensive customization and artificial intelligence to give occupants a pleasant, user-friendly interface. It can be navigated via screen, center touchpad, or steering wheel touchpad, which allows safe swiping through screens in any driving scenario. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, navigation, and a crystal-clear Burmester stereo surround system are all standard, with voice control contributing even more to its ease of use. Though, if you’re conversing with a passenger who’s sitting shotgun and happen to utter “Mercedes” out loud, voice control will butt-in and ask “how may I help you?” It’s best to re-word your comments to “this MB” or “MB did a great job with x”.
My tester came equipped with $1,950 in driver assistance technology, poignantly dubbed the DA2 Driver Assistance Package. Like the convenience and ease of use found in its MBUX system, the E63’s long list of Assists were quick to toggle, and made trudging through traffic a significantly more enjoyable experience than usual. This E Class’ plush, quiet interior accompanied its usage so well, too. I happened to get stuck in traffic quite a bit while rolling around Los Angeles behind the wheels of this big AMG, and outside of a well-optioned EV or extra-high-end Rolls Royce, I can’t think of a better place to find respite during such an otherwise unbearable experience.
When traffic cleared up and allowed the AMG to stretch its legs, it proved that despite its portly 4700-pound curb weight, this thing could handle itself incredibly well. Beneath its hood lives AMG’s handcrafted-in-Germany, 4.0-liter, biturbo V8 which cranks out 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Bolted up to it is Mercedes’ 7-speed AMG Speedshift transmission and all-wheel drive. At first it’s hard to believe that its 0-60 MPH time is just 3.4 seconds, but with Sport+ mode enabled, and the loud pedal shoved all the way forward, it has no issue achieving a similar time. Stoplight after stoplight, and the same gusto at canyon-road-corner-exit after-canyon-road-corner-exit.
That’s uncanny for a vehicle of this curb weight, and adds a whole-new dimension to understated; this AMG’s one of the beastliest internal-combustion sleepers ever made. It will give a good number of obvious performance platforms a big wake up call if they’re inclined to attempt to race away from it when a stop light switches to green. The beautifully angry, high-revving tone it produces along the way is intoxicating, too; I couldn’t resist ripping away from green lights with all the gusto, all day long.
While slicing along successions of corners, it does a good job of announcing its arrival before it gets there; whether it's in Sport+, Race, or a lesser mode with the exhaust switched to AMG (that’s right, a dedicated button quickly bumps up the decibels), the brutish, angry exhaust note sounded beautiful echoing off of nearby rock faces.
Equally, wake-up-call was the way the AMG E63 S Wagon handled itself in the corners. Switching its AMG Dynamic Select modes to Sport+ or Race, the adaptive air suspension firms up a bit and the engine and transmission gain a bit more sharpness and aggression. Then it begs to be sailed through fun, coiled up sections of tarmac all-day-long. Thunder into a tight right-hander, push hard on its carbon-ceramic brakes, turn in with all the precision and feel, and then foot down right before exit to let its all-wheel drive and low-end, biturbo torque pull it out and onto the next corner with all the gusto. Every kind of corner is fun, and with all 640 pound-feet of torque available at just 2500 RPM, this AMG has no issues clawing its way out of tighter, more technical sections. Even if it’s closer to 5,000 pounds than most other performance platforms.
I was shocked at how little body roll it exhibited for such a large vehicle. And despite an awful lot of its weight being right over the front axle, its steering felt remarkably taut and communicative. While its power steering is electric, it is rack-and-pinion, and while it has airbags instead of springs, it does have multi-link independent suspension at all four corners with adaptive dampers.
Most, if not all of the high-performance SUV market can’t compare to this wagon’s dynamically-excellent handling, whether due to center of gravity or balance. It also hauls as much as these stilted ego mobiles, both in cargo capacity and performance.
It’s still very much an E-Class
Outside of bumper-to-bumper traffic and immensely-fun canyon roads, the AMG E63 S is a great everyday cruiser. It rolls along comfortably and confidently on the highway as a good German sled ought to and lumbers around town with ease. It’s 360-degree camera and parking sensors make quick work of figuring out its dimensions in tight spaces; trying to fit into a tight parking space won’t make onlookers make comparisons to huge freighters getting stuck in the Suez Canal. Keeping it in Sport across all modes ensures good throttle response and a comfortable-yet-composed ride. Other reviewers seemed to think it was a little too stiff, but I thought it rolled remarkably well over crappy streets. Any hint of jagged tarmac transmitted to the cabin via its tiny-sidewall tires was well-damped.
The same goes for the highway. Its immense power comes in handy there, too, as quickly getting past terrible drivers and wretched left-lane hogs is as easy as a quarter-increase in throttle. Since this big AMG wears some grippy 265/35R20 front and 295/30R20 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, the E63 S has a little bit of noticeable tire noise on the highway, but not enough to cause any degree of annoyance. Cruising at 80+ MPH is incredibly stable and comfortable, and still pretty quiet considering its footprint. This means keeping a watchful eye on the speedometer is paramount for sure.
Rare and Remarkable
While I don’t have a figure on how many AMG wagons will continue to be sold in North America, I hope Mercedes keeps it up. Being able to drive an angry, bi-turbo V8 wagon that hits 60 MPH in less than four seconds in 2021, with internal combustion’s eventual demise on the horizon, is a special occasion indeed. But rest assured, this didn’t cloud my judgement too much; it’s still an all-around excellent car, with the best modern tech that Mercedes offers and a dynamic, engaging chassis that knows how to handle itself.
People bemoan the bygone days of bigger, naturally-aspirated AMG V8s, and often thumb their noses at smaller-displacement, hot-v-turbocharged versions like this one’s. The noise, power, and revs are still very much there, though; respect to Mercedes-Benz for putting an increasingly-rare engine under the hood of a very, very rare body style. Enthusiasts rejoice: this legacy shared by the Audi RS2 Avant, BMW M5 Touring, S211 AMG Wagon, and more, isn’t over yet.