Mercedes-AMG E 63 Estate: reviewed

This isn’t just a fast estate car, this is the manifestation of an arms race between Audi and Mercedes. Audi’s RS6 Avant and this Mercedes-AMG E63 have been outdoing each other for years now, to see just who can get the family to the ferry before it sails, or get to the tip with that old wardrobe before it shuts. A niche market you might think.

So you have a luxury estate car with all the trimmings, but you also have in this latest guise a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8. That gives you the not inconsiderable clout of 563bhp and 553lb ft of torque. It sounds even more wonderful than it sounds on paper. There’s a ‘grumble with intent’ at lower engine speeds, which rapidly transforms into an F1 yowl at higher revs.

It yowls up crisply through the nine-speed auto box but you could play with the paddles if you felt like taking manual control. There’s no need to really, but we all like playing, even if the result is slightly slower to respond than the transmission in a Porsche Panamera Sports Turismo.

Naturally everything is adjustable, from throttle response to suspension. The standard air suspension has quite a job to do as it needs to be able to deliver a comfy and controlled ride whether the driver is on her own and really nailing it, or whether there’s a car-full of family with the pet pony in the boot. However, the system is more than up to the job.

The ride quality is pretty faultless, offering a deeply comfy ride in Comfort yet also offering firm control when speeds rise and the road condition deteriorates. The odd jolt gets through to the cabin but that’s a small price to pay for such effortless control.

Control which is extended further by the 4Matic all-wheel drive system, so you’ve got the reassurance of excellent grip even under grim winter conditions. Under any of the circumstances we tried, it’s hard to run out of grip either on the way in or on the way out under power of any sort of corner. The steering is well weighted and precise, and there’s nothing to stop you exploring the upper reaches of that delightfully wailing V8.

The driver is held firmly in place by the electrically adjustable sports seats in the front, again offering that terrific combination of comfort and control, even over long distances – distances which tend to be covered in a fairly short timeframe. The flat-bottomed steering wheel and the fact that you can configure the electronic dials to give you a big rev counter in front of your nose are just a few of the more sporting trinkets on show.

The boot can take nine carry-on cases – eight on the main floor, one underneath – and frankly that ought to do it even for a quick weekend away. Rear legroom isn’t bad but isn’t the best there is, but for most people there will be complaints, and if you have no rear passengers you can fold the rears flat to access a boot space similar to a tennis court.