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I'm always on the lookout for potential replacements for my '07 9-5 Aero SC 60th, I was getting the oil changed on the Saab at my (now former) Saab dealer and they had an '07 Merc E63 AMG estate on their lot.
Took it for a drive, salesman and the kids were in the car so I couldn't go too mental. I loved the power delivery, this model year has the naturally-aspirated 6.3 litre AMG V8, good for 507 hp. Torque is 469 lb/ft, but to get that figure the engine has to be over 5k. Still felt pretty immediate, the engine combined with the 7-speed transmission were quite impressive. I had a similar transmission in an '08 Mercedes R350 I had, this one in the AMG had much quicker shifts but still felt smooth.
I didn't particularly like the airmatic suspension, in the comfort setting there was too much body movement for me, and the middle setting (sport 1) didn't provide much of an improvement. I liked the Sport 2 setting (the stiffest), but it felt quite a bit like the suspension on my Aero while also being a bit more artificial. I wasn't able to take corners the way I would've liked due to the presence of the sales guy and the kids, but I wasn't as confident in this car as I am in my 9-5 Aero. I attribute that to being intimately familiar with how my Aero behaves, and I'm sure I'd get used to the Merc after awhile.
The Merc had the rear-facing third row, something I really wish the 9-5 Aero estate had. I understand that Saab was working on a rear-facing third row when they originally designed the 9-5 estate back in the mid-nineties, and scrapped it due to safety concerns - Merc and Volvo have seemingly been able to make this setup work, and It would be really convenient to have a jump seat in the back of the Saab if needed in a pinch.
I really wanted to love the Mercedes and I was actually nearly prepared to trade the Saab for the Merc, but it was difficult to justify paying $45k for the AMG with 60k on it - if I didn't already have the Saab Aero estate I'd be much more interested. I'd be lucky in the Merc to get 18 mpg on the highway, I get 32+ in the Saab if I take the roof rack/box off (though admittedly fuel econ wouldn't shouldn't be too much of a concern in a car with 500+ bhp). The Merc would probably eat rear tires faster than a 9-5 Aero wagon with rear camber issues too. The Merc had the same summer tires I have on the Saab, Michelin Pilot Super Sports.
Overall I just couldn't find the point to the Merc - I loved that the car was utterly mental, but the problem with that is that I'd likely want to find it's limit, and since I have the kids and the dog in the car quite a bit of the time, it just doesn't make much sense.
When I got back in my Saab after the test drive it felt very much like an old friend, I always love sitting down in those Aero seats. All things on aggregate I think it's tough to beat the Saab Aero estate, the combination of fuel econ/handling/braking/ride/cargo capacity/acceleration is quite tough to beat.
posted by 98.247.224...
, Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:53:08, Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:01:16
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