Mercedes-AMG E 53 | Built upon contradictions

Recently refreshed, this E 53 Estate closes the gap between the high-performance AMG models and the regular E-Class. How does an entry level AMG behave in Mercedes’ balanced line-up? Is it either a big hit or a bad compromise? We drove this six cylinder Estate to find out.

The Mercedes-AMG E 53 is the entry level AMG E-Class and with its 435+22 hp it sits below the E 63 with about a 100 hp gap (150 hp gap for the E 63 S). Walk up to this car and the first thing that strikes is the size. This S213 generation E-Class measures almost 5 meters in length. Whichever way you look at it, this is a large estate. Lookswise, it benefits from this uncompromised length. Although it is quite stylish, the aggressive AMG theme subtly hints towards its on-road capabilities. Let’s see how this translates to the driving experience.

Best of both worlds

In true AMG fashion we depart with two black marks on the pavement and leave anyone within a radius of a kilometre with permanent hearing damage, right? Well, no. Initially the E 53 feels a lot more like a regular E-Class than any Affalterbach-derived product with a ‘63’-designation on the rear. The start-up is quite tame and although this particular car is fitted with AMG seats and carbon fibre inserts, sportiness is not the first thing that comes to mind when you set off. Put the car into ‘drive’ and nothing feels out of place yet. And it won’t be, as long as you let the car in its comfort mode and drive it normally. The multi-chamber adaptive air suspension dampens out the imperfections in the road surface and the well-crafted, insulated cabin vindicates its tranquility. Ease up the speed and the sporty credentials gingerly start to show.

Switch the car into sport + mode, open up the exhaust valves and manually override the gearbox to climb in the revs a little and this car transforms. The suspension stiffens, the exhaust note intensifies and the throttle response sharpens up. Floor it and it goes off in true 4Matic+ fashion. This 6 cylinder mild hybrid is nowhere near as quick as its V8 siblings but the push in the back is substantial, due to a bit of electric help. Even in the corners its no slough. The body roll is minimal and the all wheel drive system allows very little commotion.

Smooth Six

It’s not my job to defend this car’s worthiness of wearing its AMG-badge against the conservative antagonist that demands a V8 in this type of car. You can’t argue with the fact that this isn’t an AMG-specific one-man-one-engine engine. What I do want to express is the sophistication of this engine. Of course the power output is quite significant, but the way this engine picks up from any point in the rev range is sublime. The firing order and the lay-out of a straight six results in an engine that revs incredibly smooth and sounds quite raw and oldskool, actually.

These days, the straight six is an unusual choice because of the packaging disadvantages. Keep in mind that a 3 litre straight six is roughly 1.5 times as long as a 4 litre V8. In order to make it fit, Mercedes found the solution in reshaping the block. In addition to the lack of a physical belt that drives the accessories, the engineers extended the stroke and reduced the bore. The effect of this surgery is that the six bores take up a lot less space, while the engine capacity is maintained. This operation makes the engine less ‘racy’, because the longer stroke induces higher piston speeds that limit the revs. On the upside, the longer stroke causes the torque output to rise.

It shares its drivetrain with the S500 (review here) and can on the one hand be effortlessly driven in the same nature - combining the torquey character of that 3 litre engine with the 22 horsepower EQ boost electric motor, I think you get the point by now. On the other hand, this AMG-tuned straight six is one obliging power source. Not only is the power delivery very linear for a turbocharged engine, it produces a sound no one expects to come from an E-Class wagon. It has a very BMW-like low frequency burble under high load at low revs and really starts to chant at higher revs, balancing on the very edge of antisocial. And on the downshifts it pops and crackles a lot more than you would imagine, every time again.

Driving dynamics

I’ve scratched the surface of this topic earlier on, but it deserves a bit more depth. Let it be clear that the straight line speed is where it should be. The promised 4,6 seconds to sixty were actually managed, according to the onboard dragrace timer. Perhaps this is due to the Estate lay-out, but this felt both quick and unnatural. Even the braking of this 1925kg wagon is performed nicely. The brakes feel a little indirect at first but perform way better than you would initially expect. The engine is mounted quite far in the front, directly above the front axle to be precise. However, understeer is managed well by the 4Matic+ system. This 4Matic+ system can send 100% of the available power to either one of the axles. Although this, the E 53 never feels entirely rear wheel driven. The steering is sharp, sharper than in any other regular E-Class. Though the car can be driven very comfortably, the body roll is reduced to a minimum and combine this with the clever all wheel drive system, you can really make use of the weight transfer. Very low profile tires take away a tiny bit of forgiveness to make the steering input more direct than ever. In short, it feels like the limit of the mechanical grip is far far away of what you can generate on the road. This way, you have the feeling that you can safely push the car as much as you want, without exceeding any dangerous one-way limits.

Adjustments to the drive line are easily made with the numerous buttons and levers on the steering wheel and centre console. If you’ve never been in an AMG, the interior might be a bit overwhelming with all of its shiny carbon, buttons, screens and lights. However, everything is positioned intuitively, so it’s easy to take it all in and use it. The driving dynamics of the car can be controlled via short-cuts on the steering wheel. These buttons let you adjust the driving mode, traction control settings and the gearbox settings.

Sensible choice

If you’re in the market for a quick Benz, the AMG E 53 Estate is not the obvious choice. There must be a reason that one considers an estate of this outer dimensions. I guess the 640 litres (1820 with rear seats down) play a big role in the decision-making process. The rear seats fold flat, which really increase the usability of this car. Another aspect that increases its abilities to be a daily driver is the fuel consumption. Managing sub 10L/100km is easy and long motorway trips will bring this figure down to as little as 7.3L/100km. Old-fashion hooning will result in around 12 to 13 L/100km.

We’ve driven the facelifted E-Class before and, as ever, the fit and finish of the interior is top notch. This specific car came without the driver’s assistance pack that includes autonomous functionalities, which as we learnt in previous tests, works a treat. Especially with the new style of steering wheels.

Concluding

It would be harsh to put this E 53 up against its V8 sibling. Although I’d be the last person that dislikes the E 63 S, but in my day-and-a-half of driving it, I didn’t feel the instant connection like I had with the E 53. I admire the E 63 S for its out-of-this-world capabilities, but I like this E 53 more for the simple fact that this is enjoyable for 99% of the time, whereas the straight line performance of the 63 makes you continuously wonder how long you’re still in the possession of a valid driver’s licence.

All in all, the car as a package is quite controversial. The thing is literally built upon contradictions: heavy, yet agile. Sporty, yet comfortable. A stylish estate, yet a tad antisocial. But as a package, this thing just works. If you compare it to the E 63 S, you realise that both of these cars are very capable of exploring the world above the limits of what is acceptable for the open road. Unless you’re driving recklessly, you will never meet the limits of these cars on that same public road. Don’t get me wrong, the E 63 S is a magnificent car, however, if it’s not about the hard facts but about the driving experience, why not opt for a car that is equally fun to drive in the real world but comes with benefits like better fuel consumption? If you’re in the market for an all-rounder, this is the car to shortlist.