Mercedes-Benz E53 AMG First Drive Review

• Daily usability
• Strong performance

• Lacking a few high-end features
• In-line six engine lacks aural drama

Audi has the rally-bred RS, BMW has motorsport-inspired M and Mercedes-Benz has AMG built on successful racing cars. All three performance sub-brands are worshipped by enthusiasts across continents, and for good reasons. Any car adorning either of these badges represents some sort of all-round capability that’s difficult to match for most exotic brands. For all intents and purposes, even their relatively entry-level cars are a hoot. For instance, take the Mercedes E53 AMG which represents the AMG baseline, above the standard petrol/diesel E-Class, but below the E63 S. So, is this 429bhp, all-wheel drive stately sedan the ultimate everyday AMG? I found out after spending a few days commuting to work, hitting my favourite roads and running errands with it.

The E53 AMG’s 3-litre motor is quite special even though it’s not a proper AMG engine like the monstrous 4-litre twin-turbo V8 you get in the E63 S. Firstly, this engine has a straight-six cylinder configuration and secondly its supplemented by a twin-scroll turbo, an electric motor and a compressor. Basically there’s an integrated starter motor powered by a 48-volt electrical system that makes 21 additional horsepower and more importantly, 250Nm of torque bringing the total output to 429bhp and 520Nm. It’s that torque figure that delineates the E53; you have all that pulling power from as low as 1,800rpm and because you also have the electric compressor muscling the car forward at low revs with the turbo delivering all the boost as the revs increase, there is no perceptible lag in the E53. In everyday driving conditions, this engine reacts spontaneously and delivers a strong surge of power with hardly any lag.

As for the gearbox, the nine-speed automatic is among the most responsive units in the 53 line of AMG vehicles. The upshifts are lightning fast in the sportiest of settings and in terms of daily usability, it does a great job of keeping the car in the right gear to mask the little amount of turbo lag that’s there. From the multiple driving modes, it performs the best when put in Sport+ wherein gear changes are quick and fairly brutal at the same time. For pottering around town though, it’s better to shift to Comfort and let the drivetrain work in the least stressful manner.

Controlled, poised and surprisingly sharp. That’s the impression you get after hustling the E53 AMG through some corners. This is mostly down to the clever air suspension and the all-wheel drive system that’s rear biased and if you keep it in Sport+, it turns the E53 into a remarkably involving four-door car to drive. What also helps is that the E53 comes in the standard wheelbase guise (the regular E-Class sold in India has a long wheelbase) and that alone adds to the overall agility. As a result, the E53 is quick to respond to steering inputs and direction changes aren’t as lethargic as one would expect from a car of this size.

Stability around long corners is fantastic, too. Both front and rear tracks are wide and with permanent all-wheel drive there is no deviating from the line that you are carrying in any corner as long as you are doing sensible speeds. In the tighter stuff all that girth can be a bit unnerving initially but with more time behind the wheel you would come to realise that the E53 is quite adept. In terms of ride quality, the E53 is among the most forgiving performance sedans out there. It’s like you are riding a standard E-Class on low profile tires. In Comfort setting, bump absorption is good and there are none of the squeaks and rattles you get in other AMGs. What was also impressive is that the E53 was immune to most of the speed bumps we encountered during our time with it. Thanks to the lift function courtesy of the air suspension, we could clear big bumps and exit parking ramps without any scraping whatsoever.

If only the E53’s cabin was as impressive as its engine tech or everyday usability. Don’t get me wrong; the build quality is fantastic and there is plenty of room for four adults in here, it’s just that Mercedes should have transformed this interior a bit more or given it more AMG pizzazz. Besides AMG-spec seats, red seatbelts and red stitching across the dash, there isn’t much else to differentiate the E53 from its everyday siblings. The front seats though are as good to sit on as they appear – comfortable under you and properly supportive.

Long wheelbase or not, the E53 is an E-Class at the end of the day. Naturally, it has plenty of room at the back and the support from the rear seat is as good as it can get. The seat cushioning is spot on and under thigh support is perfectly acceptable. It’s just that the whole cabin feels more helmed in than the standard E-Class because of the all-black upholstery and lastly, rear visibility isn’t all that great and parking the E can be tricky within the confines of the city. Thankfully, it gets a crystal clear 360-degree camera view. More on that and the rest of the features in the next section.

As standard, the E53 gets twin digital displays that are high on clarity and fluidity, a high-end Burmester surround sound system, adaptive AMG suspension, AMG wheels, a wireless charging pad, ambient lighting, Nappa leather, electric front seats, several airbags, ABS and stability assists. You also get active brake assist which can alert the driver if it senses that a collision is imminent and apply the brakes eventually if it doesn’t receive any braking input from the driver.

What’s unique to the E53 that AMG models lower down the range miss out on is the AMG TRACK PACE which is part of the MBUX infotainment system - when negotiating a race track it continuously monitors more than 80 vehicle-specific sets of data like speed and acceleration. On top of this, lap and sector times are displayed. Oddly enough, the E53 doesn’t get adaptive headlights or keyless entry, both of which are present on the A35 as well as the GLA35.

Mercedes-Benz AMG is brilliant at doing the Eddie Brock-into-Venom trick, turning its humdrum models into fire breathing, tire smoking V8 monsters. The E53 is neither. It’s far less vicious, easier on the eye and a lot more manageable – its Peter Parker doubled up as Spiderman. It’s everything you want from an AMG that you can legitimately use every day; it’s fast, poised, comfortable, immune to speed bumps (with some care, of course) and at Rs 1.04 ex-showroom, over Rs 65 lakh cheaper than the E63 S. Sure, it doesn’t have the same level of brute force or gut-wrenching performance as the latter but like all 53 line of AMGs, it’s plenty fast and quite forgiving at the same time. Let me tell you it’s a great compromise.

Pictures by Kapil Angane