Re: Mercedes E55 AMG hunt (W211)
Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2021 7:38 pm
Drove the E55 for the first time today since buying the S550. So that's....9 days? Did a local errand because the rear end was indicating that it was time to drive it again.
I was curious how it would feel and not surprisingly I have a few thoughts. I'll cover the highlights.
- Visibility is better. This car has 90s car visibility. It's really impressive. Not that the S550 is bad by any means but it's just exceptional in the E55.
- Steering is worse. It's heavier which some people think translates to sporty but mostly the steering is just worse. It is less direct and has more on-center play (not a ton really but more). It's not unenjoyable of course.
- Brake feel is worse. I expected this. The SBC brakes just don't feel that good. They work OK but the S550 brake pedal feels way better to me.
- Seats. Wow the seats. They are certainly good from a support perspective, for athletic driving styles. Of course, I am comparing an AMG E-class to a non-AMG S-class. But yeah they hug you way more in the E55. Again for sporty driving they are obviously better but I still like the seats in the S550 for what kind of car it is.
- The ride is definitely a lot stiffer. Even in Comfort mode. I do like it but the ride of the S550 is just way better.
- Engine. Good lord yeah this thing is bonkers. The response and torque is just crazy. Again I like the M273 in the S550, for what it is. But there's no comparison with this.
- Overall the E55 feels at least a generation older than the S550. I mean it is an older platform (2003 vs 2007) and was a lower line platform to boot. So I guess this is how it should be. Still, the difference is substantial. If you thought the E55 was fancy, the S550 is in another league. Still, the E55 does feel like a special car so I hope to own it a while.
Overall I was struck how the E55 almost feels as familiar to me now as my Caprice did. It has spiritually replaced my Caprice. Meanwhile I think the S550 is a good replacement for my Fleetwood, which I have been saying I missed since I sold it. Pleased to have a car like this again. They both do things that no B or D body could ever do, even with mods, especially taken as a total package. And yet they both sort of scratch the B/D body itch. Nice. I realize they do not scratch the "this car is basically like working on a 1/2 ton pickup" itch but I am perfectly happy to trade that, cash in on the tools and skills I have (and learn something new), and drive some really cool cars that would have been out of the question otherwise.
As I had hoped, both cars feel special, have a wow factor and are cool in their own different ways. This is all good news but not surprising to me.
I was curious how it would feel and not surprisingly I have a few thoughts. I'll cover the highlights.
- Visibility is better. This car has 90s car visibility. It's really impressive. Not that the S550 is bad by any means but it's just exceptional in the E55.
- Steering is worse. It's heavier which some people think translates to sporty but mostly the steering is just worse. It is less direct and has more on-center play (not a ton really but more). It's not unenjoyable of course.
- Brake feel is worse. I expected this. The SBC brakes just don't feel that good. They work OK but the S550 brake pedal feels way better to me.
- Seats. Wow the seats. They are certainly good from a support perspective, for athletic driving styles. Of course, I am comparing an AMG E-class to a non-AMG S-class. But yeah they hug you way more in the E55. Again for sporty driving they are obviously better but I still like the seats in the S550 for what kind of car it is.
- The ride is definitely a lot stiffer. Even in Comfort mode. I do like it but the ride of the S550 is just way better.
- Engine. Good lord yeah this thing is bonkers. The response and torque is just crazy. Again I like the M273 in the S550, for what it is. But there's no comparison with this.
- Overall the E55 feels at least a generation older than the S550. I mean it is an older platform (2003 vs 2007) and was a lower line platform to boot. So I guess this is how it should be. Still, the difference is substantial. If you thought the E55 was fancy, the S550 is in another league. Still, the E55 does feel like a special car so I hope to own it a while.
Overall I was struck how the E55 almost feels as familiar to me now as my Caprice did. It has spiritually replaced my Caprice. Meanwhile I think the S550 is a good replacement for my Fleetwood, which I have been saying I missed since I sold it. Pleased to have a car like this again. They both do things that no B or D body could ever do, even with mods, especially taken as a total package. And yet they both sort of scratch the B/D body itch. Nice. I realize they do not scratch the "this car is basically like working on a 1/2 ton pickup" itch but I am perfectly happy to trade that, cash in on the tools and skills I have (and learn something new), and drive some really cool cars that would have been out of the question otherwise.
As I had hoped, both cars feel special, have a wow factor and are cool in their own different ways. This is all good news but not surprising to me.