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Originally Posted by dlk001
M5 â" Driving Impressions
THE M5 proves that it's devastatingly effective with four-wheel drive. That engine produces 592bhp and 750Nm of torque, so the traction the M xdrive system brings is welcome â" but it's the calibration for the M5 that's a stroke of genius.
Combined with the Active M diff, in 4WD Sport mode the agility belies the M5's size and weight. It still feels large, but the car behaves like a nicely balanced rear-drive sports saloon, with the diff helping to turn the BMW when you get on the throttle. The M xdrive system then diverts more power to the front when you need it to drag the car out of a corner with plenty of stability and at an alarming speed.
It's a shame the steering's squishy, slightly resistive feel to your inputs removes a layer of communication and means you're not all that well connected to the front tyres, but the security four-wheel drive brings is unmatched. As is the pace.
The M5 sprinted from 0-60mph in an incredible 3.2 seconds â" one tenth faster than the 100kg heavier E 63 S. However, you'll be hard pushed to notice this or the M5's in-gear advantage over the AMG, which was around a tenth or two in most ratios.
What you will notice is the noise. Both V8s' sound signatures are electronically enhanced, but the M5's engine is more synthesised. With the £1,100 M Sport exhaust activated it produces a flat bark as the motor ramps up to 7,000rpm, but lift off and it drones artificially. It can't match the AMG'S personality.
The gearbox doesn't have the snap of the old DCT, but the shifts are smooth. It backs this up with plusher suspension damping than the E 63's. In Comfort it's more compliant, softening blows and smothering bumps with more refinement and composure than the firmer-feeling Mercedes. It's a more refined car, yet in the raciest modes the BMW matches its body control and delivers lots of grip; we'd just like more communicative steering.
E63S Driving Impressions
THAT incredible V8 defines the E 63 S and gives it an addictive personality. While it was one tenth slower than the M5 from 0-60mph in our tests, taking 3.3 seconds, this is still incredibly rapid for a near-two-tonne supersaloon.
The motor feels even more explosive than the BMW'S and romps from low revs, rocketing through the mid-range and hammering towards its rev limiter with an incredibly bassy but rich and purposeful soundtrack, popping and banging with that AMG exhaust engaged. The shifts are a match for the M5's in manual mode, while it's as smooth in Comfort and therefore as easy to drive as the BMW.
It has nicer steering that delivers more feedback than the M5, without its squidgy and indistinct feel; as you move off centre the weightier set-up in the E 63 feels more natural. Adding weight to the M5 with its different modes makes it even more artificial.
There's lots of grip to exploit, but the AMG is much firmer than the M car, even in its Comfort setting. On 20-inch alloys â" standard on the E 63 S â" it thumps over potholes and expansion strips, while even smaller ridges and inputs to the suspension unsettle the car more than in the BMW. The tighter focus means body control is good, but the road noise from the big wheels and tyres isn't suppressed as well as in the BMW.
Toggle through to Sport+ mode for the dampers and the E 63 ramps up control, with a more rigid feeling. It's surprising just how hard you can lean on the chassis and how well it stands up to this punishment, but as with the M5, its size means it's better suited to more open B-roads and A-roads, where the 4WD system can work to enhance agility.
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I think this is the most accurate assessment I have seen to date. I driven both now as well. A lot of people talk about how steering feel on the F90 is now superior to F10 M5, I honestly didn't feel it. The E63S was definitely more communicative with the road as well.
Bottom line, F90 M5 is the more athletic of the two but not by much. The E63S is more of a brute force machine and sounds like it too. Unless you are going to be canyon carving on a weekly basis to really enjoy the weight advantage the F90 offers, the E63S provides more "fun factor" for every day driving situations. Although in terms of comfort the F90 is definitely the winner for every day driving, as the seats are far superior than the standard seats in the E63S, while the racing seats option in the E63S are not really comfortable for long periods of driving in that car. The E63S offers more sleeper status as well, as I honestly cannot tell the difference between it and a C63S sedan in random traffic.
These two are so close now they are almost indistinguishable. I only choose the E63S over the F90 because of the lack of innovation when it came to the engine choice for the F90. I'm hoping the next generation G90 M5 will not feature an S63xx version again, then I will be excited once more for the new M5.