Imagine you’re in the market for a 600 hp super car with four doors and enough trunk space to carry your gear and your kids’ stuff. Not a bad life, right? If you are in that market, there are really only three realistic options (Ferrari GTC4 Lusso aside) — the Audi RS6 Peformance (Europe-market only), the brand-new F90-gen BMW M5 and the Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon.
Not a bad trio of cars to be cross-shopping, as all three cars are excellent. Though, it’s really only a two-horse race, as the Audi RS6 is currently on its way out the door and far older than the other two cars. While it’s still superb, its tech and luxury are seriously dated compared to the BMW and AMG and if you’re going to spend six-figures on a car, you’re going to want the latest and greatest. So it’s really a choice between the Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon and the BMW M5.
If you’re a frequent reader of this site, it’s likely that you’re a fan of the Bavarian brand. If that’s the case, you might be leaning more toward the BMW M5 and we wouldn’t blame you. With its 600 hp twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V8, all-wheel drive with the capability of being rear-wheel drive and monstrous performance, the new F90-gen M5 is a seriously good car. It’s also great to drive, being closer to that old familiar BMW M feel than any other M-badged car in recent years. However, there’s one factor that might lead you to stray from your favorite Bavarian brand for its cross-town rival.
The new BMW M5, despite it being perfect for it, does not come in wagon form. Despite being all-wheel drive and automatic-only, the perfect recipe for a do-it-all wagon, the new BMW M5 comes only as a sedan. Which is a real shame, as this current-gen is literally perfect for a long roof. Hell, the new G30 5 Series even looks awesome as a wagon.
Though, the new Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon is offered as a wagon and, being that the two cars are so similar in every other aspect, it could draw some customers in this segment away from the M5 just for that reason alone.
It’s really one of the only differences between the two cars. Like the BMW M5, the Mercedes-AMG E63 S also uses a twin-turbocharged V8 (4.0 liters, rather than 4.4) which also makes about 600 hp. That mighty V8 is also paired with an automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive. Just like the M5, that all-wheel drive system is capable of being completely rear-wheel drive and, actually, the AMG was the first one to do it. Both cars also get from 0-60 mph in a claimed 3.4 seconds and both can tickle the 200 mph mark.
So there isn’t a lot to separate these two cars, aside from maybe character and driving dynamics. So the fact that the AMG comes in wagon form but the BMW M5 is stuck with a conventional trunk, might make some customers, even BMW fans, just on the AMG bandwagon. Car enthusiasts love wagons and the rarity and sheer hilarity of having a 600 hp, all-wheel drive wagon might be too much to resist for any enthusiast in the market. Even a BMW fan.
