Overview
Exceptionally sporty and exceedingly luxurious, the Mercedes-AMG E53 is a sports sedan for the 21st century. The magicians at AMG transfigured the regular E-class into an equilibrium of excellence by adding a specially tuned 429-hp turbocharged inline-six with electric assist and a nine-speed automatic. This sophisticated car is offered in sedan, coupe, and convertible forms; all models feature a standard air suspension and all-wheel drive for adroit handling. The E53 boasts an assertive exterior and an extravagant interior that is equally high tech and high class, with exotic materials and a fully digitized dashboard. Also fitted is an array of advanced assists such as multi-car communication and semi-autonomous driving. For blending all of these attributes in an irresistible fashion, we think the E53 is one of the best high-performance sedans around, which is why the E53 finds itself on our list of 10Best Cars for 2019.
What's New for 2019?
The AMG-massaged E-class lineup receives a new engine—a turbocharged inline-six with electric assist—and a new name to match: E53. The new mill produces 429 horsepower (up from 396 in last year's E43) and a new hood design, bigger brakes, a revised rear bumper, a new 20-inch wheel design, and a new optional performance steering wheel all help differentiate the 2019 Mercedes-AMG E53 from lesser E-class models.
The E53's premium performance and luxury accommodations cost a pretty penny. No matter, we'd spend a kaiser's ransom on an E53 sedan, with its compelling list of standard equipment that includes a potent, refined powertrain and all-wheel drive. Every E53 model also has automated emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, an AMG-tuned air-suspension, and 19-inch wheels. The bottom line will bloat to nearly six figures when fully loaded, but the E53 starts out well stocked, so we'd take a modest approach to adding options. The Acoustic Comfort package provides an ultraquiet cabin. We'd also select the sporty performance steering wheel.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The E53's engine is well mannered at idle and cruising speeds. We're most impressed with its sharp response to every prod of the throttle and the virtual absence of turbo lag. Of the several drive modes, Eco and Comfort—as their names suggest—are best suited for efficiency and relaxation; Sport and Sport+ activate more aggressive throttle and transmission characteristics, plus a snarling exhaust note. Manual sorting of the gears is available at any time via paddle shifters on the steering wheel. We tested an E53 coupe and it sprinted from zero to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds.
The standard air suspension seamlessly makes the switch from twisty-road demon to comfortable freeway cruiser. Swapping drive modes subtly changes the sedan's road-damping demeanor without becoming either pillowy or punishing. The steering—as with the other dynamics—is crisp, sweetly responsive, and well balanced, blending feedback and precision.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The sedan and coupe model are each rated for 28 mpg highway, but the EPA expects the ragtop convertible to be less efficient in that metric by 2 mpg. We haven't yet had the chance to test any of the E53 variants on our 200-mile highway fuel-economy test loop, so we can't speak to the accuracy of these ratings. Then again, how concerned with fuel economy can you be if you're buying a 429-hp performance car?
Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo
The E53 earns top marks for interior build quality and the ability to make its passengers feel as if they have just walked into the finest high-end pastry shop in Paris. The sporty, upscale cabin is completed by a collection of deluxe standard and optional features. The standard interior is plenty fancy, but deep-pocketed buyers can elevate the experience further with exotic wood trims, a fragrance atomizer, and massaging front seats. Flashy red seatbelts are standard fare but can be replaced with black belts for free, which we would choose to do. The only thing that irked us was the column shifter, which is awkward to use at first, looks out of place in a sports sedan, and feels fragile.
Digital instrumentation is the norm in this class, but the E53's huge, dazzling dual-screen setup would've impressed Steve Jobs. An extended list of top-notch features such as a 12.3-inch wide-screen instrument cluster, wireless charging, and a premium Burmester surround-sound system are standard.
The E53 sedan has the smallest trunk volume among most rivals, yet we managed to fit a comparable number of carry-ons in it; with the rear seats in place we managed to fit five suitcases inside. Coupe and convertible models are less practical. Interior storage space is significantly better than the competition, with a commodious center console and a massive underfloor trunk compartment.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Preemptive-safety tech, semi-autonomous driving, and further futuristic features are available on the E53. Excellent crash-test ratings and several standard assists stand out on this modern performance sedan. The Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan, on which the E53 is based, was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and earned five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking
- Standard blind-spot monitoring
- Available semi-autonomous driving mode
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Mercedes-AMG provides competitive limited and powertrain warranties. However, its corrosion coverage is one of the shortest among its rivals, and the E53 doesn't offer complimentary scheduled maintenance—something that some vehicles costing one-third of the E53's price provide.
