Model tested: Mercedes E 63 AMG Estate
Price: £73,855
Date tested: June 2010
Road tester: Stuart Milne

First UK Drive

The Mercedes E63 AMG estate has one of the most pronounced split personalities of any car currently on the market. On the one hand it's an eminently practical load lugger, but on the other its 6.3-litre V8 delivers a thumping 575bhp punch.

Don't think that Mercedes has built a car that's a niche too far - its insiders say this estate will eventually sell more than the saloon edition.

Given some stiff competition, the estate can dance as well as the saloon, despite the added girth the big boot brings. It has steel front suspension, but the rear is air-sprung with AMG's Ride Control system which adjusts the setup for the optimum ride.

On the move the steering is light, in a big executive car sort of way, but when the pace picks up it feels meatier and sports car sharp. It's a car you could happily drive to the Nurburgring, put in a few hot laps and drive home again. After a tyre change of course…

That's because like the saloon, the estate packs a 575bhp 6.3-litre V8 that gives 465lb/ft of torque - plenty to spin the wheels if you're brave enough to turn the ESP off.

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Assuming the ESP is engaged, or you're a talented enough driver to get the car off the line without smoking its tyres, it'll reach 62mph in 4.6 seconds - 0.1 seconds slower than the saloon, before hitting a limited 155mph maximum.

Like all AMG models, the E63 has a soundtrack that's straight from the drag race scene - bassy, loud and raspy under full throttle, but reasonably civilised at a cruising pace.

The power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a seven-speed automatic gearbox which features three modes, throttle blips on downshifts and launch control. It is, in practice, one of the most intelligent gearboxes on the market, with predictable shifts at the correct times.

Like the saloon, the estate has plenty of equipment - it should too, given its £74,400 asking price - but offers so much more space. The boot measures almost 700 litres, and with a flat floor and low sills, makes the best use of this room. There's more than enough space for a family of five, and rear legroom is excellent.

Naturally running costs will be just as big - aside from the price tag there are CO2 emissions of 299g/km; insurance will be steep, as will fuel bills - and expect the official 22mpg average to drop considerably if you abuse the throttle. Replacement tyres for the wide 18-inch alloys won't come cheap either.

But if your pockets are deep enough, the E63 AMG estate is all the car you could ever need, with searing performance, masses of space and comfort aplenty. And it looks pretty good too.