My lease is due in a couple of months and I was thinking of gettnig a E55 2005 or so. BUT I might be able to get a E63, not sure if the cost difference makes sense for a daily driver.

 

For me personally, I'd take the newer E63.

 

It's kinda' like the difference between AMG and M///.

The 55 gives you all the low end torque imaginable, while the 63 gives you the high end speed of the M cars.

Which can you use more often?

 

E55 sounds way better!

 

E63. There is no replacement for cubic inches on the street. E55 will be selling at a good discount though.

 

If you plan to modify the car then go for the E55, if you plan to keep it (relatively) stock then go for the E63. With the 7 speed it will probably be a better DDfor you.

 

it all depends....

my mom has an e55 and ,my cousin, a cls63....

the 63 is more of a drivers car, the engine peaks (you actually feel it peak, unlike the 55 where there is a huge plateau from like 1800rpm ). this makes the 63 easier to drive hard b/c youre always aware of when the power will come on. the 55 you cant push as hard at first b/c there is tq everywhere and it threatens to break loose, after a while you get used to it though. the 63 is more of a "sporty" car than the 55 but the 55 has brutal acceleration, not faster but just pushes you back into your seat more. the brakes on the 63 are a billion times better as is the steering.

as far as moding goes, its about the same, i know there are more mods for the 55 and it is easier to get mroe power out of it. however, there are parts coming out for the 63 also. my cousin (blue_monster) chipped his ml63 and gained almost 30hp at the wheels i believe and 3x tq. the charocal filter removal on the 63's is also worth up to 18hp. there will not be a shortage of mods for the 63 in the near future.

you should visit the mb sites in my sig and ask owners of both for their opinions.

 

You can't go much further with the 63 without modding the transmission. The reason why they could go with the 63 & not the 55 model is that the tranny has a reliability limit from MBZ of around 525 lb.ft. of tq. That leaves about +60 lb.-ft. before failure. Renntech has the ECU & headers for about 30 hp, but again going much further past about 50 hp/50 lb.-ft. tq and you will need to modify the tranny.

Whereas the 55 SC-ed V8 has packages that can go to 650 hp & 650+ lb.ft. of tq. with that 5 speed unit.

 

as said earlier, if u want to mod, go with the e55, if you stay relatively stock go with the e63

 

I had the opportunity to drive an E55 (2006) and a E63 (2007) today back to back.

The E55 was very responsive and had a lot of torque, while the E63 was more tame. More of a daily driver. I really like the E55 power, in the lower RPM range. I have a 360 F1 which I really enjoy driving, so the E55 is fine and does not need to be tame.

The cost difference was $20k. Both cars were new and untitled. If I go with a E55 2004 or 05, there value will be even greater.

I do not plan on doing ANY engine mods, just
- wheels
- front lip
- rear trunk wing
- rear windoe diffuser
- lower the suspension
- paint the brakes (red)
- exhaust

 

Except for forced induction The E55 is faster light to light than a E63. I would get the E55 but I'm a little biased

 

E55 for sure

 

I've driven both a stock 63 and a K4 e55. The modded 55 was crazy and beat my m6 up pretty badly. The 63 was nice, pretty fast (but not as fast) but a little numb for my liking.

If you go 63, make sure you get a big discount as they seemed to be chained to the showroom floor. Also, be aware that at some time in the near future, you will *likely* see a tt63 introduced.