Introduced in April 2018 with 4Matic+ all-wheel drive, the E 53 isn’t a bad car per se. There is, however, a problem with this model’s name.
As you’re well aware, V8-engined AMGs feature hand-built powerplants. The E 53 relies on a straight-six mill that isn’t assembled from start to finish by one pair of hands in Affalterbach. Be that as it may, the mild-hybrid engine is pretty impressive for merely 3.0 liters of displacement and six cylinders thanks to 429 horsepower (435 metric ponies) and 380 pound-feet (520 Nm) from 1,800 all the way through 5,800 revolutions per minute.
For a mid-size premium sedan that weighs 4,376 pounds (1,985 kilograms) in this application, it’s more than adequate for most peeps. Add the all-wheel drive and launch control systems to the mix, and it becomes pretty obvious why the Mercedes-AMG E 53 is marketed under the AMG sub-brand even though it’s not a thoroughbred like the Mercedes-AMG E 63.
Currently priced from $75,000 excluding options and the destination charge, the 53 series can reach 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 4.4 seconds. Although larger and slightly more powerful, the 392-engined Charger in the featured video is more than capable of shaming the German interloper over the quarter mile from a dig and roll. Tipping the scales at 4,354 pounds (1,975 kilograms), the Dodge cranks out 475 horsepower (492 ps) and a meaty 475 pound-feet (644 Nm) at 4,100 rpm.
Although it struggles to put all that power down to the road at launch, the more affordable car makes easy work of the E 53 thanks to its much torquier engine. The HEMI may feature pushrods and natural aspiration, but as you already know, displacement sometimes matters more than clever bits and bobs such as the electric auxiliary compressor and TCT 9G transmission.
Drag racing aside, which of these two would you rather daily?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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