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Mercedes-AMG E63 S Vs. Dacia Logan - 10X the Price, How Much X the Performance?

Comparing cars that have no business sitting beside each other has become a thing on the Internet in later years, but we're still struggling to remember a more skewed test than this one: that Mercedes costs ten times as much as the Dacia.
Mercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCV 9 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Mercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCVMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCVMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCVMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCVMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCVMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCVMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCVMercedes-AMG E63 S T-Modell vs. Dacia Logan MCV
Let's start with the German side. The Mercedes-AMG E63 S is one of the most powerful AMG models at 612 hp and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm), meaning it can sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds. That's absurdly fast even for a lot of supercars, so why would you compare it to a low-cost station wagon that's not even in the same segment?

Over on the French-Romanian side, the Dacia Logan MCV represents the most accessible vehicle of this type and size you can purchase in Europe. Not the one in this test, though, as it uses the more expensive 1.5-liter dCi turbodiesel engine developing 90 hp and 162 lb-ft (220 Nm) of torque. As for its 0-60 acceleration, we'll just have to guess it's quicker than 35 seconds, but there's no official number available.

So, based on our 10x more criteria, the Mercedes loses the numbers battle. But how about some field testing? Matt, the host of this programme, had to get a little creative, but not before pitching the two together in a straightforward standing quarter-mile race.

For cost-cutting purposes, the Logan uses the same rev counter dial for both its diesel and gasoline models, and to make it work in either case, there is no red line. That means you're left guessing as to when it's the best time to switch gears, or you have to wait until you feel the engine is losing power.

Regardless of when he changed gears, the Dacia still would have lost drastically, but just how bad is the result? 11.2 seconds for the Merc and 18 seconds for the Dacia, so a 6.8-second difference. That's not even so bad considering you'd still have nearly $100,000 left in your pocket.

Alright, on to the next challenge. This one sees Matt sitting in the AMG on the finishing line of the quarter-mile race and waiting for the Dacia to pass at full speed. Once the Logan is there, he would try to catch him up in hopefully less time than it took the Dacia to reach him (that would be 18 seconds, if the results are consistent).

The third test was a flat-out acceleration run for 20 seconds in each car, with the goal being for the Merc to reach double the speed of the Dacia. It seems Matt was more reasonable and didn't go for the same ratio as the one in the vehicles' prices.

The fourth and second-to-last test was a braking distance challenge. The Dacia is helped by its lighter weight, but the Mercedes-AMG, on the other hand, is designed for track driving, so it comes with decent stoppers as well. Place your bets. Yeah, nobody's crazy enough to put their money on the low-cost wagon, right?

Finally, it was time to measure the vibrations inside the cabin. Since it has no sporty claims, the Dacia has its suspensions on the soft side while the Mercedes-AMG comes with configurable air suspension, so this could finally be a close one. And, guess what, it actually is. The Merc still inches ahead, but by such a small margin that the point goes to the cheaper car.

This probably wasn't a clip sponsored by Dacia, but somehow you can't help feel the little Romanian-built car fared quite acceptably against such a competition. It's like having a Sunday League soccer team play against Real Madrid and managing to score a goal despite conceding ten. For them, it's a win.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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