COTY
Finalists
Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback Engine/Transmission GT 53 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6/9-speed auto
GT 63 S 4.0L twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8/9-speed twin-clutch auto Curb Weight (F/R Dist) GT 53 4,555 lb (53/47%) GT 63 S 4,739 lb (54/46%)
Wheelbase 116.2 in Length x Width x Height 199.2 x 76.9 x 57.0-57.3 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy GT 53 177/140 kW-hr/100 miles GT 63 S
225/169 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb GT 53 0.93 lb/mile GT 63 S 1.15 lb/mileSPECS 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 53 4Matic+ 2019 GT 63 S 4Matic+
Base Price/As Tested $99,995/$125, 300 $160,995/$190,840
Power (SAE net) 429 hp @ 6,100 rpm + 21 hp (elec); 429 hp @ 6,100 rpm comb 630 hp @ 5,500 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 384 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm + 184 lb-ft (elec); 384 lb-ft @ 1,800 rpm comb 664 lb-ft @ 2,500 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.0 sec 3.2 sec
Quarter Mile 13.6 sec @ 101.3 mph 11.6 sec @ 118.3 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 109 ft 108 ft
Lateral Acceleration 1.00 g (avg) 1.03 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 24.3 sec @ 0.81 g (avg) 23.4 sec @ 0.89 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 19/24/21 mpg 15/20/17 mpgAMG’s “sports car levels of noise
from the hyper-aggressive tires
and impact harshness through
the ultra-stiff suspension on
anything but ultra-smooth roads:
Buy an E 63 S.”
There was nearly unanimous
praise for the AMG’s stellar
handling, which everyone agreed
belied its mass. Ogbac likened
these cars to “football players
who know ballet.” MacKenzie
appreciated their eagerness to
“dive for corners like a hungry
apex predator and, the 63
particularly, explode down
straights with animal ferocity.”
Theodore declared the 63 S
the best-driving AMG product
he’d experienced—“puts every
BMW to shame”—though he
recommended reducing the
jounce damping rate a bit.T
his is not a sport sedan. It’s
a straight-up super sports
car that happens to have
four doors and a big hatchback
cargo area. Words to that effect
appeared in nearly every judge’s
notebook after driving the 2019
Mercedes-AMG GT 53 and 63
S. But despite so many of us
coming to this realization, the
mere presence of a rear seat and
back doors inevitably develops
an expectation of refinement
that these GTs struggle mightily
to deliver.
Loh took issue with the choice
of GT as a name. “Everything
about this vehicle is hard,” he
said. “Hard charging, hard ride,
hard, hard, hard. Its ride—even
in Comfort mode—is ver y stif f. It
feels like a taut drum when you
drive it hard, and that’s a good
thing. But it’s also hard to get
comfortable in this vehicle.” He
singled out the “stadium seats”
as being egregiously firm and
antithetical to grand touring.
Conversely, Rechtin was all in
for the GT: “This is the ultimate
four-door sports car. It does
everything a Porsche 911 or
Corvette can do while bringing
along three friends and all your
weekend luggage.”
MacKenzie had a ready
solution for those troubled by theStaff opinions diverged on the
merits of the interior and exterior
designs. The spare lines of the
matte gray exterior stood in
marked contrast to the brightly
chrome-trimmed Red Pepper
interior.
Walton quipped, “Stealth on
the outside, party on the inside.”
Rechtin’s GT love included the
interior: “Every detail makes you
feel like a rich person. This interior
with the deep-brown wood and
chrome is just brilliant; it looks so
next-generation of any type of
car that isn’t a Tesla.”
MacKenzie, however, likened
the interior to a “21st century
Wurlitzer,” and Callum was even
less kind: “The interior has no
visual structure—a collection of
random shapes and glitter. It’s a
Vegas car. I loved driving it—while
looking out the window and not at
the interior.” Ouch.
The GT earned engineering
excellence points for pioneering
technology like smart headlamps,
which Walton observed “light up
street signs independently, then
light up the corner arrows one at
a time, in sequence, bling, bling,
bling! So cool.”The cruise control changed
its set speed to match changing
speed limits, and many of the
interior switches incorporated
little video screens to indicate
settings. But points were lost by
the fussy touchpad-controlled
infotainment system and glitchy
CarPlay interface, not to mention
the intermittent failure of the
air conditioning on the 53 and a
check engine lamp on the 63 S.
In the end, it’s not hard to
find fault with the four-door GT
in most of MotorTrend’s six key
COTY criteria—especially value
and efficiency (likely the two
that matter least to the target
audience). But in viewing it as
a pure performance sedan,
Mercedes-AMG has created a
new class of one.
Frank MarkusGT 53 4Matic+GT 53 4Matic+PRO Thrilling sports car dynamics • Cutting-edge tech • Roomy cargo hold CON “Vegas” interior • Loud, rough ride • Eye-watering price2019 Mercedes-AMG GT
86 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020