S63: Can I have my cake and eat it?

[Gochaz]

I am in the process of selling my 997.2 Targa. It's been fun but it is not tenable to keep it. We have recently had a baby, and I we do not live close to any good roads. Our other car is a Hyundai Ioniq 5.

I am now looking for a ICE replacement for the Porsche, for long journeys (i.e. skiing), both alone and with family. Ride comfort and refinement are priorities, but I want something to keep me engaged and rewarded. I was looking at estates (Alpina B3, E63, C63, E61 M5) but they are probably overkill for two of us and a baby, even allowing for a pram. I think a large saloon would be practical enough, and this opens up far more options.

I have always liked Mercs and I have always admired the W222 S Class. I think the S500 would be top-drawer ride and refinement, but having read some reviews I think it would not be engaging enough to keep me interested for the long term. This car will have to meet all of my enthusiast needs, because I haven't got a motorcycle at the moment and our other vehicle will likely always be an EV.

My question is, would a W222 S63 AMG saloon give me that blend of reward and comfort, or would the ride be too compromised? I suspect refinement will be very good. It's difficult to find reviews because the UK version was RWD, whilst the rest of the world mostly got AWD. There is a Chris Harris review of the coupe which is very positive. Does anyone have any experiences?

I am looking mostly at 5.5 cars, because there is more choice. There are a couple of 4.0s for sale, but they are all black-on-black which I would prefer to avoid. I also think the 5.5 came as standard with the road-scanning Magic Body Control suspension which I would like to experience.

Another interesting option is the M760 BMW. I am not a huge fan of the brand but it does seem to be very impressive.

Any experiences or opinions are welcome.

[CapScarlet]

I haven't driven the S63 but I have owned a rear drive C63 when we lived in Germany and, while the engine was epic, it was one of the worst cars for driving in bad weather - i.e. it would aquaplane everywhere and was a liability in the snow even with winter tyres. I'm not surprised most of the world got an AWD version.

By contrast my quattro Audi's were a dream (I've owned an RS4 avant and an Allroad Diesel) and that would be my choice.

[Decky_Q]

I had an S500 for a long time and it was a great car, mine was older w221 when they were current. Even with 'only' 350hp it had so much torque that it ripped up to silly speed anywhere in 3sec of having your foot planted, and would give a great note on full load. I dont think the extra power of a 63 would be of a huge benefit tbh.
The suspension damping and ride height are adjustable so if you want it to feel tight for a spirited drive put the gearbox in sport, hard suspension, hard dampers, low ride and it feels completely different to normal.

I miss soft close doors the most.

[reddiesel]

Whenever I hear the words skiing and babies associated with cars , like CapScarlet my money is in an Audi Estates and I suspect they are possibly a better resale prospect come exit time .

[Muzzer79]

I've not experienced one, but I've always considered the S-Class as a long distance tourer, the S63 being a rocket-propelled variant.

They're not something I would describe as 'rewarding and engaging'

In your shoes, I'd look at E63 saloon (worth it for the noise alone) RS6 or G30 M5 saloon.

[Juan B]

There’s also the 8 series gran coupe, or an older M6 Gran Coupe.

The S Class I imagine would feel a bit more refined on a long motorway run I though.

[Gochaz]

Thank you all.

Interesting feedback on the C63 in bad weather on winter tyres. I'm not precious about AWD but it would be disappointing if the S class was a handful in wintery conditions, even on the right tyres.

Thank you for the other suggestions. The M5 is an interesting idea.

[ZX10R NIN]

The S63 is a good car & a decent steer but it's not an enthusiastic steer, for that you need to look at the M5/E63.

[raspy]

What about an Audi S8? Online reviews show it doing 0-60 in under 3.3 seconds, comes with quattro and the latest suspension is supposed to be rather fancy.