The Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG: What the critics say

Car and Driver

The hyperdrive version of Mercedes-Benz’s midsize SUV is so unreasonably overpowered that it “should wear a court-ordered ankle bracelet.” But the racecar-like acceleration and deplorable, fuel-consuming carbon footprint are only part of the over-the-top package: The ML63 AMG is also a luxury vehicle. Inside, “Louis Vuitton–grade leather covers nearly everything that isn’t a button, a screen, or wood.”

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Imagine “a granite boulder with a rocket engine” and you’ll better understand what the 2.5-ton, 550-hp, twin-turbo ML63 AMG is all about. This high-performance SUV has been made “brilliantly capable” by its computer-controlled air suspension, active roll stabilization, and other electronic nanny technologies. But push it a little too hard and you’ll quickly be reminded that every ML is still a big, heavy truck—“and there’s only so much that can be done to hide that.”

The Telegraph (U.K.)

“Difficult as it is” to imagine myself with $100,000 of disposable income, “I find it even more difficult to imagine wanting one of these.” But then, “there’s no accounting for taste.” I could quibble about the slow-responding automatic transmission. Otherwise, “if you really feel you need a rocket ship, AMG makes a very good one.”