2025 Mercedes AMG E53 blends speed and thrift
The on-paper recipe was basically perfect. One thing I’ve learned after almost a decade of doing this job—and the hundreds of cars later—is that my real-world tastes diverge from those of the wide-eyed kid that started. A pared-back, no-amenities sports car sounds fun, and it is, but a daily driver needs to be a bit more rounded. That’s where the 2025 Mercedes-AMG E 53 comes in. Taking one of the absolute best sedans I drove last year as a basis, the E 53 adds serious muscle, with more power than the outgoing E 63. It promises more frugality too, since it makes that power via a potent plug-in hybrid powertrain. Don’t forget the agility the AMG fettling provides. Unfortunately, the E 53 is an example of how yes, maybe you can have too much of a good thing. 2025 Mercedes-AMG E 53 Quick Take While the quickness and efficiency of this new plug-in powertrain is appreciated, the sheer heft of the E 53 leaves Merc’s mid-sizer riding too stiff. And why’s the brake pedal so weird? The E 53 joins the lineup as the only AMG-ified E-Class for now. Like the model before it, it features an Affalterbach-fettled 3.0-liter inline-six. Boost is up, and so is power: a perfectly acceptable 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque on its own. Adding to the tally is an electric motor integrated into the nine-speed automatic transmission, bringing a further 161 hp and 354 lb-ft (!!!) to the party. Take that, E 63; beaten by one pony. Torque peaks at 553 lb-ft. That electric motor pulls from a large 28.6-kilowatt-hour battery (21.2 kWh of which are typically useable), and unlike most PHEVs, this one is capable of DC fast-charging. The rest of the package is beefed up to match. Wider front wheel arches (0.43 inches / 11 millimeters) make room for a wider track, with the requisite upgrades to wheel and brake sizes. Rear-axle steering is standard, capable of 2.5 degrees out of phase (under 62 mph / 100 km/h) or 0.7 degrees in the same direction as the front wheels (over). AMG has also tweaked the adaptive suspension and all-wheel drive system for E 53 duty, and fitted dynamic engine mounts. This wouldn’t be an AMG without the now-typical visual adjustments, either. Chief among those include the signature grille with its vertical slats, with a trio of large intakes framed in black below. The rear sees a quartet of tailpipes framing a demure diffuser, complete with a carbon fiber lip spoiler as part of the Edition 1 package. That same package—more on it later—gives the E 53 its not-so-subtle side stripes and matte white paint. Personally, I’d ditch the former, but grew to like the latter, specifically for the contrast it provided to all the glossy carbon bits. The current E is arguably the most handsome car in the class; the AMG treatment toughens it up without going too far. I’ve sung the praises of Merc’s inline-six many times before. And the pumped-up version earns just as much affection from me, because it keeps that creamy-smooth power delivery in a way BMW’s M-branded sixes just don’t. There’s power everywhere, though you might not hear it in the E 53’s standard drive mode. This is a subtler AMG, and even switching over to a racier setting doesn’t uncork the exhaust too much. It also adds some unusual piped-in soundtrack. The electric aspect is well-done too, capable of keeping the E swimming through city traffic with ease. So long as you’re measured with your inputs, it will do any posted speed limit in Canada or the US, too. There’s enough range (42 miles / 69 kilometers) to handle day-to-day activities, and I was able to beat that amount without effort. Truth be told, DC fast-charging is a neat addition, but owners will rarely need to ever actually use it. Mercedes transmissions have been hit and miss for me, but the E 53’s is generally well-mannered. Sport mode makes shifts a little more brutal than I’d expect of a mid-level AMG (assuming a 63 does return). Responses from the paddle shifters are quick and consistent. It never feels sledgehammer quiet.
