The E63 felt more "weighty" or "meaty" to me. It reminds me of a VR6 golf due its weight distribution, with a lot of weight over the front wheels, you feel it on turn in, or maybe I am too used to 911 crispness? I think it is a fantastic car, but bang for your buck, you are getting an XFR here in Oman for about RO 15,000 less than the E63. That is about AUD$45,000 less! Quite a sizable sum for a car that hits 100km/h only 0.2 seconds slower! Size wise it is comparable, and Jag have actually set the Merc in its sights. But what will the Jag be like 15 years from now? Probably in pieces, whilst the Merc will have been exported to Egypt and used daily with 400,000 on the clock by some cab driver in Cairo! Does anyone care? We seem to be in the mode of buying a new car - unless of course it is a collectors car - quite regularly these days; making longevity negligible.
If you are looking for a Diesel to replace the X5M, don't buy anything other than a new gen Cayenne. Alternatively I tested out the new A8 in diesel config, and that was a stormer, too! But pricey compared to a Cayenne, given that you can actually venture off-road with the Cayenne!
Hey, I still have my 914 1973 in Melbourne. I need to sell it, and it owes me a heck of a lot as it is a stunning example. But I am now willing to cut my losses (considerably) and looking for AUD$17,000 to let it go. It is just sitting still, and I am not heading to Aus anytime soon! Any ideas on who might want it?
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Current steeds in the stable include: Porsche 996/911 (2004) '40 Jahre' Anniversary - 363bhp, Porsche-VW 914 (1973) 1.7 - 78bhp, Volkswagen Tiguan (2008) 2.0TFSi - 200bhp, Volkswagen Touareg (2009) V6 - 280bhp, Volkswagen Golf Mk3 (1993) VR6 - 189bhp