This is going to be a fascinating matchup for years to come. The BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 have been rivals for ages but they’re more different than ever before. On the M3’s side, it’s now available as a wagon and with all-wheel drive, two firsts for the famous model. The C63, though, has undergone a drastic change because it ditches AMG’s typical V8 firepower for a four-cylinder hybrid. So how do these two very different versions of two legendary models compete? Find out in this new Car Magazine review.
In this new comparison test, we see the BMW M3 Touring take on the Mercedes-AMG C63 S E wagon, and the Audi RS4 Avant, for good measure. The BMW M3 Touring we already know well. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six makes 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. All of that power is sent through an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, with no other options available.
Mercedes made big headlines last year when it announced that the C63 would be switching to a four-pot hybrid. However, that’s does its powertrain a disservice because it makes a whopping 671 horsepower. 469 of those horses come from one of the most epically powerful four-cylinder engines ever, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot that makes an astonishing 234.5 horsepower per liter. All of that power gets sent to all four wheels. While that sounds good on paper, one figure does not, it’s curb weight: 4,654 lbs. And we though the M3 Touring was heavy, at around 4,000 lbs.
The Audi RS4 Avant is completely outgunned in this fight. Its 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 makes 444 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, which is paired to an eight-speed auto and all-wheel drive. It’s a fine powertrain and the RS4 is quick enough in isolation but it struggles to compete with the other two high-powered monsters. However, the RS4 isn’t just a normal model in this test, it’s the Competition model, so it has an upgraded exhaust, manually adjustable coilovers, Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, and some sharper steering.
All three cars are fast, all three cars are capable, and all three cars can be used every day, all year long, Seeing which one is best is fascinating, as the finishing placements weren’t what I expected and it’s interesting to see how each car compares. Despite all three being fast, all-wheel drive wagons, they all drive completely differently, so check it out to see which is best.
