Mercedes C63 AMG Estate (2008 – ) expert review

The pumped-up, assertive lines of the C63 AMG arguably look even better when applied to the Mercedes C-Class estate car. There’s something deeply appealing about such an overtly practical choice packing so much performance. The shaped bonnet of the C63 does little to hide its potency. The flared wheel arches add to the strong stance, with standard 18-inch alloy wheels filling them nicely. Lots of scoops, vents and those four large tailpipes make sure that you’re left in little doubt of the C63’s performance potential – estate car or not.

There’s too much in common inside with the C63 AMG estate’s lesser brethren for a car costing so much. Deeply-sculpted, figure-hugging sports bucket seats, AMG instrumentation with some big number read-outs and some brushed metal trim pieces do add some glamour to the inside. Not enough though. It’s all a bit ordinary, and some of the plastics aren’t up to the standards on offer from BMW and Audi.

Performance cars don’t come much more practical, with rocket-ship pace combined with a large practical boot. It’s unlikely that furniture dealers will opt for a C63 AMG Estate, but with a maximum boot capacity of 1,500 litres with the seats folded flat the C63 AMG Estate’s rear load area is commendably big. Rear headroom is improved over the saloon, though tight legroom and limited room under the front seats does limit the car’s usefulness for carrying adult passengers in the back.