Don’t be said if you can’t find a GT 63. Its six-cylinder sibling ain’t bad at all.
These are not the best of times for anyone seeking to buy a V8-powered Mercedes. The supply chain issues and microchip shortages that have plagued the automotive industry have hit the Three-Pointed Star right in the cylinders; as a result, Mercedes-Benz was forced to curtail orders of most V8-powered cars last year, a decision that meant many of the company’s best cars — specifically, numerous AMG models — were suddenly very hard to find new.
Luckily, as my French teacher used to say, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Mercedes-AMG, of course, also trafficks in cars with fewer cylinders under the hood — and with the heavy hitters sidelined, buyers might be willing to consider something else that packs the same looks and luxury, but a little less power (and, as a bonus, a lower price).
Case in point: the Mercedes-AMG GT 53 4-Door, which the brand would prefer I call a coupe in spite of a moniker that literally contains the words “four door.” As the bronze medalist in the GT 4-door lineup, below the GT 63 and GT 63 S, the GT 53 may not capture quite as many hearts and minds as the eight-pot versions, but it’s otherwise almost identical — and as such, plenty appealing, especially in a market placing V8s out of reach.
AMG’s turbo six packs plenty of punch
Mercedes-AMG has long been known for its lovingly assembled V8s, and its current crop is arguably among the most impressive; the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8s is found in everything from the GLC-Class to the G63 to the new SL-Class, and spits out up to 720 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque (in the flat-plane crank variant found in the GT Black Series).
That said, the turbocharged and mild-hybrid-assisted 3.0-liter inline-six found in the likes of the GT 53 is no slouch. Unleash the beast, and the engine purrs out 429 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, the latter available from 1,800 rpm all the way to 5,800. Combined with standard all-wheel-drive and its AMG-specific nine-speed automatic, and, as Car and Driver found, you can blitz from naught to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. That may not seem fast by today’s performance car standards, but it’s more than quick enough for the vast majority of real-world situations — and quick enough to plaster a smile on your face, too.
The Mercedes-AMG GT 53 is a delight from the driver’s seat
Of course, gaining speed is only part of the story of what makes a car fun; keeping that speed through the turns is important, too. My time with the GT 53 happened to coincide with the biggest snowstorm to hit New York so far this year, turning the city. The AMG-tuned all-wheel-drive system had a chance to show its worth often, enabling the GT to make perfectly controllable drifts at walking speed (of course, only when it was safe to do so).
In dry weather, the GT 53 was more than capable of hauling through curves with silent precision, staying level and never feeling anywhere near its limits at the speeds I managed to achieve on public roads. A very skilled driver might be able to squeeze a little more from the V8 models, but it’d be at speeds quick enough to cause the police to haul you away in cuffs.
It’s damn comfortable inside, as well. No surprise there, of course — this is a Mercedes, and the brand’s interior game has been on point for some time now. I logged a 700-mile round trip in two long stretches in the AMG GT 63 S 4-Door a couple years back, and found it both supremely comfortable even on multi-hour stretches and rewarding to the eye every time my gaze darted to its details. (Even if you’re not planning on buying one, I highly recommend sitting down and getting comfortable behind the wheel in the showroom, just to appreciate everything.)
The GT 4-Door does sacrifice a little convenience on the altar of sporty style, though. The uplifted center console looks great, but it intrudes into the interior space a bit, and the placement of the shifter requires a somewhat awkward reach to shift between P R N and D.
This AMG packs room for four, but no more
Plus, unlike its E-Class relation, the GT 4-Door’s back seat is only meant for two people. Sure, you could spend a grand to outfit the central spot with a cushion and a seat belt, but it’s not a place anyone is likely going to want to sit. Far better to spend $3,550 for the Executive Rear Seat Package instead, which turns those two true seating positions into mini-Maybach thrones, with a fixed armrest, heated and cooled cupholders and three-prong 110-volt, USB-C and wireless Qi charging power options.
Speaking of expenditures — even aside from supply chain issues, the inline-six GT 4-Door would make a solid case for itself based on the extra fun it lets you have with the Mercedes options list. Even with a plethora of add-ons, the GT 53 still comes in below the starting price for the GT 63. And apart from those rare moments where you wind up next to a BMW M5 CS on Woodward and feel compelled to defend your honor in a stoplight drag, you’ll likely never consider the GT 53 slow. Even if the GT 63 were in bountiful supply, the six-cylinder version would still seem like a solid choice.
2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 53 4-Door
Base Price / Price as Tested: $103,650 / $124,220
Powertrain: Turbocharged inline-six with mild electric assistance; nine-speed automatic; all-wheel-drive
Horsepower: 429
Torque: 384 lb-ft
EPA Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city, 25 mpg city highway
Seats: Four
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Keyword: The 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 53 Is No Mere Consolation Prize