Comparison Data
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2024 BMW i7 M70 xDrive
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2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance
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Engine Displacement
485 kW
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4.0L
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Engine Cylinders
Dual electric motors
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Twin-turbo V8 hybrid
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Peak Horsepower
650 hp
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791 hp
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Peak Torque
749 lb-ft
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1,055 lb-ft
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Fuel Economy
3.0 / 2.8 /2.9 Le/100 km cty/hwy/cmb, 26.7 / 24.8 / 25.8 kWh/100 km; 468 km est. range
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14.4 / 11.5 / 13.1 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb
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Cargo Space
500 L
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305 L
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Base Price
$185,000
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$205,000
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A/C Tax
$100
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$100
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Destination Fee
$2,480
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$4,995
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Price as Tested
$227,980
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$274,825
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Optional Equipment
$40,400 — Two-tone Black Sapphire Metallic paintwork, $12,000; BMW Individual Gran Lusso interior, $6,900; B&W surround sound system, $5,900; Liquid Copper Metallic paint, $5,000; Rear Comfort package, $4,700; Executive Lounge package, $2,800; Dark Optics package, $1,500; Panoramic glass sunroof, $1,000; Merino leather w/grey cashmere, $600
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$64,730 — Edition 1 package, $29,800; Burmester 3D surround sound system, $8,320; First Class package, $7,000; Pinnacle trim, $6,600; Premium Rear Seating Plus package, $4,600; MBUX high-end rear seat entertainment, $3,750; MBUX augmented reality head-up display, $1,600; 3D driver’s display, $1,560; AMG Line w/Night package, $1,500
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Today’s executive sedans trace their lineage back to the exquisite motorized carriages of the early 20th Century that swiftly but gracefully transported silver screen stars, captains of industry, and world leaders to lavish occasions.
Modern SUVs, meanwhile, are the descendants of cargo-hauling work machines and tractors. No matter how poshly decorated or physics-defying the performance, a sport utility cannot upstage a flagship sedan’s blend of elegance, grace, and understated gravitas. Think nouveau riche versus the establishment.
Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes-Maybach may be sedan royalty, but in terms of luxury — and cost — the range-topping BMW 7 Series and AMG-tuned Mercedes-Benz S-Class slot in just below those grand machines. For 2024, both brands have further embraced electrification, not just for efficiency but for astonishing power and smoothness. Let the stuffy billionaires have their stately V12s — the 2024 BMW i7 M70 and 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance are terrestrial alternatives to a private-charter jet.
Power
One thousand and fifty-five. That’s the mind-bending torque output of the Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance. It’s the result of a twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8 that generates 603 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, which is generously augmented by an electric motor fitted to the rear axle, juiced by a Formula One-developed 13.1-kWh battery pack. It’s enough to hurl the 2,600-kg (5,700-lb) sedan to 100 km/h from a standstill in 3.3 seconds.
Buyers engaged in the uncouth pastime of drag racing will find their i7 M70 slower to 100 km/h than the Mercedes, requiring a claimed 3.7 seconds to achieve the feat. What’s remarkable is that the big Bimmer weighs a planet-like 2,808 kg (6,190 lb), yet makes do with only 650 hp and 749 lb-ft of torque but still manages to accelerate so quickly.
Those numbers only tell part of the story, though. Employing launch control and ideal circumstances, the big AMG is swifter, but in the real world of whisking VIPs away from paparazzi or passing the proletariat in their Pontiacs, there’s simply no beating the BMW’s electric responsiveness. Trundling along in the S 63 at a leisurely pace means the turbos need to spool and a gear change or two needs to occur before the full nuclear-blast power is unleashed. It’s barely a blink in reality, but the entirely electric i7 responds in full to whatever measure of throttle is called up without any hesitation.
BMW i7: 9.5/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 10/10
Driving Feel
The power offered in both of these machines is corrupting, but it doesn’t define their personalities. They’re meant for dignified high-speed travel, and that includes being able to safely conquer some corners and shrug off big speed when needed.
The i7 M70 feels disconnected from the road, almost as if it rides on a maglev system instead of tires on pavement. It floats without being floaty, gliding along effortlessly on straight roads, yet when encountering curves the BMW acquits itself with impressive comportment, the air suspension managing body roll, squat, and dive very well. There’s considerable grip, too, even when the i7 is flung at tight corners faster than is prudent.
The S 63 and i7 are fairly close dimensionally, with the longer, taller BMW giving up width and wheelbase by millimetres here and there. But in its sport+ drive mode and driven hard on narrow, curvy country roads, the AMG shrinks to C-Class proportions, feeling far nimbler than a car this big has any right, due in no small part to its four-wheel steering. The S 63 has its own air suspension, but it’s tauter than the i7’s and the car clings to the pavement, offering quicker steering with slightly more feel as it goes around corners.
Being an electric vehicle (EV), the i7 offers off-throttle coasting or strong regenerative braking. With a bit of practice, either can be enjoyed by enthusiastic drivers, knowing that the brakes are always at the ready offering strong, progressive stopping power and a firm pedal. The S 63’s brakes are also very capable of shedding momentum in a hurry, but under normal driving circumstances, especially at lower speeds, they’re grabby and much harder to modulate smoothly.
BMW i7: 8.5/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 9/10
Fuel Economy
Naturally, the gas-powered S 63 pays the price in efficiency and pollution, emitting 188 grams of CO2 for every kilometre it travels versus none for the i70. It’s rated at 14.4 L/100 km in the city, 11.5 on the highway, and 13.1 combined, but can also travel 26 km on pure electric power, netting a combined 4.8 Le/100 km rating, too.
The M70 wearing its 21-inch aero wheels earns a 3.0 Le/100 km in the city, 2.8 on the highway, and 2.9 combined. Range is always a factor with EVs, and the i7 M70 is rated at 468 km, although during our mild test week it consistently showed more than 490 km of range on a full charge. The S 63, meanwhile, is expected to achieve 587 km between fills.
BMW i7: 9/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 7/10
Comfort
Our AMG’s soundtrack was tuned by Adrijan Gekaj — the craftsperson responsible for assembling the V8 masterpiece fitted beneath this S 63’s long hood. The BMW’s soundtrack was tuned by Hans Zimmer, and pipes synthesized sound effects through the car’s stereo. The i7’s sound can be turned off completely, whereas the Mercedes makes its presence audibly known all the time, even if it is subdued. Wind noise is virtually non-existent in both cars, but the AMG’s sportier tires transmit a surprising amount of road rumble that’s absent in the BMW.
More notably, the S 63’s ride is not only harsher than the i7’s by a fair margin, it’s harsher than we’d expect in any S-Class, with a considerable amount of jostling and movement transmitted to the cabin. Meanwhile the i7 M70’s ride is magical, its suspension consuming and disposing of vicious potholes and road imperfections, leaving occupants to barely sense the chaos below.
The S 63’s seats are more assertively bolstered and squeeze the driver when cornering. Like the BMW’s, they’re incredibly comfortable with adjustability in every imaginable way to ensure no matter the size or shape of the occupant, there’s a desirable seating position. Our tester’s seats were wrapped in decadent woven cashmere wool that offers better breathability than the ventilated leather found in the Mercedes. Both cars offer pleasingly effective massage features as well.
BMW i7: 10/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 8/10
Practicality
For transporting four adults, there are very few alternatives better-suited than either of these sedans. The cabin’s finishes, features, and space are pure decadence, and a fifth occupant can be squeezed in between the two rear seats, but they’ll need to straddle the middle tunnel and climate controls.
The S 63 E Power’s trunk space is compromised by the large battery pack beneath its floor, limiting its space to a modest 305 L. The i7’s battery pack is better integrated into the bottom of the car, reflected in its sizable 500-L trunk.
BMW i7: 7/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 6/10
Features
The feature count for either of these cars could fill volumes. Both cars have option packages that make their rear seat spaces truly wonderful places to be, hinting at the distinct possibility of limo duties. Reclining, heated, cooled, and massaging seats, various touchscreen pads to control comfort and infotainment features, and electric sun shades are common to both cars’ back seats.
Each gets panoramic glass roofs, elaborate interior ambient lighting that’s customizable by colour and vibrancy, and high-powered audio systems with woofers built into the seats to help feel the music. Here again the approach is quite different, with the Mercedes’s Burmester system feeling like a kid kicking the seat compared to the deep, subtle immersive experience from BMW’s Bowers & Wilkins system.
BMW i7: 10/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 10/10
Safety
These cars also represent the pinnacle of advanced safety features available today. Both have adaptive cruise control systems that enable automated lane changes, and pre-collision systems that detect other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Both cars have traffic sign-reading capability, self-parking capabilities, and lane departure mitigation and emergency evasion assist systems.
BMW i7: 10/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 10/10
User-Friendliness
The downside to so many features is a wildly complex set of controls, and the volume of information presented to a driver at any time. In both cases, the cockpit controls require considerable dependency on the massive screens before the driver. BMW’s latest iDrive system has become familiar over the past few years, common to most models now, yet it still took most of the test week to become familiar with the key features commonly utilized.
Thankfully, Mercedes hasn’t implemented its dash-wide Hyperscreen in the S-Class, instead working with its more user-friendly dual-screen setup. Both systems are responsive and offer bright, crisp graphics and the ability to customize user preferences and respond well to voice commands, but the sheer volume of options and features takes considerable time to fully comprehend.
Outward visibility to the front is great in both cars, but the i7’s B-pillars are very thick and impede shoulder checks.
BMW i7: 7/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 8/10
Styling
The driving personalities of these two ultra-sedans couldn’t be more divergent, and their styling reinforces their differing approach. The S 63 is a masterful blend of elegant, flowing lines that help mask its size. It’s sure to be as timelessly impressive in 10 or 20 years as it is today. The application of the AMG grille with its vertical strakes and large star badge works beautifully, and the 21-inch wheels fill the fenders as the car seems to squat menacingly. It’s a shame about the bland, primer-grey paint choice of our test car, though.
BMW’s approach has been to fully embrace the full scale of the i7, its shape being bulky, squared off, and undeniably imposing. The BMW’s colour also wouldn’t be our choice, but there’s no denying the quality of the finish, right down to the painted pinstripe deep beneath the clear coat finish. The front end of the i7 is particularly polarizing with the two-tone paint exacerbating the busyness of the design, and the 21-inch aero wheels place function over form. Still, this i7 commanded a lot of attention — much of it positive — from passersby during the test week.
It’s the same story inside, with the S 63 having more rounded edges than the severe, square shapes found throughout the i7. Mercedes also blends top-quality black leather hides with red stitching, and the large swath of carbon fibre on the dash is infused with red. Editor-in-Chief Jodi Lai’s decision to set the AMG’s ambient lighting to hot pink was a questionable one, though.
The classically-cool cashmere seats seem at odds from the i7’s bold glass strip (set to be backlit with equally bold orange LEDs), and BMW continues with the crystal iDrive and seat controllers for a bit of bling. Like the exterior, the i7 M70’s interior is certainly bold if not elegant and timeless.
BMW i7: 7/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 9/10
Value
Facing nearly a half-million dollars worth of cars, the value consideration may seem distant, but it’s still an important one. The S 63 E Power starts at $205,000, with our tester fitted with an additional $65,000 of optional visual elements and seating arrangements. The S-Class AMG is an unquestionably premium machine, thrusting well past $300,000 after fees and taxes.
The S 63’s cost feels even more eye-watering next to the i7 M70. Our tester starts at a still-sizable $185,000, and added more than $40,000 in extras, many of which — like the $17,000 paint cost — could be skipped without missing much.
Even if these two were priced atop one another, measured purely as luxury cars, the BMW is more luxurious by nature of the way it goes about its business in such a smooth, serene way, while giving up almost nothing in performance.
BMW i7: 7/10; Mercedes-AMG S 63: 5/10
The Verdict
When shopping for a terrestrial alternative to private air travel, these two cars represent the epitome of swift, stylish, and comfortable sedans. The way AMG has managed to take Mercedes’s largest luxury sedan and create a car that generates so much excitement and dynamic performance is astonishing. It’s a stunning sedan that can transport a CEO around town, yet magically shrink in size when hurtling around curvy roads. The trouble is there are better-focused performance sedans and more luxurious cars out there, making the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Power a slight compromise in both regards.
The 2024 BMW i7 M70 may be the highest-performance variant of this flagship sedan, but it never loses sight of its mission as a sublime luxury machine. Offering the same lavish features as the Mercedes with comparable performance, its electrified drivetrain and brilliant suspension makes it impossibly smooth, just as an ultra-luxury sedan should be. The i7 M70 feels like a Rolls-Royce that’s been negotiated down by a few hundred thousand dollars. We’ll take ours in all black, please.
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