Mercedes-Benz R 63 AMG
Why 6.3: DougScore 57, but huge cult value: hand-built V8, three rows, tiny production and genuine daily usability.
Layout
Natural habitat
Ride comfort
Sound
The same 6.2-litre M156 as the C63, revving to 7,200 rpm with the flat cross-plane bark AMG never got back from a turbo engine. But the R-class exhaust was tuned for the school run rather than a track, so it trails the saloon that shares its block.
8-cylinder · naturally aspirated · 7,200 rpm redline · rated 7.4 / 10 for engine sound
Market value
Median asking price, good condition · €81k (2007) → €60k (2026), trending down · illustrative data
Child seats · ISOFIX
Two ISOFIX securing rings on the second-row captain's chairs — the R63's only rear seats, since the AMG version drops the standard R-Class's third row.
No ISOFIX on the front passenger seat — Mercedes' own R-Class manual limits the anchors to the second row and instead covers disabling the front airbag for a child seat there.
Mercedes R-Class (W251) owner's manual (ManualsLib)
The long version
The R 63 AMG is one of the funniest cars Mercedes ever sold with a straight face. It is part minivan, part crossover, part E63 wagon and all bad idea. That makes it more enthusiast-relevant than many faster AMGs, because the people who want one are chasing the story as much as the speed. Production was tiny, maintenance is not trivial, and yet the car can still do normal family duty. It is the sweep's oddball anchor.