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Now that I am an M5 F90 owner, I would like to extend my thoughts on car. Some perceptions have changed with time, some haven't. I still feel the comparison of M5 F90 vs E63 S AMG, is the same as that of 911 Turbo S vs R8 V10 Plus, where they are plenty capable cars, but while one is flawless, the other has more character. I got to drive the E63 S for a couple of days too since then.
The E63 S AMG is still to my eyes the car with more character, the exhaust is nicer, and it does drive more agressively (the transmission and harsh suspension are very important in this regard). Nevertheless the M5 is the better car in pretty much all aspects. The E63 S interior is quite impressive due to the layout, but the surfaces are not as well finished and the car doesn't have the same quality materials. It is also a lot less insulated from the road. In that regards, I think even Audi has Mercedes bested. The 5 Series and A6 both have better finish quality than the E Class.
In terms of performance, I can't fault any of the two, but there is a massive difference in the character of the engines. The M5 you need to rev a little more and let the car start pulling. The E63 S has torque since 0 rpm, it is amazing how torquey it is. I do genuinely believe that the M5 from 4k rpm pulls harder though, the butt dyno suggests it is faster and it feels faster. The gearbox is also more eager. The only time where I feel the response is not as savage is in Sport Plus (most aggressive everything, the gearbox in Drive, it tends to have a slower response, compared to manual mode downshift and flooring). The E63 S seems to be quicker to response in Drive, but the throttle is not as responsive. Hard to say. The steering on the M5 is meatier and transmits less artificial feel (it feels more mechanical), while the E63 S does have more artificial feel. The E63 S also feels nose heavy compared to the M5, the M5 feels eager to rotate.
In terms of room, I would say the are equivalent, but the M5 has the largest trunk.
In terms of tech, I prefer Command animations and diagrams (they are nicer), but IDrive is more intuituve and responsive.
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