2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Review

Mercedes-Benz's turbocharged inline-six engine is one of our favorites, and it feels right at home in the AMG GT sedan. Power comes on strong and linear above 3,000 rpm and is accompanied (in Sport mode) by an aggressive soundtrack of growls and pops. Our as-tested 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds is quick, but some rival supersedans are quicker.

Body roll is minimal and the suspension is well-controlled. The steering is precise and weighted perfectly for the car's character. High grip and a sharp turn-in make the AMG GT 53 sedan feel fleet-footed, though it can never really hide its size and mass. The AMG GT 53 sedan is capable on a winding road, but it's only rewarding up to a point. Push it too hard and you'll find there's a numbness to the controls that isn't inspiring.

We expect a certain stiffness from an AMG-branded car, and that's apparent here. You get a ride quality that's more like a sports car's than a luxury sedan's. Still, it's not harsh, even in Sport mode. What is problematic is the excessive amount of noise when driving over bumps. In a car that's otherwise relatively quiet, even small imperfections in the road create intrusive levels of sound.

The front seats hold you in place in turns and support you where you need it. Overall, the balance between luxury and sport is excellent, and the seats are comfortable even after several hours behind the wheel. The executive rear seats in our tester were equally pleasant.

There are a lot of buttons, and the operation of them can differ or be redundant. Some shortcut buttons make life easier, but the overall layout is confusing to learn and distracting when you need to find something. Another issue is visibility. The high dashboard makes judging the corners of the car from inside the cabin difficult. Visibility also suffers from the thick roof pillars, small mirrors and small rear window.

Getting in and out of the front seats is easy at least, especially since the front seat is relatively high off the ground for a sporty car. Rear-seat access is poor because of the tight foot opening and sloping roofline. It's particularly hard when you're parked in a narrow space. The rear seat suffers from a lack of headroom for taller adults.

The trunk offers a large, flat load floor and a generous opening thanks to the power hatch. There is room for overnight bags for four. But the rear bumper is high and deep, so you'll have to lift items high and lean over to access most of the space. While the rear seats in our test vehicle folded flat, the rear armrest did not.

Small-item storage is a weakness. The cupholders are deeply recessed, making short drinks difficult to access. Taller beverages still block controls, and any use of the cupholder blocks the cellphone tray that's buried deep inside the console. The door pockets are wide but shallow, and the center armrest bins are sufficient for storing cords and phones but nothing much larger. This isn't a particularly good sedan to buy if you have small children either since the small amount of space and contoured seating make child safety seat installation difficult.

The infotainment is a mix of Mercedes' old and new systems. Alas, it lacks most of the strengths of both. The menus can be complicated to navigate, and the settings are oddly located. Navigation is much more rudimentary than what's offered in less expensive Mercedes cars. Voice commands are hit-or-miss, and entering addresses by voice repeatedly proved a challenge.

Most of the driver aids work exceptionally well. The AMG GT sedan follows traffic naturally and is seldom tripped up by other vehicles changing lanes. With adaptive cruise on, steering assist feels organic. But when the system is off, lane departure intervention is jarring, yanking the car back in line.