[mhh]

Since others are posting their early impressions of their new cars (and not always positive I note), I thought I would add my comments while the thoughts are fresh and before I get too used to the car...

After 600km in mine, I'm thinking this car will take longer to get used to than most. It CAN feel heavy - if you find yourself in the wrong mode in the different settings. It can also feel extremely agile once you have programmed it the right way. The steering is curious - sometimes at low speeds it feels full of feedback and other times it is dead and remote. Moving to sportier settings doesn't help much and the heaviest setting feels just plain unnatural to me.

The fake engine noise through the stereo? I think I can hear it - a trebly V6 kind of noise, and certainly nothing like a V8. But I haven't been over 5000rpm yet so I'm reserving judgement on this point.

On really narrow roads, the car is just plain too wide but on other winding roads, it is pretty special with no body roll and huge front end grip with that wide rubber. I'm really happy with the ride of the car - firm but quite luxurious.

The gearbox is fine but I've got several cars with double clutch boxes so I'm not as overawed as someone who just got out of an SMG. The clutch take up is OK but it doesn't really like the second gear starts that gentle driving brings in some modes. The stopstart isn't as slick as some other cars I've driven either.

I love the look of the car, especially in MCB, and the seats feel excellent and the dashboard is modern. The whole car has a high quality feel to it. I ordered the sun protection glass without realising that it means a fairly heavy tint, but that gives it a meaner look - or so I've convinced myself.

I'm really looking forward to getting some more miles on it and taking it for a long, long drive. But first things first - clearbra goes on next week...

By way of comparison, I bought an E63 wagon a few weeks ago. I've done 1,000km in this car. It is nicer to drive at normal speeds than the M5 with a lovely natural V8 exhaust note and sweeter steering. The seats hold you tighter but ultimately aren't as comfortable as the BMW's. I drove both cars yesterday over the same 50km stretch of hilly, winding road and felt happier in the AMG which just feels more impressive at normal (but quick) speeds. It has a superbly taut ride/handing balance and is simpler to program the suspension and gearbox set-up than the BMW. I was blown away actually - a wagon that felt better than an M5, if a bit less sophisticated in the cabin.

I'm keeping an open mind on the M5 as I think more seat time will reveal more of its full abilities. And it is fun to discover slowly how different settings can transform the feel of the car.