First Impressions: C63 to C63 swap
Discussion
Friday was a sad day for me, after two years in my W204 C63, I had to hand the keys back to Mercedes. I had been dreading the day ever since I first received the keys two years previous! I loved the C63 so much that I ordered a new one without even driving it (saw a deal and jumped at it before some other lucky bugger got his or her hands on it).
The good news is that on Saturday morning I took delivery of a new C63 AMG (W205 Saloon) so I was only AMG-less for about 16hours :-). This has obviously given me a great opportunity to provide some first thought comparisons between the two which will hopefully help any other potential swappers...
My W204 was a base model facelift 4-door saloon in Black with 19" multi-spoke alloys, HK Sound, ILS, Sunroof and that was about it.
My W205 is also a base model saloon in Brilliant Blue with the 19" 5-spokes, Premium Pack, Privacy Glass and AMG Selectable Exhaust.
Things I like better about the new one:
- The interior (this is massively better)
- The colour (might sound silly this but it's great to have choices that aren't monochrome or red)
- The noise (It's much better than I prepared myself for it to be, especially with the exhaust button pressed)
- The economy (Obviously not what you buy the car for but it was showing 30mpg when I took delivery)
- The LSD as standard (I have already benefitted from this when I got it out of shape and getting out of junctions in a hurry will no longer be a worry)
- The speed (It is noticeably quicker)
- The handling (It feels sharper and more manageable when it reaches the limits of grip)
Things I like better about the old one:
- The sound (It's good on the new one but it isn't like the 6.2)
- The sense of occasion (The new one can't match it, it feels a lot more ordinary to drive)
- The seats (New car's seats look a lot nicer but they are rubbish in comparion to the std seats in the W204. This is probably my biggest disappointment)
- The styling (A matter of taste but I personally prefer the more aggressive looks of the old one)
- The gearstick (The new one has a column mounted gearstick. We're European, not American. Enough said)
- The integrated Satnav/ICE panel (I'm not a fan of the iPad style display panel on the new car even if he size is better)
- The engine (The 6.2 still rules IMO. It's ferocious and makes you feel special every time you turn the key)
Over the last 48hrs, I have found myself missing the great things about the old car more than the new things about the new car, which is a little disappointing. I am sure that as I become more accustomed to the new car, I will start to appreciate it more and more but right now, I am missing the W204 quite a lot.
The good news is that on Saturday morning I took delivery of a new C63 AMG (W205 Saloon) so I was only AMG-less for about 16hours :-). This has obviously given me a great opportunity to provide some first thought comparisons between the two which will hopefully help any other potential swappers...
My W204 was a base model facelift 4-door saloon in Black with 19" multi-spoke alloys, HK Sound, ILS, Sunroof and that was about it.
My W205 is also a base model saloon in Brilliant Blue with the 19" 5-spokes, Premium Pack, Privacy Glass and AMG Selectable Exhaust.
Things I like better about the new one:
- The interior (this is massively better)
- The colour (might sound silly this but it's great to have choices that aren't monochrome or red)
- The noise (It's much better than I prepared myself for it to be, especially with the exhaust button pressed)
- The economy (Obviously not what you buy the car for but it was showing 30mpg when I took delivery)
- The LSD as standard (I have already benefitted from this when I got it out of shape and getting out of junctions in a hurry will no longer be a worry)
- The speed (It is noticeably quicker)
- The handling (It feels sharper and more manageable when it reaches the limits of grip)
Things I like better about the old one:
- The sound (It's good on the new one but it isn't like the 6.2)
- The sense of occasion (The new one can't match it, it feels a lot more ordinary to drive)
- The seats (New car's seats look a lot nicer but they are rubbish in comparion to the std seats in the W204. This is probably my biggest disappointment)
- The styling (A matter of taste but I personally prefer the more aggressive looks of the old one)
- The gearstick (The new one has a column mounted gearstick. We're European, not American. Enough said)
- The integrated Satnav/ICE panel (I'm not a fan of the iPad style display panel on the new car even if he size is better)
- The engine (The 6.2 still rules IMO. It's ferocious and makes you feel special every time you turn the key)
Over the last 48hrs, I have found myself missing the great things about the old car more than the new things about the new car, which is a little disappointing. I am sure that as I become more accustomed to the new car, I will start to appreciate it more and more but right now, I am missing the W204 quite a lot.
Ha ha! I'm not, I have already managed to get mine down to below 20mpg but I am sure that over time it will average 4-5mpg more than the W204. It's nice to save a bit of money but overall, I didn't buy either car for their fuel economy.
I read another thread about you having trouble with your brakes. Have you fallen out of love with it?
I read another thread about you having trouble with your brakes. Have you fallen out of love with it?
Can you keep us posted on how you get on please
I have had my A45 hatchback for year and 3 months
They have brought out the face lift and I was looking at CLA 45 which now faster and has better gearing.
I like the C63 but the I have got use to the 4matic
I am very tempted to get the C63 for experience and I realise the running cots will be higher but the A45 is great package
I have had my A45 hatchback for year and 3 months
They have brought out the face lift and I was looking at CLA 45 which now faster and has better gearing.
I like the C63 but the I have got use to the 4matic
I am very tempted to get the C63 for experience and I realise the running cots will be higher but the A45 is great package
Very nice comparison. Interesting post, thanks. Don't take this the wrong way as last thing I'd want to do is bash another chap's pride and joy but I have to agree with you wholeheartedly on the styling. The W204 is just more muscular and in keeping with what's under the hood. The new one looks much softer and family like. Not sure why Merc went this way after having such an awesome first attempt....
Nice to hear from someone who did the switch from old to new. My contract is up in a few months and have decided I am keeping my W204 C63. Will be 2.5yrs old, 14k miles, has the diff and just had the major service and new tyres all round. Not worth chopping in for something else right now considering I still giggle like a school boy two years into ownership. Will re-evaluate in June next year when the warranty is up. My local Merc dealer said that the prices on these are stabilizing and creeping up slightly for the well looked after cars. Not sure how true that is but happy in any case. I would love to run my W204 saloon and get a W205 estate once the prices come down a bit and real deals can be had. Enjoy the new car and keep us updated on how things go as you get to spend more time in it.
Congrats. Lovely car.
Bit confused about your LSD comment though. You can get a lot more out of shape with an LSD than without. Especially coming out of junctions, a non LSD car would just spin the power away and "bog" down. Whereas one with a LSD would keep putting the power down and if you don't take corrective action, would have you facing the other way.
Bit confused about your LSD comment though. You can get a lot more out of shape with an LSD than without. Especially coming out of junctions, a non LSD car would just spin the power away and "bog" down. Whereas one with a LSD would keep putting the power down and if you don't take corrective action, would have you facing the other way.
I should have thought about this properly before I started a new topic however I have created an update on my comparison here:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
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