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?
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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