Jonathan G.

Hello all & happy holidays!
I am a frequent reader but infrequent poster on these forums.
I am hoping for advice from my fellow enthusiasts who have more knowledge than me!
Please forgive the long post!!!
I currently have two cars that I use as daily drivers : a cls55 amg and an 05audi S4.
While I love the power, luxury, style, rIde quality, build quality, decent mpg & range, dry handling, less common body style of the cls55,
I also have come to love the confidence inspiring Awd performance in winter, wet and dry conditions and the smaller dimensions of the s4 that make it more toss able and fun/ easier to drive on twistier narrower roads. The ride quality of the b6 gen s4 can be a little stiff at times and unfortunately doesn't have the comfort, sport 1 &sport2 settings of the cls55.

I have had both cars for a while now and would like to replace one of them- probably the cls55 -as a daily drive.
I would like to combine the best of both of them in one vehicle but have had a hard time finding what I want:
Performance, luxury, style, room for 2 adults and 2 12 yr olds, decent trunk space for 2 golf bags ( I don't play golf ,lol), handling, braking , ride quality , automated trans a must, preferably Awd A big plus but not absolute requirement, ads adjustable suspension and possibly the smaller dimensions of a c63, s4 or m3. And under $100k msrp. Preowned okay.
I had high hopes for the audi rs5 but who knows if it
will ever come to the u.s. And i am disappointed that audi didn't put the v8tt from the euro only rs6 in it ,but rather , recycled the old rs4 4.2l v8 once again. The reviews of it don't top an 08 e92 M3 which is a bummer also.
I have gravitated toward the gtr but have some concerns on it's interior quality but more significantly, regarding it's ride quality, which in a comparison test by c&d, was given a 5 vs the 9 of an M3. I live near NY metro area and potholes are a problem. I am in the car for almost 2 hrs/day and don't want to be beat up.
I recently did an amg driving academy at a racetrack and came away favorably impressed with the c63. While not the track star an m3 may be, it was still very good and I loved the low end torque which is more useful to me in on road driving.
With the 2012 refreshening and interior upgrade to E class standards and the new coupe body style, the c63 is on my short list. I really wish it had the ads of the cls or E63 or m3 or current s4 or s5 and Awd would have been nice. How do you find the ride quality of the c63 ( and is that) with the amg performance package?
I would even consider adding bilstein electronic ride control coil overs to a c63 to give it ads but they don't make a set for the c63. ( does anyone know of any others that can be adjusted on the fly from the driver's seat as conditions change as I do daily with my CLS55?)
Should the lack of ADS in a C63 be a deal breaker for me?
I have considered a preowned Awd 911tt tip/ pdk but the rearseat and especially the trunk space that i need for my dd requirements in an Awd 911s are a joke. Unfortunate because, otherwise, it would likely be my answer!
The e63 ( which I also drove at the track) and the upcoming M5 are under consideration. The 2012 e63 has the amg ttv8 like the new cls63 so all 3 of these deserve consideration . The new m5 is rumored to be available in the future with Awd but not until a few years after launch. ( an Awd M5 or E63 or C63 or newRS6 { or 928 } would be slam dunk no brainer choices for me if available!)
The current s4 is nice but visually is a big drop down from the cls55 and not distinguishable enough from a plain A4 the way a c63 is from a c300. And it's s/c v6 can't hold a candle to the c63!
The coming 2013 audi S6 v8 turbo is detuned to 400hp so is comparable to a bmw 550i Xdrive or E550 4matic and not in the true M or AMG league.
Oh how I wish there
was a new rs4 or rs5with the rs6 ttv8 and dct!!
The panamera tt could be the answer but it is too expensive for me and it's looks are questionable.
A pre- owned Maserati gran truismo (S) is a possibility as it looks great, feels great, sounds vg but it's 0-60 time of 4.9 or 5.? Is really no better than an s5 and below an m3 which is disappointing.
If you have any other thoughts, please let me know!


Thank you for your time and effort!!
-Jonathan

F355C5

After 3 years of a GTR as daily driver--- pass on the car--rough ride--thats why it is sold --nothing wrong with interior quality-- very good.

Nath

Replacement RS4 is due sometime in 2012 but is possible only coming in a wagon so may not be your cup of tea

Jonathan G.

Thanks for the response.
Does your C63 have the amg performance package?
Is the non adjustable ride of the C63 more comfortable than the softest settings on the gtr?
How do you find the performance of the C63 after driving the gtr for 3 years? No let down?
From my vacationing experience in Naples, FL-a wonderful place- the roads are quite smooth and well paved so if you thought your gtr had a rough ride, that says something . I guess there is a good reason why car and driver only gave the gtr a 5 out of 10 for ride quality vs the M3 getting 9 out of 10.
Thanks again & happy holidays!

Jonathan G.

Nath,
I could live with the wagon if it had everything else.
I actually think that the E63 wagon is very cool.
I have heard nothing about the RS4 coming to the U.S. market?
The question will be is audi recycling the old rs4 4.2l v8 once again or will they be using the new 4.0 v8 turbo as in the coming s6, s7, s8?
Thanks again?

F355C5

C63 has comfort setting and sport setting, Comfort is like a 1980 caddy compared to the GTR on its comfort setting. I lived in Michigan for 50 odd years ==== no GTR in the state of Michigan ever,

Mort

Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Manual on the C63 affect the transmission shift settings only. The suspension ride and handling are not adjustable.

Keithb

C63 suspension is a bit stiff, but it ain't that bad.

More to the point, it'll probably ADD 15 minutes to your 2 hr commute as you'll have to gas up 1/2 way there each way! It is a thirsty little rocket after all.

Seriously, for a DD, how well do you fit the C63 seats? I'm a big guy (6ft - 275lbs) and I just fit, but I's be a little cincerned aboout 2 hrs twice daily, but that's because the fit is so snug for me. If you fit (read are smaller than me), then you should be quite happy with the ride/comfort I would think.

Jonathan G.

I am 5'11" & 210 lbs and fit my audi s4 & cls55 seats so I should be fine with the C63 seats.
My concern is that coming from the luxury of the cls55 with its active & ventilated seats as well as adjustable suspension, will I find the C63 too firm and comparatively spartan?

Would I be better off looking at the E63 with its similar active, ventilated seats and ADS at the price of some toss ability / handling & sportiness of the C63?

Keithb

Only you can truly answer that question. The C63 is a pretty hard core small sports sedan. I don't know that I would give it high marks as a luxo-cruiser tho.

Go drive both the C63 and E63 back to back for a while and you decide. If you're serious, I would imagine a good dealer would let you take each home for a day or two to help make a sale.

Pit-Pony

I drove both the C63 and E63 on the track and I loved the E. If I could afford it I would get the E instead of the C. The C seems more fun on the track but for everyday the E was very impressive.

Now for 2012 the engines in each car are different than the 2010 cars I drove on the track (as are the transmissions, but they stay the same in both cars).

joshb63

I was in a similar situation 3 months ago, and i was constantly asking peoples opinions. I now realize that i knew what i wanted and pulled the trigger. From your description of what you like and want, i instantly think c63. back seat is fine for 12 yr olds and i have heard it is a blast on mountain roads, not that the e63/m5 are not, but when you think e63/m5 vs c63, the c is what you are going to take up into the mountains. Dont buy the gtr if your main reason is AWD, you have the audi still. The audi is also probably decent on gas, but thats not a reason to buy a gas guzzling car. I was in your shoes and ended up with an e63 on order, but it was almost 10 grand over 100k. Make your own decision but i would be between the e63 and c63. You probably expect that from people on a MB forum! best of luck to whatever you end up with.

Josh

coladin

The C63 is a pretty stiff car and it can wear on you. Coming from the cars that you have, though, it would be more of the same. I was split between the C63 and Jag XFR. The Jag is a great car with a more compliant ride and same brute power. Check that out too...