I currently drive a 2012 C350. It runs great and quite fast.

I am currently thinking of my next car and torn between moving up to a V8 C63 2012 - 2014 or spend the same amount and get a more recent ride C450/C43.

How fast is a C450/C43 compared to my current C350. Will I notice a huge speed difference?

 

Huge speed difference. The C43 will even hold up to the W204 C63 up to highway speeds and beat them every. time. off the line unless in perfect conditions (warm tires, prepped surface) or if it's modded.

However, if you want an engine that keeps on pulling past 120mph, is more raw/mechanical, better sounding, then go C63.

 

Let's put it into numbers.

The 2012 C350 does the 1/4 mile in 14-14.6 seconds depending on who you ask and if RWD or 4MATIC at a trap speed of 97-101 mph

A 2019 C43 does the same in 12.1-12.6 seconds at a trap speed of 111 mph. Not only are you going over 10 mph hours faster, but shaving 2+ seconds of the 1/4 mile is a different league altogether.

A 2012 C63 does the quarter mile in 12.1 seconds at a trap speed of around 120 mph. So same time as the C43, but it's going another 10 mph faster at the end of the 1/4 mile, so it's leaving the C43 behind after that as said.

These are different worlds. The C63 whether it's the 204 or 205 is built for high speeds. They leave the C43 behind at higher triple digit speeds. Off the line they struggle with traction being RWD only, but once moving they are gone.

Going to an AMG is a different world. Not only are they faster, but the engine mapping, transmission, handling is all more immediate and more responsive. So even at lower speeds it's a very different driving experience. A regular Mercedes is lazy and built for comfort. The transmission is slow and sluggish and the throttle response is tuned to keep it comfortable and not jumpy. An AMG is the opposite. They are still fairly comfortable in Comfort mode, but you do pay the price with higher NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness). Everything will be noisier, you will feel more vibration entering the cabin and everything from the suspension to the transmission to the engine will be harsher.

This is not meant to be a negative. It's just a different world. I can't go back to a regular Mercedes-Benz, because they are just too soft and boring to drive for me, but somebody else may like and prefer that. Whenever my C63 is in for service and they give me a regular MB loaner, I can't drive them in Comfort mode. I have to immediately put them in Sport+ so they drive what I'd consider normal. Not sporty, but normal. My C63 is still more sport in Comfort mode than say a C300 in Sport+. Basically the AMG starts where regular Mercedes-Benz end.

Having said all that, if you gun any of these cars from a standstill and keep on it for a 1/4 mile you are way above the speed limit. So the question you always have to ask yourself is, can you stretch the legs of these faster cars? Where can you drive at 120 mph w/o going to jail? The answer is the German Autobahn or the track. Speed is not everything with these cars. I don't own a C63 because it can go 180 mph. I've driven it that fast in Germany, but I have a C63 for the driving experience more than anything, but I also don't daily drive. It's more for the weekend heading out to the canyons and for grand touring. Love doing road trips in this thing and easily pass slower drivers. It's about passing power more than anything if you are driving on a rural highway behind a bunch of slowpokes and you only have a 1/4 mile to legally pass a promenade of Sunday drivers before the lane marker goes double yellow again.

 

I went from a 2011 C350 to a 2019 C43 and the performance between the two is night and day. That said, I never considered my C350 to be “fast” so my bar was low to begin with. I also considered a W204 C63 but it just wasn’t conducive to the climate I live in. Also, it was very difficult to find one in great shape with a low mileage, at least in Toronto.

What makes the C43 so much better are the overall driving dynamics. Aside from the straight line performance, the handling is fantastic and the transmission is great, especially in Sport+ mode. For me, the ‘piece de resistance’ is the performance exhaust. This is a must-have when you’re shopping around for a C43.

Of course, the C63 is everything the C43 is and more. Well, save for the AWD and poor fuel economy.