ELITE_KOV

I'm seriously debating whether I want to sell my E55 for a C63. I love the way the C63s sound with the bigger motor and have wanted to get one since they came out.

I'm used to neck snapping torque down low, so I'm curious how that compares to the NA 63 motor.

Are the C63s fun to drive? Do the accelerate hard with the tranny in them? I'm assuming they have shorter gear ratios than the E55s.

Just trying to see what everyone thinks of their C63, how they drive, accelerate, and how the low end torque is as that's what can make a car truly fun in the daily commuting vs. long highway drives when top end is a bit more important, where I hear the C63s shine.

Btw, I am going to the dealer Friday and Saturday to test drive a few, just wondering what everyone's experiences are thus far in ownership.


Thanks for any input!!!!

m a x i m u s

I love my C63, but I've never driven an E55 so can't compare the two. The one thing I will say is no matter what the final decision is regarding C63 vs. E55 fun factor, you need to know that the fit and finish on the C is just that, it's a C. Mine rattles and squeaks like a mother, doesn't have certain amenities that other benzes do, and so on. It's a C class, albeit a fun one.

p30amg08

The c is great. But if I were u keep the e55...I had a e63. E55 won most of the time. Ive driven both an extensive amount

unagi1

The e55 is a blast. I had an '05 for about three years and sold it last September (starting to become a money pit). If this were a w204 to w211 comparison I'd say keep the e55, but the interior in the w205 is super nice; I would love to have one to replace my '11 w204 for sedan duties.

That said, it's still a C -- you can't race a bike @150mph, keep your SO asleep, and get a dynamic seat massage at the same time. It is what it is...

CarHopper

Budget?

I want a w212 e63, probably my next car. Or the cls. Something with that 5.5 biturbo

dchl21

have both and love both.. c is fun to drive for sure.

Driver_8

Torque is the C63's 6.2L calling card. I've never had any vehicle that made the kind of power and grunt that my C63s made.

My (former) 2009 sedan and (current) 2012 coupe are well made, tight and solid, but the E55 is a great car too I'd recommend a nice long test drive this weekend.

Jons95c36amg

The m156 motors like to rev. Being it has a 7200rpm redline.

TTA850

The C63 is a great car and I personally would upgrade from the E55 if I were in your shoes, but only to a 2012 and newer - I feel the facelift really brought the car to a new level inside and out, the MCT trans gives a more connected feel, and the display is much improved. Go for a car with limited slip IMHO as the slides will be more controllable, which is important because the car does not like to stay on course lol

akmatic63

Revs higher and loses control quicker! If you get one, you need to get it tuned if you really want to comport to the e55's power. It is also louder stock, and has a lot of power on the higher end, rather than low like the e55. I could be in 6th or 7th gear and when i floor it, the car will still pull.

HBC350

The C63 is the funnest, most radical car ever built. You should get one.

ToXicXxX

C63 is the torqiuest non turbo car I've ever driven... And I've been in a lot of exotics! You'll absolutly love how it jumps to life from 1800 RPM (90% of tq available by then). With headers and good filters you'll have even more torque.

Now I miss my C63... M3 has no torque ever

rentzington

an M3 was at the gas station last night, and when he pulled away revving it i couldnt help but think how bad the exhaust note sounded compared to the c63

the c63 has just got the greatest rumble!
the torque is there throughout the band not just low end, with a tune these things pull all the way

ToXicXxX

You be quiet! I love the stock exhaust, it's super quiet until you're at like 8000RPM. The car is 95% intake noise on a good filter... And nothing compares to 8 individual throttle bodies sucking air through a super open airbox! I will probably put testpipes on soon so it backfires and goes a bit louder.

Remember why I sold my C63?

True on the TQ being 100% constant... I'll post my dyno chart in a second here.

ToXicXxX

That's what 5-7k worth of mods will do for you...

AMG6.3

C63 >e55

patrick_y

Another E55 owner here. I've driven the C63 on many occasions and I would say the C63 is the better overall car from a performance standpoint.

The 55K engine is a more powerful engine, a torquier engine, and ironically a very reliable engine.

The E55 as a whole has a few pitfalls compared to the C63:
1. Dynamism of the engine, the 63 engine is a much more dynamic rev-happy engine. It changes rev direction much faster and more willingly than the 55k engine.
2. C63 has a bespoke chassis. Significantly modified from the normal C-Class chassis.
3. C63 has great handling, E55 has AIRMATIC handling. No normal race car has an air suspension.
4. C63 has great steering, E55s have really slow steering ratios (2003-2004s have even slower ratios than the 2005-2006 in the US Market) and less feel
5. E55 has superior brake hardware; 8 piston quadruple pad brakes per caliper vs 6 piston double pad per caliper. But the pedal feel is significantly better on the C63 due to lack of SBC brake system.
6. The 7 speed transmission compliments the dynamism of the C63 very well. The E55's 5 speed is a good unit, but 5 speeds means large gaps between ratios.

C63s are definitely fun to drive. They're definitely fast although probably not as fast as an E55 stock for stock. But a C63 might feel faster than an E55.

On a long highway trip, the C63 is good but the E55 is better. C63 has slightly firmer suspension because it's on springs rather than air, you feel the pot holes, you hear the tire interact with the pothole but it's not unbearable. Slightly more road noise in the C63, a byproduct of the chassis; plus the air suspension of the E55 cancels a lot of road noise too. The E55 wins by a small but noticeable margin in the noise and comfort department.

The 63 engine is great for commuting and with the 7 speed transmission it is also great for top end acceleration on the highway. Sometimes on the E55, when you want great acceleration on the highway you go from 5th down to 3rd gear. On the C63 you'd be at 7 and have more gears to choose from; 3, 4, or 5 for highway passing acceleration. The C63 may have less torque than the E55 but it is more fun, and there is more theatre to the drive than the E55 when on the highway.

The real question is... Is the C63 that much better that it's worth selling your E55 to get into one? For mundane suburban straight driving, maybe not, for poor road conditions in the city you're probably more comfortable in the E55. But if you live in the mountains and you have to drive a windy road every day to get home, you'll appreciate the C63.

C63 is much more of a handling car than an E55. The E55 is faster in a straight line, but in curves the C63 will feel much more planted and the steering will communicate noticeably more than the E55.

Note, the 63 engine may not be as reliable than the 55K engine in high mileage arena. But the E55 has suspension reliability problems too. The backseat of the C63 is obviously smaller and not as well appointed as the E55, but if your backseats are almost hardly ever used, then this is a moot point.

Final line: the C63 may be a tiny bit slower than an E55, but still torquey in its power delivery. But that tiny sacrifice gives you huge improvements in handling and vehicle dynamics. With a bespoke chassis, a bespoke engine with no direct injection nor turbochargers, a true metal suspension (non air), and hydraulic power steering, the W204 C63 is the driving purists' choice. It's the most pure high performance sedan Mercedes-Benz has made for the US Market thus far and will probably be the purists' choice even when the W205 AMG is out.

CPD SLK

Just go drive one...your *** won't lie...

dchl21

that's not fair to say... I know its a c forum ...I but do like my e better

rentzington

really just depends on what you want out of it.
the E55 is probably the better daily driver commuter car given the more comfortable suspension
the c63 is likely better if you want more of a sports car feel.

Petakii63

A c63 with lsd, longtubes, and tune is way too much fun. The e55 will be more comfortable in daily driving but the c63 is more raw and imo way more exciting than an e55.

ToXicXxX

Yes. 100% yes.

AMGaintBAD

Honestly, the c63 has **** for torque until 3000 rpm. The engine is vibrating and struggling until 3000 rpm. This car seriously sucks for daily driving. It excels on the highway, mountain roads etc.. In C mode, it feels sluggish since it starts in 2nd gear. In s+ mode, it's chugs during low rpm and shifts to 2nd gear too soon. In s+ mode, coming to a stop sucks, it's quite jerky. In M mode, shifting is slow, and downshifting from 3rd to 2nd is very jerky. I blame it on the ****ty mct tranny.

I've driven the cayman s and i've seen the light. It has 90% of the speed, but way better handling...and imo, sounds better...with the engine very close to your head....very exciting...and the pdk...yum. Build quality of cabin is much better.

Ok bring on the hate!

rentzington

Man get your car checked mine has none of those issues, no vibration and no sluggishness

edwardsflight33

If you haven't reset your TCU you should try it; as it may wake your beast back up.