I have a c63 facelift PP 2012 (T-model) , the car has relative low milage (114k km when I got it) and is in perfect condition.
What bothers me is that it drives and feels ¨dated¨ compared to newer cars (like a modern C or E class or bmw for that matter). I´m not talking about the interior, dash or all that led rubbish, just the driving part.
For example, the suspension is uncomfortably (unnecessary?) hard, the seats give you back pain after 25mins, the steering is very ¨manual¨, the gear shifts between 1 and 2 are clunky sometimes (when driving normal)
Things do get better if you drive it fast at highway speeds and above or cornering hard. If you floor it in 1st, gears just pops right in, smooth and fast (at least for a 10+ years old DCT).
Is this feel normal on these cars? I´ve heard that a kw coil over improves the suspension a lot. But are there other models having the M156 that don´t have this? Like a CLK or CLS 63? Or do all ´63´s of that time period more or less drive like this?

 

I had an older e350 coupe which was similarly uncomfortable. Part of it was sport suspension, lack of option for different springs, smaller wheels, fatter tires, or less tire pressure, i got rid of it as it was driving me nuts. Also, older cars have the steering wheel actually connected to the wheels, not through an electric motor. You can get cushion for your seat, put less air in the tires, buy new shocks, or spring for a new car. My current ride, a 2023 E450, feels too smooth at times. Rides great. Air suspension, acoustic glass, smooth and powerful engine. Sometimes I miss a more direct connection with the road and an engine that has some 'personality '

 

Had mine for almost 11 years now. 2012 as well. A lot of what you’re feeling is just how these cars are. It’s an mct not a dct and is just inherently more jerky. They want to be driven fast and hard. I like the stiff suspension and tight connected steering. The new stuff is very muted. This is the last of the German muscle. The seats are very supported and comfortable to me. Sounds like maybe this car isn’t for you.

 

Sounds like you'd be happier with an e63 or CLS63. These are simply much more raw in so many ways.

 

Every time I drive our C63 I amazed at what a great car it is. Maybe it is just an old car being driven by an old guy. I compare it to the 1964 Pontiac GTO I had. Small car with a big engine and not totally refined. Although much faster and better build quality in the Mercedes.

 

I'm times 2 on those observations. Mines a '14 507. Just the nature of the beast.

 

It's been 13 years since your car was made. A lot has changed in that time. AMGs used to be known for having harsh suspensions. Modern suspensions are more refined. The adaptive logic and the dampers have evolved over time. The latest AMG suspensions can adjust compression and rebound independent of each other, whereas older dampers couldn't. Some of the newer AMGs also have active roll bars. A lot of the harshness in a sports suspension comes from the roll bars. They have to be stiff in order for the car to corner flat, but that stiffness limits how the wheels can move over bumps if you are just driving normally. The stiff the roll bar, the less independent the wheels can move up and down. Active roll bars allow for the roll bars to be soft in straight line normal driving, but tighten when cornering hard. They essentially give you the best of both worlds. However, this adds complications to the suspensions and its one more thing that can break.

The W204 is just simply more analog. When you say modern C and E Class, are you talking about the W205 and W213 or the W206 and the W214? Performance cars have become progressively softer and watered down. Especially the W206 C63 is a completely different car. 4-cylinder engine with heavy hybrid technology, but a much more modern suspension. Even the W205 has evolved over its lifecycle. The 2019+ FL rides much better than the PFL due to updated and improved suspension and other tweaks such as changing how the dynamic engine mounts operate.

Personally, the W204 never appealed to me. It's from an era when AMGs were still mostly straight-line fast cars good for burnouts. I make an exception for the Black Series, though. Later, AMG started to focus much more on driving dynamics to compete with BMW. The FL C205 for example is faster around the Nürburgring than the W204 Black Series. It's dynamically superior to the W204 and also rides better, but that's to be expected given the progress. Some don't like that the V8 is smaller and turbo charged, but personally I find the W205/C205 the best C63. It's in the sweet spot of being a great grand tourer, but can be a best in Race mode attacking a canyon road. I did European Delivery with mine back in 2019. Spent two months in Europe driving almost 7000 miles through Europe. I've got the AMG Performance Seats and had no issues doing up to 12 hours driving per day.