MBWorld Editor

Why is the W205 C63 better than the M5? Let us count the ways...

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bgm130

Reason #8 is because everyone and their mothers, and fathers, and girlfriends have one in my area. I pass an M car each time I leave my house. I went to a hand car wash this sat and out of 8 cars in line 5 were Ms and then there was 2 more in the detail bay.
Not sure if it's the lease rates or just the area's "go to" car.

St0rmTr00per

Still doesn't justify the new C's horrid looking rear end.

And there's a reason for number 8 posted above.

Ejbrock

I love my 2012 C63 with the performance package. When I was shopping for a car the M cars could not compete.

Uhlenhaut

The AMG is the much more emotionally involving car. I don't think I could ever go for a car that compensates for its lack of drama by pumping in engine noise over the speakers.

I agree that the C63 is the superior road car, too. The damper and transmission settings allow it a split personality that, in its softest settings, make the AMG miles more livable than the M. Plus, the C63'll blow the doors off the M3 in stop light drag races anywhere, anytime.

On track the distinguishing factor seems to be the BMW's wider rear track. If Mercedes gave the C63 sedan the same treatment as the coupe, I'm not sure we're having this discussion.

efan

AMG = muscle car sound
AMG interior much better
the body styling is very discrete so it depends if u wanna be seen or incognito.
The M4 is a nice looking car, thats all, speakers with the exhaust sound was a crap idea

-=Hot|Ice=-

Sorry, I've been away for awhile. Do we know what rubber is going to be coming with the coupe? I know it's wider than the Sedan, but how much? The M3/M4 come with 19/275's at the rear without the competition package, I believe.

Trim105

285's at the rear for the coupe

Sanch

Front 19"/35/255
Rear 20"/30/285

-=Hot|Ice=-

Lease rates for the M3/M4 are great. Residuals were aroubd 57% in December.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Nice wide rear contact patch. Now, hopefully the suspension had been tuned to take advantage of it in the corners. The M3 with competition package comes with 20 inch wheels all around, and 265's up front and 285's at the rear.

dkhm3

Competition Package.

Conception Package sounds very religious.

-=Hot|Ice=-

LOL. That's what I get for typing on my phone.

GBlansten

Could be the conception package if it attracts women.

texasmade

But the rims look godawful on the comp package of the M3.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Agreed.

BigdblU

Not according to car & driver


http://www.caranddriver.com/comparis...omparison-test


The Merc is not a better car it's a similar car, however if I'm going for performance I'm going for the M3, If I want a classy classic car I'll take the merc.

-=Hot|Ice=-

I don't take anything C&D says seriously anymore.

mister2d

And yet that CnD comparison wasn't even a performance based review. Look at the laundry list of categories:

Rear-seat Comfort
As-tested Price*
Rear-seat Space*
Flexibility*
Trunk Space*
Rebates/Extras*

None of those mattered to me when I stepped into this class of car to buy.

Seems the Caddy should be chosen if you focus on performance, not the M3.

BigdblU

I have driving standards

Uhlenhaut

So true. Car and Driver is downright painful to read. They cite a bunch of figures and then end up using none of them in arriving at a wholly subjective conclusion likely driven by who's filling their ad space.

I'm looking forward to Chris Harris' thoughts on this comparo.

Uhlenhaut

If memory serves me correctly, the C63 sedan was only 0.4 slower than the M3 in the EVO review on a low speed track. I suspect the coupe's larger contact patch will be enough to give it the advantage.

The notion that this comparison is still scalpel vs. bludgeon is ridiculously outdated. The C63 is effectively on par on a corner-biased circuit, likely in front on a wide open one, and will still win the stop light drag race every time...not to mention the higher quality interior design/materials and the more aurally pleasing exhaust note.

Sanch

AMG wheels are so much better!

Ejbrock

Ejbrock
+1 on the AMG wheels

theclutch

Thanks for bringing this up. C&D is like the racist of car magazines (if such a thing were to even exist). I.e. - they are innate BMW fans such that one would have to wonder if these C&D editors grew up in the 80's to be wanna-be-yuppies of the "Ultimate Driving Machine". Admittedly, I was one of them. But I grew up. I am not drawn to the new tag line "Sheer Driving Pleasure"... I mean really? That sounds so queer (no offense meant or intended).

Going back to what the MB supposedly lost by, the BMW had 207 points, the MB 205 and the Cadillac 201. 2 points... let's see where those 2 points came from. See the attached.


Rear seat comfort. BMW 4, MB 3. I beg to differ in that they are at least tied or maybe a slight advantage to the MB given that it has more space.


Interior Styling: BMW 8, MB 9... REALLY? The BMW interior looks ancient compared to the MB. The MB is at least 2 or 3 points ahead of the BMW in this case.


Exterior Styling: BMW 9, MB 7.... again, REALLY?


Rebates: BMW 1, MB 0.... why is this even a category!?


Fuel Economy: BMW 10, MB 7. Is the BMW THAT much better in fuel economy than the MB? I get 28 mpg on the highway in my C63S. Maybe the BMW is better in mileage... 3 points better?


Fun to drive: BMW 23, MB 22. I had 5 BMW's in my lifetime so far. 2 of them were M's. Maybe C&D's butt meter is better than mine, but this is even for me. But if I include the exhaust note of the MB, then there's really no contest that the MB is much more fun to drive than the M3. Hence, I bought the C63S.


So what does the tally from above get you? If I were to add them up, the MB wins by points. But the Cadillac, hate to admit it, is probably the winner overall dynamically.