I am new to the forum. I have ordered the C43 and build has started. I am wondering if I should upgrade to the C63 instead (the dealership has one in stock with very similar options, same colors and trim, perf exhaust, etc).
I will not take the car to the track and will need it as an everyday driver. I thought C63 would be just too much power and so opted for the C43, but now I am re-considering.
Thank you.

 

Get a 63 if you can. Worse comes to worse put some winter tires on. If i had the option to choose between a 43 or 63 in a blink of an eye it would be the 63 for me.

 

You have to ask yourself, "do I want an AMG car? or just a MB?"

 

No snow where I live, so I assumed there is no need for winter tires. It does rain occasionally.

 

Drive them both and make a decision based on what are your priorities for a daily driver. I went with a C43 as I live in Canada and have to deal with 6 months of winter. A C63 with snow tires is not a realistic (or very safe) option for winter in Edmonton...if you think I am wrong...go drive a C63 on wet pavement! Never mind snow and ice!
I had a CTS-V coupe (when I bought that I was going back and forth between it and a C63 and opted for the V). I loved that car but was tired of only being able to drive it 6 months a year, winter storage for the V, summer storage for my winter car, etc.
The C63's are absolutely a hoot to drive, I have a driven a few and they do put a hell of a smile on your face when you cane 'em!...but the C43 is vastly under rated car by many people. I have had a lot of nice vehicles over the years and my C43 coupe is hands down my favorite daily driver ever!
So don't despair that you ordered the wrong vehicle....I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Bottom line for me is a car is a very personal choice...go with your instinct as to what suits your needs and expectations of a car.

 

I don't need the power either but for me it is all about the character of the car. The character of a car has to do with the sound it makes , the way it looks and the way it goes down the road. The 43 looks similar but the 63 definitely has the better sound and is much more of a hooligan in the way that it puts the power down and goes about its business. That kind of character is worth the difference to me.

 

The true AMG visceral experience will be more enjoyable on the 63 of course, but you have to drive them both in a situation you would find yourself daily. (Drive home, to the store and such) This really helps make a decision easier.

Even as a daily, the step up in vehicle makes a HUGE difference. You're talking about almost 100lb-ft of torque difference, over 100 additional horse power too.

 

" C63 would be just too much power " he says... LOL

joking aside, I don't think the general population can claim a $90k car as a daily driver, and you could ask your self that. Is it the right decision to be frugal or spendful? Is it simply about wanting something you can brag about (nothing wrong with that)? I, certainly, don't use it as a daily commuter, and I don't think many can (this forum would be biased obviously).

 

I'm still laughing --Why then do many need a tune with the C63S-It's my DD and I would not want any less HP

 

I DD my 63. With tune. In traffic a lot of times.

Sh*t eating grin on my face every time.

 

 

yeah I would say if there is no snow where you live and don't need all wheel drive then upgrade for a few thousand dollars more. Better brakes, better wheels and tires, better sounding. Plus you will have one of Car and Drivers top 10 engines under the hood (with massive headroom if you decide 469hp isn't enough).

https://www.caranddriver.com/flipboo...-the-moment#10

 

Driven many times in rain. Just drive in comfort and use better judgement, especially if you just need to get from point A to B. You can let it rip on sunny days

 

Just realized that the c43 is awd, which makes it quite desirable for many. Also, if you are in to modding the car, awd might get you better end result.

 

I had a C43 loaner and I drove the **** out of it to see how it really compares to the C63. It's pretty good. AWD traction and with the AMG perf exhaust has pops and crackles that sounds just as loud as the C63. It's not nearly as fast or torquey, though.

 

Only if you like stoplight to stoplight racing. Otherwise plenty of mods out there for both C43 and C63, so that's not true. And a modded C63 will be a lot faster than a modded 43.

 

Yes absolutely go for the C63S. I had the C43 sedan and upgraded to the 63S coupe. Best and satisfying decision on a car upgrade. The C43 was elegant and quick within safe parameters. The C63S has to be treated with respect and care because it is an absolute beast. The experience of the power - sound, speed, looks and driving it is what makes me like it so much. I thought the C43 was more of an introductory vehicle to the AMG lineup. Once you open that door you go bigger and better.

What really sold me too was going to the AMG Driving Academy. You get the opportunity to try out all the different AMG vehicles. For power and daily driving my two favorites were the C63S and the E63S. C63S was the better option for me. I really liked the GTS too and just didn't think it was as comfortable for road trips/daily driving as the C63S.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

The Academy experience also drove me to buy the c63, it was my favorite all around car. Of course the GT was great and the biggest WOW factor but i couldn't imagine it on a day to day commute.

 

Do you live in a climate where you need AWD? Can you financially hand the extra money being spent? Ask yourself those qyestions and listen to a the V8.

 

I think the first and most important question I asked myself was a financial one. Was i willing to part with the extra £20k or whatever for a 63s?

Second, is it worth the extra money? The answer to this was an "no" in financial terms but the C63 is a bit of an expensive toy rather than a financial investment. The only justification i can think of is the subjective pleasure a C63 may or may not give you over a 43.

Third, do you like simply going very fast without needing much driving skill (c43) or do you really dig driving a great RWD driver's car. Okay, it is bit heavy to be a proper driver's car but doesnt feel it except when it is pushed to its limits. The beauty of a 63 is it takes months to learn its limits and it is joy discovering what its limits are along the way. The C43 is like a one night stand, it gives its all pretty much on day 1. It's a riot for sure, but there isnt a huge amount more to experience with it other than driving really fast. On the C63, it is a thrill to even leave a set of traffic lights at comfort mode because of it's torque. I suppose one can turn traction control off on the C43 and it may give you plenty of joy that way, but then you have no protection if something goes wrong iwth your inputs.

Fourth is the main reason you wont consider the 63 because you fear it is a dangerous car to drive, especially in wet weather? I know a lot of people fear the C63's wet weather capabilities especially coming from a W204 C63 or even watchin youtube videos on this. Let me just say, unless you are completely ignorant of how to drive the 63, or are driving it with traction control off, it has probably best traction control system for any vehicle in its price range. It is far ahead of the W204 in terms of safety assistance. It will not let you go sideways in comfort mode for example. It has built in wheel braking to induce understeer to prevent the tail getting loose. Heck, i even drove it in sport plus (sport handling , not traction off) around a very wet handling course on Conti 6 tyres just on on Monday and was in shock at how it gripped the road at some ridiculous speeds while accelerating out of corners. It is super adjustable too, so as soon as you start to lose traction, it is extremely gradual and that traction control i mention is brilliant at cutting in when needed. No matter how hard i hit the throttle the car always goes straight, the LSD and traction control on the s version at least is great because it keeps you straight without any steering input needed even when the wheels are spinning wildly.

In not just wet , but in snow on the MPSS summer tyres that come with my 63, okay they were brand new, but the car handled light snow brilliantly on them. In thick snow you will have major problems on any vehicle with summer tyres, even an AWD one. The only thing an AWD vehicle will do better is go faster in snow on winter tyres and have better balance. This car doesnt have slippery mode but the 2019 version will... so if you're worried ... that's the one to potentially consider.

Fifth - is a comfortable ride the biggest priorty to you? if so, then the C43 comes out ahead here because the current C63 is firm (maybe the 2019 may address this but then again i'm not sure). I can handle bad roads in sport plus but you do hear the bangs but dont feel any shocks to your spine. The noise can be irritating though. Also the tyres on the C63s are noisy. Picking the sport seats rather than performance seats may be the way to go.

I would consider the C43 a better daily driver than the C63 and in absolute terms it is because it has better gas mileage, is more comfortable and easier to drive, it simply cannot thrill you on a daily basis like a C63. I daily my C63 wagon (1k + miles per month) and wouldnt ever swap it for the RS4 avant that is it's AWD equivalent I looked at because the C63 will put a smile on my face every single time even in traffic where as a 43 or avant just isnt able to recreate the experience. The 43 has a fabulous performance exhaust and sounds as good a 6 cylinder M3 or porsche or RS audi but the V8 is in another league all together.

Hot tip - the Estate (if you have it in your region) is probably the pick of the bunch in terms of drifting ability due to the extra weight at the back. The coupe is the fastest and the saloon is the best value for money.

 

Firstly, I have to thank everyone who replied personally and to the post. Very useful and helpful. I did go to Houston last week and test drove both C43 and C63 once on Friday and then again on Saturday and they were so helpful to let me take my time with the two cars. But the discount over MSRP on the C43 was way higher than the C63.

In the end after driving these cars each for about 30miles or so (both cars had not been driven and had few miles on them), there was no doubt in my mind - C43 is a beautiful and great car in it's own merit, but C63 was just in a different league and a very different car. It's not even fair to compare the two cars and I feel silly even asking the question C43 vs. C63. Since I was not replacing a car and was not desperate, I decided I was going to get the C63 or "no car" at all.

I was lucky that the C63 had 80+% of the options I had chosen on the C43 custom build. I have to say that I had flexibility on the budget (can afford the additional $$$$ by GOD's grace). I fully agree that this is a splurge and a toy.

I have to agree with every comment posted in the forum - so accurate and true. I drove out of the dealership and there was rain/thunderstorms and the car handled perfectly well in wet weather in comfort mode, but I did not push it.

Thank you again. I absolutely have a grin on my face every time I drive it now. I find that for my driving so far (3-4 days), the comfort mode has so much power and torque, it's a blast. I cannot wait to complete the 1K miles of run-in.
I live in Austin, so I plan to take it to the circuit of the Americas and also the AMG driving academy - that I am sure will be fun.

 

Congratulations! I'm in Austin too. C&C is May 20th at COTA, see this thread to sign up for our AMG meetup!

https://mbworld.org/forums/texas/697...ch-2018-a.html

 

I appreciate your thoughts and comments. This is very useful information to me as I will be test driving the C63 once the 2019's start hitting the dealerships. Enjoy your new ride!

 

Nice man, you wont regret it! Congrats! Let's see some pictures!

Don't forget to let air out of the tires! I picked mine up with 60psi and thought man this is a much rougher ride than the C43. Once I got the right pressure in the tires, the ride was pretty close to what my C43 was. I honestly can't really tell the difference.

Enjoy!

 

What tire pressure do you recommended?