Mercedes-Benz C-class Review

The Review

First Impressions (0-1 years) Estates Mercedes-Benz C-class C-class T-mod (S205) - (2014) AMG C 63 S V6 (510 Hp) SPEEDSHIFT MCT

The beast is back, but with even more bite thanks to little red and black S located on her backside!

Summary

Today was a sad day... I said good bye to my Audi TTS daily driver that had served me so well for the last year and a half. Although, it didn't stay sad for very long because 20 minutes before I said goodbye, I was able to hear the distant, but all too familiar burble of a V8 in the neighborhood. Could it be? Like a baby Meerkat waiting for Santa to arrive, I was keeping a very keen eye on the window. This was until, alas, the Satin grey beast emerged from around the corner and pulled up outside the house.For anyone who has or had an AMG delivered, its always clear how your car has been driven down based on what mode the car is in, but one for another day!

So, what I was looking at and so excited about was the mighty 503 horsepower, 516 ft torque arriving at its new home. And believe me, it did not disappoint! Dressed head to toe in Selenite (Satin) grey! black interior with silver trim, black wheels and badges, red brakes and a carbon fibre centre console. It really looks the part! I am a massive fan of the estate ("wagon" to my friends further west) and this is just the right combination to make this car a winner.

BUT, having owned the 2012 C63 (6.2 litre), the 2017 C63 non S estate, and the C63 S coupe, I was really keen to know whether I had chosen the best all rounder that would give me that buzz, that excitement, that 5 year kid at Christmas feeling! Did it..?!

OH YES!!!

Practicality and Comfort

So first things first, this is the 'S' version of the C63! Second thing... that makes almost no difference between the non S :) The only things you will really see on the inside that differentiate this car from the S are the high performance seats and the alcantara/leather steering wheel. I think that's about it! Starting with the driving position, I would definitely say that this car is VERY easy to get comfortable. The seats are very nice. Bucket in nature, but you sink into them nicely and stay put for the entirety of your journey. Steering wheel comes out to meet you, so for taller drivers, its not problem to stretch out! the doors are smaller than the coupe so I find it a tad awkward getting in. Just some observation, not a problem.

Everything else with this car's practicality and comfort is pretty much usual C Class business as usual. Good leg room, good head room, good shoulder room, adequate space in the back, depending of course on who in in the front. I am sure I have said this before, but I do have one small gripe! The door lock pop up stalk and the door interior design around it, really dig into my arms. Although mostly my hands are both on the steering wheel clinging on! :)

Performance and Handling

Performance!!!! performance, performance, performance! What can I say? Its sublime! awesome, amazing. Bags of fun. But to give you a bit more clarity and I will use the standard C63 I sold last year as a comparison, here is my view.

Firstly, acceleration! Its brutal. The kind of pull that kicks you in the back when you are not looking or expecting it. I have always said that you need to be awake when you drive this car, and I definitely mean awake. The power is, however, massively manageable when you drive with respect for the car. Pulling away from the lights its fun. The car surges forward with a ferocity usually withheld for much bigger badder cars. Its like a big dog who hates his harness. Compared to the non S, I can't say that I have seen (huge) hikes in straight line performance though. The last car was plenty fast and if you are in the market for a "regular" C 63 then I don't think you will be disappointed, even without the S badge.

Handling I would say is a slightly different affair though. It has been a year since I said good bye to my last c63 although, with that one, and remember the non S is minus limited slip diff, I found myself ice skating quite often when trying to get grip in any enthusiast driving situations. The S with the LSD does make it feel different. I only received the car earlier today so I’m only talking about the first hour of driving. I wasn’t ready to find the cars limits, but did give it a proper intro to the faithel school of driving, and guess what...! It was pretty compliant. It’s still 500 horses driving the rear wheels of an estate so I don’t expect miracles, but this car certainly felt more in step with my inputs compared to the non S.

I guess what I am saying is this score scores high here so far!!!

Reliability and Running Costs

Just filled the car up from 2 bars with £72 ish, I will update this review when it runs out and let you know the real world stats!

Looks and Style

This car looks awesome! Yes I know you are supposed to be humble when talking about your own stuff, but what I am saying here is that there is someone out there that I would love to give a massive hug for what they have produced here. As mentioned before, the estate/wagon looks very nice both outside and in. For anyone that likes grey, this selenite grey is a beautiful colour as it’s satin (shiny matte basically). Everything else that can be black, is! Includes the badges which is spot on. It would be nice if this car had the larger exhaust tips, but that’s like saying I want a larger late to eat my Apple, given the tips just hide the tiny straws behind them. One for another day!

Features

A few years back I would have rated this pretty high, but with what I feel is now a dated infotainment system, it’s hard to go higher on these scores. No Apple car play nor android auto which is crazy on a 2018 car! Does have performance exhaust, sun roof, upgraded stereo and tons more I haven’t explooredm

Would I recommend it? YES

For anyone looking for a formal and practical motor monster please do consider this car. It crazy and fun and fast and handles and hugs you... all the things a performance estate should provide you.