Hi folks, I was wondering if anyone has made the switch from a 204 C63 facelift to a facelift 212 E63? The context behind this is that I'm the happy owner of a facelift C63 PPP estate - I genuinely love the car... The engine is phenomenal (mapped to 510bhp) and I just love the old school charm. Unfortunately my wife isn't quite as enamoured... it's our only car to ferry around our 2.5 yr old toddler and soon to arrive 2nd baby, and she's not happy with the crashy ride quality and slightly agricultural nature of the car. She'd much rather drive one of the nondescript SUVs that we see at nursery dropoff everyday, but she's happy to tolerate my petrolhead passion... within reason.
With the realisation that two cars just wouldn't fit our lifestyle, I've been looking in to other options. I drove a 2016 RS6 and the ride quality and general feel of the car were way more in line with what my wife would like. Unfortunately I found the steering and engine completely devoid of any life and soul, so it was a no from me. I also drove an S213 E63S. I definitely preferred it to the RS6 but a) I'd prefer not to spend so much, and b) the 4 ltr V8 is monstrously fast, but lacks any soul in my view (not a fan of fake pops and crackles).
So I've started to look at something that can still offer the older school charm I'm after but also placate my wife. Someone suggested I should look at a CLS63 shooting brake. I've looked in to them and they seem to tick many boxes on paper but I'd really want the facelift (post 2014) model and they seem to be rarer than a unicorn. Hence my interest in the S212 E63 facelift. I'm personally not a fan of the looks (fine from the front, but the rear looks bloated and I don't like the rear lights). I've never driven the M157 but I think I know what to expect - nothing will touch the M156 for me in terms of visceral thrill, but I think it will be a worthy compromise. I'm more interested in hearing about how the car rides over our potholed roads (in comparison to a S204 C63) and the general level of refinement? It looks like a huge barge from the outside - does it feel that way from behind the wheel? I quite like taking the C63 to north wales to enjoy the great roads in the area, and whilst it's no lotus elise, it's still feels fairly compact and is easy enough to place on the wider B roads. Would the E63 be completely out of place in such an environment?
Any thoughts greatly received!
With the realisation that two cars just wouldn't fit our lifestyle, I've been looking in to other options. I drove a 2016 RS6 and the ride quality and general feel of the car were way more in line with what my wife would like. Unfortunately I found the steering and engine completely devoid of any life and soul, so it was a no from me. I also drove an S213 E63S. I definitely preferred it to the RS6 but a) I'd prefer not to spend so much, and b) the 4 ltr V8 is monstrously fast, but lacks any soul in my view (not a fan of fake pops and crackles).
So I've started to look at something that can still offer the older school charm I'm after but also placate my wife. Someone suggested I should look at a CLS63 shooting brake. I've looked in to them and they seem to tick many boxes on paper but I'd really want the facelift (post 2014) model and they seem to be rarer than a unicorn. Hence my interest in the S212 E63 facelift. I'm personally not a fan of the looks (fine from the front, but the rear looks bloated and I don't like the rear lights). I've never driven the M157 but I think I know what to expect - nothing will touch the M156 for me in terms of visceral thrill, but I think it will be a worthy compromise. I'm more interested in hearing about how the car rides over our potholed roads (in comparison to a S204 C63) and the general level of refinement? It looks like a huge barge from the outside - does it feel that way from behind the wheel? I quite like taking the C63 to north wales to enjoy the great roads in the area, and whilst it's no lotus elise, it's still feels fairly compact and is easy enough to place on the wider B roads. Would the E63 be completely out of place in such an environment?
Any thoughts greatly received!