This is the class of car I shop and buy. Compact sports sedans are big enough to haul around my family and friends, yet sufficiently compact to fling down a mountain road and whip around a racetrack. I’ve owned the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, Ford Focus RS, BMW M3 and Cadillac CTS-V. But, of the current crop of compact sports sedans, it’s the Mercedes AMG C63 S that I feel most compelled to buy. It’s time to take it for a test drive.
I’ve tested the C63 before and loved its snazzy bucket seats, elegant interior, and—most of all—its snarling V8. Since my life has more commuting than racing, I appreciate that AMG mixes in a little more luxury and comfort into its offering than does BMW, Alfa Romeo or Cadillac, and thus the C63 is a little more livable day-to-day.
Today I am at the Mercedes pavilion at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, sampling the 2020 Mercedes-AMG C63 S and its mid-cycle updates. I immediately appreciate the new features. The car’s deep green paint is new. The green is so dark that it looks black at times. The silver carbon fiber weave in the dash trim is new, and when paired with the panoramic sunroof, it helps brighten the C63’s interior. Most importantly for smartphone users (read: everybody), the infotainment has been updated. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard, and the navigation screen has been widened. The new profile flows better with the dash design than did the old, tall screen. (It turns out that one advantage to Mercedes’ iPad-glued-to-dash design is that they can easily update the screen without remaking the dashboard.)
The optional sports bucket seats are a carry-over. They feel good and look fantastic, but I wonder if I’d prefer the comfort and adjustability of the standard seats. AMG’s new steering wheel is smattered with buttons and busy to my eyes, but I appreciate the feel of its grip and the tactile quality of its switches.
Slipping into the back seat, I am disappointed that the headroom is tight for my 6’ 2” frame. Is the panoramic sunroof compromising my headroom? The knee room is okay, but I have trouble sliding my toes under the front seat since I fully lowered the driver’s seat. I’d be more comfortable in the back seat of my sunroof-less E90 M3.
I return to the driver’s seat and start my test drive through Pebble Beach. The C63 S lacks a trick magnetic ride or air suspension like the Giulia Quadrifoglio or Mercedes-AMG E63, so the ride is bumpier than those cars. (It’s still smoother than my BMW M3 or Tesla Model 3.) The road’s bumps and cracks are felt in the C63, but the passengers are not jarred by the impacts. I contemplate the ride/handling trade-off and decide that I’d be okay with the C63 for everyday use.
The C63’s steering has similar comportment. It tells me the Cliff’s Notes version of the conversation between the tires and road but does not trouble me with every pavement pimple. The steering’s weighting is natural, neither light nor heavy, and the steering ratio is moderate. The steering doesn’t excite a steering-feel snob like me, but it wouldn’t put me off the C63 either.
Which is good because I love, love, love the 503 hp 4.0L bi-turbo V8 that powers the C63 S. Of all the current crop of compact sports sedans, only the AMG offers a V8 and the best sounds come out of the C63 S’s tailpipes. Every time I floor the throttle and rush through the gears, my right foot calls up a baritone symphony with equal gravitas and ironic humor to the Ride of the Valkyries in Apocalypse Now.
The boosted engine has a fearsome 516 lb-ft of torque that terrorizes the rear tires. I have tread carefully when I am driving in Sport+ mode, as the sharpened throttle mapping and loosened traction control make it surprisingly easy to spin the rear tires. The C63 S is the most tail-happy car I’ve driven at Monterey Car Week; not even the 577 hp Mercedes-AMG GT R compares. Wider, stickier rubber would be appropriate for the C63 S, assuming I wanted a more balanced car with more grip and less slip. But I’m not sure I do; it’s fun to have skids on call!
The C63’s transmission is commendable. When I sample some, ahem, brisk acceleration along the rocky coastline, my paddle-pulls trigger fast responses from the 9-speed MCT transmission. Honestly, picking a favorite flappy paddle transmission out of the Mercedes MCT, BMW M-DCT, and Alfa Romeo ZF 8-speed is an exercise in splitting hairs. They are all satisfyingly sharp and responsive when driving fast in manual mode and smooth and unobtrusive when going slow in automatic mode.
There aren’t any twists to attack on my test route, but my sense is that the C63 is an accurate and capable cornering machine. That said, it does not hide its 3,900 lb weight and shrink around me like the M3 and Giulia Quadrifoglio.
My test drive concludes back where it started, at Mercedes’ foggy and windswept pavilion. My twenty minutes in the C63 S have reaffirmed my impression of the car. By taking itself less seriously and not fixating on lap times, Mercedes-AMG has built a sports sedan that is a little more comfortable and a lot more fun than the competition. The C63 S is still high on my list of new cars to own.
Prologue
An hour later and I’m test driving an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio in Carmel Valley. The Giulia Quadrifoglio feels like the yin to the C63’s yang. Shod in race-ready cup tires, directed by a lightning-quick steering rack, and suspended on a magic magnetic suspension, the Alfa Romeo feels custom made for winning time attacks. The Giulia flits into corners with a lightness that makes its 3,806 lb curb weight unbelievable. Its wide Pirellis have enough stick to keep its 505 horses at bay and stymie inadvertent burnouts. Its highly flexible mag-ride suspension corners better in dynamic mode (and rides better in comfort mode) than the C63 S’s multi-mode shocks. While Mercedes-AMG focused on cabin quality and V8 fun, Alfa Romeo spent its development money on a sexy exterior and go-fast parts. (Sadly, the Giulia’s interior feels neglected compared to the C63’s and M3’s.)
Thus, the choice between the Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-AMG feels more apples-to-oranges than I anticipated. If your top priority is modern infotainment or V8 giggles, then take the C63. If you must have the fastest car at the track and the sexiest car at the valet, then the Giulia Quadrifoglio is your ride.
Mike's Steering Column 