Release 11 saw options added to material previews for greater realism. For example, if you have the Advanced Render module, you can preview materials using Global Illumination.
Cinema 4D's standard material is great for many surfaces, but for those surfaces which require special treatment, there are specialized shaders such as Danel for high gloss surfaces, and Cheen for an electron microscope look.
When you edit a model that is being deformed, by default Cinema 4D switches the model to its undeformed state while you edit it. If, on the other hand, you'd rather edit the model directly in its deformed state, you can do that too as shown in this quick tip.