C versions after 89 doesn't bring much to be honest.
So either you want more than what C can offer you, and usually the option is C++, or you're fine with what you have.
Also declaring the index variable in a for loop like for(int i =0; i < 10; i++) is extremely helpful.
Those two alone are extremely beneficial.
And yes, C++ would be a better option, provided that up to date C++ compilers exist at all.