For me its because I always wanted a regal grand national for its power and rarerity but I needed a 4 door car. So that is one reason I love my c43. I have a muscle car with four doors and I don't miss not having a regal anymore (but still love that car).

 

i'm just waiting until i can afford to buy and modify a p car

 

I wanted a C43 for at least a year, then I found a nice one interstate and was going to look at it that weekend. A C32 showed up 2 days prior to me going to look at the C43........well after 1 yr of C32 ownership I sold it at bought what I wanted to start with. A C32 is what I bought with my heart, a C43 is what I bought with my head.

If I want to go out for a date, I take the C43.
If I want to go out for a late night cruise, I take the C43
If I want to go to a track day, I take the C43
If I need to drive interstate, I take the C43
I really don't need any other car

It's a very veristile car, and relatively cheap to run in comparision to other cars of similar performance. I have no regrets about the purchase, I regreted the C32 though and that still had warranty and I'm a MB tech!

 

Top reasons:

- V8
- Rare
- AMG
- Stealthy (not ostentatious)
- Good looking (classic Mercedes design), much better than my S55
- My girlfriend (who drives it) looks good in it

 

i think i like my c43 more then my c55. i love the look the sound it makes at a cold start and thay are a safe car. my wife and i switch cars every month or so and when i get in the 43 it just has a better filling then the c55 i think the 43 is more raw.

 

this pretty much sums up the real reason i ended up in this car. Nothing else had that same feel even for 10 or 15k more on the used market.

-drew

 

my first car was a w202 C280 and i loved it but just wasn't enough so than i got a E-class and that didn't do it nether and than i saw my C43 at a dealership went and test drove it and fell in love with.... so i sold my e-class 3 days later and went straight to the dealer and bought C43.... i have the 2 tone silver/black
interior and i think its the sexiest interior I've seen in a 90's car and i love the look and specially the GRANT of it when i step on the gas pedal...... and also the attention i get from everybody when they get in the car.... i just love it i m planning on getting a CLK500 for everyday driving that way my C43 wont get old on me

 

ooo, wagon w202 amg!

don't like the seat position. i can't ever seem to find the right seat in the amg, and when i do, my head hits the b-pillars all the time when going around corners hard

 

For me, I wanted to own a car that I didn't feel the need to modify. I'm one of those people who has to change everything and make it better or I'm never happy.

I go out and get in the C43 and I am happy, 100% stock. Now I'm not saying that I don't want to drop a 5.4 in and put a blower on, but I'm pretty darn happy with it stock. Mine needs SS brake lines, but other than that it is a dream to drive. The V8 sounds sexy, the interior is awesome, the suspension handles pretty well, the sound system is good, and it just looks classy. Its a black tuxedo on a cut body. I don't know that I could pick one thing because it is really the package for me. Other cars have a better engine or a better interior or a better transmission, but no other car offers all of these features anywhere near the price range of a C43. It would take a B6 S4 to perhaps get me out of the C43 and it costs twice as much and is 5 years newer. That alone says a lot about the C43.

 

I'm with you 100% on all of the above. To add to that, it is a fantastic daily driver.....I would say it is not really "perfect" in any one area, but a total jack of all trades so to speak. It was an unbelievable car for 2 people going from coast to coast.......great gas mileage, feels good at high speed, only burned a half quart of oil in 3000+ miles of heavy cross country driving.

 

i'm feeling you guys- but thus far it doesn't seem the sc has negatively effected driveability at all, but more importantly how can you be happy with that stock stereo?

 

I won't speak for others, but performance always trumps stereo in my book....plus I really just don't care that much about ICE stuff anyways. In many cases it ruins the look of an interior (with gay *** looking aftermarket head units and speakers), and I'm perfectly happy w/ the 10 yr old Bose in my car. I don't think I'd be the 1st to say that I prefer the soundtrack of the motor w/ the windows down to any audio system

 

out of curiousity, for those with c43, does the bose system have a lot of noise? the bose system in my c36 has a ton of noise, kinda like when an aftermarket system isn't ground properly. goes up as u turn the volume too.

 

bose system shouldn't have noise- it is tricky installing in these cars without getting noise though.

saying performance trumps audio is fine- if your using the car on the track only and/or have never had nice audio. Exhaust note sitting in traffic or cruising at 70 on the freeway shouldn't keep you entertained for long. It's someones opinion what "ruins the look of an interior" but the bose system is lacking none the less (as compared to better stock stereo systems) and it also could be drastically improved without any visible modification.

 

you're entitled to your opinion, but I disagree. Throwing 200 lbs of audio crap into your car will affect every area of performance, and I like to be able to get up and go when needed.....not being bogged down with the equivalent of another passenger. I guess I might consider mild audio mods but it just really isn't that important to me to be honest. Again whatever floats your boat

 

I have zero problems with the Bose stereo. I had an Alpine deck and Infinity components in my previous car and I prefer the Bose system in the Benz. I know those aren't competition brands, but they aren't crap either. I do get annoyed that I have to go to the trunk to change CDs though.

 

you could improve the audio and cut weight if you wanted to

my full on show system doesn't nearly weigh 200 lbs

my car gets up and goes just fine...

 

You have a blower too though

OT a bit, but what upgrades would you recommend that would keep the stock look? Maybe it sounds funny, but I would want to keep the existing head unit (if only as a facade) and speaker enclosures.....would that be doable?

 

my first step would be a rockford 360, a new 5 or 6 channel amp and new rear deck speakers (subs)

the stock speakers are capable of sounding much better than they do with the bose system's processing. the 360 will allow you to eq them as you want etc.. they are also capable of handing more than stock power as well. i'd do the rear deck spakers just to add a bit more bass (maybe use image dynamic mid bass speakers?).

i did something similar with my 1999 bose equipped a6 a while back.

one other cool thing you can do is use an mp3 player directly into the processor.

 

or get JLs clean sweep, and upgrade the speakers to FOCALS.thats what i got, and the eq and speakers sound AMAZING.still have to old bose headunit too.....youll prob need an amp too, cause the bose one aint powerful enough






_n.

 

you guys ever thought of putting speakers in your house where they belong?

 

amg engine vs speakers, we know who wins

 

I love my C43 because it's a great all around sports sedan- ver comfortable to commute in and awesome for taking road trips.

I love the muscular, yet subtle and clean styling on the outside and the 2 tone leather inside. Suspension is compliant yet very capable in the corners, perhaps just a a bit too much roll in high speed corners- I think this would go away on a car with Euro AMG ride height. Great ergonomics- the seats are very supportive and comfortable and all the swtich gear is in a place that is intuitive to find. Nice packaging, good sized trunk and rear seats.

Like FLYNAVY said- and awesome car to go on a trip in- very fast, very comfortable, plenty of power, room and great handling!

The AMG engine is incredible- great throttle response and pulls like a motherF#$%er at any rpm- I think if it had a 6 speed manual and a clutch I would not feel any need to have a Ducati superbike....

 

honestly- if you have a half-way decent home system and can afford even a used mercedes you'd want to and would upgrade the car stereo as well. I don't know anyone who has experienced "good" audio who is ok with the bose.

also, i don't want to be a major $$$hat, but C43s are pretty slow cars with pretty mundane exhaust notes (stock).


lastly- it is in no way AMG engine vs. speakers- you CAN have both! the stereo is for passing the time when you can't wind the engine out (ie- 99% of the time you are driving on public roads)

 

one other point i need to make is that driving with the music blaring is pretty dangerous. it distracts the driver from roadnoise which can notify the driver of important events like a car creeping in your blind spot. i live in ATL and i roll the windows down and listen for cars around me once i get into the city, i do it every time im downtown (3 or 4 times a week) its just alot easier when you use your ears to help you drive as opposed to using them to distract you (if you think listening to music doesnt disctract you then you have issues)

the point is the stock bose audio is enough considering such vehicles shoudnt even have stereos in them in the first place... i couldnt tell you how many people i know who have rear ended people due to flipping through their cd's or poking around on their headunit to change songs or radio stations, and those gay remotes dont help either, i know two people who have gotten into accidents either from pawing for the remote and getting distracted by dropping it.