kevjung

Hello fellow Mercedes-Benz peeps,
This is my first post on MBWorld!

I'm a little late on the post but I ordered the new 2018 C43 Coupe on Aug 5, 2017. I was expecting to order the 2017 but 2018 models were available for order so I decided to go for the latest (which was a great decision because I was able to select the matte paint!).

Here's the configuration:

designo Selenite Grey Magno Paint (generally available for '18s)
Cranberry Red Leather Interior
Natural Grain Black Ash wood trim
Heated & Ventilated seats

AMG Performance Studio Package:
- Black diamond-block grille
- AMG Night Package
- 19" AMG multi-spoke wheels (painted in matte black)
- AMG DINAMICA Performance steering wheel
- Gloss black side sill inserts and rear spoiler

Advanced Lighting Package
- AMG illuminated door sills
- Active LED headlamps w/ Adaptive Highbeam Assist
- LED Ambient lighting

Parking Assist Package:
- PARKTRONIC w/ Active Parking Assist
- 360-degree surround view cameras

Multimedia Package
Driving Assistance Package
Air Balance Package
AMG Head-Up Display
AMG Performance Exhaust System (super important option)

I didn't get the performance seats because I wanted to be comfortable driving - and because I wanted the ventilated seats.
But other than that, the car is pretty much fully-loaded, except for the carbon-fiber options.

MSRP came out to $72,080.
I live in Northern California. Expecting to take delivery around October/November! As of Aug. 21st, build status code has moved to B1 (13-days til production).

I will keep you guys updated throughout the process. I can't wait to take delivery!

TMore9

Congrats! The coupe is built in Germany, right? I ordered the Sedan (built in Alabama) which starts production 1st week of Sept and dealer is telling me mid December delivery... doesn't sound right... Will be closely following this to see how your process works out...

unr1

Congrats! You’re gonna love that driver assistance package. Both in normal highway cruising and stop and go traffic.

kevjung

Thanks! Congrats on your order as well!
Yes, my car will be built in Germany since it's a coupe. My dealer said that the coupe delivery typically takes about 2-3 months (most of the time being spent being transported). Mid-December seems a bit longer than I think. What part of the country do you live in? If I were to take take a wild guess why it would take that long, it'd be because it's a 2018 model and sedans have a larger build queue. Hopefully you'll get it sooner than later!

kevjung

Thanks! I heard the feature is really neat. I specifically got it to relax a little when in traffic. San Francisco Bay Area traffic can get pretty gnarly sometimes.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

I totally fell asleep on my way to Miami on alligator alley using it. lol

it's pretty darn good on straight roads that aren't too populated.

TMore9

I live in Southern California.... I asked the dealer how long does it take to build the vehicle from production start date... he said 2 weeks, then I asked him how long does the vehicle sit before being put on a truck he said approx. 1 week, then he said it normally takes approx. 2 weeks from Alabama to get to SoCal... That's when I said isn't that more like mid to late october? and he just said we expect it mid december.

Not really sure why. I have in writing from him that the vehicle will go into production 1st week of sept. Will check back in a week or two to see if he can send me an update code.

kevjung

Huh, that's interesting. Sounds like he's underpromising and you'll probably get your vehicle delivered sooner than December.

Ben_K

A little over a week ago, I ordered a C43 Cabrolet. I got a build date for the last third 10 days of November, with a late December delivery date. At this point, my dealer was not sure if it would be closer to the 20th or the 30th to get my slot on the assembly line. From there it would take 3 days for the build, then about four weeks delivery time from Breman, Germany. A week after Christmas? I will still take it.

TMore9

I got a call from the dealer... first he told me that that natural dark ash wood trim is no longer available... he said Mercedes was about to lock my order before production, but they are having a problem with the ash wood interior trim and at least on the c classes produced in the US are unable to provide it.... So I changed it to the carbon fiber trim.

Now he tells me that he made a mistake regarding the December delivery... He said vehicle will go into production by 8th Sept and as soon as it does he will give me a call with the vin and an estimated completion date from the factory. His estimate is vehicle will take 1 week to be built, 1 week to clear all checks etc and loaded onto a truck and then 1-2 weeks for it to be delivered to SoCal. He says target 4-6 weeks from sept 8 for the vehicle to be ready to pick up.

That sounds a lot more like it, can't wait till it arrives!!

kevjung

I remember reading about the dark ash wood trim being unavailable for last year's model due to shortage/production issues. I didn't realize this is still an issue for the 2018 model. My dealer didn't say anything about having trouble putting in a purchase order for my coupe with that option. I guess the C-Class produced in Germany isn't affected? Nevertheless, the carbon fiber trim is an awesome trim. It really makes the interior of the car sporty and special. I probably would've opted for it if I were getting the C63 or the C63s.

That's great! About a month to month-and-a-half sounds about right to me as well (given it's being produced here in the States). Looking forward to any updates from the dealer and your car when it's delivered!

Ben_K

Are you getting a coupe or a cabriolet? I wonder if that is making a difference!?!?!? I am going for the Cabriolet.

kevjung

I believe coupes and cabriolets are only produced in Germany. Sedans are produced in the United States. Which explains why deliveries for the coupes and cabriolets take significantly longer than the sedans.

TMore9

I'm getting the sedan, which is why I believe they are having issues with the wood trim and why my car is expected to be delivered sooner rather than later.


Yes, coupes and cabriolets are built in Germany. I'm getting a sedan which is built at the plant in Alabama.

NYCSoiL

Dont trust a word the dealer says. When i ordered my coupe they said HUD won't be available for at least 6 month so we removed it from my build and just a few days later, when my car entered a production, the HUD was available again.. All they care about is to sell you a car ASAP.

TMore9

Yeah, I'm not surprised to be honest... At this point I'm not too bothered. I would have rather not spent the extra $1k on carbon fiber trim, but I actually like the trim...

But yes I do know dealers can do such things and its a shame really.

kevjung

That really sucks and I agree about them wanting to just sell you a car ASAP, not surprising really.

Which is why prior to ordering my car last month, I went through an elaborate process to make sure I was in control of every aspect of the situation:

I extensively researched the AMG C43 Coupe, and even looked at other competitor options (Audi S5 and BMW M4).

When I finally got around to actually visiting a dealer, I knew exactly what configuration I wanted on my car and I was not going to settle for anything else. I contacted my preferred dealer and asked for someone who will help me configure and order the car (and set an appointment so that salesperson's time was dedicated to me).

Once I met my salesman in person, I greeted and told him that I wanted to special order a car. I knew forming a great relationship was key so I asked him to help me through the process for picking out the configuration (even though I knew exactly what I wanted). I also mentioned that I was research other competing vehicles (as mentioned above) as well.

We test drove the C43 Coupe (and it was his first time riding an AMG vehicle). It instantly put a huge smile on his face (and on mine too of course). We had a lot of enthusiastic conversation about AMG, it's history, and how insane the test car was (esp. since it was fully loaded). I quickly realized that I knew more about AMG and the C43 than the salesman (which was an upper hand for me). During the test drive, I managed to get him really excited about serving me as a customer. He was more excited about giving me the best experience of customizing, ordering, and delivering the car than just making another sale.

I broke up the entire ordering process through a span of multiple weeks rather than doing it all in one day. This was because I also wanted to check out the Audi S5 and BMW M4 - which I test drove of course. I got his personal phone number and we exchanged occasional text messages regarding the car options. I dropped in couple of times to look at paint, interior, and other options (piecing together from multiple vehicles they had in stock). Finally Aug 5th, I told him I ultimately liked the C43 more than the S5 and M4. Came by and placed the order without any fuss and gave me great deal on it as well, and on a 2018 model too! )

Although it was an elaborate plan to get in good terms with the salesperson, I actually got a great experience out of it (and still am). He started appreciating the AMG brand and went out of his way to take care of my ordering process. I regularly get updates on the order status (with screenshots). I genuinely feel like I'm getting a personalized experience, rather than just getting great car.

I honestly can't wait for delivery in about a month or two.

TMore9

Thats a lot of work... I test drove the car at one dealership. Spent tons of time configuring it the way I wanted online, printed it out and walked into the dealer next to my place said this is the car I wanted and started negotiating. Managed to get 10% off... I'm sure I'll get updates as my car goes through it's building process. I'm not too worried about the whole buying experience... just wanted a good deal on a custom ordered car. That's all

kenbefound

10% off a custom order sounds like a good deal. I've been tracking the C43 Coupe for just under a year and was never able to find one available to view or test drive. Sedans yes, Coupe no. I heard the Coupe allocations for 2017 were limited...is that true or is it just the region I live in? Anxious to see how this pans out for the 2018 model year.

kevjung

I haven't been tracking C43 Coupe availability as nearly much as you but is consistent about the limited availability. There's been articles floating around that suggests coupes and cabrios being dialed down being that they're niche market products for Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Maybe that's why the C-class coupes and cabriolets aren't being built in the US. It wouldn't make sense to set-up a large scale mass production plant on models that aren't going to be sold to the masses.

To that end, personally I'm ok with that. Being that it's limited, it makes getting a coupe/cabrio a bit more special per se. Of course, that doesn't mean that you can't get one. In fact, I rarely see C-class coupes (let alone AMG models) in the SF Bay Area and it tends to turn people's heads when one does drive by (esp. at night - the tail lights radiate so much character) .

TMore9

That's interesting... Where are you located? Here in LA I've been to two dealers and both had a coupe and cabriolet... Of course it still means that the vehicle is extremely limited, but they did have them. Surprisingly the dealer I ordered the sedan from didn't have a single one in stock...

TMore9

That's true, I haven't seen many C class coupes around... Also I've literally only ever seen a C43 AMG once.. Literally once. and that was 2 months ago before I even knew what a C43 was. I'm not going to lie, when I first saw it making all that noise I thought "hey this looks cool, but C43... that's not a real AMG" that was until I drove one and it changed my mind completely.

kevjung

Exactly, I felt the same way when I first found about a C43 (online lol). When I started considering getting a new Mercedes earlier this year, I was like ok let's see what this C43 is all about. I was pretty skeptical about how good of an "AMG" it was. I test drove one with the AMG Performance Exhaust and instantly fell in love with it. Honestly, it's the engine & exhaust note I'm in love with. I never knew a V6-engine could sound that good.

TMore9

I think BMW need to learn how to make a twin-turbo v6 sound good

Honestly, I'm so glad I thought about the C43... I was dead set on a BMW 340i with M Performance stuff. I was watching videos on youtube and came across the motor trend head 2 head with c43 & Jag XE. I saw 0-60 in 4.2s and thought I have to go test drive this car. After driving it and seeing how nice the interior was the 340i felt like garbage.

But it's so interesting as you mentioned that most people have no idea what this car is.

kenbefound

I live in WMass. Springfield MA is getting a Benz dealership that has been under construction for about a year now, so looking forward to that opening soon.