zibby43

My first year with my '18 C43 sedan has been very interesting. Some of you may remember the thread in which I referenced the issues the car was having (rotors and pads replaced due to corrosion, steering wheel replaced, stains seeping from within interior door panels, etc.).

All of the issues have been resolved (except for one cosmetic issue, which seems to be revolving itself). MBUSA stepped up and made me an incredible offer. Was also able to keep the car, which I wanted to give a fair shot.

This car replaced my '13 W204 C63. I'll admit, once my issues were resolved and I started to focus more on the actual performance of the car, I was a little underwhelmed in some respects. With some time and experimenting, that's no longer the case. Below, I'll share my thoughts on the car after about 8 months of ownership.

Power: While it doesn't have the insane, relentless top end pulling power of the C63, it consistently feels as fast, if not faster, from a dig. The power is hilariously easy to use on a daily basis - in all weather conditions.

Handling: I am shocked by how much grip this car offers during medium-speed cornering (while still under throttle). It's so planted, that you can confidently carry speed and apply throttle in quicker, medium-speed corners (roundabouts, curvy back roads, etc.) My C63's rear end would get a little twitchy in these situations, which would require backing off the throttle to prevent oversteer.

With the rear-biased 4MATIC, my preconceived notion was that the C43 would be the best in slow, tight corners. But it's just not the case. It feels a little lazy here compared to my C63 (which had steering feel so good at those speeds that it felt almost telepathic). But, as I mentioned above, when you start to add some speed, the C43 really comes alive and urges you to push it more. That shocked me (in a good way). Totally contrary to what I was expecting. The understeer really doesn't come until you start to push it to the limit at higher speeds (which you can't do safely on the public roads anyway).

Brakes: Pedal feel is good. You can modulate the braking forces in a linear and progressive fashion, and they bite hard when you need them to. They're not just an on/off switch. Those 4-piston calipers up front are pretty beefy.

Sound: With the Performance Exhaust (this is my only reference point, as my car has it), this has to be one of the best-sounding turbocharged V6 engines on the market. The burbles, crackles, and pops with the PE switched on in S+ are intoxicating. In short, it's a proper AMG soundtrack. Does it have the same volume or tone as the V8s? No. But that's not a bad thing. It's just different. Good sound is good sound, regardless of the number of cylinders or displacement.

In sum, there was some controversy about this car when it came out. "Is it a proper AMG?" Having owned the first AMG ever to topple an M3 in a comparison test (W204), I can definitely say the answer is yes. The "one man, one engine" tradition is nice. And special.

But, to me, overall driving performance (handling, braking, power, sound, "feel" etc.) is what matters most. And the C43 pushes the envelope there, and offers something different in the lineup. For a daily driver that has to function in the driving snowstorms and searing summer heat my state dishes out, it's hard to ask for more at the price point.

Now, the go-to daily driving setup (below is mine, what is yours?):

Powertrain: Sport

Suspension Damping: Comfort

Steering: Sport

Performance Exhaust: On

Why do I like this? The Sport powertrain setting seems to get the transmission and oil temperatures up to speed quickly without pushing things too hard. The transmission behaves pretty well here, too. Little more aggressive than C. Steering in Sport feels very natural - not artificially light or heavy; predictable feel.

Suspension in Comfort seems like an odd choice, but the ride quality is just so much more supple here, and I actually like having a bit more body roll when I'm having a spirited drive on the road. Makes it feel a little more composed in hard cornering (not quite as jarring/skittish).

KyleSmith

I just go to sport plus before I even start the car and put the suspension into comfort every time... I can't remember the last time I used comfort mode...

zibby43

Suspension in Comfort is almost a must with the roads here. The car's suspension is a bit strange in the sense that, the majority of the time, the ride quality it supple and smooth. But if you hit a road joint or something similar, the response is quite harsh.

My only gripe about the ride quality.

SoCalC55

Nice write-up and comparison Zibby

zibby43

Thanks, SoCal! How are you liking your '19? I really like what they did with the LCI on this platform. The new rear diffuser and exhaust tips look special.

stephos

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I enjoyed the read

SoCalC55

I absolutely love it! About to cross over 1000 miles so this weekend will be a bit more enjoyable

The W203 C55 was a truly special car, something that I have been missing in the years between AMG ownership, but i must say for a non "traditional" Affalterbach byproduct this '19 C43 offers similar levels of enjoyment..

Skim450

sport+ only.
comfort when the lady is in the car (she gets nauseous from the jerky tranny in sport)

my last "fun" car was a highly modified subaru STI, tons of suspension work, big turbo, etc. fun car. but drove track ready. extremely firm. i like that planted feeling and stiffness. so Sport+ feels natural to me. never felt the urge to switch to any other mode or dial in my own hybrid of comfort and aggression. but maybe ill look into it.

Hungalow

Well done Zibby was a good read. I run sport+ most of time with suspension in sports mode only cause roads are bad here in the 6. When I hit the twisties suspension goes sport+ I prefer it feeling solid no body roll opposite you. I hear ya on the soundtrack I rarely listen to tunes.. I absolutely love the c43 its like a jekyll and hyde pick mom up take her to doctor in classy quite car or go out sat morn hit the twistiez terrorizing the sportbikes. Lol I ride too.
Mines white like yours and am getting new aftermarket rims and skins...this car is addictive and gets my adrenalin going for sure

zibby43

Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed it.

You're about to have a hell of a lot fun once you cross over that threshold.

The C55 is the car that got me interested in the AMG brand to begin with. That spec has a timeless design very similar to the E46 M3 (in my opinion, anyway). Still looks outstanding today.

That makes sense. Are the roads pretty decent where you live?

Thank you, Hungalow! Appreciate the kind words.

You hit the nail on the head with the Jekyll & Hyde analogy. The range this car has is something else. Mercedes is very good at making sure that the various "Dynamic" settings feel distinct. My old C63 only had the ability to relax the powertrain behavior.

Having the flexibility to experiment with the powertrain, suspension, and steering has been a welcome addition. Only wish this car had Launch Control/Race Start because with AWD, I think it'd actually be relatively useful.

Forest Jim

Hi, My individual setting is below.

Drive - Sport
Transmission - D

Suspension - Sport+
Exhaust System - Powerful
ESP - On

When I get in bumper to bumper traffic, I just put her in comfort

zibby43

Very creative way of answering the question and presenting the information. Enjoyed that!

Also very illuminating, as the scope you have for configuration is a bit greater than what I have on my '18!

PFEAMG

Thanks for the review Zibby43. I just ordered a ‘19 c43 coupe about a month ago and the wait is absolutely killn’ me lol. But nice to hear the long term positive owner experience and insightful comparison to the c63. (Not as encouraging were the issues you experienced in a new car though)

Although I never owned a Mercedes, I have recently test driven the c63, c43 and the e53 and share a lot of your observations (as much as one can observe during a short test drive at a dealership &#128515

!I intially wanted a c63. It’s a remarkable car, and I’m sure I would have loved it if I decided to purchase one. It has amazing acceleration, handling and braking. Gorgeous interior...all it’s attributes were there as advertised. So what’s the problem?

Well, what the car mags, reviewers and youtubers etc don’t really get into is how inaccessible the car is, at least it was for me at the time (Feb/March). To test drive one I had to drive an hour out of state. And when checking the inventory at the dealer there was only about 30 c63 coupes in the entire country available. And they were not really the colors I wanted or were optioned with stuff I didn’t want.

Ok, np...I’ll just order one then. But I was told by two different dealers it would take 9-12 months to have one built/delivered. And discounts seemed slim to none.

So now what?!? Seeing I was a bit disappointed my wife suggested I test drive “one if those c43’s.” BLASPHEMY! “that’s not a real AMG..I don’t want that thing! It’s gonna be slow and boring to drive! And it doesn’t have a hand built engine by an AMG engineer” I scoffed.

After further reasoning and research I finally test drove one a week later. OMG I couldn’t have been more off base. Now, its possible if I drove a c63 for a week then hopped into the c43 I might have felt like...meh. But as far as “seat of the pants feeling” goes the 43 felt almost as quick if not AS quick off the line as the 63! And were the 63 always felt like it was about to get away from me until the “nannies” kicked in, the 43 seemed more planted as you stated. It hugged the corners sooo smoothly. It felt like I could actually use more of the avail horsepower then the 63 and push it more. Just a real blast to drive!

For braking both seemed fine. Pedals feel felt good for both, but really didn’t dig in much so pretty much a draw here in my test drives. However I believe the c63 has 6 piston calipers up front vs the 4 pistons on the 43. I would expect shorter stopping distances with the 63 if I drive it longer.

Then there was the sound. The 43 sounded amazing! The 63 also sounded fantastic of course, but I was shocked how great the v6 sounded. Were the 63 sounded like a Spinal Tap amp always on “11”...the c43 could be quieted to a nice luxurious coupe with a flip of a switch. I like the ability to go form mild mannered Clark Kent to Superman in an instant. If anyone is undecided and there is only one option you can buy, the PE Exhaust is a absolute must have!

I guess to bring it home the c43 for me was surprisingly as remarkable as the c63, albeit for different reasons. No the c43 doesn’t have that same hand built engine and sadly losses some credibility and street cred as a result. Be nice if In the future AMG built the v6 in Affalterbach heh?

But interestingly enough the things the c43 gets dinged for I think makes it more endearing. The flexibility with it’s all wheel drive, engine dynamics and more understated looks make this a better car to live with. And it’s just sooo fun to drive without feeling like a nascar driver. And last but not least, the cost was $11k less than a comparably equipped c63. Insurance will be less as well.

stephos

Thanks for the contribution @PFEAMG - a really good read.

This is a great thread.

PFEAMG

Thanks STEPHOS! If you haven't noticed, I am really excited about this car (the '19 c43) and could talk about it all day lol!

I'm a newb to Mercedes and this forum, but really digging the comments, insights, pics etc. Great forum!

MarcusDubya77

I have mine in Sport+ for the most part. However, my individual setting is everything Sport plus minus the suspension (comfort), ESP is off, and manual mode is on. It is there in the event I can get into a wide open area...

stephos

You're definitely in the right place for sharing your thoughts and experiences

Ruane

I’m a new c43 owner. Bt the ride is very rough even in comfort mode. How can I improve on this. Still have on the stock 18” run flat tyre.

MaverickC43

Run flats are terrible
but this car runs rough for sure
but it is a ton of fun when u push it!!

W205C43PFL

As mentioned, most of us recommend PS4s non-RFT, should help significantly.