So I just test drove a new C43 sedan. I absolutely loved it, especially the performance exhaust. I don't think I've felt this way since I bought my first Vette. But, with that being said I have a few questions I'm hoping you guys can answer.
1) Are there any major issues I need to take into account? Any expensive maintenance that I need to worry about? I tend to work on my own cars (Have owned mostly GMs and they're easy to work on and pretty cheap) I heard on the Audi Forum that the C43s had transmission issues, is that true?
2) Sort of related to #1 but I saw people are having a lot of tire/rim issues? Is the advice to buy the 18" base rims and upgrade later to aftermarket 19" with Michelin PS4s, which I currently have on both my cars and are great.
3) How is the sound system? Is it any good?
4) How hard is it to do your own maintenance (changing oil, changing brake pads/rotors, air filter
5) The dealer told me that if you do your own maintenance and there's an engine issue they won't cover it? I told him that sounds crazy as I've never heard of any dealer saying that. He was pushing really hard for the MB maintenance packages, which seem horribly overpriced.
6) Have you experienced any creaks in the interior? I can't stand rattles and have fixed many in my day but they are always my biggest complaint in a car.
7) Are there any options you'd highly recommend? I plan on picking the following options: Lighting package, night package, red seats, black wood/aluminum trim, power rear sunshade, ventilated seats, AMG nappa steering wheel, Panorama roof, wireless charger, digital cluster, performance exhaust, track pace, multimedia package. I think that's it. Not sure on color yet, I'm between polar white and brilliant blue for now.

I really appreciate the feedback and am hoping the MB forum members are as welcoming as past forums I've been on.

 

Just got my car 2 weeks ago but will give you what I know so far and hope it helps.

1. On the transmission I have read posts that what people thought were problems are not but related to a 9 speed that just doesn’t like feathering so slightly jerky at times. Haven’t heard and specific issues otherwise. Internet searches give it good reliability.
2. On the rims I can’t answer. Not sure if pot holes are playing a part. Maybe someone else can answer.
3. Got the premium sound system and agreed with the forum that the mids are non existent. Bass was ok for me. But I don’t think it’s as bad as some of the other systems I have heard like in BMW. I thought that sounded worse. There is a fix to change the factory amp with a specific aftermarket one for $1000 that maintains factory functions. Not decided on it yet.
4. Maintenance does not seem any worse than any other car. In fact the oil filter is changed from top of the engine in this car which is easier.
5. I don’t think the dealer can void your warranty if you do maintenance unless they can prove you broke something. I picked up the 4 year maintained package after he gave me at 50% off. Will do myself post that.
6. Seems some posts with others having rattles but not me. Yes if I run over those speed bumps you will hear things but I go slow on them and it’s fine. Otherwise no problems for me so far. Time may tell me different though it feels solid.
7. I wound up just getting it fully loaded as it really only added another 5k from want you have. But you have the most important for looks and functions. Get the digital cluster also. And make sure you have the package that gives you the upgraded console screen size.

But I love it when a stupid Tesla pulls up next to me and he can’t get in front of me. Don’t get me wrong, Tesla is fast due to electric but this car is fast enough to keep up...

 

I have a 2016 c450, which was changed to the c43 in the 2017 model year, other than the 450 having the 7G trans, and the 2% increased power split to the rear in the 43, basically the same car. Anyway take this post with a grain of salt as I'm sure some things have changed since 2016.

1. I am currently having issues with my trans (7G). I have the same issue as the OP of this post https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...-problems.html We dont share the same trans, but good to know.

2. MANY users seem to have chronic issues with tire blowouts and cracked rims. Definitely has to do with the stock tires being runflats, which are less compliant than go flats, however these rims seem to be very brittle in general. -->Also doesn't help with interior creaks and rattles (wich I will detail later) as they transmit more vibrations to the suspension. I have the 18 inch rims and luckily haven't had any problems yet, many users on this forum ended up going aftermarket....but the wheel fitment on the front is very tight. There is quite a lengthy post on the forum called c450 wheel fitment guide. Everything you need to know is in there.

3. Sound system on the c450 definitely leaves something to be desired. Sound isnt great to start with, and I have rattles in several of the speakers, which I attempted to have padded on one occasion under warranty. Wasn't successful...will have to play a song that really rattles the speakers for the service center to get anywhere.

6. Interior of my car is verrry creaky. My car was built in Alabama, which aparently doesnt have the best build quality. Cars from Germany and South Africa seem to have the best build quality from what I've been able to gather on this forum. The rattles I have that I know of include -->dash speaker, left rear door speaker (there are 2, not sure which one), dash screen, some parts of center console, HUD shield. That's all I can think of at the moment, so it's definitely not the most silent car.

The biggest redeeming quality of this car is the powertrain. Boy is it a fun car to drive. Steering is solid as a rock, and in S+ the exhaust sounds phenomenal (I don't even have the PE). Not a huge amount of aftermarket support, but there is a decent bit. Let us know if you decide to go with the c43, even with the slight issues I love the platform.

 

2018 C43 Coupe:

1. Transmission is jerky, mostly due to software issues. Transmission itself should be quite sturdy otherwise. Not major issues but some other ones are: Turbo wastegate rattle, Tires crabbing/skipping, Interior fit&finish not very good (rattles).

2. Yes, definitely buy 18 for winters and buy aftermarket summers with sport performance tires or you will end up having to buy 2 new sets.

3. Base sound system is trash. Upgraded, but still low end, Burmesters are tolerable at best. Tin-y and low bass, no depth.

4. Same as any car. Like any modern, may be a bit trickier to release calipers but there are guides on all basic maintenance for w205.

5. Lie. But IIRC, if you purchase the maintenance package, it didn't end up to be that overpriced? Since you do your own maintenance, you should know how much they roughly cost and if you don't always have time then you may want to consider the maintenance package if the price is right.

6. There are a lot after just a year of hot/cold cycle. Interior looks very good but the real quality comes at E-Class+.

7. Performance Exhaust, Wood/CF trim, Vented Sports Seats (Performance seats kinda suck, mainly for looks), AMG Steering Wheel. Keep in mind the LEDs of Euro and US specs are different. Euro has the cool 64 spot high beam technology and blue wake-up lights. I also like the night package add-ons because I can't stand the silver diffuser.

 

2018 C43 Sedan (UK)

1) None that I've experienced beyond the rare transmission jerkiness (bucking motion/movement before changing to gear 2), but that only ever happens in Sport+ and only during very low speeds. I've found that driving in Sport Handling Mode (traction control semi off) greatly reduces the amount or liklihood of transmission jerk, and also improves handling dynamics and throttle response without sacrifing any loss of traction.

2) I've had my car several months and have not had any issues with the wheels (19") or tires, despite driving super aggressively and having hit several potholes. Bear in mind, I swapped the tires out for Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S's fairly soon after ownership, which is just something I do with all my cars, but the Continental tires the car came with were also great. I also drive at optimal medium load tire pressures (as per the recommended pressures under the fuel cap cover) and keep them topped every few weeks. That said, having read about other people's woes, I've taken out affordable tire and wheel insurance just in case (with TidyAlloys.com).

3) I find the Burmester sound system to be absolutely fantastic at low to loud volumes (better than the sound systems in both my old Jaguar XFS and current BMW X5) but less impressive at really loud volumes where distortion kicks in, especially in the treble. My settings for Sound are Surround Sound: On, Treble: 5, Midtones: 1 and Bass: 5 (though sometimes I change it to 6). At these settings and at my listening volumes, it sounds incredible. Really dynamic and clear, with great instrumental seperation, sound stage and good bass impact without being bloated and bleeding into the rest of the frequencies.

4) Not done my own maintenence so wouldn't know.

5) See above.

6) I have one creak/rattle that pops up only intermittently now and again, near the rear passanger seat. I will be booking it in soon to get sorted, which the service rep claims should be an easy fix. I'd have gotten it sorted sooner but I just haven't had time, and there are times where it's not even audible so it's not something that's constantly bothering me. P.S my Jaguar XFS also had rattles (near the sunroof and headliner), and I had also one rattle in the boot of my X5 that was sorted by the dealer.

7) AMG Performance Exhaust (this is a MUST), Burmester Sound System, Panoramic Sunroof and Premium Plus.

 

2017 C43 Sedan was purchased in Q3 of 2017 built in Alabama.

Absolutely a beast of car, when you want it to be quick it delivers and when you want it to be slow it is can be comfortable and slow. Although having a sport suspension will always be less comfortable than the same model year C300 for example, the 2019 C43 suspension offers a way better ride quality than pre-facelift is what I heard. Ditch the run-flats for even better ride quality.

M276 DELA 30 is a great engine although it might not sound like a V8 with the growl, I actually prefer the high pitch V6 sound, arguably one of the best sounding V6 out there. It is very reliable and smooth.

The build quality is a mix bag, we have some members on this forum complaining about the build quality of Alabama cars. It is nothing major though. If you don't need four doors, the coupe (at least in North America) is built in Germany. The paint on German built cars, suggested by the members are better than the American built ones due to regulations that prevents factories in America from using the same technology (please don't quote me on that, that is what I heard).

I also heard that the Alabama 2019 C43 has less rattles and squeaks compared to pre-facelift. So that is good.

The rear differential does whine at certain speeds for the pre-facelift (not sure about the facelift models) and your warranty should cover that so it isn't an issue.

Since you are going with the facelift, a lot of concerns should had been addressed already.

Personally, I like the pre-facelift exterior lamp design more than the facelift because it was like a mini S-class especially the taillight. However, I find the facelift to suit the car more because of the front bumper redesign and the C shape taillights, makes it more sporty which is the intention of the vehicle. I will prefer the facelift interior over the pre-facelift because of the screen upgrade and the ambient lighting colour options.

Here are the answers to your questions

1. There aren't any major issues with the vehicle as far as I am concerned and a lot of concerns happens right after service as some members experienced. Like the tech forgetting to clip on the air intake, or didn't drain the oil completely leading to dirty oil after the oil change. It is good that you are doing your own maintenance and I will avoid the stealership for anything other than warranty items.

2. I think forged wheels are exclusive to the 63 models, so the C43 uses cast iron (I think). Two of my rims were bent and I do mostly highway driving but there are good sized pot holes in the Greater Toronto Area. Tire pressure wise, I follow the fuel door. You wouldn't have any of the cracked rim or bent rim issue if you go aftermarket. Go traditional and skip run-flats for an improved ride quality.

3. The Burmester sound system is not bad but I wouldn't say good. The bass is okay and like one of the earlier poster has suggested, tinkering with the sound system will make it slightly better. To me, the engine sound is the best sound system this car can possibly have. (Good thing they don't pump that sound out of the speakers)

4. Maintenance wise, the engine filter can easily be accessible by removing the engine cover and using a 27mm socket to unscrew. Torque it accordingly when done. I forgot what the torque specs is for the drain plug and the filter so I don't want to just give you the wrong numbers. The brake pads can easily be removed after setting Brake Pad replace mode in the car system, it was a combination of buttons on the steering wheel. That being said, I haven't have a need to replace any brake pads yet because most of my driving is highway driving.

5. In Canada, dealerships can't deny warranty because the customer did their own maintenance. I am not sure about your country but it wouldn't make sense for them to deny warranty on the engine if they can't prove the issue is caused by neglect. The majority of Service A is just oil and filter change, the rest is function test and stuff which you can all do yourself. Service B is considered as a "major" service, brake fluid is one of the items on top of the oil change. Just go through the list of items that are to be performed for both Service A and Service B and you are good.

6. As stated earlier, there are some minor creaks and rattles. One of them I found that is pretty annoying is a rattling type of noise in the passenger front headrest if there is no passenger present. Do try tapping on places to see if you experience creaks that is beyond what you can withstand (if you order a car off the dealership's lot, and not custom order).

7. Package wise, I am not sure where you live but in Canada, our options are all bundled together and not a lot of standalone ones. As everyone would suggest, the Performance Exhaust in the Driver's Package is an option you should choose, it completes the car with the sound characteristics. Other packages will be Premium Package and Premium Plus Package. The Technology Package is a good option to have if you want the full lighting system and digital display. I would skip the performance seats if you aren't planning to track the vehicle and if you drive for long distances everyday. Since I don't know where you live I will make it easier by just stating the options in each package I recommend:

1. Performance Exhaust
2. 360 Camera
3. 12.3 inch Instrument cluster display
4. Base 18 inch wheels and rims (if you are going aftermarket) or upgraded version of 18 inch, skip the 19 inch as some members point out they are more susceptible to damage.
5. Maybe some sort of wood trim if you don't want scratches all over the place in a short amount of time with the base piano black trim
6. Smartphone integration (only if you need the features)
7. Keyless Go (I wonder why isn't this standard yet), Keyless Start is standard though
8. 10.25 inch centre screen
9. Intelligent drive package (includes steering assist, DISTRONIC and a bunch of other stuff ) (only get this if you are in a traffic jam more than you actually drive the car)
10. The Drive unit controls on the steering wheel (if you think you need that)
11. The window trims are always blacked out compared to the C300 so night package only blacks out the chrome on the front lip and the rear diffuser on the C43
12. Please keep in mind that the ventilated seats are not cooled seats, it doesn't blast AC out of the seat, it is only a fan compared to some other automakers.
13. Panoramic sunroof if you absolutely want it
14. Colour wise, white looks great on the C43, I saw a couple of brilliant blues and they were gorgeous, I recommend looking at the cavansite blue as well as that is also a great colour.
15. Maybe the full lighting system? the basic LED lighting system is not bad so this is an option you can ignore

I hope my answers were helpful. Good luck on your purchase!

 

Question about the P4S ; do you have a spare in the trunk now?

 

No spare in the trunk. I've had one puncture and one sidewall bulge on these tyres with previous vehicles I've owned over the last 5 or so years, but have always been able to drive to garages etc to get them replaced.

If you're worried about tire or wheel damage, just take out wheel and tire protection.

 

1. The version of the 9g tranny used on these cars is quirky but it does not seem to be prone to early failures of any kind. It just responds strangely over a limited set of scenarios.

2. The OEM wheel and tire combos for the C450/C43 cars are hot garbage. If I had to do it all over again I would get the most basic wheels and then immediately upgrade to aftermarket, or I'd just buy a different car. Save yourself the headache and do not opt for the 19'' wheels if you don't have to.

3. Burmester is OK. Base Audio 20, is junk. Both can be upgraded for much less than the cost of the tire and wheel upgrade.

4. Oil is easy, 5 minute job with an extractor pump. I had the shop do the brakes because...lift. Others on here have gone the DIY route and report it is easy.

5. The salesman is either ignorant, a sleazy liar, or both.

6. My car has the most rattles and creaks of any car I've ever owned. I think this might be slightly improved with the newer cars because the suspension tuning is now a little less jarring than it was with the earlier (2016/2017) vehicles. Mine is a rattle box and my GLC43 with taller sidewalls is only slightly better.

7. Adaptive LED headlights, and performance exhaust are must haves. So is Burmester if you do not want to bother with upgrading the audio. I really like HUD and distroninc. Distronic is only a must-have if you regularly navigate through stop and go traffic hell, otherwise it's just another cool feature.

 

I've owned my c43 cabrio for almost 2 years and am very pleased with it .
The only minor annoyances are :
A very occasional rattle in dash on passenger side which I haven't bothered to report to dealer
Very occasional jerkiness at low speed in Sport +,which again I haven't bothered to report
I have standard 18 inch wheels which have given no problems and for me provide a good compromise between comfort and road holding
In Canada at least ,home maintenance does not invalidate warranty , provided there is documentation
I have the cranberry red leather,dark wood trim and brilliant blue exterior and am very happy with the decision which at the time was a significant one given its a convertible , but would definitely choose it again

 

How much oil does the engine take? Is it dry sump, because those take a lot of oil and can get more expensive. Does it have proprietary MB filters or can you use mobile 1 or K&N?

 

Interesting that you think the stereo is good since everyone else said it's no good. I only listened to it for a very short period of time and thought it sounded very focused on high frequency. I didn't play with it much though.

 

Well I do have mine set up EQ'd as mentioned, and I also add the qualifier that it doesn't sound as good at super loud volumes, but at anything from quiet to reasonably loud, it is an excellent system with fantastic dynamic range.

I think some are more negative about it because it doesn't have the bass impact or quantity of other rivals, but over emphasised bass that aggressively bleeds into other frequencies is simply not accurate or balanced, and the Burmester system still has more than enough bass quantity to actually remain accurate sounding.
​​​​​​
If I could compare things to headphones, the C43 Burmester is like the Beyerdynamic (T1) or Sennheiser (HD800S) of car audio systems, in that it favours articulation, instrumental seperation or detail, over boomy exaggerated fun factor.

 

Awesome, thanks for the info. Are all the sedans built in Alabama?

 

I live in Fairfax VA so it's constant traffic, which sucks. I wish you didn't need all the other garbage to get the distronic.

Is it easy to upgrade the speakers to get more full sound or is it a nightmare due to impedance matching like Bose.

 

You should get it and not look back. The only drawbacks I can see right now are gas mileage and the fact I blew out a tire on a very small pothole 3k miles in. I actually think the upgraded stereo is pretty good, surprised at the criticism.

If you look at the competitors, I really have no idea why anyone would get the M340 or S4. Both look so bland compared to the C43. Even if the M340 is marginally quicker than the C43 the sound makes up for it.

 

All sedans in the US and Canada are built in Alabama.
I also notice a typo from my previous post so I do want to apologize, you need a 21mm socket for the engine filter, not 27mm. The oil filter torque spec is 25mm
OR better yet, Here is the thread that I used: https://mbworld.org/forums/c450-c43-...-tutorial.html
Keep in mind this thread applies to pre-facelifted models I am not sure if Mercedes changed things for the facelifted MY19 and beyond models.

 

Check out the audio threads over on the W205 sedan forum. The easiest upgrade is to just add a powered sub to the trunk. The door speakers are fine. They can be upgraded but it's not really necessary. Focal makes a drop in replacement but it won't give you that much improvement without tweaking the input signal. If you want a real clean audiophile setup you'll need to add a DSP, amp, and sub.
The Burmester system is decent, but it has a few deficiencies. The "front bass" speakers don't really provide the deep bass you'd normally expect from a decent sub. Also, too much of the upper bass and lower midrange frequencies get sent the the little door speakers.

 

6.9 quartz. But if you do a good drain, you might find that you need a little more (up to 7.5 qtz). The C43 AMG uses a wet sump oil system. There is a small selection of aftermarket oil filters but most use OEM. They are cheap and work well.

 

Which Sound Focus setting do you use?

I was playing with the settings and for the time being I couldn't find good enough setting for most of the music I'm listening to - on some tracks there is too much bass for me.

 

The "Burmester" system in the C43 is really quite poor. The frequencies are just very badly crossed-over. I can't imagine what kind of music it can play and sound good. Unfortunately, the 3-band equalizer is not enough to make up for its deficiencies so you can't compensate enough. Compared to an Audi B&O system in their S range, it's very far behind. I've since had to upgrade the front speakers and the amp with new cross-over points and time-alignment and now I like it, but it took quite a bit of effort to get there.

 

Not sure what you mean by sound focus, but I keep Surround Sound On, and use the following settings (using Spotify with the default Samsung Music equaliser set to Dolby Atmos on).

Sometimes I'll drop Burmester bass down to 5. Other times I might drop treble down when my listening volume is really loud (less treble distortion).

With the following set up, the dynamic range, level of airiness, soundstage and imaging is very good. It's just at much louder volumes where things start to drop in quality.

For reference, my home audio set up includes Sony MDR-Z1R and Sennheiser HD800S headphones connected to a Rein Audio X-DAC and Amp, plus my speakers are the Edifier S3000 Pro's in the one room, and full standing tower speakers and surround sound set up in the other.

 

This. I've performed every oil change myself (just rolled 40k miles, so four changes). It's as easy as my Honda was 15 years ago! I drain, others use an extractor. It's a matter of preference and tool investment if you don't have an extractor already. Broken record on most of the other topics, but they're all correct on the DIY service and warranty garbage your salesman gave you. Remember, the dealer is NOT your friend. While harsh to say, they prey on customers to have more money than sense when it comes to service. If you can DIY, do it. If you can't, get a quote from an independent Euro-focused shop. Warranty coverage extends to more than just the dealer...you can take your car ANYWHERE you want. This is a lesson for all makes, not just MB.

 

Thanks for reply. I'm not sure if the real name of this option is the Sound Focus, but I have the possibility to choose the focus of the sound to: front seats, rear or both if I remember correctly. This has huge impact on the sound in general, that's why I was curious which setting do you use. There was another thread on this forum when someone suggested using Rear focus being the best, but even with that I'm not able to find good enough settings for majority of music I'm listening to.

 

I have mine balanced, so presumably set to both.