Harold1898

Looking for a bit of advice from owners. I have a 2015 E400 coupe that i have had since new and it will be 6 years old in January. I am thinking of replacing it but the natural replacement is the C300. I took a C300 for a drive and I do not mean to disrespect anyone's car but for me, the engine is not strong or smooth enough, under full acceleration the screaming from the engine is like my wife's CRV. Over here the next step up from the C300 is the C43 and I was wondering if anyone has had the opportunity to drive both over an extended period and if so can you compare the ride quality?
i will endeavour to take one for a test ride over the next week but a 10 minute drive does not really tell the whole story.
Thanks in advance

AMGiggity

I have a coupe. In my opinion it is pretty rough even in comfort. Getting rid of the run flats helps but you still feel every bump. Needless to say suspension is even harsher in S and S+ and transmission gets sort of herky jerky as well; I only drive in S/S+ if I am alone in the car.

Just test drive one.

Diirek

I have a 2020 coupe. I do mostly city driving and I don't think the ride is too harsh at all. I'm on the stock 18" wheels with factory run flats. I did drive a preowned 2017 that rode much harsher. I wasn't sure if this was due to the design or the condition of the car as it came from NYC. Regardless, I heard the facelift versions do ride a little softer in comfort mode than the PFL's.

CAMC43

The ride of the C43 on the run flats is stiff but many (like me) switch to Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ and the ride improves greatly. Day and night. With respect to engine and power you cannot compare a C300 to a C43. The C43 is an entirely different animal far closer to a C63 than a C300.

Ramsino

There is no way a C43 is going to ride smoother than a C300 (2020 model year comparison). If you already think the C300 is rough, then the C43 will be worse for you. In terms of ride quality, the E class is the way to go. If you want the extra power then yes the C43 is definitely a lot more powerful than the C300. The biggest factor for ride quality on the C43 is the wheel size, get the 18 inch, and switch out the stock Pirellis for Michelin Pilot Sport 4, 4S, AS3 (if you need all season).

jhpmbusa

i had a 2013 E cab, 2014 E sedan and a 2018 E sedan. Drove around the 2014 e coupe for weeks in Germany on the Autobahn as well. The 2013 - 2015 model E classes drove like a dream. It had the perfect balance of smoothness and weight while being firm as well. Truly drove like a Mercedes. Starting from the new models with the 4cyl turbos (c class, e class etc) - the company really started to create these cars very differently, suspension and weight wise all while trying to improve MPG. At least this is my opinion. Unfortunately, unless you move into a newer model which still retains that old engineering (current SL), I dont think you will find anything similar to your model. Yes, the c43 drives very strong and stiff, but its a different type of stiff - you can always get non run flats which would probably help. But, the engine and noise is phenomenal - and you will quickly appreciate the car nonetheless!

jhpmbusa

I also had 2 2015 c300s as well. c300 vs c43 - 2 completely different cars - Would take a c43 over a c300 anyday lol.

highboltage

I actually don't mind the ride quality. I've got a 19 coupe on 19" and OEM runflats. It's stiffer than the average car in the this segment but it's not uncomfortable to me.
Also never had a passenger complain about the ride quality (whether I'm on comfort or sport+) and they range from car people to people who know little about them.

superswiss

OP, you'll find it difficult to compare ride quality on a forum. It's very subjective and influenced by different factors such as the quality of the roads where one drives, type of tires, tire pressure etc. For example most cars are pretty comfortable on smooth pavement. The difference only comes out if one regularly drives on bad roads. First off if you compare a C300 to an AMG, you'll have to realize that NVH in an AMG is different. It's not just the springs and dampers, but bushings and the whole chassis are stiffer. AMGs are generally sprung stiffer, but the AMG Ride Control (adaptive damping) does in my experience an excellent job in the latest model years. There are different aspects to comfort. I personally find a car uncomfortable if it bounces/floats around, meaning it doesn't settle quickly after a road bump. On the other hand I find a car with stiff springs comfortable as long as it is damped well, meaning it lets the springs absorb the bumps, but then settles the car smoothly and quickly on the rebound.

That's what I find with my '19 C63S coupe for example. The springs are sporty firm, so I feel bumps when I drive over them, but the damping keeps the body fairly flat and settles it quickly, so I find it very comfortable in daily driving, and that's with 19" in the front and 20" in the rear. Even more so now that I have replaced the stock Pilot Super Sport tires with a set of Pilot Sport 4S. The latter rides noticeably more comfortable and IMO complements the damping of the car better. But also I use the proper normal load tire pressures, which is lower than what you find on the door sticker. Many people run tire pressure that's too high for the given load, because of how the door sticker in the USA only lists the maximum load tire pressure. For more detail you have to look at the sticker inside of the fuel door.

I've had a '19 C300 coupe as a loaner for a couple of days, and frankly it was a forgettable car. No offense to anyone. Honestly, I don't even remember how it rode, nor do I specially recall thinking that it rode much more comfortable than my C63S. Sure it's quieter and softer sprung, but it was clearly not memorable or special enough for me to remember it as a particularly more comfortable car. One difference is that the C300 as well as the C43 have runflat tires by default. They inherently ride rougher than standard tires, even compared to standard performance tires. As many here will tell you, one of the best mods you can do to the C43 is getting rid of the runflats and replace them with a proper tire such as the PS4S. I personally have no experience with the C43 on public roads. I've only driven it on the track and there it was too loose even in S+. Some here even say the C63 rides more comfortable than the C43, so there is that. FWIW, AMG has definitely gotten the message and has focused on improving their suspensions in the latest models and facelifts. The '19+ C63 and C43 have both revised suspensions. At least the C63 actually has lowered spring rates compared to the pre-facelift. The 2021 E63S also got a much revised suspension for more comfort, because it has been criticized as riding too harsh. The great thing is that AMG has been able to make these cars more comfortable in Comfort mode w/o compromising the dynamics in S+.

Hopefully this gives you some food for thought. A test drive on the roads you typically drive on on a daily basis will be the best way to personally assess whether ride comfort is to your liking or not.

Harold1898

Thank you for your answers. I had a face lift 2012 C63 (W204) when i joined this forum and it was ok for ride, traded it in on a 911 (991S) and that was fine too. The E400 coupe i have is great and whilst not possessing the power and acceleration of an AMG it does everything acceptably as i am 99% a city driver. I agree with you all, i would never buy a C300; it is simply not me.

Think i might see if the 2021 C43 does the job for me when it is released mid next year.

Stay safe in this very troubled world. You guys in USA seem to have a little more than your share of trouble at the moment. Peace to all.

Ozen

I’ve have a 2017 coupe with 19”wheels. I agree the ride is harsh but once I swapped out the run flats to PS4s it did make it more tolerable.

Bayard

I had a 2013 C350 Sport which was fairly smooth and cushy. It did lurch off the line, even in comfort mode. When test drove all the C300s and just couldn't get satisfied with the 4 cylinder motor. I know exactly what you meant when you said it screamed like a CRV. I got behind the wheel of a 2019 C43 and fell in love. Bought it that day. I took delivery in Jan 2019 so I have had it for a while now. For me, the ride in comfort mode is fine, even on stock tires. It is quick and quite fun to drive. It goes when you need it to but is comfortable when you need to drive the wife around. Get the performance exhaust!

Ramsino

The ride quality on my 2020 C43 is fine in comfort, but the problem is road noise from the 19in stock tires. I really need to swap these out for the PS4S. Are these the most comfortable tires for our cars or is there something else? I know Michelin has a few different Pilot Sports, but I'm not sure what the differences are.

////AMG_C43

Good call. The PS4S is a great choice, I installed the PS AS+3's (19") on my C43 and they are definitely harsher and noisier than the lower profile 20" PS4S's on my Porsche. That said, the AS+3's have amazing dry traction considering that they are all-seasons. Either tire is smoother riding than the factory Pirelli run-flats that came on the car.

1Gunner

I swapped out the 19" RFs for Michelin PS4S on my wife's 2020 C43.

They are my "go to" replacement tire. I replaced stock Pirelli's on my 991.2 Porsche Turbo S and the stock Dunlop Sport Maxx on my GT3 Touring with PS4S. Very please with the results!!

They definitely improve handling and traction on the C43 but still transmit road/tire noise to the cabin.

Ramsino

You do not notice any less road noise on the PS4S?

1Gunner

Yes somewhat less noise, but not dramatically less noise.
Still, it's well worth it IMO.

Cook Fin

I just got 2020 C43 AMG sedan about 2 weeks ago and in my opinion ride quality is pretty good even in S+, maybe because I’m coming from Charger Scat Pack. In reality if you are getting a sports car, do you really expect comfortable ride?

Ramsino

To be honest, in this price range and with the Mercedes brand, yes I do expect a more comfortable ride. This is also a luxury brand after all. My issue isn't really anything to do with how harsh the C43 rides, it's actually quite good. It's the road noise (from the stock run flat tires) and the unrefined 9 speed auto. I understand that it was my decision to get the 19in wheels, which is fine, and the tires can be swapped out, which is also fine.

My main issue is the transmission. There is no way for it to downshift smoothly into first. If you come to a crawling stop in 2nd gear, the moment the car stops moving, WITHOUT applying the brakes, it will downshift into 1st gear which feels like someone just stepped on the brakes...it's really annoying and has nothing to do with a sporty car but more just an engineering fault on Mercedes part. Again, this has nothing to do with this thread. The ride quality in itself is not bad at all.

c43PDX

all perspective imo. its a lose lose, the car enthusiast will complain about suspension performance if its like jello. Vice versa.
I think this car has way more character in an immature way compared to the BMW M440i and the Audi S4/5.
Its louder, harsher, more powerful, and just a little bit more over the top, which I fell in love with.
Marketing wise, its a horrible decision, but as an car enthusiast, I appreciate what Merc did here.

It still leans on more posh than raw in my opinion compared to what I've had in the past (Modded to hell BRZ, RS4 and B8.5 S4).

If ride is an issue, you won't do so well with any AMG/RS/M cars imo.

toosteeley

I find the c43 ride is very compliant in comfort setting, even when lowered. I’m on H&R sport springs and usually drive around with the suspension in sport+.

All depends on your frame of reference IMO. I’m coming from a lowered C63 507 so even in sport +, the c43 doesn’t feel as firm.

Rockyrainier

Been driving my 2020 C43 with 19 inch wheels for about 3 weeks now and with 900km on the odometer.

I believe 2020 is a bit softer. From all the reviews I read, the C43 was supposed to the stiffest when compared with 2020 Audi S5 and BMW M440i. I test drove all of them and they all feel the same to me.

The suspension stiffness of the 2020 C43 coupe is absolutely comfortable in C mode and I prefer it over my 2018 GLC 300. Its really a great car and you just can't go wrong with the C43. Not to mention the amazing fuel economy im getting so far, 10L/100km city driving. Just make sure you follow the break in instructions on the windshield and you will be very happy with the car.