Hi, just joined. I have had a BMW M2 for the past year & for the daily commute it's far too stiff. One must prioritize bumps in the surface over oncoming traffic as an accident would be less jarring. I'm considering a C43 AMG 2018 & would be grateful of your input:

1. Are you happy with it?
2. Have you had many problems; if so what? Seems it's quite prone to interior-rattles & jerky transmission with a few catastrophic transmission failures from my research.
3. Typically what's the engine life of a C43? It seems it's more of a sporty cruiser compared to the sports-car M2 (which isn't really fit for UK roads) & a comfier ride is exactly what I'm after.

Moderators - Apologies this is a duplicate as I posted in an incorrect forum (completely wrong model # lol). At least I got the C45 correct on this sub-forum; but with all the variations I'm not at all confident I'm in the right place so apologies if I'm wrong.

 

I have a 2018 Sedan (not sure if you were looking for Coupe or Sedan).

1. Love it, every minute of every day.
2. My auxiliary battery just went out but was replaced with a new one under warranty. I have a rattle behind my head somewhere that I can't find and the dealer has been unable to fix. The transmission can be jerky but once you learn when and where it happens you will know how to deal with it properly. No tranny failure but definitely jerky in Sport+.
3. No idea here. Engine-wise I don't have any issues at all but from what I've been reading the 3L V6 that is used across various models of MB seem pretty solid. I know a lot of people are running tunes and I've heard very few people that have issues even then. Ride-wise I can't compare the M2, having never driven one but in Sport+ it definitely gets stiff and Comfort or Eco aren't really that much softer to be honest. After having a few loaner C300s and GLC300s they ride like I feel the C43 should in C and E modes.

Altogether, I love this car even with the quirks.

Hope this helps.

 

I have a 2018 C43 Coupe - totally stock.

1. I love it! I have been completely happy with my choice - I also considered M240i, 440i, and S5, but chose the C43 because of interior finish, exterior appearance, and overall performance.

2. The coupes are all made in Germany, and from what i have read here, do not appear to suffer from as many issues as do the sedans made in Alabama. Mine has been worry-free, with no troubles at all. Thanks to the pandemic, it only has about 17K miles on it, but it is my daily driver.

3. Like C43FlyBy, i have no idea about engine life, but this one has been around for a while, across the MB lines. For me, so far, so good. The ride is a bit stiff, even in C, but I lay a lot of that to the stock RFT tires (that i will replace with Michelin AS ones when they need to go). If you must have a softer ride, i would suggest looking at Audi, but honestly, the C43 is overall so much fun to drive i would stick with it.

Best of luck with your decision!

 

My advice as a person who has owned and driven many BMW and Audi, and then coming into C43 ownership is - don’t do it. I hated every minute of it, and just wanted to get rid of it. I notice that those who like the C43 generally fall into one of two categories. A) They’ve either owned Mercedes most of their lives and have not really driven or spent much time with the other two German marques, or B) They are new to German car ownership at this middle segment in general and the C43 is their first foray into this segment. Outside these two general categories, those who are very familiar with BMW and Audi ownership but come to love the C43 are indeed a very small group.

The C43 is a really strange car. The impression one gets is that the throttle mapping and transmission behaviour have not been sorted, and being on the market for so many years and still the same, I doubt they’ll ever get it right. The suspension is also overly soft and the car rolls a lot, the dampers are inadequate and can’t control the motion of the chassis very well when you compare to BMW and Audi. Mercedes are not experts in this area, especially in the middle segment like the C43/S4/S5/M340i. Everything seems fine on the C63, but that is a different segment.

There’s really too much to go into here, but if you’ve really had enough motoring experience with the other German makes, the C43 will unfortunately disappoint, unless it’s in a price segment where you can’t go higher and want “value” (and that includes perceived brand value) rather than outright performance, and thus find that you have not much choice.

 

Interesting insight. We briefly considered a C43 but the reviews were so mixed so we passed. Also after driving one, I just couldn't get comfortable with it.

 

Very happy with my coupe. No issues. Tuned and beat on it daily - all is currently well.

 

The suspension is soft? Interesting. Maybe the 2020 changed. Going on the track in a 2020 c43 felt it was stiff. i drove a 2019 s4 around the track and i didn't like the distribution at all. I've owned BMWs and audi so I have experience. I have to disagree with you.

To topic creator. There are other factors to consider, the 2019 2020 interior far surpasses the s4 and m340. The sound of the c43 still shocks my BMW friend. He is amazed by it. Its a beautiful car, lots of fun. The awd is a good thing in my book as well. Sure you can list some negatives but in the end its a great car. I'm leasing in my case.
reliability can be hit and miss.

I've owned an M3, 540i, a4, s500, e350, mustang gt 2006, mustang 5.0 2014, 2018 Ford explorer, 740il, c36, e55 and a c230 so I have some range of experience I suppose. I've also tracked cars and ran cars that weren't my own.

 

Some of these things are accurate. I have come to enjoy the C43 after having many issues but also come from purely German car ownership. c230 sport, b8 a4, b8.5 s4, c450 and c43 have all been in the garage. The mercedes has iffy build quality and the transmission is strange in automatic.

I have lowered and installed aftermarket wheels which make the car so much better. One can argue the same modification would also improve the competitors but the weakest link on this particular car, other than the transmission, are the wheel/tire package and the suspension.

I mainly ended up here because the lease deals can be incredible and we have a fleet with MB on top of that. So, it's hard to beat the C43 when you're talking about 25% less costs than the competitors for roughly the same overall package.

 

I've had my 2018 c43 cabriolet for three years and 40,000 kms and love it . Apart from an occasional rattle here and tranny jerk (in sport +) there ,its the perfect sporty car, with a beautiful interior and powerful engine .The pops and crackles from the exhaust are just icing on the cake .

 

OP, the C43 is also known for having a very stiff ride, like your M2, might not be the best move if you are prioritizing comfort, but as always YMMV, so I recommend you extensively drive the car (especially on rough rides) to determine whether the suspension setup is livable for you. Other than the ride, the car is very fun to drive and the exhaust is awesome.

 

Thanks all for your input - much appreciated.

Exactly right; comfort is more of a priority. The gist I get is that the CL43 is far softer than an M2 & much less noise which is what really draws me to it. I hope it's not as stiff as your interpretation is or I will definitely be disappointed. If it could be as my old 350Z then I will be happy I think. Could handle a bit stiffer than the 350Z if need be; but the M2 with its 35mm tyres & 19" wheels & suspension set-up is annoying quite a lot of people on the daily commute.

Hopefully the C45 pleases me. Not keen on the centre-console or sat-nav (looks terrible) but I like the look of the rest of it; I'll have to compromise with panaromic sun-roof, sports exhaust & carbon fiber console. Fingers crossed I find something I like with reasonable miles & budget.

 

I'm not saying the C43 is as stiff as the M2, but rather both cars share a similarity of being known for stiff rides. Of course, your test drive will determine whether you find it stiff or perfectly fine.

 

What tires did you run on your m2? Just switched from oem run flats to non run flat winter tires rims and all the squeaking and noise is gone and car feels more bouncier!

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I had a 335d xdrive estate. Only thing I liked was the smooth comfort auto, But boring boring.
I have a 2019 c43 estate face lift ride is better than pre 18, both are better than my bmw, without run flats now my c43 is super smooth.
Od rattle just need to locate it and sort it out, just like lots of modern cars no big issue.
Love the sound, interior style and performance.
​​​​​At a press of a button I can put a smile on everyone's face, or relax crusing with my dogs in the boot in stealth mode.
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Having driven the C43 (PFL and FL), S4, and M340i, I'd go C43 in a heartbeat... but that's just as far as a comparison...

As far as my own personal ownership experience, I daily a C450, and there are two caveats to that:
1. In my opinion the 7 speed is better in terms of overall operation than the 9 speed (even though the acceleration of the car is a bit slower, due to different gearing), and
2. The C450 is firmer (which is less comfortable but yields better handling with less body roll)

So I don't have those complaints, as a result of having a C450. I never thought the shifting was too bad PFL C43, and it is maybe even generally good in FL C43. As far as body roll, I have noticed that more driving PFL and FL C43s. I'd like a softer setup sometimes in my car, while other times I prefer the firmer setup. Ideally I'd have a softer setup in Comfort, without making Sport+ softer. Both are up to the owner and their likes and needs as far as which is better... otherwise, same car (except for badging changes, a 2% or 3% adjustment in torque split (result of the transmission), availability of Performance Exhaust, and an AMG update for the instrument cluster that you can get done under warranty, as well as what I previously mentioned... I don't think I'm missing anything).

But that's just my opinion and my experience. As with any car, take a test drive and see if it's the right car for you. I think that if you don't know for certain while you're test driving it, you should truly exhaust your other options to make sure you don't have any regrets.

As far as reliability, my car has been solid (knock on wood). If you're in warranty, don't worry. I'd keep the warranty as long as I own it. If you're worried about creaks, look for one that was manufactured in Germany as opposed to America. In my experience with C-Classes (ownership and loaners), the ones made in Germany have far fewer...

And, if looking at a C43, I wouldn't buy one without the performance exhaust!

 

When I was shopping for a car, it was between the 2020 C43 coupe and the 2020 M2. The M2 has a much more raw driving experience and the shifts are quicker/smoother. You can really feel the additional power with the M2. That said, I went with the c43 because it was a lot more comfortable and it had the better/more modern interior (features I can take advantage of as a daily driver vehicle). I wasn't going to feel or take advantage of the performance difference since I was never going to track the vehicle (this car has plenty of performance for your normal road/highway). I like the c43 because when you throw it in comfort mode the car drives just like any other car, but if you are in the mood for it to be a bit more sporty you can throw it in sport plus.

You have to keep in mind though that something that is a jack of all trades aren't necessarily strong in either one. I think that's why you hear some complaints about this car being too 'this' or too 'that.'

 

I have a 2020 C43 coupe and love it. Before settling for the C43, i test drove 2020 audi S5 and 340, frankly suspension are very similar. Maybe C43 is a bit more stiff but I did really noticed. The handling is definitely better in the 43 and the engine and sound are a step up in my opinion.

Built quality on my car is excellent, no rattles and issues, knock on wood. Mine is a 2020 so issues could have resolved.

Take the car out for a thorough test drive and if you hear any rattles get it resolved before you take delivery.

If you take care of your car it should last.

 

Take the car for a test drive is the best way to find out. It's definitely not as fast as an M2. It's comfortable after you swap out the stock run flats for Michelin PS4S or something similar. When you test drive the car, try to come to a complete stop smoothly and see if you can, you may not like the results here due to its crappy transmission. Try shifting from 3rd gear to 2nd then to 1st and pay attention to the jerk; see if you're okay with this.

Other than that, the interior is sublime compared to the M2 and it sounds great with the AMG Performance Exhaust. It also doesn't look like a $35,000 228i/230i so that's a plus.

 

I own a C43 and have mixed feelings about it. I have driven both a 430i grand coupe and an S4, and although the interior is far nicer in the C43, I don't think the build is quite as good as the rest. Both Audi and BMW also have a lot of plastic in this category but they don't seem to rattle as much. As far as performance, the C43 is superior. I enjoyed the Audi but it did feel more sluggish.

 

The 7 speed is/was better in terms of fun - I 100% agree. The gearing in the 9 speed just makes it less fun for hooning on normal roads. The difference in MPG is NEGLIGIBLE. However, any complaints about the transmission being harsh or jerky will be attributed to both the 7 and 9 speed.

 

Still wondering what you everybody say about creepy transmission.
i have this car in wagon in FL from new car and have no problem with transmission.

 

The transmission in our 2020 C43 is vastly improved over the obnoxious 2017 C43 transmission. The 2020 does not do the "HERKY JERKY" in S+ 1st gear starts like our 2017 did.
That 2017 was so annoying I'd have to shift to 2nd gear when starting from a stop.

 

aha
thanks for explanation...

 

I agree my C43 sedan works flawlessly. Its beautifully smooth.

 

I purchased a 2020 C43 in July of this year and shifting into 1st gear is still quite jerky. Maybe there are differences depending on where the car is made?