Docto

Hello
I'm currently looking for the right sporty station wagon with 4WD for me, and it appears the C43 would fulfill all of my needs. While I was checking out online used C43s from 2017-2019 I noticed, that a few of them have (according to their online description) air suspensions while most of them not. So I was wondering if that was an option in the C43 or is it some kind of mistake?
If it was an actual available option, I'd like to ask you guys your opinion about the air suspension, whether it's worth it to get a car with it and whether you can dynamically change the ride hight which is apparently possible with the E63 air suspension.

I'm planning to use the car as a daily driving family car, so my family members would appreciate, if the ride was not too punishing in the confort settings.

W205C43PFL

It wasn't an option for me when I got my 2017 when new here in Canada, not sure if it is an option for other countries but unlikely you get air suspension for the 43 models unless you get an E-Class and the 53 models. Not quite sure why the sites you mentioned states it has air suspensions, I am not sure if they just copied and paste the descriptions over in a batch for every vehicle listed. That being said, if you run the VIN, you can tell if there is air suspension or not. Most C43 models have adaptive damping but I think that is the most you will be getting when it comes to suspension. Mine has the adaptive damping for example. Another thing to note is tires and tire pressures as the suspension is only part of the equation. I wouldn't recommend getting air suspension anyways especially if you are planning to keep the vehicle for a while.

Docto

Thank you for your reply. Is the reason you're not recommending them, even if they were available because they tend to be less reliable? If I'd buy the car I'd drive it for a very long time and I wouldn't have any plans replacing them in the near future.

Howyalivin

Air suspension wasn't available on the C43s. As was said, the E-class will be the first where you get that. As for ride harshness, there will be some harshness. It's one of the most talked about issues in reviews. If you replace the run flat tires with non-run flats, that will help the ride somewhat.

W205C43PFL

Yes the air suspension is expensive to replace if it does go wrong, if you are planning to keep your vehicle for a long time definitely not something you want. Although good tires will never replace air suspension but those quality tires that are known for comfort will at least help, remember tire pressures are important, I personally prefer the ones listed where the fuel door is, measured when the tires are cold.

W205C43PFL

I am also not sure how much you can stretch your budget but the 2019+ C 43 (so facelift W205) have a more comfortable tuned suspension compared to the pre-facelift, they adjusted the damping though software and possibly with different parts too so that is something worth considering as well.

Docto

Thank you for the feedback. I'm currently driving a 2010 C200 and get frequent complaints from family members about the ride quality despite good tires, so I'm afraid the c43 is from that perspective not a good choice.

In my market a 2019+ C43 would be significantly more expensive than an 2017-2018 E43 with similar mileage, so from that perspective an E43 would be also an option. The E43 has to my knowledge an adjustable air suspension and while it might have reliability issues, it might be the better compromise with the family members (and they probably would enjoy the increased space). At least from what I've read, the air suspension of the E43 in the comfort mode seems to be actually comfortable unlike the C43.

W205C43PFL

Do you need the sound and performance of the C 43 and E 43? I am starting to wonder if you are better off with the W213 E 450 instead or W213 E 400 if budget is tight. They all use the same engine and transmission just tuned differently. The E 43 is more comfortable than the C 43, that is correct but it is expected because it is an E-Class but not as comfortable as an E 450 or E 400 as the suspension on the E 43 will be tuned for better performance so still will be stiffer in comfort mode compared to an W213 E 450 or W213 E 400. Like what was mentioned previously by another forum member, getting rid of the run-flats will help. Going down from 19 inch to 18 inch will help too, a lot.

Docto

Well depends on what you mean with need.
​​​​I personally want to have a cool quick wagon which is fun to drive when I'm driving alone and the sporty performance and equipment of the low tier Amg wagons definitely fit in to the category.

​​My family and my dog just want to have a peaceful ride when we're going somewhere together​​ and enough cargo space for family needs.

Since I own a house on a mountain with incredibly curvy roads which can freeze in the winter, I definitely think 4WD is a good idea.

So considering all of that I thought the C43/E43 might be a good idea. Because I don't really need the bigger size of the E-class, I thought first the C43 might be sufficient, but if the ride quality on the E43 is much better I'd rather consider the E.

W205C43PFL

4MATIC or not, I still recommend getting a set of snow tires in temperatures below 7 degrees celsius even if it doesn't snow as summer rubber hardens in temperatures below 7.

Any chance you are able to test drive the E 43 and C 43 and see if the improvement is much more noticeable for you or if you find the E 43 actually comfortable enough?

Docto

Sure, but even with winter tires, I don't think a RWD is a preferable under those circumstances.

Yes it should be possible, there are 1 of each on sale close from me even though overpriced, but that's good enough for a test ride
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W205C43PFL

no... I am not suggesting to get RWD, I was just trying to say that you don't want to be over relying on 4MATIC and rather still get a decent set of winter tires.

Perfect, looking forward to hearing your test driving experience. Hopefully the C 43 works out for you after all, although that is because I am biased and prefer the C 43 if not hopefully the E 43 is comfortable enough.

Docto

Sure I know, it's just the condition "Family friendly daily drivable sports wagon with 4WD" makes the potential pool of cars incredibly small, it's essentially only C43/E43 or S4/S6 Avant

There is also another problem with the E, my current parking lot is built for cars up to 1850mm wide, this would make it to park the E43 incredibly difficult, which is a serious problem. There is even a slight chance that it isn't possible at all.
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W205C43PFL

I see, are you only considering German brands? I would had suggest 340i as well since I think it can be optioned xDrive but you did mention you wanted a wagon.

Hmmm, that is an important thing to consider as well. In that case I guess you want to compromise by getting the C 43 being smaller (but I am biased, I don't think the C43 is a compromise) but get 18s non RFTs.

Docto

No, I'm open for any brand, but there aren't many building sports wagons at all, and yes wagon is absolutely a must, the car will be frequently packed with a lot of cargo.
The only other 4WD sports wagon I know of is the Volvo V60 Polestar, which is a very cool car, but incredibly rare and not easy to get. But if it happens to appear on the market for a good price, I would check that one out as well.

jonathan358

The C400 had air suspension as an option, but not on the 450 or 43.

W205C43PFL

I see. I guess C 43 it is.

W205C43PFL

Sorry forgot to ask, did you consider SUVs? Although I think SUVs are too big for you and not necessary for your needs. Is the previous gen CLA 45 shooting brake available in your country, although ride quality is not the best and it is still smaller than a wagon. I guess it also depends on your budget, the new GLA 35 ride quality improved compared to the last gen GLA, it would had been something you can consider as well. The previous gen is more like a crossover so not too big but now this gen is much more like an SUV so that is something to consider as well.

Docto

An Update from my side, I contacted the dealer and indeed it was a mistake and the car doesn't have air suspensions. They immediately corrected the information in the internet as well. I talked with the dealer about the ride quality and interestingly he said, that while he thinks the C63 has a very harsh ride, the C43 doesn't have a particularly bad ride quality at all and he thinks it's not much worse than a regular C-Class and does totally fine as a daily driver.

​​I personally don't like SUVs so much because I don't think they have significant advantages against wagons and find them boring because "everyone" is driving SUVs nowadays. Neither do I want to sit higher nor am I so old that I'd find it difficult climb in to a wagon, SUVs tend to have a less sporty driving experience because of the higher center of gravity and the higher weight, are usually more expensive and have usually a higher fuel consumption for the same performance. The biggest problem, many of them
are wider than 1850mm so they don't fit in to the garage. And the small SUVs like the GLA, which would fit in to my garage are IMO pathetic cars which have no advantages whatsoever against a good wagon.

I considered actually the CLA45 shooting brake as well and I should definitely try it once out, but I've sat in a GLA a couple of years ago and since the back seat there was pretty cramped, I expect the CLA similar to that one. However I just checked the size of the CLA shooting brake and it's apparently longer and wider than the GLA so it might be sufficient for my needs

W205C43PFL

I am not sure how desperate your dealership wants to make a sale to say that, yes the C 63 and the C 63s will be much stiffer but being an owner of a 2017 C 43 since new I have to disagree with their comment on it being not much different to a regular C-Class. That being said, tires that focuses on comfort and having proper tire pressure helps, it will never ride like a regular C-Class though, at least not in my experience with my 2017. Unless they are referring to the facelift ones because that got very close to a regular C-Class in ride quality but still not the same ride quality as a regular C-Class.

Me neither, I am also not a fan of SUVs. Which is the reason why I got myself a 2017 C 43 sedan/saloon instead of a 2017 GLC 43. Here in Canada, people associate SUVs as the "safer vehicle" which unfortunately results in them driving aggressively or irresponsibly because they think they are less likely to get injured even if an accident occurs. They also think that "they are on top of the world" because they "sit higher" than everyone else who drives sedans, so they can "look down" on others. We have way too many people on the road with SUVs because of mindsets like this, I am not saying every SUV owner here has this mindset but quite a huge portion of people do. I can't say if the same mindset is true for people in the USA other than the fact that they too love SUVs.

Sadly, this rapid increase of SUV demands and sales led to the demise of normal sedans, normal coupes (well, there is the SUV coupe now), convertibles (thankfully we don't have SUV convertibles, yet...) and normal wagons (as for MB, replaced by all-terrain). Many car companies discontinued wagons here as well. Unfortunately, wagons never took off here, I rarely see one on the road so the fate for them in Canada are not looking good. The reason I brought up SUVs was to give you an alternative option based on your needs and depending on if there is more inventory of that for you to choose from, just because I don't like them doesn't mean I should never mention them because others might want one (in your case, I learned that you don't but I didn't know). I agree with the differences in the centre of gravity and weight part and honestly the wagon has all the practicality you need in an SUV, I wish SUVs didn't exist and people all got wagons instead.

Docto

So I checked out data and reviews of the CLA45 shooting brake and found out, it is actually longer and wider than my current C200. It has also a larger trunk than the latest C-Wagon and while the back seats are not huge and unconfortable compared to the latest C-Wagon, it might be not any worse than my 2010 C200. According to one review the CLA45 shooting brake is using the same suspension as GLA45 and is therefore at least more comfortable than the regular CLA45.

Generally it appears the car fits well in my needs, looks cool at least the technical data looks very good. So I'm definitely going to check out that one, the used car price is also good and is widely available.

W205C43PFL

Happy to hear that you are making good progress with your vehicle search. Any chance you will take advantage of the autobahn as well : ) ?

Docto

Unfortunately my car won't see the Autobahn

W205C43PFL

I see.

By the way, what are the options you think you might need or want on the X117 CLA 45 shooting brake? I am actually second guessing if you really should get the shooting brake after all since the four cylinder might be stressed compared to a V6 in a C 43 for example. If you aren't constantly flooring it you might be fine though even for a long term ownership. Since you still need to test drive first and decide if it really is for you, let me know your experience once it is done. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your vehicle once you have decided on one : )

I guess don't just write off the C 43 yet, maybe to me the suspension isn't as comfortable as I hoped but to you it is good enough. Test drive both the vehicles (different ones too with different options if possible) and see what you like more. From a reliability standpoint purely, I believe the C 43 wins especially how the engine doesn't have to work as hard.

How are the prices going for the current gen CLA shooting brake, like the X118 CLA 35 for example? Asking because that engine is not pushed as hard but given how much newer it is, the prices might be out of reach for you. It also depends if you need the extra horsepower. I also believe the newer gen is more forgiving when it comes to ride quality.

superswiss

OP, I highly recommend you drive the car and judge for yourself. Ride comfort is subjective to some extent and nobody can really tell you how you'll perceive it. For reference I daily drive a C63S coupe, and I find comfort mode to be excellent. It's a FL 2019 model, though, which as the FL C43 has a revised suspension, and I replaced the stock Pilot Super Sport tires with the Pilot Sport 4S, which made a noticeable difference in ride comfort as well as handling. Don't get me wrong, the ride is sporty firm as I want it, but not uncomfortable with the tire pressures set correctly for normal load. It's all about the damping, and tires make a difference, too. I see you are located in Germany according to your profile, so over there I believe the C43 can be had with dedicated summer performance tires. The thing here in North America is that the C43 comes with runflat all-season tires, which are frankly garbage and a big part of the problem.

The thing is, it's difficult to compare adaptive to non-adaptive suspensions. Adaptive suspensions can offer comfort and dynamic handling in the same package depending on the driving situation, while a non-adaptive suspension is always a compromise. Case in point. I made an interesting observation earlier this year when my C63 was in service. They gave me a C300 coupe loaner, which here comes standard with a non-adaptive sport suspension. The ride quality compared to my C63 was frankly terrible. The damping was really poor. Driving on the highway I bounced up and down in my seat the entire way. It absorbed bumps in the road fine, but the body kept moving up and down, which I perceive as uncomfortable. In comparison, the damping in my C63 keeps the car calm. You can feel the bumps, but the adaptive damping immediately settles it and it's just a much more comfortable drive. Kinda like gliding along vs bouncing along. Adaptive suspensions have come a long way, and I probably wouldn't wanna go back to a non-adaptive suspension again.

Just to give a bit more of a perspective. I drove my C63 in Germany for two months. It wasn't fully broken in at the time and the suspension loosened up more over the last three years, but I've driven the car several times for up to 12 hours in a single day. Drove all the way from Switzerland to Copenhagen in one day. No comfort issues. One of the most memorable drives of the trip. I even have the AMG Performance Seats, which I find way more comfortable than many so-called comfort seats and other sport seats. Back to the C300 above, the sport seats in it were another disappointment that made the ride more uncomfortable. With the side bolsters fully deflated and the nice Nappa leather, I can drive for hours in my AMG Performance Seats w/o any comfort issues. Even my parents in their mid 70s liked to ride in my car when I visited them in Switzerland. My mom always wanted to take my car the entire time when we went somewhere together, even though she had to heave herself over the aggressive side bolsters of the seats to get in and out, and my dad had no problem getting into the back.

I would say this, though. AMGs are generally on the firmer side, but I prefer that. I come from several years of driving Audis, and they tend to be floaty in comfort mode which I don't like. What I really love about my C63 is that it isn't floaty in comfort mode. I still feel connected to the road, yet it isn't harsh nor beating me up. You do may wanna take a look at the S4 Avant, though. Audis are overall perhaps more comfortable, but also more floaty and roll more, which is something I'm not a fan of.