The thread is definetly lengthy so I admire your efforts in reading everything all in one go.

1. Most likely it will be 2024 if it is build after June? There is a time period the factory shuts down to take a rest then resumes in probably September. It is unlikely 2023s are still being built if you place an order.

 

Same about 100 of them within 500 miles of me. Spoke to a dealer who hasnt moved even 1 of the 8 since they dropped. Sad but other cars sitting too even suvs which was shocking to see. Thanks!

 

Lol thanks. I had to disable "infinity scroll" otherwise vBulletin and/or Chrome was struggling to load all those images and videos in one continuous feed.

I'm not sure either since the first two dealers I visited were adding markup to MSRP so I didn't even get to discuss the ordering process/timeline. I'll likely be visiting another dealer this weekend that will do MSRP so I'll update what I get. I've also submitted an inquiry through the Costco Auto Program to see what possible pricing might be but I'm expecting MSRP at best.

 

Don't settle for msrp haha. We had someone above just post they got one 1.5k off msrp. it can be done as they are not selling well at all

 

Definitely. If I go with a '24 and there ends up being a price increase over '23, I'll try to match '23 pricing at the very least. Let's see.

 

Yup the fact that it is sitting and that high money factor means you really need to drop that price down through negotiation.

 

You should laugh about it, tell them you know your stuff(you do, especially learning all that from this thread), these cars has been sitting since April. They are such slow seller and the money factor doesn't help, so they are desperate to sell these. Don't let them take advantage of you at all. Don't be afraid to walk when they are ridiculous because they know they can't sell these, let alone 2024 production is starting soon.

 

Correction: The cars were on dealerships lots March 24. Not April, so ya they got to bring that price down, if they refuse, walk! The grass is greener on the other side (a different dealership).

 

At my local dealer they literally moved them to the back to make room for the new glc's that came in since those may sell faster. It kind of made me sad to see them tucked away.

 

Which makes customers even more unaware about them for those that might potentially be shopping for a car but undecided what to get including those that don't browse MBUSA's site. Although that is increasingly rare, especially us forum members we pretty much know what we want and even the stock number of what we want before ever stepping in to a dealership, in the past it is always the salesman demonstrating various vehicles and options catered to our needs.

 

Yeah so I got it offered at like $3800 if I'm not mistaken and I negotiated it down to $3000. It's 123145134598% worth it at $3k, so I pulled the trigger on that without hesitation.

Not sure if the starting price varies between dealers, but the $4500 amount the first person said it outrageous.

 

What wheels do you have? How long is the protection

 

20" wheels and I think it was for the duration of the factory warranty so 4 years. I can't remember already, this was on Friday hahaha.

$0 deductible though.

 

Just an update - one dealer who participates in the Costco Auto Program said they do $1000 off MSRP but they were not accepting new orders for '23. Now I'm starting to believe the price can be haggled even further but I don't like the cars they have on the lot at this particular dealer (per online inventory check). Trying to see if another dealer is in this Costco network with better inventory.

 

Awesome! Keep at it. I think you can manage 2.5k off msrp. It's doable.

 

UPDATE: Took delivery of my 2023 C43 AMG on Monday. After all the final numbers I ended up getting closer to $1.7k off MSRP. They said this was the first C43 they received on their lot, so it was probably sitting for a month or so. For those browsing dealer inventory, DON’T PAY MSRP OR MARKUPS. These models are readily available everywhere, especially here in the Southeast.

For those also wondering about the wheel and tire packages, I did decide to purchase it. They offered it to me for $2550 for 4 years. I declined so they took off $200, so $2350 for 4 years which I said fine. Still not sure if I’ll keep it as I’ve never curbed a wheel and if I did somehow burst a tire I’d just replace it myself through Tire Rack or Discount Tire and get the road hazard protection which is still much cheaper than the protection package. However, $2350 for 4 years is relatively cheap compared to what I’ve seen some others be quoted on here, so still up in the air. If anything I’ll cancel it within 30 days to get the full refund.

Mine came with the exact packages I was looking for: Pinnacle trim, both Night packages, 19” wheels, heated and ventilated seats, etc. The car is beautiful in person, and the Starling Blue is stunning in the sun.

Initial driving impressions: this is my first ever Mercedes, so I don’t really have much of a baseline to compare to. However, I do come from a 2022 Toyota Supra, so much of my comparisons are based on the BMW B58 engine and ZF8 speed. My main concern with this transition was obviously going to be the engine and exhaust sound. However, for the US models I was thoroughly surprised by the exhaust sound, especially in S+ mode. Omission of the OPF definitely helps, and the exhaust tone is aggressive but not over the top. I’m excited to see what exhaust systems come out for this generation.

The transmission is definitely a little jerky, especially between 1st and 2nd gear. That was the first thing I noticed during my test drive. The throttle takes some getting used to as well. In comfort mode it almost seems as if the transmission is confused on what to do. Upshifts seem delayed, downshifts don’t feel smooth. I’ve read that this will get better as the transmission adapts to your driving style, so I’m hoping to give an updated review after a few thousand miles. However, compared to the smooth ZF8 speed in most modern BMW’s it can definitely use some tweaking.

During my roughly 400 mile drive home from Augusta to Orlando the car was great. I used cruise control throughout the whole drive and made sure not to go over the 85mph limit recommendation by AMG. So far I’m roughly halfway through the engine break in period.

I dropped the vehicle off yesterday at a local detailing shop to get the works: PPF all along the front of the car, ceramic window tint, powdercoat the wheels satin black, paint the brake calipers red, and ceramic coat the entire exterior, wheels, calipers and interior. Looking forward to see how much the look of the car changes once I can pick it up next week.

I plan on starting a mod thread to share pics as I make changes to the car. Coming from a BMW Supra with such a big aftermarket community, it’s definitely going to be a change however I’m excited to see what mods come out for this car. And definitely looking forward to learning more about this Mercedes platform along the way.

Here’s some pics in the car’s stock form. Will upload more in the mod thread once I get the car back next week.

 

Congrats on your new ride! I LOVE that colour!

 

Massive congratulations and stunning car! Starling blue is definitely my favorite on the W206 and at the top of my list. So are the 19 inch wheels. You did a great job finding this car, we have pretty identical tastes in how we would spec a car lol.

I hope the aftermarket or lack there of doesn’t disappoint you in the long run. There isn’t much, it takes a while to come to market and a lot of it sucks or is overpriced. The W206 has been out for two years now and you’ll find close to nothing. Maybe an exhaust or one tune here and there for the C300. It’s nothing like the mind numbing amount of aftermarket support there is for BMW.

I am drooling over these new C43s but still have my W205 on lease until January. Who knows maybe something will work out. Either way, I’m very excited to see your build and will definitely keep my eye out for your mod thread!

 

Thank you! Definitely lucked out in finding this one.

The lack of aftermarket support is something I kind of was anticipating coming to a Mercedes, let alone a new generation C43, however my goals for this car are a lot different than what they were with the Supra. My whole rationale for even purchasing this car is because I needed something practical and luxurious but still quick when I wanted it to be. I’m having to drive into the office again a few days out of the week after being remote for so long so I wanted a comfortable highway cruiser that you can also rip on a straight road or handle a twisty road. I actually had a build order for a BMW M440i Gran Coupe, but overall the look and feel of this C43 just captured me so much more even despite the 4-cyl engine. I wanted something I wouldn’t be tempted to sink a whole bunch of money into power mods like I would with a BMW. With this, I can focus more on aesthetic mods to make the car truly my own. While I haven’t had the chance to really push this engine to the limit yet cause of the break in, just from initial driving I can already tell it will check all those boxes for me.

 

Glad you’re really enjoying it so far and I completely get it. For me, if I do any power mods it wouldn't be much more than a piggyback or an ecu remap with similar gains. I wouldn’t be going for an *****ton of power but just a little bit extra to open it up and still keep my reliability. I prefer a precise car and luckily there was a good amount of chassis upgrades for the W205 that seemed popular so hopefully that continues with this gen. I picked my W205 because I preferred the chassis dynamics of it compared to the G20. It felt lighter which it is, turn in more precise and the steering much more communicative. I will say that the G20 was a little more playful and much of that is down to BMWs traction control tuning, it seems to have much more confidence in the driver. The C43 seems to be a more precise animal than the G20 at least from reviews. Part of that might be linked to the rear axle steering. AMG also seemed to have put more effort into the chassis and suspension to differentiate it from a “basic” c class than BMW did with the M340i compared to the 330i. The same applied with the previous C43, but that was very quickly overshadowed by the B58’s aftermarket support and tune-ability.

Speaking of making it your own, by going for a C43 you’ll be different and won’t be like every other M340i and M440i. They seem to be everywhere nowadays, at least in my area. And they’re all in the same three colors too. For every one C43 I see maybe 3 or 4 M340i.

 

Congrats, forum member alexasa has a small mod thread.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...s-journal.html
You could also swap some wheels, add spacers etc. to change the stance: https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...ent-guide.html

 

I did see that! Alexasa’s thread is actually what motivated me to start my own. And spacers are definitely on the to do list in the near future

 

Couldn’t have said it better myself! Last thing I want to do is blow up a hand built engine cause of some power mods lmao. This car is definitely a different animal in stock form compared to the BMW.

And yes, exactly! I’ve always been one to try and own “unique” cars in the sense of stuff you don’t see on the road every day. While at its root it’s still a C Class, I don’t think I’ve seen a W206 C43 AMG in the wild yet. Whereas M340i/M440i’s I see everywhere nowadays down here in FL

 

[QUOTE=BigBodyBH;8792990]Couldn’t have said it better myself! Last thing I want to do is blow up a hand built engine cause of some power mods lmao. This car is definitely a different animal in stock form compared to the BMW.[QUOTE]​​​​

I completely agree!

Same here! I don’t need my car to stand out like a sore thumb but I do appreciate some uniqueness. We were one of the few who had an E61 5 series wagon, the last one ever sold in the US. Even a different shade of paint can go a long way. In a sea of grey-scale cars, the few blues MB offers is a breath of fresh air.

 

It might be that way in FL, but where I am (Markham, ON), C43 will probably be the *MOST* (and by a large margin) prominent C-Class. As the volume rolls in and orders get fulfilled, the C43 is going to be everywhere.

To be honest, Audi/BMW/Merc are all over the place. If you're looking for something truly unique, you're better off getting a Camaro, at least in my area.