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A SL55 delivered 8/18/07, and an E55 wagon delivered 5/11/05
Should I consider the E43 AMG a real AMG?
Hi Guys,
Real long time since I have been around here, unable to afford the toys (F'in recession) so I just stayed away. Let me tell you its a ***** turning is a SL55 for an Impala. I am doing somewhat better now and my Chevy SS lease is about up so I thought I would peek at the MBZ website.
I am so out of the loop about Mercedes i was shocked to see listed a E43. My question is this car build the way an E63 is or is just Mercedes way of hoisting off "Fake AMG's" on uninformed customers? I looked at the boards and can not find anything.
FWIW I still have my 05 E55 wagon 151,000 miles still looks near new, runs strong, it is my link back to my rich dude days.
My sense is the E43 is not worth buying for several reasons:
1) It is underpowered and underperforming relative to its direct competitors the BMW M550i and Audi S6
2) Mercedes are saying they will have an E50 Coupe which I think means they will also have a E50 sedan to replace the E43 (my guess is in one model year they will switch to E50).
3) Having read some reviews I get the impression it is pretty tame (something I would not say of the competing cars named above).
BTW if you wait a year you may get a used E63 for the price of a fully loaded new E43.
To capitalize on more market share, there are now two main variants of the AMG line (not counting the up-level Black Series cars, nor the confusion now surrounding the -C and -S GT cars, and soon the -R cars, and of course there's an S and Non-S version of the V8's).
Regardless, I personally call the 43's "AMG-Light" and 63/65's the real AMG's.
There is also nothing "wrong" with the 43 cars, as I've personally considered the C and GLC versions of the 43. But I would never brag that I own a "real AMG" if I only had a 43.
My sense is the E43 is not worth buying for several reasons:
1) It is underpowered and underperforming relative to its direct competitors the BMW M550i and Audi S6
2) Mercedes are saying they will have an E50 Coupe which I think means they will also have a E50 sedan to replace the E43 (my guess is in one model year they will switch to E50).
3) Having read some reviews I get the impression it is pretty tame (something I would not say of the competing cars named above).
BTW if you wait a year you may get a used E63 for the price of a fully loaded new E43.
I totally agree - the new M550i and S6 would be my go to choice for non-E63 money. I think the E43 is a way for MB to charge way too much premium for an engine the should be the midline option at a lower price tag.
I totally agree - the new M550i and S6 would be my go to choice for non-E63 money. I think the E43 is a way for MB to charge way too much premium for an engine the should be the midline option at a lower price tag.
new m550i is sweet... looks are meh, but faster to 60 than current m5 and switchable on the fly awd to rwd
The 43 up-charge actually isn't that bad if you price it out:
Originally Posted by Vipershade
Yeah, I was thinking that also, so I did a quick comparison of the standard options in the E43 vs. E300:
I highlighted the E43 standard options that are optional on the E300:
And if we look at the costs to add these options to an E300:
Plus the 19" wheels are standard compared to $500 to add them to an E300.
That's around $5,500 of options included standard, not including the engine and AMG tuning to the engine and transmission. That also doesn't include the upgraded interior, which is standard.
I don't think we will really know the full extent of the AMG influence on the E43 until after the E63 comes out, which means that there will most likely be addition features added by AMG that aren't available to an E300, that won't be evident until after the E43 / E63 comparison is done.
Originally Posted by ua549
To that $5,500 add $650 for the sport wheel package that is required to add the 19" rims and $1,650 for entry level leather. Nappa leather (std. on E43) is only available on the E300 Luxury version unless one goes for the designo interior for $4,900.
So the grand total of addons is $7,800, and the price difference between the base E300 4M and E43 is $17,750 for a difference of $9,950.
The C43 (with a difference of $10,500 before the addon calculation) is a far better deal, but the other problem with the E43 is that it doesn't even get a shot at the same AMG options that the C43 has, like the performance exhaust, performance seats, and carbon fiber trim for example.
I would have to agree that there are better options available. (And worst case (as mentioned above), I would wait for the 450hp E50 before pulling the trigger on an E43).
Real long time since I have been around here, unable to afford the toys (F'in recession) so I just stayed away. Let me tell you its a ***** turning is a SL55 for an Impala. I am doing somewhat better now and my Chevy SS lease is about up so I thought I would peek at the MBZ website.
I am so out of the loop about Mercedes i was shocked to see listed a E43. My question is this car build the way an E63 is or is just Mercedes way of hoisting off "Fake AMG's" on uninformed customers? I looked at the boards and can not find anything.
FWIW I still have my 05 E55 wagon 151,000 miles still looks near new, runs strong, it is my link back to my rich dude days.
Wolf
These E43 cars are similar to the last years C class with AMG sport package. I had no problem with those. Now this year they introduce the C43 and E43 as full fledged AMG badged cars. Complete ripoff of the legendary AMG brand name.
I would have a tough time paying $85k for a 396hp AMG car. I would much rather buy a certified used E63.
Or if you want something new with 400HP, I would look at the 2017 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport which you can pick up for $50k new.
Last edited by YellowJacket; 01-02-2017 at 06:29 PM.
So far, the E50 has only been mentioned as the high-end E-Class coupe (with the new I6 engine producing 450hp). The E50 name would coincide with AMGs 50th anniversary. It seems logical that they would replace the E43 with the E50, but that is only speculation at this point.
FF. W212 E63 M156 non-pano 18" P2 ParkT NightV (gone but will be missed).
Yes, all brands including BMW and Audi are doing the same. That's why hat off to GM for keeping all the nonsense away, ie CTS-V, which is the only version under "V" for CTS and the highest end CTS version.
Yes, all brands including BMW and Audi are doing the same. That's why hat off to GM for keeping all the nonsense away, ie CTS-V, which is the only version under "V" for CTS and the highest end CTS version.
well truth be told there is a V sport version which is like the fake AMG's
Yes, all brands including BMW and Audi are doing the same. That's why hat off to GM for keeping all the nonsense away, ie CTS-V, which is the only version under "V" for CTS and the highest end CTS version.
Audi have an S line, BMW have the Msport versions, they are not RS or M versions, neither have they tried to explicitly imply they are. What Merc has done with the E43 is sacrilegious because they have given it the full AMG name. even BMW's upcoming M550i is not as blatant.
The E43 is the E550 replacement, The E550 is a mainstream car purchased by people who aren't necessarily car freaks, in addition since the E300 is now a 4 cylinder you are going to share your E43 and the AMG brand with people who are only in an AMG because that's the only option they have . Put it this way, if you must have an mercedes e-class and you don;t want a 4 cylinder or need an E63, you are going to find yourself behind the wheel of the "AMG E43". I guess we'll be seeing an AMG at every other traffic light.
Audi have an S line, BMW have the Msport versions, they are not RS or M versions, neither have they tried to explicitly imply they are. What Merc has done with the E43 is sacrilegious because they have given it the full AMG name. even BMW's upcoming M550i is not as blatant.
The E43 is the E550 replacement, The E550 is a mainstream car purchased by people who aren't necessarily car freaks, in addition since the E300 is now a 4 cylinder you are going to share your E43 and the AMG brand with people who are only in an AMG because that's the only option they have . Put it this way, if you must have an mercedes e-class and you don;t want a 4 cylinder or need an E63, you are going to find yourself behind the wheel of the "AMG E43". I guess we'll be seeing an AMG at every other traffic light.
question is will the e43 be as rare as the e550? Once the e400 arrives I think it will be rare and you won't see it at every other light. This is a transition period for Benz and their engine lineup is not yet fully out
The E43 is the E550 replacement, The E550 is a mainstream car purchased by people who aren't necessarily car freaks, in addition since the E300 is now a 4 cylinder you are going to share your E43 and the AMG brand with people who are only in an AMG because that's the only option they have . Put it this way, if you must have an mercedes e-class and you don;t want a 4 cylinder or need an E63, you are going to find yourself behind the wheel of the "AMG E43". I guess we'll be seeing an AMG at every other traffic light.
W212 (and to a degree C207) E550s are far from the "mainstream. There were actually less 2014 W212 E550s sold than 2014 W212 E63s. One does not see W212 E550 (unlike E350) "at every traffic light" and especially not 2014 E550s.
1. we can argue over what qualifies as mainstream. mainstream simply means for me a regular model in the mercedes lineu. depending on where you live e200, e250, s300, e360, e500/550
2. The more recent e550/500 always had a problem with ever dwindling 0-60 times, the e350 was fast enough and a six cylinder was smooth enough. I am not surprised the sale figures you quote (although I would like to see other years) because if you are going up from an E350 you might as well get the E63. The difference in between a 350 and a 550 ain't much, and you get more from a 63 in terms of the overall package: exhaust, seats, looks, branding, tunning etc.
3. I can understand why they introduced the E43 because like I said the old E500/550s were a hard sell. They are simply saying well if you want a 6-pot get the more expensive model which wasn't selling. that's the point...they want increased sales numbers for the E550 (aka E43) The problem is theyve called it an AMG and it's not a proper AMG.
4. You only have to read this forum to realise that many people are not happy with the 4 cyclinder in the E300, so it stands to reason you will see people who must have a 6 cylinder in their merc move up to the E43, meaning the w213 E43 will be more common than the w212 E550 or a lot will move to audi/BMW who are sill offering 6 cylinders at the mainstream level and at that E350 price point.
Thing is most feel that the e300 has enough scoot to 60 to meet their needs that the e350 would have also met and likely exceeded a bit on the highway.
I dont think you'll see many e43's brand new ... they are overpriced I think
again, in 2018-2019 new engines are arriving and this is a transition time for Benz
one man's opinion, I don't care about the marketing spin and the sound deadening and acoustic windows, I would not spend anything above $30K on a 4 cylinder, that's just me. you are probably happy to drive a 4 cylinder for the badge, that's you!! It's your choice don't call your opinion nonsense.
I don't know how old you are but I remember when a BMW M5 had a 0-60 of 6 seconds. When I was younger every second mattered but the current v6 E400 is 5.1, the e43 4.6 and the E63 3.6. Are you kidding me? As for top speed even the base E200 does 155 mph...please tell me which public roads you want to put that down on? Stop kidding yourself, for everyday use all you need is an E400, We have reached a point of diminishing returns. if you need to go higher, then you are looking for things like exclusivity, the AMG name, the suspension tuning, exhaust etc. For me the jump from 350 (current e400) to E550 (current E43) is just not worth it. ofcourse since there is no base 6 cylinder in the states, you have a different dilema
My wife and I test drove 2 E43s just last week and boy were we.......disappointed. First off we thought the car rode horrible to be a new E class (my GLE 400 trumps [haha] the ride of the E43). I purposely rode in the back seat, thankfully, and there was a lot of loud "thuds" coming from the rear trunk area. I noticed this even before my wife got out of the dealership lot good. We then switched drivers (my wife got in the backseat) and I didn't say anything to her but she noticed the sound too. To be an E class, the ride was not near as smooth either. Even compared to our '14 E350 with 37k. It was rough, loud, and jumped over bumps in the road. Both cars did this. Plus the drive seemed lazy and under powered. There was a lot of noise from the exhaust but it didn't seem to produce much forward momentum. The turbos did have less lag than my GLE400 but they didn't feel as powerful when they did kick in. The exhaust tune was more of a harsh cry and not a grumble roar like a "real" AMG. Yes I know this is a V6 and not the big V8, but it sounded more like it was trying to clear it's throat than produce an AMG sound.
Now we also drove a GLE43 Coupe right behind one E43 (thought about trading up my 400) and oh my it was so much better. (One question I have is why can my 400 and the GLE43 feel, ride, and drive so much better?) What is lost in technology and the new dash of the E43, the GLE 43 made up for in ride and drive. Kind of hard to understand why the E43 suffered so much. Buts still not a real AMG with the sound and lunatic performance.
So, I'm going to wait for the new E63 to come out and reassess getting another MB before I buy anything else (since we also drove a '14 M5 with 32k and was blown away by the drive and ride).
So I think you should wait for a real AMG if you've ever had one before. Otherwise the fake AMGs might be a disappointment. And like many have said they are priced fairly high. At 85k, why not spend just a little more and get that maniacal performance. (And for those who know it's an AMG, they are going to know if it's a real AMG)
Good luck.
Last edited by BACnMercedes; 01-04-2017 at 02:11 PM.
12-31-2016, 04:29 AM
