Shock findings: jerky auto & rough ride undo the new C43 (Mercedes-AMG C43 2023 review)

[@chasingcars]

We tell it like it is, even when it’s not all good news. Much more detail in our on-site review here. www.chasingcars.com.au/reviews/sports-cars/mercedes-amg-c43-2023-review/

[@markchesterfield6118]

The value of being independent. Thanks Tom for another brutally honest review without fear or favour...

[@chasingcars]

Thanks Mark

[@Sawubona2007]

We'll never get the golden years back. When C63, RS4, M3 all had naturally aspirated V8s. For $150k this is garbage.

[@chasingcars]

It was a great era - but even force fed sixes (and some fours!) deliver great experiences without having a poor auto and suspension tune. It is possible to do.

[@malsmith2012]

Absolutely agree.. How did it become a thing that people just pay mega coin for so called German engineering when they're unreliable cars often with a heap of issues that you'd never want to own let alone own one out of warranty ? It's just BS.. What do you get for all that coin apart from a lot of issues and a car that'll depreciate like no tomorrow?

[@Boguardis]

Could you imagine getting the m159 in a current gen c43? Even if it was a wet sump.

[@JDMEVOVIGSR]

I just cannot fathom paying $135k plus for a 4 cylinder, no matter what badge is on the front.

[@mackeymichael]

What about a Porsche Cayman S ? Probably the only 4 cyl car worth it to me.

[@arunjeyaseelan5375]

This car is not 135k even fully spec out this guys nuts

[@stevepadmore7138]

Sadly, this report mirrors my own experience in yesterdays test drive with jerky gear changes etc. Such a shame, as had such high expectations considering the buttery smooth gear change in the Mrs new A35.

[@shaneisaacs666]

Looks good but an M340i is way better than this.

[@mickill2]

Our 2022 C200 leaked engine oil and transmission oil with no engine light warning and the engine almost blew,the car has too many electrical problems,the reliability is a complete joke for such an expensive car.

[@chasingcars]

How annoying. Covered under warranty I imagine?

[@mickill2]

@@chasingcars yes covered by warranty and took two months to fix.

[@malsmith2012]

How did Mercedes get this so wrong? And why is it that people are charged these super high prices for so called German engineering when for years they've been unreliable, expensive to own, have issues like Tom mentioned here and depreciate like nothing else? What are you getting for your pile of cash? It's like we've all been conned yet some people lap it up continuing to pay through the nose for the image the chrome plated plastic badge gives them amongst their friends.. Madness.. For the money they want creaking and rattling interiors along with jerky transmissions etc shouldn't be part of the deal.. Imagine what it'll be like in 5 or so years.. No chance..

[@baoquoc3710]

...Except BMW and Porsche. You only made your overreacting sentiment getting worse because of all anecdotal stories that people tell you when in fact they didn't know well about German cars. Porsche has maintained its drivetrain that it still runs even after many generations of 911s. BMW honed themselves as a worthy German brand in terms of engine reliability, despite questionable design cues.

[@quadcoreQ]

That old 6 cylinder engine sounds so good!!!

[@chasingcars]

It really did

[@mackeymichael]

every time l hear a C63 (6.2 L V8) drive past me l listen to the deep V8 rumble sounds different to other V8s

[@purplehazeffc]

I also don’t understand why so, so many cars for the Australian market come with heated seat rather than ventilated seats. Apart from maybe Tasmania & Canberra. The rest of Australia you would be using ventilated seats 3,4 times as much as heated seats.

[@aussie8114]

Heated seats cost very little to implement, it’s just an electric heat pad. Cooled seats require ducting the AC into them.

[@chasingcars]

Agree, cooled seats get far more use in my personal car than the heating function

[@allenjones5525]

Not if you live in Ballarat bro...heated seats more useful than ventilated when measured over a year LOL

[@purplehazeffc]

@@allenjones5525 Fair enough. I'm in Perth. Heated seats for me 10 times a year at most. Cooled seats, close to 3 months I would say

[@allenjones5525]

@@purplehazeffc Ahhh you would not happen to be a Fremantle fan by chance? :) Just sort of deducing from purple and ffc. But you're right about Perth as ventilated seats would get a bloody good work out i would think

[@therealjeffg]

Thnx for the honest review….good to hear weaknesses called out.

[@chasingcars]

Hopefully Benz can do a recalibration

[@kumaruditbhanudas2934]

M340i is best

[@chasingcars]

M340i is peachy and the S4 wagon is also very good

[@MostCedric]

4 cylinder, no thanks

[@chasingcars]

The thing is the four-cylinder itself is far from the major issue here. The automatic and suspension calibration are much bigger problems.

[@jjh00]

How long you going to hold onto your Mitsubishi 380?

[@jeremybean-hodges6397]

It’s not the number of cylinders that matter, it’s the power.

[@danielli4869]

W206 is a disappointing series. Not sure why you said c200 is fabulous. I test drive it some time ago and I would keep my w205 for sure. 20k more expensive with the crappy engine. One thing I would agree with you - I would definitely get m340i and keep 30k in my pocket. $150k for c43 is simply not justified.

[@chasingcars]

I said the C200 is great because it is: your characterisation of it being the ‘crappy’ engine is just totally off-base. Sorry. You’re confusing ‘least expensive’ with crap, which is easy to do, but in this case - wrong. As for the general price increases, I agree, they suck! Times were good when you could buy an awesome W204 C200K or C220 CDI for sub-70K.

[@Jwdude123]

I bought one. Love it.

[@1MrBryn]

The other downside compared to the Beemer is the interior. Even though the Merc is far more flashy and stylish, the current ones don't have the bank vault, carved from granite feel that BMW interiors have right now.

[@chasingcars]

BMW are at a quality high point right now yep

[@1MrBryn]

@@chasingcars even the little 1 series has a rock solid interior.

[@thelastemperor3704]

I think Merc's have for a while taken the style over substance approach to their interiors. I looked at the A35 a few years ago and thought it looked really nice but then I sat in it and started prodding the materials and got straight back out. Looks good on photos but I wouldn't put my hard earned cash into one.

[@CorvusHyperion]

4 cylinder, less torque and no better fuel economy but more complex, more to go wrong - what's the point of this car? I also really dislike the blanked out front facia plastics on an AMG no less.

[@chasingcars]

My only guess is that the claimed fuel consumption is technically 0.3L/100km better, which might get Mercedes closer to its European emissions targets. Unfortunately, the real world consumption we got was 14L/100km, which is the same or worse than the V6.

[@mehmettemel8725]

Mercedes definitely lost the plot.Just about every vehicle they sell when you went up from a 4 banger to 6 the price use to jump roughly 30k or more now the engine is gone the other way yet price still goes up.

[@Sacbrah_]

I was a full on AMG fan boy til they went with the 4pot

[@boscogong4242]

Just saw this video after going for a test drive in the C43 and E450 here in the US, literally yesterday. My opinion matched yours, car felt rough and I could feel the turbo lag. I liked the E450 much better. My 15 yo 08 Infiniti G35x was smoother than this new C43.

[@JayMaverick]

Those ipads instead of an instrument cluster look cheap af and will age like milk. I hope we get over this age of touch screens soon.

[@Hutchy86]

Brutally honest! Hats off Tom👍

[@Dilly_Dil1y]

Was seriously looking at this car for my next car purchase. Thank you for your honest review 🙏

[@bazinga615]

WOW! Body creaking. Last car I had that ever did that was a Hyundai accent back in the day. I forgave it... it was $15,990 driveaway. Also, more yukky rough riding Mercs... what's the point?

[@laurieespi4828]

Thank you for the review. This one is off my list.

[@yecuzz]

It's still quite unfortunate that the C200 and C300 don't get Burmester in Australia yet.. Although I expected it to be better 😂

[@chasingcars]

The base stereo might actually better than the Burmester - I know that is hard to believe but I have now spent a long time listening to both and I prefer the sound of the base unit.

[@yecuzz]

@@chasingcars I have also listened to the base stereo extensively and found it to be very decent except for the lack of bass. However considering the Burmester has 16 speakers and 710W of amplification, you would expect it to be a lot better.

[@davidestate]

I have the Previous C43 AMG w205 and I can tell that everything you said, it already in this car. It feels hard and well planted, it's fast and makes noise inside but if you listen to music, you don't hear anything but the music since the car has very heavy bass. The Transmission is jerky until the transmission learns how you drive so if you drive fast right off the line as the trans is learning, it will be really jerky.

[@surfman0115]

It's all about on paper specs. On a dyno, the 4cyl turbo gets better fuel economy, real world, not so much.

[@chasingcars]

That explains the engine but it does not explain the other and more pressing dynamic issues.

[@andyz9455]

Appreciate your honest review!

[@chasingcars]

Not a problem. I call it as I see it

[@Zeratul199]

Will you be reviewing the refreshed A45S ?

[@chasingcars]

I should think so.

[@CorvusHyperion]

I've just been checking these out on carsales and the dealers seem to be converting their stock of C43s into demo models and selling at heavy discounts. Seems they are not selling. The BMW M340i on the other hand has a 6 month wait.

[@winstonthecuttlefish5352]

You must be out of your mind to choose this over the M340i, and this is coming from a 2021 GLC 43 owner.

[@HiddenWen]

It feels like for this gen, BMW has Mercedes beat when it comes to its performance sedans. The M340i 3 Series and M3/M4 are just better than whatever AMG are throwing at us. And the next E63s will also lose the V8.

[@nqobilemahlaba2230]

I'm a massive merc fan but truth be told. The last good c class was the W204 both coupe and sedan. Downsizing isn't all what you think it is

[@chasingcars]

I have owned several W204s. Seriously good cars

[@goran2009]

Reality is that this car is not any better than G20 330i, but I guess it looks nice and it would fit well in South Yarra. Definitely not worth the price , but in couple of years when they drop to 60k, could be a good buy…

[@chasingcars]

Yes, I agree that the G20 330i (let alone M340i) is a far more well rounded car. That said, the W206 C200 - like our long termer - is a peach. We know this platform can be great. But this implementation isn’t up to scratch.

[@CorvusHyperion]

Would you buy something this complex out of warranty?

[@TheJoStephan]

I wish you would review this car again, over 1 year later, to see if the updates have improved the car’s quality.

[@richieduck67]

M340I 20k cheaper and has that lusty 6

[@chasingcars]

$30K cheaper almost.

[@BobbyDazzler888]

3 year warranty though

[@leochan7554]

@@BobbyDazzler888 5 years now

[@chasingcars]

Merc, BMW and Audi all now have five year unlimited kilometre warranties in Australia

[@leochan7554]

@@chasingcars when is Porsche gonna follow 😂

[@pablor1768]

Seeing this, I really hope BMW will keep the B58 engine as long as possible... surprising the MB engine is not good at all at least they had a lot of experience with the A-class AMG 4 Cyl Engines. When BMW will (hopefully never) switch to 4 cyl engines in their M Performance models it might be probably even worse...

[@chasingcars]

This engine is good in the A45. Something has gone wrong in turning it longitudinal + adding the Garrett electric turbo, which the A45 doesn’t have.

[@richieduck67]

Moment of silence for the V6

[@TravieFam]

its embarrassing when your AMG has a hard time getting past 2nd gear... mine jerks back and forth violently

[@martinlowe3594]

Oh dear. I’ll keep my w205 c43 thanks .

[@RubberStig]

I would have thought the fixed price thing would be illegal in Australia. Sure the manufacturer can fix the price to the dealer (and probably should to be fair) but competition between dealers has been curtailed with this policy, and that is certainly illegal.

[@steveny9972]

They found the loop hole saying the dealership now acting like an Agent... pretty BS imo. Honda started first ... but who buys Honday :D

[@CorvusHyperion]

They sure aren't fixed price at the moment, they are all demos heavily discounted

[@AutoOpinionByJon]

In the U.S Market. The Exhaust is 10x better. When the car shifts, it yells! For $71,000. This is a ultimate daily car.

[@bradleybprentice1497]

Tom, what a review. Who would buy it? It looks great but that is not going to win it fans. In this video I was really focused and the new camera angles and the quality of the video. The drone shots were good. It’s a whole new level in video production. Very slick. And the new on screen titles are a nice look. I will have to watch it again. In my opinion it might be a tad overproduced compared to previous videos. However, I am still a big fan of the channel.

[@williamfindlay1385]

I bought a 2021 Mercedes GLC 43 and after seeing the new 2023 Mercedes C43 it is almost worse in every aspect to the predecessor losing the great sounding and faster V6, losing the build quality and overall enjoyment. I’m very glad that I didn’t wait to get the new C43/GLC 43.

[@labmad5886]

I’m in the Uk and have a beautiful silver yr 2020 V6 C43 4 door. Love it to bits. Sounds amazing has been totally reliable so far. Only done 20k miles now, as my toy. No rattles in cabin. Agreed only one problem the gearbox. A little jerky lower gears varies from day to day. Pause briefly at a junction in 2nd gear and as you accelerate sometimes it will decide to give you first gear and as does so, it jerks. Annoying, otherwise gearbox hard to fault 9 gears means only 1,700rpm at 70 mph so economy is amazing 35mpg on a cruise . So it’s not all bad. I have digital dash so can have tyre pressures/temperatures showing along with ‘trip so far’ details all at once. Have owned BMWs unfortunately their latest Speedo/rev design is awful. Also as good as a 340i is I now think 3 series are boring to look at, & too many around. Have heard the B58 can give problems. This latest C43 is stunning to look at just needs that raucous V6 I have !

[@lMP0SSIBLE]

I don’t get it, how do you find C200 and C63 great but the one in the middle not so much? Especially talking about interior when they are all pretty much identical?

[@davidperry3531]

Oh dear! It looks like Mercedes have lost the plot for potential buyers on this one. Price and economy with a 4 cylinder with NO discount has meant they have priced themselves out of this niche market. BMW 340i is far better value and a better car and was actually reduced in price with the LCI. The Audi S4, although a few years old now is a lovely drive and reasonable value too. To have those body creaks and squeaks on this Mercedes would be enough to put me off. Thanks for your honest revue but you may have trouble getting another Mercedes from the manufacturer after this write-up. I hope that you didn't have to sign a contract to say you would say nothing negative about the brand as apparently Jeep require reviewers to do!

[@chasingcars]

We would never sign a contract agreeing not to say negative things about a car. And Mercedes doesn’t require that. As for their reaction to honest reviews - in my experience they are highly professional. We call it like it is and handsomely reward good cars. If that is to mean anything, we have to tell the truth when a car doesn’t pass muster for some significant reason.

[@davidperry3531]

@@chasingcars That's how it should be.

[@jamestorrens645]

The thing I loved about the old C43 was its V6. Wow it sounded good! But now, it's completely gone... This car looks great and has a nice interior, but for $135k? That's too much for what it is.

[@jhref]

Can someone help me out? Is this the same level as a full fat M car? If not, what is the name of that one?

[@chasingcars]

No, it’s the same level as the M340i (what used to be called ‘M Performance’) or the Audi S4

[@jhref]

@@chasingcars thanks, I just realised with Mercedes the letter is the size, the number is the power.

[@johnbourne5068]

$135k, what tha! Sounds nothing less than greedflation by Mercedes Australia.

[@aygeeninty771]

Good to see a hard review for this expensive shitbox. The German big brands are going down the toilet anyways with the EV regulations being forced onto Europeans.

[@baysidelad1]

Get an M340i LCI instead, it SLAUGHTERS the C43!

[@rickygee688]

I used to own a 2016 C300. Build quality was terrible to say the least, given the 6 digit figure I paid for it. The Burmester audio system sounded hollow and had zero bass. Car had constant WD40 odour inside the cabin coming from the vents since new and dealer couldn't fix it. The Airmatic suspension completely collapsed after about 60km on the road and costed me over $7,000 to fix up. The rear boot's supporting arms were scratching interior lining every time it opened and closed, and eventually failed completely. The service department at North Shore BMW was shockingly bad. Will never buy a Merc again! The new M340i LCI I recently bought is completely 5 levels above the Merc. Everything was built with top quality. The B58 engine is a gem! The driving experience is so much better than the C43.

[@AndrewL31413]

Thank you for a honest review.

[@Kruse1]

It's a shame because it looks awesome. I suppose all that is why you wait for the facelift.

[@BearX681]

This car is a big mistake...

[@tomy8339]

So, a highly boosted, complicated electric turbo 4 cylinder car that weighs the same as my Kia Stinger, having the same performance. I don't get the point.

[@mackeymichael]

I know which one will last 2 or 3 times as long and l am not a fan of Kia's. What's the point ? The EU is regulating internal combustion engines off the road by 2030 or is it 2035 ? So they are making them as expensive as hell l mean a 4 cyl engine mass produced car for $150 K.

[@veselingramatikov]

Regulations leave companies with no options. Full electric or this nonsense. The 10 years old Audi S3 2.0 TSI with 300hp as fast. Welcome in to the future.

[@tanka5700]

The amg versions look good but bmw g20 with a nicely up spec interior does leave them for dead.

[@porkchopsandwiches8363]

Glad I didn’t get one of these but the price compared to the competition was a big turnoff though that interior looks great

[@rallymosm3331]

Good with M 340i

[@kylosolo6128]

So why would anyone buy this over the M340i?

[@chasingcars]

That’s the question

[@yaboibakalli]

There are many reasons, the only thing the M340i has it going for it is the engine. Looks wise it’s alright, sound wise it’s perfect but inside is very bland and boring. iDrive8 is atrocious to use and the screen setup looks like it’s so out of place. You spend majority of your time inside, it’s better to have something nice/luxury and special than just another 3 series interior.

[@tehclam]

@@yaboibakalli you spend your time driving the car, not looking at the dash. Also, does a car OS really matter in this day and age? Surely most people use CarPlay/Android Auto for most things

[@themercedestraveler9566]

@Nathan C in that case why even buy a newer m340i and just buy an old old m3 and enjoy the performance? The m340i is nice but it's nothing amazing. The steering response is unlike most proper M cars, sound is boring and looks are debatable.

[@davidperry3531]

Only the rusted-on Mercedes owners who get shafted by the dealer service department after they purchase.

[@hellothere4342]

If you don't need to have latest and greatest. Get yourself a lightly used W205 C63s for less.

[@Jsah11]

Thanks for your honest review. A very underwhelming car. The truth is, Mercedes don’t make cars as good as you hope and this comes from a Mercedes fan boy.

[@supersurfer1]

That front is ugly. Very droopy looking.

[@yuhboyify]

Only a Muppet would buy one. A few more $$ and you can get a bmw550 pure with 4.4l twin turbo v8! And it has air con buttons!!

[@chasingcars]

Love the M550i. Great, great car

[@mujtabamujeeb786]

It really went back in terms of build quality. Absolutely ridiculous

[@EmperialHails]

Imagine buying this over a m340

[@jimmysaber]

I have had this car for 5 months and not having any creeks from the door etc..

[@anakinskywalker4113]

Mercedes has lost a lot of what made it great. The quality has really deteriorated since it’s hey days. BMW have really nailed it right now.

[@TYAC_red]

Is it better than a Toyota Crown?

[@jjlouis7762]

What kind of dollars are these because in the US this particular car is like 65-68k msrp usually 73k after all the options and dealership prices Edit : I heard him mention Australia so I’m guessing it’s AUD. That’s still 90-95k usd .

[@C3Sar092]

I love my c43 but this new one. I'm really questioning it. And MB is keeping it safe vs BMW. They put it out there and trying new things.

[@AdamAus85]

All these tiny engines really take the shine of the Germans. I love my 05 156 sportwagon with it's 2.0 JTS engine, but that's a light car and has a manual. Or my 02 530i with it's 3.0 M54 engine. Or my latest car, a facelifted 05 166 with the 3.0 "Busso" V6. Beautiful inside and out.

[@gw7624]

Mercedes must be insane to price this so far above an M340i. It should be cheaper if anything.

[@bethelmadida9513]

In South Africa the new C43 costs 200 000 Rands less than the outgoing w205 C63 Amg and I doubt it offers that much of a car in comparison and what you highlighted in terms of engine performance I doubt it is worth the money. I believe AMG should have stuck an electric motor to the outgoing 3.0 engine

[@joeblogs4295]

Nice review, thanks. It all just reinforced that I will stick with my 2020 C43😊

[@pixelhen]

Damn that bad, I was hoping it was better than the old ones it replaces considering that new tech inside it..

[@chasingcars]

As I said, as a W206 fan I was also hoping it would be much better.

[@rallymosm3331]

Best beautiful C 43 2023

[@bobbywilson5664]

So…it looks like a Korean / Japanese car with a AMG badge. Engine and performance is compromised due to size and weight. I will give it the Interior looks nice but you can get that same interior from the standard model. So why would you buy this car again?

[@chasingcars]

The engine and 0-100 performance just aren’t even near the top of the problems list. Would be nice if it was fizzier and faster, but I’d settle for a smooth auto and compliant suspension, like an S4 - or all that stuff plus quicker acceleration, like an M340i

[@faradaycool4058]

Listen up the boy engineers and buyers of Mercs. Tom has spoken. The truth hurts. You're just buying a fancy badge with a center console dust magnet. Be true to yourselves, and get yourselves the ultimate driving machine......

[@LemtemPoktui]

Couldn't be bothered with a car company that has 0 championships to its name. Mercedes, Porsche and Audi is the choices of men. Boys love BMW tho cuz it goes vroom in a straight line.

[@kiloantraxs4]

Dammm 🥺 my c45 gets here on may 16 I think I messed up on buying this 😢 I’m gonna muffler delete that so it sounds better lol

[@samcas707]

AMG can’t do dampening… and now neither can AMG-lite

[@okko9708]

the car is 71k, idk where yall got your numbers from

[@rallymosm3331]

Beautiful Aussie

[@KingofInterns]

W203 sedan has 470L boot....w206 is terrible

[@mikeolson7557]

That’s a shame. This car was greatly anticipated and at it’s price point, totally inexcusable.

[@blaze3007]

Solid review, Mercedes is way too focused on EVs and producing poor quality in their current ICE cars

[@ulfw]

No idea who this car is for

[@the_batmobile0.4]

M340i will gap the sheet outta this over price cr@p

[@sheechan8407]

It's so disappointing. Crappy gearbox, lousy ride, even the interior fittings are falling apart. From AMG!

[@gorkemmehmet3524]

I have one and never encountered any of the issues your talking about tbh just sound like Mercedes hater lol , plenty of power been tested 4 seconds flat on a lot of review channels not sure you know how to launch properly lol, and it is perfect for everyday driving. Not to mention way better fuel efficiency . Wouldn’t listen to this dude got to do with anything about this car test it out for yourself at the dealership then make your decision this is also coming. From a c63s owner lol very different to the v8 but feels a lot better for every day commute and inside is levels above in tech.

[@christucker7688]

your basing your opinion on 1% of highest sport driving and not the other 99% of regular driving experience.........

[@chasingcars]

No, I’m basing it on the 99%.

[@Cars_with_max]

M340i is way better hate this new c43

[@hallo7970]

Never Heard that much shit, do you realy think Mercedes-Benz brings Out a Bad car in this centhury😂😂😂😂

[@wristcandy5451]

Blah

[@upup209]

Talk about overpriced

[@piotr2951]

You were looking forward to the engine downgraded from 6 to 4 cylinders, really ? 🤦

[@chasingcars]

Sure, the A45 engine is a work of art

[@piotr2951]

​@@chasingcars So it doesn't matter that the previous M276 engine was considered one of the best sounding 6 cylinders on the market and the competitions 6 cylinders like the B58 were and are amazing. If it doesn't sound as good or is as smooth as 6 cylinder engines, at least it's a piece of art, you convinced me 🤦

[@chasingcars]

You seem to be getting offended at the idea that multiple engines can be good, which is hard to understand. The previous V6 was good. The M340i’s B58 is superb (as stated multiple times in the video). The A45’s M139 is also a great motor, and relatively light, meaning a front-end agility increase. However, as this video makes abundantly clear, the transition to longitudinal + the new electric turbo has resulted in deeply flawed refinement.

[@dominicancash]

Must ppm dont understand that must ppl who buy a benz they do it cuz of the name behind it , no the same to pull up on a bmw or audi , volvo , tesla than pulling up in a benz …. The benz is the bridge the rest are the water no matter what they will always be below.

[@chasingcars]

The opinion that "all other brands will always be below Mercedes" clearly isn't correct in relation to the C43.