[bri1042]

To start with, all subjective judgments are not fact, they are just my subjective judgments.

I had Monday off for Washington's Birthday and I was bored, so I drove down to a somewhat remote local Merc dealer that's independently owned and known for good customer service. The point, of course, is to try and decide what to do next when my lease is up and the new M340 won't be available yet. I still can't quite shake my desire to grab a Manual M3 or M4, even if I have to buy used (used cars and I have a bad history...I really don't want to), but I'm exploring my options, looking at what build specs dealers tend to stock, and order times for various options.

When I picked the 340 last time around, I never managed to drive the C43. It was in the "in between time" during the C400 to C43 transition, and the Mercedes dealer near me works really hard to be everything folk hate about stepping into luxury dealerships. You can look, but unless you're wearing Armani or have cash in your paw, they rarely want to let folk test drive anything but base models (not just me...lots of folk have had this experience with them).

So on a chilly but sunny day, off I went to the southern reaches of the metro. I walked into the dealership (long-sleeve t-shirt, jacket, jeans, sneakers) and was greeted immediately by the receptionist. I was immediately clear about what I wanted to look at (C43 and maybe the C63) and that I wouldn't be buying for about a year. I told her I'd be happy to just look around if all of the sales folk were already busy with other customers. She cheerfully offered a coffee and found me an unoccupied salesperson.

I again stated to the gent that arrived to help me that I didn't want to take up much of his time since I wasn't buying today but just had a few questions and wanted to get a close look. He was great. Enthusiastic about the product and he'd been working at the dealership for 20 years, so he wasn't a newbie. We talked for a bit and he took me up to the main storage area to look at the cars. We looked at and sat in a pretty stripped C43 Sedan, a more well-equipped coupe, and a mid-spec C63S. We'd been going for a bit, so I gave him an escape before taking up any more of his time. He wouldn't hear of it. He wanted me to drive at least one of them, so I picked the C43 Coupe. If I go Mercedes, this guy is getting my business. No question about that.

So, the car:

Looks outside:
This is totally subjective. I think its a bit of a wash, there are details I like better on the C-Class than the 3-Series. I do think that the current Mercs look more modern than the current BMW's (including the newer models like the 5's), but that's both good and bad. The tail of the C Coupe is fine, but it's kind of awful on the Sedan. The Merc looks better to me from the side, the BMW's look better from the front, etc... I've logged this detail as not a consideration because it's back and forth.

The interior:
There's no question that the initial impression I got from the C's was of a higher class of car than the 3-series. Modern and pretty. But. The flowing center console from the screen to the storage bin makes the interior feel smaller after a bit. This was really clear when I got back into my 340 and felt like I had a TON of space after spending time in the C43. The legroom/headroom/whatever numbers are similar but the C43 SEEMS better but more closed in. Material quality is a wash. I can find cheap bits in my car, and I can find cheap bits in the Merc. The screen in the Merc looks like crap. It was the one thing that was just bad. It really does look like someone glued an iPad to the dash. It's big, the graphics are pretty (especially the surround view), but it looks VERY tacked on vs. the screen integration in the 340.

The seats were the standard C43 seats, not the upgraded AMG seats and they were, flat-out, better than the sport seats in my 340 in every aspect. I sat in the AMG seats briefly in the C63 and they were probably the best sport seats I've ever sat in.

If I had to pick one or the other just based on the interior, the Mercedes would win by a small margin due to the seats.

Driving it:
It was running on All-Season rubber, which was good because it was too cold for summer tires (my 340 is also currently on no-season feet). Overall, I dropped into this car and drove it exactly like I would my 340. It's so similar that it didn't feel like I was test driving an unfamiliar car at all. Magazine Comparisons have to assign scores and declare a winner. I don't. You can assign whatever points you want, but this car and my car drove almost identically. My vague attempt at quantifying the minor differences:

Acceleration:
So similar to my 340 that I call this a wash. Magazine specs show that the C43 is a bit faster than a 340, but it wasn't enough to feel it decisively. I do not think there would be much difference, if any, with the MPPSK. This is a wash between the two cars.

Transmission:
The "AMG-enhanced" 9-speed was fine. It was not as quick to shift as the SAT ZF-8. It was not as smooth. Paddle-shifts were noticeably slower than what I was used to, but not painfully slow. The ZF-8 is a clear winner on this one, but I wouldn't refuse to buy the Merc over the differences. Oh, and the gear selector on the steering column is not a happy thing, except for the fact that you can shift from park to reverse to drive without moving your hand far from the wheel. But I don't like it.

Exhaust note:
The C43 did not have the upgraded exhaust, and neither does my car. I loved the exhaust note on the C43. It was much more a part of the driving experience than the near-silence of my stock exhaust. Present and pleasing without being annoying. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has heard the upgraded AMG exhaust and currently runs a 340 with the MPPSK, but from my own stock-to-stock experiences, the exhaust note on the C43 is an absolutely clear winner.

Suspension:
My 340 has the Adaptive Suspension on X-Drive, and the C43 is adaptive on 4Matic, so this is apples-to-apples. The C43 is a harsher ride in all the modes I played with. There may or may not be a bit less body-roll than my 340, but maybe not. I don't feel that the C43 was performing better, handling-wise, than my 340 would have and I think it was harsher for sole purpose of "feeling sporty". It wasn't STI stupid-harsh, but it was a bit harsher than the 340. I was disappointed with the ride (though not much...differences in all of these categories were minor). The 340i with Adaptive Suspension wins on this, regardless of which one would win on a track.

Price:
The C43 I drove had an MSRP of right under 69k. And that was without the HUD, the AMG Seats, or the AMG exhaust. BMW prices bake in the "free" maintenance that was not included on the Merc, and the same car in 440ix form would end up being about 67k (the BMW configurator won't let me do Active Cruise Control with M-Sport, which the Merc had, but the BMW ends up with a HUD, which the Merc didn't have...so I can't make it exact). Anyway, the Merc is more expensive without having any really clear advantage to justify it. Not a TON more expensive, but a bit. I've thought about it for several days and the only justification I could run with for the extra money was the seats. It's *possible* that those seats alone would be worth 2k or so to me over the space of several years of ownership. Too many other things are a wash. And the 2k is still not covering Maintenance on the Merc. Maintenance would increase the cost difference. Do I care about 3500 bucks or so at this price point? Not a ton, but a bit. The C43 that I spec online with exactly what I want and nothing I don't is 71k without Maintenance. That's a lot of money.

Anyway, sorry for the long Saturday morning post, but in short:

I would buy the C43 if I got the right deal on it from the right person, but I am not sold on it. Unfortunately, that's the same thing that's in my head about buying a new 3-series again, too. I will continue to look for better options.

[Alpine3s]

This is quite the review, wow. Makes me want to step into Benz dealership and test drive a C43. I've always been an Infiniti guy, ever since the G35 coupe days, then G37, EX35, FX35, Q50S, QX60. I landed on a 3 series after wanting to just "try it out". I love the feel of the car over the Q50S, but a 328i base leaves much to be desired coming from a Q50S.

Again, great write up, lots on info and honesty. Wish we had more of this around here

[Golo2016]

Great review, I also wanted to buy a c43, but their asking prices are insane here in the DMV. SMH, i'll get me an Audi S4. To hell with MB.

[bri1042]

The new S4 is getting great magazine reviews. I've managed to SEE one but not drive one. Like the local Merc dealerships, the one close to me is a horror show. There's a good one, but it's, coincidentally, right down by the far-away Merc dealer. My initial impression seeing it was pretty unemotional, and the buttons on the center console in front of the shifter look really cheap (none of the rest of the interior looked cheap so those buttons were sort of glaring). That's as far as I got at the local dealership.

I'll journey to the other one at some point.

[FastF30]

Great review... I looked at them... sorry but to me a Mercedes is an old man's car (70+)... (I'm 51) .... the styling never looked sporty to me but more luxury ... Just my opinion.... wife wants a Mercedes cause the other mom's at school have them... so still figuring out what next suv we are gonna buy... need 6 seating at times... so the bmw X5 with 3rd row is popping up but the design is so dated.... Mercedes GLS is just to big for her living here in NYC... doesn't really fit in our limited size parking spot either... Audi might as well have a VW badge... I find it not attractive at all.... so we'll see....

I kinda liked the CLA looks... until the dental assistant downstairs from me bought one...

Update... the 2019 X5 is getting revamped! bigger! good thought the 3rd row was always too small... I'm happy now...

[ceedawg]

Get the C43! When the G body comes out the F3X and F8X will be old school. The other nice one to check out is an Audi S4.

[SpenceRx]

Solid review. I liked the last Gen C63. Haven't tried this one. Their styling is great in the moment but doesn't stand the test of time. Looks dated quickly.

[RedKloud]

Both the C43 and the S5 are on my list to check out at the end of this year when my lease ends... especially if the G20 doesn't arrive here by that time.

[tturedraider]

Good review and very well written. Thanks for posting.

[overkill1125]

My brother just bought a c43 with the AMG package and the sound is cool. It does pull hard from the tame drive but he doesn’t want to push it hard since it still has less than 1000km on it. They told him that AMG states not to push the car hard before reaching 2500km.
Interior gadgets does looks more fancy and luxurious than my 435 but my coral red is definitely more eye popping than his.

I really despise the wheel gaps on bmw xdrives. My 435xi coupe looks like an SUV when parked next to his car. I got almost a 4 finger gap in the front while on the C43 in stock can barely fit 2 fingers.

[BimmerBoomer]

Great backup camera - wide angle and good resolution! Handling was definitely better than my 2014 435i xDrive coupe, but the flinty ride on summer performance tires (this was early October) reminded me that I was still on run flats. I ended up with an Audi S5 Sportback, but actually drove an S4 for the comparison. The ergonomics and interior of the Audi were more "BMWish" than the C43 (but more comparable in quality to the F80 than F32/F36) and after 24 years of driving BMW's I was more at home. The seats in both the Audi and M-B were more comfortable than those in my BMW.

I also drove a new 440i xDrive Gran Coupe, but I was underwhelmed by any difference in handling and steering from my 435i coupe. I also found that it was tighter on elbow room than my coupe. The famous F3x wind and tire noise were present. The trunk space was much smaller than the S5 Sportback. BMW still has the best overall drivetrain, especially in terms of the performance of the automatic transmission. The Audi is not even as good as the M-B.

Ultimately it was the non run flat tires (and space saver spare), the trunk space and the torque vectoring differential that tilted my decision to Audi. Pricewise the Audi was in the middle. The BMW would have been about $2000 (Canadian) cheaper, the M-B about $2000 more.

[OUGrad05]

Good post thanks for sharing. I've had some recent experiences with MB products as well. Recently helping my other in law shop for a car, C Class, E Class, 2 and 3 series all on the list .

She wants something that drives sporty and is built well and has a badge...we drove the C class, and frankly I was disappointed with the interior (not the C43). There was a big stripe of aluminum across the dash and it was plastic, not the real aluminum I've become accustomed to. Also did you adjust the air vents? I thought I was going to break them they felt so flimsy. It was quieter than my 335i but the overall package was disappointing...

I'd still consider the C43 though...the E43 IS a consideration for me among others. The engine sounds absolutely fantastic, the 9 speed shifts quickly when in sport mode but you MUST let it do the shifting. It is slow to respond to driver commands as you correctly pointed out.

[bad karma]

The maintenance included with the BMW is only 3/36k now not the old 4/50k. And doesn't even include brakes or rotors. So really BMW is including like mayyyybe five oil changes and some wiper blades.

[bri1042]

Yep, I know. It's not a deal-breaker, either way. Considering the cost of these cars, paying for maintenance or not isn't a huge deal. The remainder of the extra price is hard to justify after driving it, though. Keep in mind, I LIKED it. It's a great car. So is the 340. I fully recognize how spoiled I've gotten when it comes to these things.

[bri1042]

Also, I think BMW dropped covering wiper blades with the '17s. Could be wrong.

[jeffc83]

Thank you for taking the time out to do this as it DOES help a ton of people in the end.

I have the opposite experience: never drove the Merc but have the new S4 so this review is just perfect for me to read. Main thing I took out of that test drive in the Audi - MMI control layout was just unintuitive and too cumbersome. To me, BMW's iDrive just works and worked from the first 5 minutes I used it as everything was in its place. I found myself "getting lost" too quickly.

I also used to love that MMI dash/instrument cluster and hated the simplicity of BMW's then I DROVE one...ended up LOOKING for the speedo on the Audi several times and although I "could" possibly get used to it, why would I when BMW offers the right combo?

[Calvin36]

Originally Posted by Alpine3s

This is quite the review, wow. Makes me want to step into Benz dealership and test drive a C43. I've always been an Infiniti guy, ever since the G35 coupe days, then G37, EX35, FX35, Q50S, QX60. I landed on a 3 series after wanting to just "try it out". I love the feel of the car over the Q50S, but a 328i base leaves much to be desired coming from a Q50S.

Again, great write up, lots on info and honesty. Wish we had more of this around here

Echo this. I came from Infiniti as well. And had. b7 S4 between the G and the 335. Great cars all around. Never considered Merc.. but might have to try it out one day. Thanks for the detailed write up!

[FastF30]

If I didn't plan on modding or anything like that I'd take a look at the Jaguar XE S .... comes in all-wheel drive also...

[RedKloud]

Originally Posted by BimmerBoomer

Great backup camera - wide angle and good resolution! Handling was definitely better than my 2014 435i xDrive coupe, but the flinty ride on summer performance tires (this was early October) reminded me that I was still on run flats. I ended up with an Audi S5 Sportback, but actually drove an S4 for the comparison. The ergonomics and interior of the Audi were more "BMWish" than the C43 (but more comparable in quality to the F80 than F32/F36) and after 24 years of driving BMW's I was more at home. The seats in both the Audi and M-B were more comfortable than those in my BMW.

I also drove a new 440i xDrive Gran Coupe, but I was underwhelmed by any difference in handling and steering from my 435i coupe. I also found that it was tighter on elbow room than my coupe. The famous F3x wind and tire noise were present. The trunk space was much smaller than the S5 Sportback. BMW still has the best overall drivetrain, especially in terms of the performance of the automatic transmission. The Audi is not even as good as the M-B.

Ultimately it was the non run flat tires (and space saver spare), the trunk space and the torque vectoring differential that tilted my decision to Audi. Pricewise the Audi was in the middle. The BMW would have been about $2000 (Canadian) cheaper, the M-B about $2000 more.

Have noticed any throttle lag on the S5? Lots of noise on this on the Audi forums.

[BimmerBoomer]

Originally Posted by RedKloud

Have noticed any throttle lag on the S5? Lots of noise on this on the Audi forums.

With the transmission in Drive the throttle lag in Auto is slightly worse than my 2014 435i xDrive coupe 8AT was in Comfort, accomplished with too much throttle travel and imperfect linearity by comparison with the BMW. Shift the transmission to Sport (which automatically puts the transmission, engine, etc. in Dynamic mode) and there is no more lag than there is in the BMW in Sport (transmission) and Sport+.

A lot of the Audi guys are coming from supercharged engines and a DSG transmission which tends to amplify their complaints. But there is no doubt that BMW's implementation of the ZF 8 is better.

[sr5959]

I'm returning a leased 2015 428GC M-Sport tomorrow, and I've bought a CPO 2015 C400 to replace it, which I will also collect tomorrow. I'll write a review of of the pluses/minuses between the two after I've driven it for a week or so.

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by sr5959

I'm returning a leased 2015 428GC M-Sport tomorrow, and I've bought a CPO 2015 C400 to replace it, which I will also collect tomorrow. I'll write a review of of the pluses/minuses between the two after I've driven it for a week or so.

Man you must have been really serious about that buying an MB versus leasing a BMW. Not poking but what was it that made you "jump ship?"