ABDC 2017: Mercedes-AMG C 43 Review

7th

In Australia's Best Driver's Car 2017, the Mercedes-AMG C 43 stood out for its blend of grip and performance, making it a formidable contender for point-to-point motoring.

Surprisingly, the C 43 was not as 'sanitised' as the Audi S5 which, in this contest, was its closest rival. Where the Audi was buttery smooth and its engine soundtrack subdued (even when it should have been belting out a song) the Mercedes was more blatant, albeit still quiet (mostly) and refined overall.

The engine, however, lacked the wide-ranging torque of the two turbo six-cylinder BMW contestants. Where the M3 and the M140i were producing stump-pulling output from low revs, the C 43 worked best in a band from about 4000rpm to the redline. And in that range of engine speeds the Benz did haul like a freight train.

However, according to the tachometer, AMG sets the ignition cut-out just shy of 6000rpm. This is well below the indicated redline, so there were a few occasions when acceleration came to a sudden, unexpected cessation, causing the driver to lose some 'tenths' while scrambling for the shift paddles to select the next gear.

In those circumstances, the nine-speed transmission proved invaluable. Once the driver knew to ignore the tachometer (or for that matter the sound of the engine, which always hinted at more performance to come with yet higher revs), the shift paddles provided fast, slick response at the 'near enough' point. And the ratios were sufficiently close so performance didn't fall in a hole when the driver shifted under 6000 revs.

At elevated ABDC pace, the C 43 felt a bit soft and soggy on the roads of Tasmania. In the real world, the C 43 rides fairly firmly around town, even in Comfort mode, and there's certainly a harder-core element to its ride/handling balance which is evident away from the ABDC driving environs. Nevertheless, ride quality will not be a deal breaker for the Benz’ target buyer.

The steering response was excellent, the C 43 turning in promptly and delivering confidence to the driver. Part of the steering sharpness can be attributed to the positive caster angle of the wheels, which enhances straight-line stability at speed and complements the wheel’s camber.But those caster and camber angles conspire to place a heavy load on the outside tyre while cornering. This manifests itself during low-speed manoeuvring as a binding sensation through the steering wheel and a cracking noise as the outside tyre becomes overloaded, slips and reacquires grip.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia on test at ABDC had the same trait – turned up to 11 – and it consumed front tyres at a much faster rate than the ‘Benz. Arguably, that’s fair – it is after all a whole lot faster.

Inside, the C 43 is typical of the C-Class coupe breed, offering generally pleasant ambience and a commanding driving position. There's a trick to finding the manual shift button for the transmission though; it's out of sight on the passenger side of the infotainment touch pad and single-point controller. We know from reader feedback the ‘Benz infotainment tablet is not loved by all, but irrespective of the presentation, it serves its purpose well.

Our C 43 test car was fitted with the optional front seats (part of the Performance Ergonomic Package for $4990) which were fabulous, well-shaped, comfortable and supportive. On the downside, the motor drive sliding the front seats fore/aft for rear-seat passengers to enter or leave was painfully slow. And on that point, the rear seat was no place for my 14-year old son (admittedly he’s a six-footer) who found both legroom and headroom tight, the latter impeded by the sunroof.

Schlepping stuff around is not a critical criterion for a driver’s car, but for the record, the C43’s rear seats do fold down for extra payload capacity.

Some of the highlights from the judges include Andrea Matthews remarking the C 43 was "preferable to the C 63's sledgehammer approach" and was "sophisticated and compelling".

Nadine Armstrong felt the C 43 was "pretty well planted" and seemed "much lighter, even more nimble than the M3 and S5".

For Bruce Newton, the C 43 was his favourite car on the day he drove it. The engine "zings", he said, and "demands to be revved". And Feann Torr also appreciated the car's "fire-cracker" engine and faster sequential shifting from the nine-speed automatic.

On the downside, a few reviewers detected rattles and creaks, and Luke Youlden noted the C 43's lack of "tractability" (low-down torque) – also mentioned by a few others. Some also reported the inherent peakiness of the turbocharged six-cylinder engine was at times mismatched with the transmission, which either changed gear constantly to keep the engine on the boil or demanded the driver swap cogs.

But isn’t driver input what drivers want… In a driver's car?

2017 Mercedes-AMG C 43pricing and specifications:
Price: $105,615 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 270kW/520Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 189g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

2017 Mercedes-AMG C 43 performance figures (as tested):
0-100km/h: 5.084sec
0-400m: 12.567sec @ 174.454km/h
Lap time: 1:01.558

>> In search of Australia's Best Driver's Car 2017