This is a first-person review and test-drive transcript of the 2019 Mercedes‑Benz C43 AMG (video by Michael Chuang). The reviewer describes the 3.0L twin‑turbo V6, updated for 2019 with larger turbos and a horsepower increase (362→385 hp), and critiques the interior materials and option content while praising the exhaust note and steering wheel. Driving impressions note nimble handling for a ~2‑ton car but early understeer from the 4MATIC AWD and a steering feel lighter than preferred. Performance testing (40→100 run) places the C43 at 8.07 s, between the 2018 Audi S5 (9.08 s) and 2020 BMW M340i (7.53 s). The reviewer finds the C43 emotionally engaging but not the fastest or most luxurious in its segment and recommends optioning the interior or considering higher‑end AMGs for more refinement.
Questions this video answers
385 horsepower
384 lb‑ft (pound‑feet) of torque
9‑speed automatic
Bumped from 362 hp to 385 hp (larger turbos added)
8.07 seconds
Chapters
Mercedes. Growing up, I've always felt like they were reserved for old people, retired folk and hot moms. But not this one. This one's different because this one's the 2019 Mercedes Benz C43AMG. It's got a twin turbo V6 that makes 385 horsepower and 384 pounds of torque, a nine speed automatic that goes through the gears like lightning, and more importantly, that classic AMG exhaust that sounds like thunderbolts. But this isn't the range topping C63AMG. It's the middle of the road guy who shares the same market space and as the BMW M340i and the Audi S5. I gotta be honest with you though, this is actually the first time I've ever driven an AMG. Crazy, right? I mean, I've driven an E350 before with the AMG package, but that doesn't count. If you follow Mercedes closely, you'll know that they facelifted this car for 2019. The changes are subtle, but the important thing is that they added bigger turbos and bumped the horsepower up from 362 to 385. The all wheel drive is the only option and the 060 remains about the same, but we all know how little we care about that metric on this channel. Anyway, one of the easiest ways to tell the difference is back here, these big round exhaust pipes. Pictures just don't do it justice. I used to like the style where it blended into the bumper and all. But after seeing these, I didn't have to go with this one. It just adds that much more aggression. Anyway, the interior got an update too. Let me show you. Actually, I can't because this car doesn't have any of those options. But if I did have those options, I could have a cool digital dashboard, a digital steering wheel with readouts here, and really nifty AMG race seats. But I guess it's okay. No, it's not okay. Because if you get this car, you need to have those options. Otherwise the restless interior is just really, really bland. I mean, it's not that it's not well thought out. Everything is where I want it to be. It's just that the trim is really, really cheap. I mean, this is a $60,000 Mercedes, but it just doesn't feel that way. Sure, the brushed finish is nice, but the black parts of the car are covered in a really cheap plastic trim. There's no overabundance of leather either because half of it is rubberized plastic. Every time I Close the door, the hands on the clock. Hear a rattle. I'm just underwhelmed by it all. The seats themselves aren't terrible, but they could be more supportive. I feel like they were meant for much larger folks than myself. I guess that's what happens in retirement. The one redeeming feature is the steering wheel. It's probably one of my favorites so far. Anyway, let's get. So I'm really thinking this matte gray they got going on here. I think Mercedes calls it Selenite Gray Magno, something like that. Anyway, I'm a fan so you can get this car in a coupe, cabriolet or sedan. Obviously the sedan is the most practical, but for me I'd personally go with the coupe because it's I think it's the most attractive combination. It's almost like a beautiful woman in her gym outfit instead of in her office at Tire. I do really like the way this car handles though. I mean it does weigh almost 2 tons, but you wouldn't be able to tell just by driving it. Some say it actually handles better around a track than the big bad C63AMG which weighs 150 pounds more. There's only one real way to find out, but I don't think we have the luxury of that just yet. One can only speculate for now, Since this is the first time I'm driving an amg. You got to take everything I say with a grain of salt because I might just be overly excited with the whole experience. Let's start with the handling. Like I said, it's pretty good for a car this heavy. It feels more nimble than a Mustang GT which is almost 200 pounds lighter and rear wheel drive. But at the limit the car starts to go into understeer pretty early, which can get a bit annoying. The steering is also not as heavy as I'd prefer it to be, but it still provides ample feedback and is pretty responsive when you need it to be. The one thing I really looked forward to with driving this car was the exhaust note. AMGs were always famous for their lovely symphonies and I gotta say this car doesn't disappoint disappointment. Especially considering it's a six cylinder turbo. It barks and shouts on upshifts and causes all sorts of a ruckus, all with the press of a button. This interior is not my preferred spec. It gets the job done, but I don't really get the impression that I'm driving a Mercedes. The heads up display is really neat though. It's brighter and larger than the one in my Z06. So that's helpful when you need to just keep your eyes on the road. I gotta say, I really like the steering wheel here. I'm a little sad they didn't give us the one with the digital readouts. But hey, beggars can't be choosers. The porphyry leather is nice. I like the flat bit in the bottom here. It's almost like a mixture between a BMW wheel and an Audi wheel. On the topic of the paddles, I'd probably give them an 8 out of 10. I mean, the engagement is really positive. The feel of the material is nice and then the perfect distance from your hand, but I wish they were a little bit longer. Then again, this is a C class. Anyway, I think it's about that time where we do our thing and find out how fast this car is. The C43AMG actually doesn't have launch control. Kind of a bummer. But not too important for me because we do our tests from a roll. Anyway, one thing that did bother me though is the fuel cutoff. It's way too early. The red line is 6,500 rpm, but the car cuts power at 62. Let's try full auto first. Now let's do it again in manual mode and you'll see what I mean by this premature fuel cutoff. Watch that two, three shift. So just how fast is the C43AMG? I mean, I have pretty high hopes for this car because I like it, but it just didn't overwhelm me at all on any of the acceleration runs we did. Anyway, Here are the two cars that you should try to beat on our 4100 fast the 2018 Audi S5 which ran a respectable 9.08, and the 2020 BMW M340i which ran a lightning fast 7.53. So where does the Mercedes stack up? Well, the 2019 Mercedes Benz C43AMG coupe ran our 40 to 100 test in 8.07 seconds. That's not bad for a sub 400 horsepower car. It's a full second faster than the Audi and only half a second slower than the BMW, which I think that would make a pretty good roll race. I think we're going to do that on next week's head to head episode, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, in the grand scheme of things, 8 seconds is not too shabby at all. You'll probably outrun the majority of cars on the street. Anyway, I'm talking about lightly modded focus, RS's, EVOs, Subarus, and probably even some older Mustangs. If I had to guess the 6130 time, I'd say maybe low 14 seconds. But none of that matters. Who buys these cars to drag race anyway? Let's move on. Now this is the part of the story where I hate the most having to return the car. But it's also where I provide my final thoughts. After driving the car for four days, it became clear to me Mercedes has built a middle of the road sports car that I could actually see myself driving. It's not because it's the fastest, the most luxurious, or the best handling, but it's the one that evokes the most amount of emotion. When I drove the C43, it almost felt analog. I guess that's just another way of saying outdated. But as a driver, the Audi S5 felt too disconnected. The M340i was a bit too augmented and digital. So this C43 was perhaps the most raw. The exhaust note, the firmness of the shifts and just the way it looks. It's not saying much because I'm only comparing it to the two other cars in this segment, but as an overall car it does lack a lot. It's the most expensive of the three, but it doesn't feel that way. The interior needs work, even if that means tacking on all the trim options, but at that point you might as well just buy a C63. I wish there was an option for rear wheel drive because the 4matic takes a lot away from the whole driving experience. It's nice to have, but the understeer is a bit too prevalent. I am glad that I finally got to drive an AMG though. It left a lasting impression on me and I think it's time I step it up and try out one of those C63s or maybe even a CLA 45. I hear those are pretty awesome too. It's really not that fast. It sounds nice, but it's really not that fast. It's slow as balls. Everything is fast compared to your Mazda. If this is your first time on the channel, be sure to watch some of my other stuff. I'm dedicated to producing cinematic car content and doing real world performance tests for all sorts of fast cars. So if that's your jam, be sure to hit that subscribe button and ring that bell icon for new episodes every Thursday. Thanks for watching.
