2018 Mercedes-AMG C43 | Why Buy?

– Detroit, Michigan

With a continually growing gap between their luxury models and high-performance models, many automakers are introducing even more finely sliced models with a more moderate dose of speed. At Mercedes-AMG, for instance, there’s now a “43” range of models that slot between the brand’s entry powertrains and the high-performance “63” and “65” cars.

As much as we love driving the wild Mercedes-AMG C63 (and its C63 S variant), there’s a lot of love about this middle-ground model, the C43. For starters, it’s got a heroic turbocharged punch that rockets the car to 60 miles per hour in 4.6 seconds. Then there’s the AMG-fettled suspension and brakes, both of which are able and willing partners on back roads. Plus, both inside and out, the AMG team has added various sporty styling elements to help identify the C43 as a performance car.

That said, the 2018 Mercedes-AMG C43 keeps a lot of the luxuriousness that we love from the regular C300. It’s quieter, more comfortable, and more fuel efficient than a C63. In other words, might this be the Goldilocks C-Class for someone who wants a daily driver that’s both fun and functional? Watch the video above to see as we put the C43 through our Why Buy? testing regimen.

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