Mercedes SLC AMG43
Discussion
It seems to me that the new AMG SLC is 'AMG-lite' compared to the older SLK AMG that had more attitude and more cylinders.
But although the new one is a V6 not V8, and lacks the visual drama of the old one, it has twin turbos and looks to be a rocketship.
In fact it looks like a very subtle, very rapid car.
Anyone driven one? Any good?
But although the new one is a V6 not V8, and lacks the visual drama of the old one, it has twin turbos and looks to be a rocketship.
In fact it looks like a very subtle, very rapid car.
Anyone driven one? Any good?
That makes sense and could be a great car - except for the fabric roof! For me the defining feature of the SLK/SLC/SL is its ability to be a 'proper' coupe or a 'proper' convertible, and the fact that you can leave it pretty much anywhere without worrying that some tw@ is going to poke a knife through the top 'for a laff'.
Ive had one for 3 years , it's a great little car . It's more than fast enough , handles well , although everyone who's never driven one tells me it doesn't! It'll return 37 mpg on the mway according to the obc.
Real world it's as fast as a 55 , the gearbox is great and doesn't self change in manual mode , mind you it's easy to get lost with 9 gears ! LSD as standard , I've done a few 6 to 7 hundred mile one way trips in it as well as a few ring trips and it's comfortable too . The boots big enough for luggage for two for a couple of weeks .
Everyone who's driven mine loves it , and it's pretty discreet too .
Real world it's as fast as a 55 , the gearbox is great and doesn't self change in manual mode , mind you it's easy to get lost with 9 gears ! LSD as standard , I've done a few 6 to 7 hundred mile one way trips in it as well as a few ring trips and it's comfortable too . The boots big enough for luggage for two for a couple of weeks .
Everyone who's driven mine loves it , and it's pretty discreet too .
The 55 looks better IMO and feels like a much more special car.
I'd have to say though the 43 is a great drive, as a daily driver it would deffo get my choice. It doesn't feel as quick but the gearbox is miles better. Neither handle particularly well, the brakes on the 55 feel much stronger and I recon the 55 turns in a bit sharper. The LSD does help. I fitted a quaife to my 55 last year and it transformed the car.
The 43 would be a good buy right now at 2/3 years old. A remap, some side skirts and decent set of wheels and your onto a winner.
I'd have to say though the 43 is a great drive, as a daily driver it would deffo get my choice. It doesn't feel as quick but the gearbox is miles better. Neither handle particularly well, the brakes on the 55 feel much stronger and I recon the 55 turns in a bit sharper. The LSD does help. I fitted a quaife to my 55 last year and it transformed the car.
The 43 would be a good buy right now at 2/3 years old. A remap, some side skirts and decent set of wheels and your onto a winner.
Drove one today and it was a really lovely car, but just left me a bit cold somehow. I think it's the fact that it's an AMG so you expect fireworks. If they'd just badged it a 400 (say), maybe expectations would have been better set.
The engine noise in particular, which you expect to be the defining AMG characteristic, just sounded a bit flat.
It was properly quick, just didn't feel it. At one point I thought I was doing 80 and in fact was doing considerably more! (KMH, obvs...)
To make it even odder, I then drove an SL with (presumably) the same engine (3 litre twin turbo) and that sounded and felt far more exciting, even though it was slower. Much more expensive though...
The engine noise in particular, which you expect to be the defining AMG characteristic, just sounded a bit flat.
It was properly quick, just didn't feel it. At one point I thought I was doing 80 and in fact was doing considerably more! (KMH, obvs...)
To make it even odder, I then drove an SL with (presumably) the same engine (3 litre twin turbo) and that sounded and felt far more exciting, even though it was slower. Much more expensive though...
Ari said:
Drove one today and it was a really lovely car, but just left me a bit cold somehow. I think it's the fact that it's an AMG so you expect fireworks. If they'd just badged it a 400 (say), maybe expectations would have been better set.
The engine noise in particular, which you expect to be the defining AMG characteristic, just sounded a bit flat.
It was properly quick, just didn't feel it. At one point I thought I was doing 80 and in fact was doing considerably more! (KMH, obvs...)
To make it even odder, I then drove an SL with (presumably) the same engine (3 litre twin turbo) and that sounded and felt far more exciting, even though it was slower. Much more expensive though...
Did you drive it in the different modes , sport plus on mine raises the volume and it cracks and pops with the best of them with autoblip on downshifts , it definitely makes it a better car if that sort of thing floats your boat . The engine noise in particular, which you expect to be the defining AMG characteristic, just sounded a bit flat.
It was properly quick, just didn't feel it. At one point I thought I was doing 80 and in fact was doing considerably more! (KMH, obvs...)
To make it even odder, I then drove an SL with (presumably) the same engine (3 litre twin turbo) and that sounded and felt far more exciting, even though it was slower. Much more expensive though...
Ari said:
Hmm.. good question. Can't say for sure.
The fact you say that means you didn't , go and have another try and make sure you drive it in sport and sport plus , I can't believe a salesman wouldn't put in through the functions to show a potential customer . Sport plus makes the gearbox more aggressive, the car crackles on overrun and autoblips on down shift . It's the first thing people comment on when they drive mine . Most think it's great .
It sounds like they've left the demo car in comfort and that's fine for daily usage , just if you want a little fun you need to go into the other modes , I did read somewhere in comfort mode it deletes first gear for economy , but that was on the internet so it may be b
ks .Did the cars stop start function work when you drove it ? If it did you weren't in sport or sport plus .
I'm pretty fixed on an SL now to be honest. Everything about that car is next level (including the price, to be fair). Way more comfortable, far better finished inside, drove better, quieter, more refined, better tech, better looking.
The SLC just felt like my old SLK with a new front and back grafted on and a new dash, which I'm pretty sure is exactly what it is. Which doesn't make it a bad car, just a bit of an old car now (the fundamentals date back to 2004 when the SLK 171 came out).
I'm not knocking the SLC, I thought it was a very nice car. But just getting into the SL it felt a huge amount more special.
So think I'm going to keep saving, swallow hard and go 'full fat'.
The SLC just felt like my old SLK with a new front and back grafted on and a new dash, which I'm pretty sure is exactly what it is. Which doesn't make it a bad car, just a bit of an old car now (the fundamentals date back to 2004 when the SLK 171 came out).
I'm not knocking the SLC, I thought it was a very nice car. But just getting into the SL it felt a huge amount more special.
So think I'm going to keep saving, swallow hard and go 'full fat'.
I can see that, the SLC is a 'handier' car. As I say, not knocking it, thought it was a great car. Just didn't fall in love with it then did fall in love with the SL.
Common sense may yet prevail however, those SLs are expensive! Hoping the god of depriciation is on my side and maybe in six months. Theoretically they're an £80K car but I see pre-reg 'used' SLs with 20 miles on for £60K so using the rule of thumb that 3 year old 30K cars should be half new price, I make that £30K, not the £40K most are.
Ahh, if only the dealers agreed with me..!
Common sense may yet prevail however, those SLs are expensive! Hoping the god of depriciation is on my side and maybe in six months. Theoretically they're an £80K car but I see pre-reg 'used' SLs with 20 miles on for £60K so using the rule of thumb that 3 year old 30K cars should be half new price, I make that £30K, not the £40K most are.
Ahh, if only the dealers agreed with me..!
paulwirral said:
Sport plus makes the gearbox more aggressive, the car crackles on overrun and autoblips on down shift . It's the first thing people comment on when they drive mine . Most think it's great .
It sounds like they've left the demo car in comfort and that's fine for daily usage , just if you want a little fun you need to go into the other modes ,
I woke up at 4am to a car buying epiphany. The first of which was that, I can't justify the price of an SL. Looking at the specs, there's a useful upgrade at Sept 16 (17 model year) which means earlier cars are out of the picture (it would annoy me forever that I had a car almost as good as it could be when spending that kind of money) so it's basically a circa £40K car and that is simply too much for a car that gets used for long trips once or twice a month. A 3 year old (which is where I'd like to be, 3 years/30,000 miles always strikes me as the 'sweet spot' for used car buying) SLCs are now dipping under £30K, much more manageable. It sounds like they've left the demo car in comfort and that's fine for daily usage , just if you want a little fun you need to go into the other modes ,
And your comments about the noise and feel of the car in Sport mode have really resonated with me and I'm annoyed with myself that I didn't try those out. The SL came alive in Sport and Sport +, obvious really that a smaller car with essentially the same engine would do the same.
So I have a couple more questions, if I may? What exactly does the Sport change? I'm guessing it doesn't change the suspension as it does in the SL. Presumably it makes the throttle more responsive, introduces blipped auto downchanges, and of course the crackle. Does it change the note of the exhaust generally (ie when you're accellerating)? The SLC sounded very muffled compared to the SL, but maybe that's why? Does it change the steering?
Also, what's the ride like? Obviously there's no function to soften it like the SL. I'm always a bit nervous about overly stiff suspension, I had a MINI Cooper S once with 'sports' suspension, I think they basically just removed the springs! Certainly that's how it felt, it ruined the car, it was just annoying to drive.
Last question, for now, do you have electric seats? I've seen one which is the colour I'd like and has Harmon Kardon stereo, which is a must, but no power seats. What I like about power seats is that you can tilt the base, I think with non power you can only adjust height? Also, I know the power seats have lumber adjust, do the non power?
Thanks for your help with this, coming round to the fact that the SLC is likely the most practical choice, financially in particular.
Sport plus makes it a lot more responsive , much more noise under acceleration and bangs through the gears a bit more noticeably, I believe there's also an active suspension option that does stiffen up the ride , mines a standard affair that's fairly stiffly sprung but well damped , the steering feels a little different in sport plus too . I've always found it comfortable on long runs , I've driven down to the Dordogne and onto San Sebastián a few times and it's been a breeze .
Go back and try it again , if you select sport plus you'll know , if you hold the traction control button down for over 5 seconds it disables it completely and you can play with the factory lsd !
As I said previously, I think it's a great little car and I've no plans to get rid of it as it does everything I want it to . I'd haggle hard as the slc 43 hasn't been well received despite being , in my opinion , a better all round car than the 55 it replaced . I driven both before any toys end up on the floor !
Go back and try it again , if you select sport plus you'll know , if you hold the traction control button down for over 5 seconds it disables it completely and you can play with the factory lsd !
As I said previously, I think it's a great little car and I've no plans to get rid of it as it does everything I want it to . I'd haggle hard as the slc 43 hasn't been well received despite being , in my opinion , a better all round car than the 55 it replaced . I driven both before any toys end up on the floor !
Lots of questions there which even though I've owned the SLC 43 AMG for awhile, I don't feel qualified to comment on. The suspension is very rough unless you find one with air suspension, it doesn't seem to be adjustable. In fact the only difference I can really spot going through the different modes is the exhaust note and the gearbox. Perhaps engine performance is up a bit. Don't know. And in spite of the fact that the car says it should connect to an android phone - it doesn't.
A big disappointment is the MeConnect service which doesn't connect very well. If you buy the services, make sure you read the fine print re: exclusions at the bottom of the page and make sure your car will work with the services offered.
Coming from Japanese cars, I am aprehensive about the reliability of German ones. The servicing costs seem pretty high and the Mercedes independent here seems to be on a par with the main dealer.
I like the way it looks and considering it has 367bhp I only get hammered for £250 a year road tax. I also feel less precious about it because like a Porsche, it's pretty obscure.
Hope this helps
A big disappointment is the MeConnect service which doesn't connect very well. If you buy the services, make sure you read the fine print re: exclusions at the bottom of the page and make sure your car will work with the services offered.
Coming from Japanese cars, I am aprehensive about the reliability of German ones. The servicing costs seem pretty high and the Mercedes independent here seems to be on a par with the main dealer.
I like the way it looks and considering it has 367bhp I only get hammered for £250 a year road tax. I also feel less precious about it because like a Porsche, it's pretty obscure.
Hope this helps
Good thread this and I've been considering one of these recently. I also prefer a folding hard top to a fabric one and these offer up strong performance.
I followed a C43 AMG Cabriolet the other day and I thought that it sounded great, so I presume noise wise the SLC43 will be much in the same vein in that regard.
I followed a C43 AMG Cabriolet the other day and I thought that it sounded great, so I presume noise wise the SLC43 will be much in the same vein in that regard.
paulwirral said:
Sport plus makes it a lot more responsive , much more noise under acceleration and bangs through the gears a bit more noticeably, I believe there's also an active suspension option that does stiffen up the ride , mines a standard affair that's fairly stiffly sprung but well damped , the steering feels a little different in sport plus too . I've always found it comfortable on long runs , I've driven down to the Dordogne and onto San Sebastián a few times and it's been a breeze .
Go back and try it again , if you select sport plus you'll know , if you hold the traction control button down for over 5 seconds it disables it completely and you can play with the factory lsd !
As I said previously, I think it's a great little car and I've no plans to get rid of it as it does everything I want it to . I'd haggle hard as the slc 43 hasn't been well received despite being , in my opinion , a better all round car than the 55 it replaced . I driven both before any toys end up on the floor !
Brilliant, thanks again Paul.Go back and try it again , if you select sport plus you'll know , if you hold the traction control button down for over 5 seconds it disables it completely and you can play with the factory lsd !
As I said previously, I think it's a great little car and I've no plans to get rid of it as it does everything I want it to . I'd haggle hard as the slc 43 hasn't been well received despite being , in my opinion , a better all round car than the 55 it replaced . I driven both before any toys end up on the floor !
cerb4.5lee said:
Good thread this and I've been considering one of these recently. I also prefer a folding hard top to a fabric one and these offer up strong performance.
I followed a C43 AMG Cabriolet the other day and I thought that it sounded great, so I presume noise wise the SLC43 will be much in the same vein in that regard.
Pretty sure it's the same engine. I followed a C43 AMG Cabriolet the other day and I thought that it sounded great, so I presume noise wise the SLC43 will be much in the same vein in that regard.
Zed 44 said:
Lots of questions there which even though I've owned the SLC 43 AMG for awhile, I don't feel qualified to comment on. The suspension is very rough unless you find one with air suspension, it doesn't seem to be adjustable. In fact the only difference I can really spot going through the different modes is the exhaust note and the gearbox. Perhaps engine performance is up a bit. Don't know. And in spite of the fact that the car says it should connect to an android phone - it doesn't.
A big disappointment is the MeConnect service which doesn't connect very well. If you buy the services, make sure you read the fine print re: exclusions at the bottom of the page and make sure your car will work with the services offered.
Coming from Japanese cars, I am aprehensive about the reliability of German ones. The servicing costs seem pretty high and the Mercedes independent here seems to be on a par with the main dealer.
I like the way it looks and considering it has 367bhp I only get hammered for £250 a year road tax. I also feel less precious about it because like a Porsche, it's pretty obscure.
Hope this helps
Helpful, thanks! A big disappointment is the MeConnect service which doesn't connect very well. If you buy the services, make sure you read the fine print re: exclusions at the bottom of the page and make sure your car will work with the services offered.
Coming from Japanese cars, I am aprehensive about the reliability of German ones. The servicing costs seem pretty high and the Mercedes independent here seems to be on a par with the main dealer.
I like the way it looks and considering it has 367bhp I only get hammered for £250 a year road tax. I also feel less precious about it because like a Porsche, it's pretty obscure.
Hope this helps
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