Mercedes-Benz C43 VS Audi RS5
Mercedes-Benz C43
Likes
- Powerful engine despite small size
- Responsive handling
- Stylish and sporty interior
Dislikes
- Engine lacks drama expected from AMG
- Ride feels unresolved
- Big price jump over old model
Audi RS5
Likes
- Potent engine
- Supermodel looks
- Premium and polished interior
Dislikes
- Tight rear seat in Coupe
- Gearbox can feel fidgety at speed
Summary
Mercedes-Benz C43
Think of a Mercedes-AMG and the first words that spring to mind are probably not - understated, efficient and restrained. And yet those are probably the best words to describe the all-new C 43.
Of course, before we go any further it’s important to note that the C 43, even in its previous six-cylinder guise, was never meant to be as wild, raucous or powerful as the C63 flagship - that’s simply not its role in the AMG line-up.
But even so, this new model is a dive into fresh territory for the brand and puts a very different spin on the AMG sports sedan as we know it.
Read more about Mercedes-AMG
- Last of the traditional V8s! Mercedes-AMG farewells C63 S and E63 S with Final Editions
- F1-inspired limited-edition Mercedes-AMG C63 S confirmed for Australia
- The price is right! Aussies in line for Nurburgring record-breaking Mercedes-AMG One for eye-watering pricetag - and they won't be able to register them
This is a four-cylinder model, complete with a Formula One-derived electric turbocharger, so it lacks the sound and fury you expect from something carrying the ‘AMG’ badge - but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad car, as we’ll explain.
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | — |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | —L/100km |
| Seating | — |
Audi RS5
Audi's A5 Coupe and Sportback have always been good looking cars. Yes, yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but seriously, just look at one and tell me it's not handsome.
Happily, the just-updated RS5 doesn't just build on the looks of its more sedate sibling, but on the performance, too, adding near-supercar speed to those supermodel looks.
Sounds like a pretty good match, right? Let's find out, shall we?
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.9L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 9.4L/100km |
| Seating | 4 seats |
Verdict
Mercedes-Benz C437.9/10
The new AMG C 43 may lack the drama and excitement we’ve come to expect from the German performance brand, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad car. Yes, it could be more extroverted and the ride could be improved, but this is still a sharp-looking sports sedan with loads of punch.
This is a car that speaks to its times, with ever-stricter emissions regulations making it harder and harder for car companies to produce loud, wild and charismatic cars. So Mercedes-AMG has worked within those boundaries and come up with a car that retains at least some of those core elements that has made the brand so desirable over the years.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.
Audi RS58/10
Good looking, good to drive, and good to simply sit in, the Audi RS5 range ticks plenty of premium boxes. Whether you can live with the practicality pitfalls of the Coupe is up to you, but if you can't, might I suggest taking a wander over to our RS4 Avant review?
Design
Mercedes-Benz C437/10
Mercedes has created something of a problem for itself with its decision to introduce AMG styling packages for the majority of its range, including the C-Class.
It means the C 43 has to walk a fine line between looking like a unique AMG model, rather than just a C300 with a bodykit and not out-doing the C63.
To that end it has AMG’s now familiar grille with vertical bars, the unique and complex-looking 20-inch alloy rims and a small lip spoiler on the boot. But otherwise it is surprisingly understated for an AMG, lacking the more obvious and muscular stance of previous AMG offerings.
Inside, there’s a similar theme, with the typical Mercedes-Benz luxury appointments but with a sportier, AMG twist. The steering wheel is chunky and comes with AMG branding, metallic shift paddles and a pair of rotary dials/buttons that allow you to alter the various drive modes and settings.
The one on the right allows you to switch between the pre-set Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual modes, while the one on the left can scroll between the various individual aspects to tailor the settings to the conditions.
In typical modern fashion the design is tech-laden, with a digital display for the instrument panel (that can be switched between various graphics) and a large, tablet-style central multimedia touchscreen that controls the majority of the car’s non-driving functions.
Audi RS59/10
I defy anyone to describe the RS5, and especially the Coupe, as anything but stunning. Seriously, the near perfect proportions and swept-back styling make it look fast even when it's parked.
Up front, there's a new-look black-mesh grille that's been given a 3D effect, like it juts out over the road in front it, while the thing headlights have been carved back into the body work like they're been windswept under hard acceleration.
The 20-inch darkened alloys fill the arches, too, with a sharp body crease that runs from the front headlight all the way back to the bulging shoulder lines above the rear tyres accentuating the curves.
Inside, the RS5 is a sea of black Nappa leather and sporty touches, and we particularly like the chunky, flat-bottomed steering wheel, which both looks - and feels - great.
Practicality
Mercedes-Benz C438/10
The new C-Class has grown slightly in size compared to the model it replaces, most notably with a 26mm increase in the wheelbase which you can feel in the cabin.
The front seat space is good, with excellent adjustability for the power-adjustable seats and steering column. I had no trouble finding my ideal seating position which makes for a more enjoyable and uncompromised driving experience.
Rear space is a bit tighter (which is typical for this segment/size of vehicle), but thankfully the standard seats do have very deep sculpting in the backs which allow for more knee space and foot room.
However, at approximately 180cm (six-foot), I wouldn’t like to sit behind my seating position for long periods as my knees were touching the seat back, and headroom is compromised with the panoramic glass roof.
In terms of small item storage there’s a lidded console box in between the front seats as well as a pair of cupholders and a small tray where you can place your mobile phone.
It’s worth noting, though, that early examples of the C 43 in Australia do not have a wireless smartphone charging pad, with that reportedly being introduced from February production.
While that’s good news, it’s not really competitive in this day and age to offer a car costing six-figures without such technology.
There’s also only a single USB-C power outlet in the front, which is another disappointment, but there is a pair in the back.
Mercedes does win some points back for a respectable 455-litre boot, which has a nice wide load opening that will make packing luggage easier.
Audi RS57/10
We only tested the Coupe, and I can tell you that the practicality perks on offer largely depend on where you're sitting.
Up front, you're spoiled for room in the two-door Coupe, with the two spacious seats separated by a sizeable centre console that's also home to two cupholders and a variety of cubbies, with extra bottle storage in each of the front doors.
The back seat, though, is a little, or a lot, tighter, with come acrobatics required to even climb into it, given the Coupe only has two doors. The Sportback offers two more doors, which will surely make the process a little easier.
The Coupe measures 4723mm in length, 1866mm in width and 1372mm in height, and will deliver a decent 410 litres in luggage space in the boot. The Sportback measures in at 4783mm, 1866mm and 1399mm, and boosts your luggage space to 465 litres.
Either vehicle has your tech needs sorted, with an abundance of USB and power outlets serving both front and backseat riders.
Price and features
Mercedes-Benz C438/10
We’ll get to the major change under the bonnet shortly, but another significant alteration for this latest C 43 is the price.
It now starts at $134,900 (plus on-road costs), which pushes it well above its market rivals, the BMW M340i xDrive and Audi S4, which start at $104,900 and $106,200, respectively.
However, Mercedes has added more technology under the bonnet and loaded the C 43 up with standard equipment, including its '4Matic' all-wheel drive system, adaptive damping, rear-wheel steering and 20-inch alloy wheels.
In terms of creature comforts, the C 43 is well-appointed, with leather upholstery, a head-up display, augmented reality navigation, a panoramic sliding sunroof, and a Burmester 3D surround sound system.
There are two option packages for the C 43. The 'Digital Light Package' costs $2400 and adds Multibeam LED headlights with 'Ultra Range' highbeam, 'Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus' as well as active light function and cornering light function.
The 'Performance Ergonomics Package' includes AMG Performance front seats, an AMG Performance steering wheel in Nappa leather and microfibre and the 'AMG Track Pace' system for an additional $5200.
Audi RS58/10
It's available as a Coupe or a Sportback, but either way, the RS5 commands a $150,900 asking price. And that's not chump change, but Audi's performance model does come with a lot of bang for those bucks.
We'll get to the engine and safety stuff in a moment, but in terms of fruit, you'll find 20-inch alloys outside, as well sportier RS body styling, sport brakes, Matrix LED headlights, keyless entry and push-button start and heated mirrors, a sunroof and privacy glass. Inside, there's Nappa leather seats (heated in the front), illuminated door sills, stainless steel pedals and ambient interior lighting.
The tech stuff is handled by a new 10.1-inch central touchscreen that gets both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Audi's Virtual Cockpit, which replaces the dials in the driver's binnacle with a digital screen. There's also wireless phone charging, and a killer 19-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system.
Under the bonnet
Mercedes-Benz C438/10
The biggest talking point about this new car is the engine, with AMG downsizing from the old C 43’s six-cylinder to a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.
But it’s not just any turbocharged four-pot, because it is fitted with technology that Mercedes claims has been inspired directly from its Formula One team.
While the F1 team engine facility is based in England, this engine was designed and developed by the Mercedes-AMG team at its Affalterbach headquarters, but the concept of the electric turbocharger reportedly comes from the engine that powered Lewis Hamilton to multiple world championships.
The electric exhaust gas turbocharger - to give it its official name - uses a small electric motor on the turbocharger shaft to spin up the blades without having to wait for any exhaust gases to pass through it first.
To power the electric turbo the C 43 is equipped with a mild-hybrid 48-volt electrical system.
Mercedes claims this means reduced lag and improved throttle response for a sportier driving experience.
It also helps make this small engine produce big amounts of performance, with AMG extracting 300kW of power and 500Nm of torque from this 2.0-litre, which is more power than the previous six-cylinder C 43 managed.
The engine is paired to a nine-speed multi-clutch transmission, which isn’t a dual-clutch with a pair of clutches operating on every second gear ratio, but instead uses a “wet start-off clutch” for better take-offs and smoother shifting on the move (at least in theory).
Power is sent to the road via all four wheels thanks to Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive system.
Audi RS58/10
Its a terrific engine, this - a twin-turbo 2.9-litre six-cylinder TFSI that will deliver 331kW at 5700rpm and 600Nm at 1900rpm, sending it thundering to all four wheels (because quattro) via an eight-speed tiptronic automatic.
That's enough, says Audi, to deliver a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.9 seconds in the Coupe and the Sportback. Which is very, very quick.
Efficiency
Mercedes-Benz C437/10
Despite the smaller engine you can hardly call the C 43 miserly, with a claimed combined urban/highway cycle rating of 9.1-litres per 100km. That’s only a 0.2L/100km improvement over the old six-cylinder.
On test, which included a return trip from Sydney to Bathurst via motorways and some dynamic back road driving, we saw a return of 11.8L/100km on the car's onboard computer.
While hardly hybrid-worrying, it’s impressive to think that driven modestly, such a potent engine can return a single-digit fuel figure.
Audi RS58/10
The RS5 Coupe will sip a claimed 9.4L/100km on the combined cycle, and emit a claimed 208g/km of Co2. It's fitted with a 58-litre fuel tank.
The RS5 Coupe will the same 9.4L/100km, but emit 209g/km of Co2.
Driving
Mercedes-Benz C438/10
Let’s start with the good news. The new Mercedes-AMG C 43 is a quick car. The engine may be small in size but the electric turbocharger does its thing and provides plenty of punch.
You can get a performance boost, too, thanks to the belt-driven starter generator, which acts as a mild hybrid and gives you a surge of 10kW for a brief period if you need a sudden burst of extra speed.
The chassis is well-sorted, too, at least from a dynamic point-of-view. The rear-wheel steering can provide up to 2.5 degrees of turning, which improves handling at speed and manoeuvrability when parking.
However, there are some less-impressive elements to the C 43, too. The obvious one is the drama, or rather the lack thereof.
As I said at the beginning, the C 43 has never been as wild or raucous as the V8-powered C 63, but when you buy an AMG there’s a rightful expectation that it will provide some thrills.
The C 43 simply doesn’t have that character about it. Yes, it’s fast, but it produces that speed with efficiency rather than excitement.
And it’s not an engine size problem, because even the 2.0-litre four-cylinder A 35 and CLA 35 offer more ‘wow factor’ than the C 43.
Yes, the engine makes noise under acceleration (and it can be altered between discreet and sporty) but even at its best it sounds muted and lacks the evocative tone of a V8 or six-cylinder engine.
Another disappointment is the transmission calibration, with the gearbox awkwardly shifting out of first gear on multiple occasions during our test drive.
In the taller gears it felt smooth enough cruising along, but given its low speed shifts we’d like to spend more time in the urban environment before passing final judgement.
The other notable element of the driving experience we struggled with was the ride quality. While fine on the smoother motorways, our test drive included time on some patchy country back roads and the C 43, even in the ‘Comfort’ suspension setting, was simply too firm.
Riding on low profile tyres, the adaptive dampers struggled to isolate the cabin from the imperfections in the road, leading to a fussy ride at times.
Overall the C 43 is a good car, but it feels like there are still some areas where Mercedes could improve it to make it really live up to the AMG badge.
Audi RS58/10
With our time behind the wheel limited to the RS5 Coupe, we can only really report on how the two-door feels on the road, but given the prodigious power on offer, it's unlikely the addition of two doors is going to make the Sportback any slower.
In short, the RS5 is thunderously fast, collecting speed with utter nonchalance thanks to this thick and endless-feeling supply of power unleashed whenever you plant your right foot.
It makes even the most ham-fisted attempts at cornering feel fast as lightning, with the power flow able to make up for every slow entry and exit by simply piling on pace between bends.
But that's what you expect from an RS model, right? So perhaps more impressive is the RS5's ability to transform back into a relatively sedate urban cruiser when the red mist subsides. The suspension is firm, especially over rough road surfaces, and you do need to be a little careful with the accelerator to avoid that lurching feeling at every green light, but driven calmly, it doubles as a everyday car quite nicely.
Like in the RS4, we did find the gearbox felt a little quick to change at pace, shifting up or down at strange moments on the way into or out of corners, but you can reclaim control via the paddle shifters.
Safety
Mercedes-Benz C439/10
The C43 gets a comprehensive list of safety equipment that leaves little out. Obviously there are the usual passive safety items, like 10 airbags, including dual-front combined pelvic/thorax airbags and a front centre bag that drops between the front seat passengers to minimise the chances of a head clash.
Also included as standard is autonomous emergency braking front and rear (covering speeds between 7.0-200km/h), adaptive cruise control with active stop/go, a 360-degree parking camera, 'Active Parking Assist', 'Active Lane Keeping Assist', 'Blind Spot Assist' and, of course, anti-lock brakes with 'Brake Assist' and 'Adaptive Brakes' with Hold function and electronic stability control.
Also included are dusk-sensing LED lights, rain-sensing wipers and run-flat tyres with tyre pressure warning.
The C43 also comes equipped with Mercedes’ 'Driving Assistance Package Plus', which adds even more safety gear. This includes 'Active Blind Spot Assist', 'Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Function', 'Active Emergency Stop Assist', 'Active Lane Change Assist', 'Active Lane Keeping Assist', 'Active Steering Assist', and 'Active Stop-and-Go Assist'.
While the C43 hasn’t been specifically crash-tested, the latest C-Class was rated by ANCAP with a five-star score for all models except the upcoming C 63 S E Performance.
Audi RS59/10
The safety story begins with six (Coupe) or eight (Sportback), and the usual suite of braking and traction aids, but then climbs into the tech-savvy stuff from there.
You get a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise with stop and go, active lane assist, front and rear parking sensors, AEB with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert, an exit warning system, blind-spot monitoring and turn assist, which monitors oncoming traffic when making a turn.
It's a lot of gear, and it all contributes to Audi's five-star ANCAP safety rating, awarded in 2017 to the A5 range.
Ownership
Mercedes-Benz C438/10
The C 43 is covered by Mercedes’ five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which has become the new standard for the luxury car market.
Service intervals for the car are at 12 months/25,000km, which is on par with industry standard.
Mercedes-Benz Australia will offer a service plan for the C 43, prices were yet to be confirmed at the time of publication but the company has indicated it will be similar to the C300.
That means $550 for year one, $900 for year two, the third service costs $1000 and the fourth year service costs $2450 - for a total of $4900 for the first four years of ownership.
Audi RS57/10
Audi vehicles are covered by a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is feeling more than a little underdone when compared to some competitors.
Services are due every 12 months or 15,000kms, and Audi allows you to pre-pay your service costs for the first five years, at a cost of $3,050.