OK, I test-drove the GLC 43 AMG only since the C63 S Convertible had a flat tire when I went to pick it up. Since it was after 4 pm Friday, the parts department was closed and they couldn't exchange the tire. Will have to test-drive the car this Wednesday or next weekend. Dammit, weekend is rainy, it would have been perfect to see how my wife likes the car in the wet.
As to the GLC 43 AMG, here are my observations after a three hours test-drive, incl. some high speed (up to 245 kph on the speedo) Autobahn driving:
- Build quality excellent (above BMW X3 series in my opinion but not quite Macan territory maybe but very close).
- Biturbo 6-cyl. engine is powerful but not really fun (could need some more torque in the lower rev range)
- Exhaust/engine sound very(!) disappointing, expected more after various positive reviews I watched on YouTube. Typical generic turbo sound you know from the Macan Turbo or the McLaren 720S (here at least it is louder). Luckily, the GLC 43 AMG lacks (most of the time) those pathetic farts (spitting) the CLA 43 AMG seems to produce.
- Manual shifting? Forget about it, no fun at all and very bad setup. Even in Sport + mode.
- Automatic works very well but I wish it wouldn't keep the gear that long in Sport + mode, this is no sportscar.
- Turbo lag in all driving modes very noticeable, acceptable in Sport + mode.
- Even at speeds over 200 kph powerful engine, you won't feel undermotorized on the Autobahn.
- Very good chassis setup, drove in Sport + chassis mode and loved it but it may be a bit uncomfortable on bumpy roads. High stability feel at high speeds on the Autobahn, excellent setup. Chassis feels overall very sporty, close to Macan Turbo, only steering feel is a bit different (pretty firm compared to the Macan Turbo but also very direct, which is surprising for a Mercedes SUV). Overall, the Macan Turbo feels a tiny bit lighter than the GLC 43 AMG, Porsche surely knows their way around sporty SUV chassis setups. After the Macan though, I think the GLC 43 has the sportiest chassis setup of all same category SUVs (drove a new BMW X4 recently and I like the GLC setup better). Achieved some nice curve speeds with the car, pretty impressive for such a SUV but even in Sport + (both chassis and driving modes), the ESP came on all the time (barely feelable though).
- Burmester sound system sounds like crap (similar to BOSE in the Cayenne), huge disappointment! I guess you get what you pay for (Burmester is under 1k EUR), rumors indicate H&K hardware and a Burmester algorithm (and logos LOL) only. How bad can the standard sound system be? Don't even want to think about it. So yes, Burmester is a MUST if you want to have a somewhat decent sound in the car. Very bad base (thin)!
- Average fuel consumption (city/Autobahn) is around 18 liters / 100 km. Ouch. Better than in our former Macan Turbo though (around 19 liters on average). I drive my cars in the sportiest driving modes though, so this may not be a valid indicator of fuel consumption.
- Very good brake system with firm brake feel (actually feels much better than Cayenne S Diesel brake).
- Trunk is better usable than in the Macan, looks much bigger but you cannot really load up things with too much height. Overall, I think that the GLC trunk is better usable than in the Macan though.
- Rear passenger room is sufficient, my daughter didn't complain.
Conclusion: Amazing little SUV, I love everything about it, with the exception of the engine though. The engine setup just doesn't feel right and the sound is...how to put it...crap. Many seem to like it though but it isn't my cup of tea. Generic V6 biturbo sound, similar to M3/M4 and Macan GTS/Turbo but just a bit quieter maybe (especially compared to the BMWs). I would never ever consider thr GLC without the upcoming V8 Biturbo!
Speaking of the GLC 63 S AMG I plan to get: Mercedes AMG seems to have run into some (development) issues with the car, no GLC 63 AMG before (earliest!) January 2018! I just hope that they already certified the car, exhaust sound (and button) and all...
I will post a few photos of the car as soon as I get to take them.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet (2015), Porsche Cayenne S Diesel (2017), Audi R8 V10 Plus (2016), Mini JCW (2015)