Nearly $80 grand nets engine lag, rough ride, but AMG initials on a crossover …
With all due respect Mercedes, why an AMG GLC 43 Coupe?
I mean you make plenty of luxury coupes, sedans, crossovers and SUVs. A pickup might make more sense. You also make sporty coupes, sedans, crossovers and SUVs.
So why this mishmash of luxury and performance in a compact SUV/crossover that hits the already over-priced vehicle market with a thud at nearly $80 grand. And get this, it needs a $1,950 Driver Assistance package to add virtually all the safety equipment I’d expect on a mid-size sedan costing roughly $40,000. You know, the likes of lane keeping and blind-spot assist. Can you say Camry?
OK, so the performance-oriented AMG initials are added here along with some otherwise optional goodies, such as a power hatch, rain-sensing wipers, digital dash and LED lights. But really, nearly $80k for a sporty AWD SUV/crossover that looks like an odd mix of coupe and crossover.
I must admit this is better looking than its BMW fastback crossover “coupe” counterpart the X4 M, but still.
The irony is Mercedes-Benz tries to out power its competitors with a 2.0-liter turbo I4 with mild hybrid system. That’s to eek out another mpg or so, but it needn’t bother.
A lot of automakers are now turbocharging small 4-cylinder engines, but few have squeezed 416 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque from theirs. That means this GLC 43 will haul arse, up to 155 mph Mercedes says. That translates to 4.7 seconds of hot acceleration from 0-60.
That’s fun, but driving the GLC 43 around town and getting onto highways there’s a major engine lag, probably turbo induced, that makes the “coupe” hesitate noticeably when one gets on the gas pedal. It’s annoying, just before the retro-rockets seem to kick in to distill the fun.
Likewise braking is super touchy in the Mercedes. Hard to ease off the gas and come to a smooth stop without it turning a bit jerky. That’s something I’ve rarely witnessed of late in a luxury or performance vehicle.
Handling is excellent, which contributes to the driving fun, but you’ve got to find some particularly winding roads to toss this about and feel the grip it has in tight corners. I had this one in snow and for that is was surefooted and steady, a decided plus.
Yet its handling prowess is wasted in city driving. Better hope you have a long highway commute with this one.
Better hope that highway is pretty smooth too as the tight performance-oriented suspension here feels overly tight and jiggly in choppy city street driving. Not as punishing as say a Ford Bronco, but enough shake to get your significant other to question how much you’ve spent on this sporty luxu-machine.
Adding to that concern, my wife commented that for an expensive car this Mercedes “sure was noisy and felt like a cheap car.”
She’s no fan of performance cars or utes, but the rumble and finicky nature of the GLC 43 put her off, and quickly.
Moving inside didn’t improve our state of mind much either.
If one likes giant digital screens that dominate the dash, a black gloss console that is extremely reflective, as is the carbon fiber dash trim, and enough buttons and dials to ground a seasoned pilot, well, the GLC 43 is for you.
The best news here is the black soft-touch leather/suede seats that are well shaped and supportive, plus powered. They also look sharp with an AMG logo on their headrest. Power controls are on the doors with three memory buttons. Oddly though those controls are rather stiff and hard to adjust, so be sure to do any seat shifting before driving, and lock in your seat setting.
The power lumbar button is on the seat side and if you have time to learn the complex giant touchscreen you can find a sort of massaging function under Comfort. It’s called kinetic and more than just rolling up and down your spine it moves the seat back and bottom a smidge to stimulate your derriere and lower back, relieving the sameness of most driving positions.
Mercedes’ giant screen is not the most intuitive, and like so many luxury makes’ screens has many layers for the ultimate in personal adjustment. For instance there are 8 subscreens that pop up when the home button is pressed. These include Apps, Store, Comfort, Settings, Phone, Radio, Media and Off-Road. Under Apps, for instance, there are 8 more settings, including Weather and Hey Mercedes where one can ask the car’s Siri-wanna-be questions.
“Hey Mercedes, why is this all so complicated?”
There’s even a Quiz gaming selection for when you’re stuck in traffic and need a diversion.
Remember when cars were for driving, not entertainment?
Anyway, there are no less than 21 buttons or haptic slides (one for radio volume) on the steering wheel and of course one can adjust the suspension and exhaust system to meet individual needs. Again, all divert from the driving exercise and one would hope your Mercedes dealer has a 4- to 6-hour class to educate the buyer on all the functionality that normally a race team’s chief mechanic would handle before sending you out on the race track.
Yes, one Could likely race this.
But there ARE a few functions that also make it comfy for a road trip. Heated and cooled seats help and the panoramic sunroof overhead is nice too. I like the power tilt/telescope steering wheel that is flat-bottomed, so a bit racy. Sadly the power driver’s seat doesn’t power back when the ignition switches off, something many luxury makes now offer. That makes exiting the vehicle a bit easier.
Oh, but there is a wireless phone charger.
The tested GLC 43 deleted a heated steering wheel, so there’s a $250 credit. I’d want that heated wheel, something that should be standard on an $80k vehicle.
Note too that headroom is a bit compromised in the rear seat due to the sharply angled fastback roofline. That hatch’s angle also cuts into cargo space near the back of the trunk so only shallow items can be place there. Push your grocery bags far forward.
The hatch’s rear window is mighty small too, radically reducing rear visibility. Oddly there’s also no rear window wiper, something needed in a Wisconsin winter.
Even with the mild hybrid system the gas mileage here is just 18 mpg city and 24 highway says the EPA, and premium fuel is requested. I got 19.4 mpg in a mix of driving with up to three of us aboard.
Final pricing has been mentioned earlier, but know that the starting price on this model is $71,650, including delivery. No lesser trims are available.
This hit $79,985 because it added a bunch of pricey options including the safety package previously mentioned. But there also was the $975 carbon fiber dash trim that looks like plastic, so not of great value, along with a $910 Burmester surround sound stereo system, and monster $2,000 AMG Dynamic Plus package with red brake calipers and dynamic engine mounts, probably needed for logging fast laps on the track.
Other goodies are your call, but one could probably get into this for $75 grand if some restraint is shown on options. One final happy note, the bright Polar White paint job here did NOT cost extra. Black also is a no-upcharge color. All other colors add to the final tally.
FAST STATS: 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC 43 Coupe
Hits: Fast, excellent handling, and AWD. Panoramic sunroof, heated/cooled and well-formed seats, big screen, seat controls on doors, multiple drive modes, power flat-bottom wheel, wireless charger.
Misses: Stiff uncomfortable ride, poor mpg, no heated wheel, no rear window wiper, shallow cargo area, limited rear headroom, reflective console, tech overload, power driver’s seat doesn’t power back after ignition off for easy exit, prefers premium fuel, small rear window, price.
Made in: Bremen, Germany
Motors: 2.0-liter turbo I4 w/mild hybrid, 416 hp/369 torque
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Weight: N.A.
Wheelbase: 113.1 in.
Length: 188.7 in.
Cargo: 17.6-36.1 cu.ft.
MPG: 18/24
MPG (tested): 19.4
Base Price: $71,650 (includes delivery)
Invoice: N.A.
Major Options:
Carbon fiber dash trim, $975
AMG performance steering wheel, $500
AMG 21-inch Y-spoke wheels, $1,600
AMG track pace, $250
Advance USB pkg. (6 USB ports, 12v outlet), $300
Burmester surround sound system, $910
Driver assistance pkg. (blind-spot assist, brake assist w/cross-traffic assist, pre-safe braking w/pedestrian recognition, Distronic plus w/steering assist, active emergency stop, lane change assist, side pre-collision assist, route-based speed adaptation, speed limit assist, evasive steering assist), $1,950
AMG Dynamic Plus pkg. (red brake calipers, dynamic engine mounts), $2,000
Credits: Heated steering wheel delete, -$250
Test vehicle: $79,985
Sources: Mercedes-Benz, www.kbb.com
Photos: Mark Savage
Savage On Wheels 
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