When I was attending this year's 2016 New York Auto Show, some of the most exciting vehicles I saw were the all-new Mercedes-AMG 43s. I just love the looks of GLC 43 and the E43.
I found myself returning to the stand multiple times.
Unless Mercedes really bungled the job here, I thought, there's no way that this isn't the must have midsize sedan. Why would you want anything else? And, as a bonus, it has the AMG badge. Though I understand why Mercedes made that move for marketing and stickiness, I find it a bit ingenuous to call it an AMG product. It's no surprise seeing what Audi and BMW have done over the years though that doesn't make it right.
So, what's it like? Well, initial reports seem to be pointing towards a class-leading sedan. There's just one catch, however.
It doesn't live up to the AMG name.
While that may make for a branding problem, the good news is that the E43 is still a remarkably strong product. Check out the excerpts I pulled from the Evo review, below.
What’s it like to drive?
The E43 does not feel like a product of Affalterbach. It doesn’t have the rampant performance, it doesn’t have the soundtrack and it doesn’t have the slightly naughty feel that defines the brand’s V8-engined, rear-wheel drive products.
It’s also lacking in tactility, with steering that performs its task with decent weighting but little feel, and slightly dulled turn-in responses. Nor is it as adjustable – such is the lateral grip, traction and stability of the chassis you’d really need to be going some for throttle inputs to significantly adjust your trajectory...
...It can’t be understated just how lovely a place the E-class cabin is to spend time, either. It feels infinitely more special than any 5-series, Jag XF, Audi A6 or similar, is trimmed beautifully throughout, and in Estate form in particular, is utterly vast inside...
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