Mercedes-Benz AMG C43 Estate Review & Prices

If you want a comfortable, practical executive estate but also want to enjoy the scenic route from time to time, the Mercedes AMG C43 Estate could be the car for you. It’s designed to be a bit more punchy than the regular models, without turning the ‘race car for the road’ ethos up to 11. That’s the job of the bonkers C63.

So the C43 wants to be sensible but also show off its fun-loving side from time to time, a bit like a well-trained border collie. It will sit still and behave when asked to, but can also sprint across the countryside and put a smile on your face occasionally too.

Other smile-inducing practical performance cars to consider include the BMW M340i Touring and Audi S4 Avant, which, like the Mercedes, are also offered in saloon and estate body styles.

Both versions of the C43 get some extra styling tweaks to stand out from the regular C-Class range. There’s a new front grille and front bumper, as well as a rear bumper with a motorsport-look diffuser to give it a sportier edge.

Inside you get sports seats with a microfibre and leather combination, as well as an AMG-specific steering wheel, pedals, mats and illuminated door sills. The 11.9-inch infotainment system and 12.3-inch digital instrument display also get some special AMG graphics and menus.

Most of these changes are aesthetic, but beneath the bonnet sits a 2.0-litre engine with 408hp and 500Nm of torque that proves the C43 is more than just a sporty trim level. This is combined with all-wheel drive grip as standard, which contributes to the 4.7-second 0-62mph time. That’s pretty quick when you consider this is meant to be the compromise of fast and comfortable in the C-Class range.

There’s some cool technology to achieve this performance, too. A small electric motor supports the engine when accelerating hard, as well as keeping the turbocharger spinning so you get more immediate throttle response. And when you’re not having fun, it helps the start/stop system work more smoothly and lets the car coast without the engine to save fuel when possible.

Two trim levels are offered for the C43 Estate, called Premium and Premium Plus. The first gets 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights to help you see more clearly at night and not dazzle other drivers, rear axle steering for more agility at lower speeds and stability at higher speeds, and augmented reality for the sat nav.

Top-spec models up the wheels to 20 inches and add a panoramic sliding sunroof for a more light and airy interior, as well as getting an upgraded Burmester sound system.

Whichever model you go for, you get a practical 490-litre boot, though it’s not a huge amount more than you get in the saloon (455 litres). Unless you need the extra luggage or dog-carrying space, or simply prefer the estate looks, you could save a little cash and go for the C43 saloon.

We’ll update this review with our thoughts once we’ve got behind the wheel. For now, you can get a great price by checking out our Mercedes AMG C43 Estate deals, or browse the latest used Mercedes from our network of trusted dealers. Need to sell your car? Well carwow can help with that, too.