I've landed myself in a pretty interesting situation. I need to buy a car by next year, mainly because I'm getting married and my fiance's Volvo 850 GLT is really climbing up the mileage ladder. I want something that both of us can enjoy, but it must meet my basic criteria: Fast, fun, four doors and... I hate to say this... automatic. The little lady can kind of, sort of drive a five speed, but I'm pretty sure she hates it. She won't go anywhere near my car for that very reason.

And now the contenders: I have been given the opportunity to buy my brother's car, which is a 1998 Mercedes C43 AMG, for a killer price (about 15 grand). I don't want to be one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I do want to at least review my options. The way I see it, there is no way I'm going to find an unmodified sedan with less than seventy thousand miles that will touch the Merc. I can afford to step up the price chain into the mid 20s if I have to, but what else is there? The mid nineties M3 is really a little more up my alley, but that story changes when you add an automatic to the equation. I'm pretty sure the 240hp M3 five speed was actually faster than the C43, but I'm also pretty certain that C43 would whip up on the auto. model of the BMW. (BTW, for those who didn't know, the C43 was 302hp, automatic only). I've also considered the biturbo S4, but those are still bringing high premiums, and the Merc seems like it would be as good, if not better, a car in automatic form.

Anyway, long story short, do you guys think the Merc is the way to go? Can any of you think of any other cars I should take a look at? For you folks reading from across the pond, remember that I'm writing from the United States. Thanks in advance for any input.

if you can get to the high 20's, you could get a 2002 C32 AMG.... when I turned mine in, the buyout was 32k, but it was only really worth 28k.....

E55 amg? the old one i think that will be better then C43 and also is roomier, but it will bring u into the 20's

B5 audi S4 if you can deal with questionable reliability. :D awd, bi-turbo, very tunable for more power, good looks and a little more rare than an M3 at least. just another suggestion. though i'm quite turned off by the horror stories i hear about the B5 S4's.

These are all great suggestions. I really appreciate the input.

If someone was just going to give me one of the choices, the C32 would probably be my pick, but I would have to stretch to high twenties/ lower thirties to buy that car. Considering my opportunity to buy the C43 for half that amount, I can't help but feel like that would be kind of irresponsible of me. They are both very similar cars, but what the C43 lacks in outright acceleration it makes up for (at least in my mind) in overall personality. It's kind of hard to explain, really. It's just so amusing to see people's faces when they hear a bassoon V8 rumble coming out of a boxy little C class. The other great thing is the overall stealth value. It's amazing how few people have any idea what the little Benz is packing. I've really taken some people by surprise in it. Of course, the C32 has most of these qualities too, (except for the V8 part), and is a bit faster, but for right now that's really a lot of extra money to stretch to.

As for the Audi S4, I love the idea of that car, but you hit the nail on the head with the reliability issue. I come from a big time Audi/VW family, but reliability issues in the past few years have steered us toward the inline sixes of the BMW camp. (Dad was a straight up Audi man until he bought a 2001 530. He still drives a 95 S6 nearly every day, though.) I could get a decent mileage S4 for just about 4 grand more, but once again, I am left wondering if that is really a wise idea. Should I pay extra for a car that will likely prove less reliable as the miles add up? The AWD is awesome, but we will be living in Atlanta, so foul weather won't be a big deal. It would be kind of a tradeoff anyway, as I'm also a fan of the overall RWD dynamics of the Merc. As far as the tunability issue goes, I'm not really concerned about that. I plan on leaving this car more or less stock. I'll be taking out my urge to build a personal Frankenstein on a turbo Z here pretty soon, so I definitely don't want two cars sitting in the garage in pieces.

And the E55. Ohhhhhhh. I'm not sure why, but that one is reallllly calling to me. I could get one for low twenties, but it would have significantly higher mileage (80 or 90 thousand) compared to the C43. It also wouldn't be a certified starmark car. (The C43 was when my brother got it, and a majority of the warranty is still left.) But the 2000 or so E55 was an absolutely beautiful car, with very similar dynamics and more room to boot. I'm still thinking about that one.

As said, fantastic input thus far. Let me know if anything else comes to mind!

You could also look at the 98-01 BMW 540i. Powerful V8 and slightly more legroom in the back than a C43 AMG. Don't think you could get one with decent mileage for 15k though. How many miles are on the Merc?

the C43 looks very old now a days though, interior and exterior wise.... but yes, for 1/2 the price of the C32, with a warranty? sounds good.....

Take it from a Mercedes techinician. Get the C43, you won't be disappointed. The 202 chassis is very reliable and easy to repair if needed. Plus you get the stout AMG built M113 engine. You can't go wrong!! Especially for that price!!! I haven't met a guy in the shop who doesn't like the C43. It's an alround great car. If you have any questions feel free to ask me. I'm also good friends with a technician who owns one though he never drives it. The car only has 30,000 miles on it.

Now that I think about it. Who's selling one for $15k? I may need to give them a ring!! ;)

Yea, don't even consider the automatic E36 M3, they were nowhere near as good as the manual. There shouldn't have even been a non-manual M3 until the SMG II E46 M3.

The B5 S4 TT was a decent car with lots of tuning potential, but also has the potential to be a giant money pit due to reliability issues.

As for the Merc, they've just never impressed me like the BMWs have. Just not as fun to drive.

Definitely go for a C43 if you're after a fast car that can turn into a luxury cruiser or a shopping basket at the drop of a hat.


Plus, they just ooze class. They just don't make Mercs like they used to :(

I really appreciate everyone's input. The more I think about it, the more I feel like I can buy the C43 AMG and not have any regrets. Seems like about every comparable car that I can think of or that has been mentioned is either too expensive or has some reliability issues. As far as the 540 goes, that one has some reliability problems too. Based on the experiences of people our family know, the V8 BMW motors can be pretty trouble prone. The problems are usually nothing major, but annoying nonetheless. (Although they run like hell when they're working right!)

For the price I can get it at, C43 just seems like the right mix of reliability, performance, and all around usability. As far as the dated body goes, I really like the classic 3 box Mercedes look. And I have no problem whatsoever doing without the nav systems and electronics that the newest models have. Mileage on the car is pretty good for a 1998 model: it only has a little over 50k.

I'm really glad to hear that you have a high opinion of the car, Blindside. I talked to a couple of Mercedes techs at our hometown dealer a couple of weeks ago and they said they couldn't say enough good things about the car. It's very reassuring to see a third tech with the same opinion.

And BTW, the 15K price is a family only discount. He may want a bit more if he sells it to someone else. :biggrin: