Here's something you might already know: In any performance measure, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 trounces the GLC 43. It's more powerful. It handles better. And if you're into SUV track days, it goes around the Nürburgring faster, too. Here's something you perhaps didn't know: None of that matters. The GLC 43's performance is plenty.
Don't get us wrong; at MotorTrend, we love absurdly powerful cars, especially from AMG. But for this type of vehicle, the 2020 GLC 43 doesn't leave driving enthusiasts yearning for more. Seamlessly blending usable performance with everyday luxury, the GLC 43 offers compelling and balanced attributes, and it seems like a better value than its more muscular counterpart.
Based on MotorTrend's 2017 SUV of the Year, the GLC 43 has upscale appointments shared among all variants of the award-winning compact crossover. That means a first-class cabin decked out in premium materials, which helps it feel like a step up from smaller Mercedes crossovers like the GLB. Over the GLC 300, interior upgrades include a leather-wrapped AMG steering wheel, illuminated door sills, and awesome color-changing ambient lighting. Optional red leather seating surfaces and carbon fiber trim panels upped our tester's sporty ambiance.
You'd expect such niceties from a Mercedes, but those aren't why you choose an AMG; it's all about the engine. The GLC 43's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 smoothly spins out 385 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. True, it may not be a "real" AMG unit—it's basically a chipped version of what's found in some standard Benzes—but it doesn't lack gusto. A refresh introduced for 2020 bumped output over the 362 hp version we tested in 2017. That likely won't significantly improve the 4.7-second 0-60 launch or 13.4 second, 104.3 mph quarter-mile times we recorded—as if those needed improvement. There's a hint of lag if you stomp the accelerator off the line, and thrust tapers off in the final few hundred RPM before redline. Everywhere else in the tachometer's swing, power feels abundant yet deployable.
Fuel economy isn't typically the highest priority for sporty SUV shoppers, but convenience is a luxury. To wit, the EPA says the GLC 43 can cover 365 miles between fill-ups, while the GLC 63 does only 313. For those still wondering, the GLC 43 gets an 18/24 mpg city/highway economy rating, and the GLC 63 scores 16/22 mpg.
The nine-speed automatic transmission is geared to extract the engine's bounty. Its tightly-spaced lower ratios let the V-6 flex its muscle, while the upper cogs keep revs low at highway speeds. Responses from the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters aren't instantaneous like those from the Porsche Macan's PDK controllers, but not far off. In Comfort mode, shifts are practically imperceptible but deliver a satisfying punch in Sport +.
Those punches pack an extra wallop with the optional performance exhaust system. It announces upshifts with a loud crack and enlivens downshifts with a series of pops. Set in a gear, the system's four black tips amplify the V-6's raspy growl. This cacophony borders on obnoxious but adds excitement to any drive. If you'd rather not annoy passers-by, simply switch the system off and it returns to civility.
Like in lesser GLCs, the 43's ride can be a little busy, made more so by the optional 21-inch wheels our tester wore. Nonetheless, the adaptive suspension's road insulation is quite good. It communicates what's going on beneath you without letting imperfections intrude. Naturally, it's plushest in Comfort mode but gets brittle in Sport +. Sport mode provides a balance between stiffness and smoothness. In any setting, the body stays impressively level through corners, but you can feel its high center of gravity—this is a crossover, after all.
Correspondingly, the well-weighted steering is tight and accurate, though not exactly quick. Engaging Sport Handling mode is a must for spirited driving. Engine output is sent to the AMG-tuned 4Matic all-wheel drive system at a fixed rear-biased ratio, but default stability control quashes acceleration if you even think about getting on power too early. Sport Handling unlocks the ability to use throttle to alter your trajectory.
The GLC 43's brakes are its main dynamic letdown. Its rotors and calipers are larger than the GLC 300's, and in MotorTrend testing, prove to stop in a shorter distance. But, suffering from a mushy pedal and slow release, they do little to inspire confidence. Stopping requires undue effort, not because of pedal weighting, but lack of feel. That makes it tricky to meter braking force and carry speed through corners, and you have to press more, more—yikes, even more—to halt. On the spectrum of limo-stop smoothness to right-now clamping, there's space for these brakes to shift towards the latter.
Regardless, like the GLC 300, the 43 makes a practical and enjoyable daily driver. Standard amenities include a power-operated cargo door, keyless entry with push-button start, and heated front seats. Headroom and legroom are ample, and its spacious cargo area expands with 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats.
Our tester was fitted with the optional 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, which complements a standard 10.3-inch MBUX infotainment touchscreen. Together they display a vast, reconfigurable range of information covering any and every vehicle function. AMG-specific readouts like real-time engine output and a G-force meter seem slightly out of place but enhance the experience. Likewise, the available AMG Drive Unit, which adds toggles with tiny color displays to the steering wheel for quick mode adjustments, is cool but unneeded given those changes can be made on the center console already.
With options like these added up, our GLC 43 tester totaled $76,450, an eye-popping increase over its $60,495 base price. Your corneas will bug further when you realize that the GLC 63 and its snarling 469 hp twin-turbo V-8 starts at $74,745. Nonetheless, a well-optioned GLC 43 offers more everyday enjoyment than a basic GLC 63.
Unless you equate excess to value, the GLC 43 is the better choice. The engine is any AMG's core, and yes, the GLC 63's has incredible power. No matter, the GLC 43's produces more than enough to induce grins and obliterate speed limits. It might not have its stablemate's clout, but it's no disappointment. If you want a sporty and luxurious compact crossover, the GLC 43 is all the AMG you need.
| 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 | |
| BASE PRICE | $60,495 |
| LAYOUT | Front-engine AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV |
| ENGINE | 3.0L/385-hp/384-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6 |
| TRANSMISSION | 9-speed automatic |
| CURB WEIGHT | 4,250 lb (MT est) |
| WHEELBASE | 113.1 in |
| L x W x H | 183.5 x 76.0 x 64.0 in |
| 0-60 MPH | 4.6 sec (MT est) |
| EPA FUEL ECON | 18/24/21 mpg |
| ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY | 187/140 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB | 0.96 lb/mile |
| ON SALE | Currently |
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June 24, 2020 at 02:00AM
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Want a Sporty Mercedes SUV? The 2020 GLC 43 is All the AMG You Need - Motor Trend
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