In December of 2017, a ‘17 Audi S6 could be had at 1% due to huge incentives from Audi and a mf of practicality zero. The discounts were so strong, they offset a 50% rv.
With a redesign coming for 2019, I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘18 S6 could be had around 1% this December.
Well said; Mercedes decides what an AMG is, period. The reality with these models is they sell well, discount poorly and suffer from sport car residuals so dropping the monthly in the $900s will require upwards of $10k in MSDs above and beyond drive offs. Not worth it in my view when you could get a C63 at that price point but that’s that.
One would argue the market decides what a true “AMG” is with their wallets. The market has decided the E43 is, in fact a real AMG by buying a lot of them!
I do love the AMG/M Sport/RS/etc Taliban deciding what is not real based on some sort of archaic religious doctrine, as if there hasn’t been constant change with those companies/divisions since they started. Focusing on the badge/branding of a vehicle instead of important factors like how it actually drives makes little sense.
@Siejammy is absolutely right that while they’re clearly aimed at bridging the financial gap between the mid-range and top end vehicles, the AMG 43’s are not good value and there is often a similar performance vehicle from another manufacturer that is cheaper. They also help to make the used market for 63’s look much more appealing.
I rarely see them around here and I live in a densely populated area (NE Jersey). I think I’ve seen a total of one, while I’ve seen plenty of E63s. Wonder what the production numbers are for these E43s…
I see around 300 listed nationally on Cars.com so there are not many. I have seen a few of them near me but only because I take an extra glance. The standard e300 is so commonly configured with the sport look and the 43 trim has almost no noticeable external differences minus the grill that they look more or less the same.
It’s a totally different car, and it’s not about 0-60 times for a lot of people. They are both really great cars, but are geared to different buyers. I leased an RC F over an M4 even though the M4 would kick the crap out of it in a drag race or on the track. However, except for the infotainment system, I thought the RC F was a better car. The C43 is smaller and lighter with all wheel drive. It’s got plenty of performance for most people. The C63 has a monster engine, and is over the top in a lot of ways. That’s appealing, but not to everyone.
I have nothing against an M-Sport or 43 AMG. I think these are perfect compromise sports cars as they are easier to daily drive than the true M’s and AMGs.