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Audi SQ5 vs C43 AMG Estate

DRIVER200

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C43 AMG Estate
Considering changing from my SQ5 to a C43 Estate (Can't afford a C63!!). Obviously the C43 is a more modern car as the Audi design has been around for a few years now. Having said that the Audi does have a particularly sweet diesel engine but being an SUV is obviously looses out to saloon type cars when it comes to the sporty side of driving as its all about straight line power in the Audi. I normally change my cars every 2 years or so but with the anticipated VED hike next year this might be a good time to do the deal even though my car is only 15 months old. I will have to wait until February/March next year for the Merc anyway. Appreciate your thoughts on my dilemma.:thumb:
 
What's the dilemma?

If you've driven it and like it then it's a no brainer isn't it?

Do you need an SUV type vehicle or will an estate do?
 
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The GLC 43 would be more in line with the Q5 but I think I'd also go for the C estate over the soft-roader.
 
The 3.0tt engine really is great, it's something that's been missing from the UK MB line up for ages. Or at least it's filled a yawning gap between normal daily cars and AMGs as the power of AMGs has increased to Supercar levels.
 
I get your dilemma. I'm looking at doing a similar twin turbo diesel to a 43. 535d to E43 for me.

I'm going to test drive first.... but I'm not changing that till late 2017
 
Tell you what, why don't we have another thread on the subject.
 
The Estate has the same load space as the Audi so all's well on that front which I need.

Question is if both cars were side by side and you had to choose one which would it be as they are approximately the same £?
 
Buy (or keep) an SUV if you need a big car that goes off-road, or a sporting estate if you want a big car that handles properly and is lighter and better to drive. So an SUV on stiff suspension with 20" Kings Road tyres that can't go off-road just seems at odds with itself. I'd therefore go C43 Estate and revel in the new found agility and fun. And if you get bored, I'm sure DMS will soon be pulling 450+bhp from that engine at least, anytime soon. Oh, and it also doesn't run on the Devil's own stinking fluid either :thumb:
 
The Estate has the same load space as the Audi so all's well on that front which I need.

Question is if both cars were side by side and you had to choose one which would it be as they are approximately the same £?

I've owned a couple of Range Rovers and an ML300 and I wouldn't go back to SUV's now.

I prefer Estate cars as they are simply more comfortable to drive for me. There's no compromise, it's not an off roader trying to be an on roader.
 
I've owned a couple of Range Rovers and an ML300 and I wouldn't go back to SUV's now.



I prefer Estate cars as they are simply more comfortable to drive for me. There's no compromise, it's not an off roader trying to be an on roader.



Try a modern 4x4 then.
- 2014 X5
- new RRS
- new FFRR
- Macan S
- GLE
- F-Pace

All stunning drives. But I do love and prefer my fast tourings!
 
I have driven the C43 Estate but I guess have been spoilt by the enormous amount of torque in the diesel Audi. Having said that the C43 was no slouch and being a petrol engine sounded much more raspy compared to my SQ5 which has a trick sound box blasting out a V8 burble which actually is very addictive but hey its not all about the sound. Is it?
 
Try a modern 4x4 then.
- 2014 X5
- new RRS
- new FFRR
- Macan S
- GLE
- F-Pace

All stunning drives. But I do love and prefer my fast tourings!

I have, we looked at the new RRS, Porsche Cayenne and the F-Pace. Didn't like any of them but we loved the S6 Avant, so that's what we've ordered.
 
Try a modern 4x4 then.
- 2014 X5
- new RRS
- new FFRR
- Macan S
- GLE
- F-Pace

All stunning drives. But I do love and prefer my fast tourings!

.... and all compromised I'm afraid by being too tall, too heavy and can't go off-road well. I don't deny that they are fast, but remove most of the never used 4WD kit, lower them and then you'd have some really good performance estate cars. Sorry, but I just don't get the super-sports SUV game at all. Defender, Landcruiser, Patrol, G-Wagon, yes, as they're off-roaders and need height and weight to work off the beaten track, but a 2.5-3 tonne (certainly in the case of the previous RR Sport and Disco) car with stiff suspension and 500+bhp is trying to be what exactly?!

Clearly each to their own of course, so no offense implied to those that like them. In fact I did have a proper Overfinch RR (when they were an engineering company, not the bling wheel and upholstering firm they seem to be now) in 1989 with a 350 small-black and around 400bhp. Stock suspension, BFG Mud-Terrains and a Diesel badge on the boot. Overfinch beat the Cayenne to the game by about 20 years and it was a total hoot - still went off-road regularly though and was mighty in the mud.

YMMV of course ;)
 
.... and all compromised I'm afraid by being too tall, too heavy and can't go off-road well. I don't deny that they are fast, but remove most of the never used 4WD kit, lower them and then you'd have some really good performance estate cars. Sorry, but I just don't get the super-sports SUV game at all. Defender, Landcruiser, Patrol, G-Wagon, yes, as they're off-roaders and need height and weight to work off the beaten track, but a 2.5-3 tonne (certainly in the case of the previous RR Sport and Disco) car with stiff suspension and 500+bhp is trying to be what exactly?!

Clearly each to their own of course, so no offense implied to those that like them. In fact I did have a proper Overfinch RR (when they were an engineering company, not the bling wheel and upholstering firm they seem to be now) in 1989 with a 350 small-black and around 400bhp. Stock suspension, BFG Mud-Terrains and a Diesel badge on the boot. Overfinch beat the Cayenne to the game by about 20 years and it was a total hoot - still went off-road regularly though and was mighty in the mud.

YMMV of course ;)



Yeah my grandfather had a few 5.7 versions back in the day. Awesome cars.

Well I'm still in an F11 535d for the same reasons. I will buy the wife a D5 or GLS in the near future but I'm stuck unless the E43 is any good or I can afford a E63 on top of everything else I'm doing.
 
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I know, what are they like......fancy wanting to discuss something on a forum.:doh:

Suggest you look down the first page. All of Driver200's posts could all be covered in a single thread. There is an overlap in them all.
 
Suggest you look down the first page. All of Driver200's posts could all be covered in a single thread. There is an overlap in them all.



Hang him!!! [emoji35]

Seriously?? [emoji12]
 
In fact I did have a proper Overfinch RR (when they were an engineering company, not the bling wheel and upholstering firm they seem to be now) in 1989 with a 350 small-black and around 400bhp. Stock suspension, BFG Mud-Terrains and a Diesel badge on the boot. Overfinch beat the Cayenne to the game by about 20 years and it was a total hoot - still went off-road regularly though and was mighty in the mud.

Have you seen what good, genuine examples of these are going for now? They do suffer from rust.
A soft dash LSE 570 would be just lovely but it would also be at least £50k
 
Have you seen what good, genuine examples of these are going for now? They do suffer from rust.
A soft dash LSE 570 would be just lovely but it would also be at least £50k

Man alive - no I hadn't, but sure wish I'd kept it. I did 100,000 miles in that car (mostly at about 11mpg... those were the days) but it blew up in Southern Germany on holiday in 1993 and made a real mess of Peiting Hauptstrasse. Seems that there was some casting weakness in the block and it sucked in a cylinders' worth of coolant and they grenade'd itself - I could see pistons from the outside, which is never good. Overfinch were excellent (whilse under Douglas Cook's very customer focussed control) and replaced the engine f.o.c. Top blokes.
 

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