How Well Does The 32 Drive?

[as400]

Am really thinking of getting one as the prices are dipping down to £9K for a decent one with acceptable mileage, which I think represents excellent value for money.

The last time I drove an automatic I wasn't impressed.

Previous cars: quick selection...Escort Cosworth,Subaru WRX STI Type R somethingorother...TVR Cerbera...BMW Z3M..blah blah...so I'm in that sort of bracket....

Back to my automatic experience....cant remember the car...nothing impressive....but the bummer was overtaking....you pull over to overtake floor it...and there was this dreadful 1 second of nothingness before the car decided to do something....and it seemed longer than a second, which is worrying if you suddenly start to see something careering towards you at that point.

I really got the impression the car was saying to me "I'm in charge and will tell you when I think its time to change gear" and I was just a passenger.

Now I know you can select a manual gear change option with this car...but most people probably just shift to D and away they go.

So answer me this, how does the car respond at trafic light grand prix starts....how is it when you want to carry out a quick risky overtake....and how about that sudden slow down to a fast approaching roundabout where you have to take the fourth exit and accelerate away...is it good at selecting gears in a hurry to give you instant response?

I really need to give one of these a drive but am hoping someone can give me a positive thumbs up to their C32 driving experience...

Have been searching for a Top Gear/Fith Gear type video review but to no avail.

So share with me your driving experience impression....and dare I say the word 'trackday'?!!

 

[robert.saunders]

just take a test drive?

 

[Neiltodd]

see the reviews on C32 AMG Life!  The site that's all  Mercedes C32 AMG

 

[Swozza]

Owned my C32 (Saloon) for 6 weeks now and its my first auto. I test drove a M3 and a 350Z before getting it.

I'd say its the best car I'd ever driven. Its comfortable, fast and has a far better interior than its rivals. As for the auto box, best of both worlds. You can shift up/down manually or just put it in drive and enjoy.

The C32 is a great car.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

At launch the auto box in the C32 was held in very high regard owing to it's shift time and smoothness. With the passage of time, DSG boxes have left it in the shade.

If your preference is to start a manouvere in a lower gear - rather than start and wait for the shift - you can push and hold the lever to the left for a moment and it will select the gear that will optimise acceleration.

Outright performance will not leave you wanting even considering the cars you've owned before - 0-60 4.6s and 0-100 10.8s - so it's a quick.

However I suspect it may not be so demanding on your senses and so may feel more relaxed. It's only when you watch the speedo sweep around the dial that you realise how rapidly you're accelerating.

You're right though, they are a bargain now, and an awful lot of car and performance for your money.

 

[Swozza]

YouTube - C32 AMG at track

At the track

 

[Londonscottish]

I drive a C43 with, of course, an auto box and over the years I've beaten a fair few cars at the lights as I can just stand on the throttle and be done with it. Trying get a manual 300+ bhp car off the line without lighting up the rears/frying the clutch/snapping a half shaft seems very difficult for a lot of folks I've pulled up alongside over the years.

On give and take roads I just select 3 or even 2. Because the torque convetrer lockes up I get near-instantaneous response.

As the previous poster commented DSG's have now come along but the Merc auto's are still pretty good.

Now to some really bad one; the worst I have ever experiences were on 70's cars - A Wolsley Six was appalling and I Cortina Mk III auto wa astonishingly slow. Rental US cars seem to have a fairly bad ones (or at least they did d few years ago) with lots of torque converter slip. I get the impression Merc have sunk a LOT of r&d into their suto boxes over the years and for me (at least) it doesn't dilute the AMG experience. In fact t me it's one the assets of an AMG

 

[Adam230K]

I've sat in a c32 once... and the thing i remember most is the brutal kickdown you can get if esp is off... its a great car with plenty of power.

 

[Matt32AMG]

Don't know about the C32 but I do know about the SLK32 and I've had mine from new. Today I get as much if not more enjoyment out of it than I did when I first bought the car, thats because I understand the cars qualities better. Valuewise it is difficult to argue, supercar performance for Ford money. It's a no brainer. Yes the odd parts are expensive such as Catalytic Converters as I've just found out, but hey ho thats AMG ownership, various parts have to come by special Order.

I suspect the same can be said for the C32 as well, but with the extra space you can take your friends.

 

[BaldGuy]

I'm with London on this... My 500 is enough of an animal as an auto let alone a manual!!!

 

[marty359]

Floor it at low speeds in 2nd gear and mine will kick down into first and give you an almighty jerk into the seat,as for overtaking(main reason i bought it) kickdown will take a second if you floor it but holding the stick to the left as you floor it gives you instant smooth acceleration for overtaking without the uncomfortable kickdown before rush of speed but if you floor it then let off before it changes up a gear it will hold the same gear.

Find one and take it for a test drive but it does take a while to get used to it,my wife drives a mini and used to hate the C32 but now shes got used to it and loves it


Viddyou: Mine getting abused on the track. shows kickdown without holding the stick to the left.

 

[Seamster15]

Having gone from the DSG to a W202 auto it was like a breath of fresh air, no indecisiveness and constant changing up and down the box...

As said, go and try one.

 

[Dizwen]

I've come from driving a Boxster to the C32 (family requirements..)Where as the porker has more "feel" to it the C32 makes up for it in power. It still makes me smile when I put my foot down and the thing just goes. The adaptive gearbox will soon learn your driving style, I've noticed that the car will change down earlier when I brake and keep me in the high revs than when the other half drives it...