Gentlemen I need your help again please.
My colleague at work is thinking of buying a C 36 or C 43 second hand as his second car to use on long Journeys.
Now he has seen how durable Mercedes are, therefore he won't to know what it would cost him to buy one and what the running cost are, Also are these things very thirsty? What else should he look out for buying second hand AMG's. And where in England is the best place to go?
All I could tell him was to become a Member of the Mercedes-Benz Club here in England because they are also an excellent source of Information.
Any help will be very much appreciated. We have to convert another worthy Person to our splendid Marque.

Regards Toby

I have a '98 C43 AMG and it is an exceptional car for almost any application; I use mine for mostly for daily commuting (alone, without passengers) on US interstate motorways and urban streets -- great combination of power, handling and maneuverability. The C cabin is tight, esp in the back seat, and the luggage space in the boot is OK, but not like a S class (see below).

That said, if your friend wants the car for long highway trips, it may well not be the most comfortable choice as the ride is very hard (the C43 is probably the "rawest" of the AMG cars and the C36 very similar)-- with Michelin Pilot Sports, I get a jarring ride on poor pavement, "tramlining" on uneven pavement (particuularly bad where lanes have been moved for construction and you have to drive on a road-edge seam) and a "pop,pop,pop" on highway section seams or cracks. The wife and kids think the car is too bouncy and jerky for comfort (the poor ride quality is much more noticeable for passengers than for the driver, who is glued into the great road experience).

I think it's just the price of the AMG suspension and performance, but a number of drivers have switched to better riding cars after finding the C43 a bit hard-edge for their tastes. If your friend wants a comfortable long-legged highway cruiser and doesn't really need razor handling, he might instead consider a W126 (say a 420SEL from the 86-91 era) or a W140 (S class from 1992) -- an older W140 will be about the same price as a newer used C43 or a bit cheaper, and the W126 will be much cheaper. Either S class car will have much more luggage and interior room and be far more accomodating for passengers, esp more than two, as well as having more mass (safer) and still able to handle sustained autobahn cruising.

The fuel economy on the C43 is OK (it takes only premium), but the AMG parts are extremely expensive -- e.g., brake rotors alone are $800 for a pair (parts only, not counting labor) and usually have to be ordered by the dealers since the special AMG parts are not generally stocked due to the small number of AMG cars.

In summary, your friend might want to do it backwards -- get the C43 for individual daily use and get an S-class for long highway trips -- that's what I did.

For long distance cruising, a 500E/E500 would probably be a better choice. I also have a 98 C43 and the ride is very stiff. Your friend is obviously an enthusiast to some degree if he is even considering an AMG model so something fast and out of the ordinary, like a 500E, is probably what he wants. The 500E is faster, bigger, and more comfortable than the C36 or the C43. If you can't afford an E55, a 500E is the next best thing(some would say it is better). If I drove my C43 everyday I would eventually sell it and get a low mileage 500E or a late model E430. Once your colleague drives the cars he will be able to decide whether or not the C36 or C43 is for him.

Jesse
98 C43 AMG
94 Range Rover

JesseC43's point is well taken -- does your friend simply want the AMG car for rarity or cachet, or for its specific and unique qualities (think of a C43 as like a 911 with automatic transmission and a usable back seat)?

A 500E will have not be as quick off the line as a C AMG car and will not be as nimble or quick-handling, but advantages are top end power and significantly greater room and comfort, esp. for long trips. If money is not an object, a new (or late model used) E55 is a "better 500E" -- more modern and technologically advanced -- with a warranty as well as the AMG badge.

See also:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=5734

If Money were no Object I would buy myself a 400bhp V8 powered C-class by AMG park it in the garage and use it exclusively for Sunday sprinting and buy a helicopter for the day to day stuff.
The Reason why he is interested in C43 or C36 is mainly because he is interested in something more substantial which is gonna last and after travelling 3-4 hrs he doesn't feel like he just sat in a tumbledryer.

I have passed all the Information on and thank you all on his behalf.

regards Toby

Well, after a three or four hour drive in a C43, he may well feel a bit as if he sat in a tumbledryer (and had fun doing it) -- the passengers will have more tumbledryer and less fun.