War of the convertibles | Mustang GT versus AMG C43
WWIII was never this close
As you might have seen on our social media, we had a Mercedes-AMG C43 Cabriolet at our disposal this weekend. Although we will be writing a full review on that car later on, we also planned to set it aside a roofless Mustang GT. A proper Mustang GT versus C43 article is the only right thing to do now, isn't it?
Both cars are actually worlds apart, if you only look at the setups that is. An all-wheel-drive system is what dominates the AMG's power delivery in a elegant fashion, where the Mustang has only one way to go beyond legal speeds: all force on the rear tires. Build quality can be compared in a similar way: the Mercedes is nearly flawless, and the Ford feels like something not meant to last more than 5 years. Even the engine choices seem to follow this logic: the C43 enjoys a highly refined 367hp, 3-liter V6, and the Mustang needs a 5-liter V8 with 413 horsepower to manage the same effect
But that's no real criticism aimed at the Mustang GT, it's a honest car that offers the package at nearly 40k (in euros) below that of a Mercedes-AMG C43. Power for the Mustang comes from an NA V8, one that is very happy to obey the throttle. It unleashes its power all too eagerly, even to an extent that it's challenging in wet conditions. A powerful car that isn't refined, one that needs to be driven. Nothing like the Mercedes. A child could learn to drive the AMG convertible fast in a matter of minutes, that's how easy it is to drive it. Its AMG adaptive chassis balances the car perfectly, giving away very little of the understeer it produces. A refined ride is programmed in the car, one that makes it easy to master. But when one switches off the ESP, a whole different world shows itself. An aggressive C-Class emerges, one that feels like it could give the C63 quite a hard time.
Performance for the two is evenly matched, even with their power difference. The cars both weigh around 2 metric tons, both can hit a hundred in well under 5 seconds. It's the fact that the Mercedes-AMG offers a more refined package than the Mustang, which justifies the price difference. But what the Mustang GT versus AMG C43 really comes down to is what the customer wants. Does he want a crude, best-buy, enjoyable Mustang GT (which offers a surprising agility and chassis stiffness). Or does he want a German, clinically eningeerd convertible? Both offer quite the sound track, which makes the choice even thougher.
But what the Mustang GT versus AMG C43 really comes down to is what the customer wants. Does he want a crude, best-buy, enjoyable Mustang GT (which offers a surprising agility and chassis stiffness). Or does he want a German, clinically eningeerd convertible? Both offer quite the sound track, which makes the choice even thougher.
