10 Biggest News Stories of the Month: Mercedes-Benz GLC43 Takes on Nissan Armada
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 is a car of contradictions — sophisticated and refined in the cabin, aggressive and edgy under the hood. That’s not necessarily a good thing if you’re hoping for a higher-performance version of Mercedes-Benz’s luxury compact SUV. In her comprehensive critique of the GLC43 Coupe — one of Cars.com’s most popular articles of the past month — Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger found the elegance of the inside to be in direct conflict with the lack of refinement on the road.
Related: 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Review: Fresher but Still Frustrating
The GLC43 Coupe brings the goods on the road with its almost comically high-powered 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine boosted by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system for a horsepower output of 416. Unfortunately, the nine-speed multiclutch automatic transmission can’t quite seem to decide what to do with itself at lower speeds, and the SUV’s noisy exhaust, jerky braking, and vibration-prone ride and handling conspire to annoy. That’s too bad, because the cabin is an otherwise serene, pampering place to be, with top-quality upholstery and trim materials, if a bit cramped for larger occupants. The form-over-function coupe body style also cuts down on the rear visibility one enjoys in the regular SUV-shaped GLC43. If all this sounds fine to you (higher speeds do reveal the powertrain’s charms, after all), that’s good, because you better like it if you’re gonna pay the just-south-of-$72,000 starting price, including destination — a nearly $6,000 premium over the standard GLC43.
“The AMG GLC43 will appeal to a niche group of shoppers looking for coupe styling and performance-car dynamics in a luxury compact SUV body,” Geiger concludes in her review. “I’m not in that group, but if you are, it’s worth checking out some rivals before you settle on this one.”
For our full take on the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC43, follow the link below to the No. 6 article on our monthly countdown of most read stories.
If you’re in the market for something a little bit bigger, or a lot bigger as it were, you’ll want to consult the month’s most popular article: Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman’s comprehensive critique of the redesigned-for-2025 Nissan Armada. The all-new full-size SUV impressed our experts with well-balanced exterior styling updates that showcase the Armada’s imposing presence; a powered-up 3.5-liter V-6; the new Pro-4X off-road trim that actually delivers the go-anywhere goods; and a comfortable, spacious, well-appointed cabin with user-friendly infotainment and climate controls.
For our full review of the 2025 Nissan Armada, follow the link below to the No. 1 news story from December.
Beyond all that, we’ve got headlines on the Subaru Outback, Toyota Crown Signia, Chevrolet Traverse, Subaru Forester, Lexus RX and much more — so don’t stop reading till the digits double. Here are the top 10 news stories Cars.com readers couldn’t get enough of in the past month:
1. 2025 Nissan Armada Review: Nissan Builds a Replacement Toyota Land Cruiser
2. What’s the Best Full-Size Pickup Truck of 2024?
3. Which Electric Cars Are Still Eligible for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit?
4. Buy This, Not That: 2025 Subaru Outback or 2025 Toyota Crown Signia?
5. Is the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse a Good SUV? 5 Pros, 3 Cons
6. 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe Review: Fancy, Fast and Flawed
7. Is the 2025 Subaru Forester a Good SUV? 5 Pros, 3 Cons
8. What’s New for the 2025 Lexus RX?
9. Subaru Tops Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey
10. What Should My Tire Pressure Be?
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