MG MG QS vs Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

What's the difference?

What it lacks in driving panache it does make up for in terms of space and equipments, and there really is room for seven decent-sized humans on board. Combine that with a decade of warranty coverage, and the MG QS will no doubt be appearing on family shortlists.

The new AMG C 43 may lack the drama and excitement we’ve come to expect from the German performance brand, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad car. Yes, it could be more extroverted and the ride could be improved, but this is still a sharp-looking sports sedan with loads of punch.

This is a car that speaks to its times, with ever-stricter emissions regulations making it harder and harder for car companies to produce loud, wild and charismatic cars. So Mercedes-AMG has worked within those boundaries and come up with a car that retains at least some of those core elements that has made the brand so desirable over the years.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

You’re not going to miss the MG on the road, are you? For one, it looks pretty big, and pretty athletic, plus it’s got that bold front-end and grille design that, if I’m honest, I can’t tell if I like, or if it’s over the top. 

Elsewhere, though, it’s more traditional SUV styling, though there is some nice and gentle detailing in the body that makes it look less big, broad, and boring, and the slightly nose-forward design gives the QS something of an athletic stance.

Inside, it’s really quite nice. The twin screens look fantastic – and the subtle curve linking the two looks properly elegant – and there’s some lovely detailing in the through the dash panels, too, which also helps to break up the fact that there is simply a lot of dash here.

As always, I love the row of switches below the screen that act as shortcuts to the functions you need, when you need them, without having to rely on the screen all the time. 

But I'd encourage you to have a good squeeze of all the materials used. Some look like stitched leather, but are actually harder plastics in disguise.

Mercedes has created something of a problem for itself with its decision to introduce AMG styling packages for the majority of its range, including the C-Class.

It means the C 43 has to walk a fine line between looking like a unique AMG model, rather than just a C300 with a bodykit and not out-doing the C63.

To that end it has AMG’s now familiar grille with vertical bars, the unique and complex-looking 20-inch alloy rims and a small lip spoiler on the boot. But otherwise it is surprisingly understated for an AMG, lacking the more obvious and muscular stance of previous AMG offerings.

Inside, there’s a similar theme, with the typical Mercedes-Benz luxury appointments but with a sportier, AMG twist. The steering wheel is chunky and comes with AMG branding, metallic shift paddles and a pair of rotary dials/buttons that allow you to alter the various drive modes and settings.

The one on the right allows you to switch between the pre-set Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual modes, while the one on the left can scroll between the various individual aspects to tailor the settings to the conditions.

In typical modern fashion the design is tech-laden, with a digital display for the instrument panel (that can be switched between various graphics) and a large, tablet-style central multimedia touchscreen that controls the majority of the car’s non-driving functions.

The MG QS is a smidge under five-metres long, just over 1.9m wide and just under 1.8.m high, which puts it right in the seven-seat SUV ballpark.

That pays dividends in the backseat. I’m 175cm tall, and I had heaps of room to spread out, and I don’t only have my own air vents, but I have my own temperature controls, too.

It’s a big and airy space, and I’d have no problem spending some serious time here on a longer road trip.

But the big question is, what do those dimensions mean for third-row riders, and does it live up to its promise of being a true seven-seater?

Well, yes and no. The fact that the middle row is on rails helps massively, because you can slide it forwards to maximise leg room for backseat riders, and the one-touch entry (which folds the middle row up and forwards) makes actually climbing back there pretty simple, too.

But... it's still a space in which I wouldn't want to spend too much time. Its big enough for shorter trips, but it's still best for the smaller kids in the family.

Now, as is often the case with three-row cars, how much boot space you get very much depends on how many people you have onboard. With all three rows in place, you get a miserly 203L, fold the third row and you get 517L, drop both rows and you get 1052L.

The new C-Class has grown slightly in size compared to the model it replaces, most notably with a 26mm increase in the wheelbase which you can feel in the cabin.

The front seat space is good, with excellent adjustability for the power-adjustable seats and steering column. I had no trouble finding my ideal seating position which makes for a more enjoyable and uncompromised driving experience.

Rear space is a bit tighter (which is typical for this segment/size of vehicle), but thankfully the standard seats do have very deep sculpting in the backs which allow for more knee space and foot room.

However, at approximately 180cm (six-foot), I wouldn’t like to sit behind my seating position for long periods as my knees were touching the seat back, and headroom is compromised with the panoramic glass roof.

In terms of small item storage there’s a lidded console box in between the front seats as well as a pair of cupholders and a small tray where you can place your mobile phone.

It’s worth noting, though, that early examples of the C 43 in Australia do not have a wireless smartphone charging pad, with that reportedly being introduced from February production.

While that’s good news, it’s not really competitive in this day and age to offer a car costing six-figures without such technology.

There’s also only a single USB-C power outlet in the front, which is another disappointment, but there is a pair in the back.

Mercedes does win some points back for a respectable 455-litre boot, which has a nice wide load opening that will make packing luggage easier.

We’ll get to the major change under the bonnet shortly, but another significant alteration for this latest C 43 is the price.

It now starts at $134,900 (plus on-road costs), which pushes it well above its market rivals, the BMW M340i xDrive and Audi S4, which start at $104,900 and $106,200, respectively.

However, Mercedes has added more technology under the bonnet and loaded the C 43 up with standard equipment, including its '4Matic' all-wheel drive system, adaptive damping, rear-wheel steering and 20-inch alloy wheels.

In terms of creature comforts, the C 43 is well-appointed, with leather upholstery, a head-up display, augmented reality navigation, a panoramic sliding sunroof, and a Burmester 3D surround sound system.

There are two option packages for the C 43. The 'Digital Light Package' costs $2400 and adds Multibeam LED headlights with 'Ultra Range' highbeam, 'Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus' as well as active light function and cornering light function.

The 'Performance Ergonomics Package' includes AMG Performance front seats, an AMG Performance steering wheel in Nappa leather and microfibre and the 'AMG Track Pace' system for an additional $5200.

Under this hood is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine, which produces 153kW and 360Nm. In this all-wheel-drive Essence, that power is channelled through a nine-speed automatic and sent to all four wheels.

I don’t have a zero to 100km/h time for this two-tonne-plus beast, but suffice it to say it won’t knock your hat off. I’m guesstimating just under 10 seconds.

The biggest talking point about this new car is the engine, with AMG downsizing from the old C 43’s six-cylinder to a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

But it’s not just any turbocharged four-pot, because it is fitted with technology that Mercedes claims has been inspired directly from its Formula One team.

While the F1 team engine facility is based in England, this engine was designed and developed by the Mercedes-AMG team at its Affalterbach headquarters, but the concept of the electric turbocharger reportedly comes from the engine that powered Lewis Hamilton to multiple world championships.

The electric exhaust gas turbocharger - to give it its official name - uses a small electric motor on the turbocharger shaft to spin up the blades without having to wait for any exhaust gases to pass through it first.

To power the electric turbo the C 43 is equipped with a mild-hybrid 48-volt electrical system.

Mercedes claims this means reduced lag and improved throttle response for a sportier driving experience. 

It also helps make this small engine produce big amounts of performance, with AMG extracting 300kW of power and 500Nm of torque from this 2.0-litre, which is more power than the previous six-cylinder C 43 managed.

The engine is paired to a nine-speed multi-clutch transmission, which isn’t a dual-clutch with a pair of clutches operating on every second gear ratio, but instead uses a “wet start-off clutch” for better take-offs and smoother shifting on the move (at least in theory).

Power is sent to the road via all four wheels thanks to Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive system.

Now MG reckons you will see 8.8L/100km on the combined cycle, which would give you a theoretical driving range of around 738km from its 65-litre fuel tank. For the record, we saw more like 11 litres.

That tank, by the way, demands 95RON fuel, so you won’t be troubling the cheapest pump at your local service station.

Despite the smaller engine you can hardly call the C 43 miserly, with a claimed combined urban/highway cycle rating of 9.1-litres per 100km. That’s only a 0.2L/100km improvement over the old six-cylinder.

On test, which included a return trip from Sydney to Bathurst via motorways and some dynamic back road driving, we saw a return of 11.8L/100km on the car's onboard computer.

While hardly hybrid-worrying, it’s impressive to think that driven modestly, such a potent engine can return a single-digit fuel figure.

It all comes down to what you're looking for in your large SUV. Is it a vehicle that – against all odds – manages to somehow stir your emotions from behind the wheel, whether you're flying solo or you're riding with seven on board? Well, the MG QS won't do that.

But if you're looking for something big, comfortable, nicely trimmed and with just about every feature you can think of, then the MG QS ticks those boxes and then some.

But let's start with the not so good. The steering in the MG QS is super, super light, leaving it feeling largely disconnected from what's happening beneath the tyres, and giving the drive experience a weird and artificial vibe.

Now, it must be said that some drivers like that. A big car with light steering makes manoeuvrability easy in car parks and the like. But I don't. It makes me feel uninvolved in the drive experience.

The QS is equipped with Sport mode that does add heft to the steering, but which also appears to make the gearbox way to eager to shift down and hold a lower gear, adding a harshness to the drive.

It's also not a big engine, and this is a big car, and so there's a bit of delay when you first plant your foot as the engine figures out its next move, and you're always aware of the engine working fairly hard to get the QS moving along – though MG has done a good job of deadening much of that sound before it enters the cabin.

But if that's the not-so-good, there are still plenty of ticks in the MG's plus column. It's a largely smooth-riding, sweet-shifting proposition, the QS, and the space in all three rows is impressive, especially when the sliding second row is utilised to maximise the space where you need it.

Let’s start with the good news. The new Mercedes-AMG C 43 is a quick car. The engine may be small in size but the electric turbocharger does its thing and provides plenty of punch.

You can get a performance boost, too, thanks to the belt-driven starter generator, which acts as a mild hybrid and gives you a surge of 10kW for a brief period if you need a sudden burst of extra speed.

The chassis is well-sorted, too, at least from a dynamic point-of-view. The rear-wheel steering can provide up to 2.5 degrees of turning, which improves handling at speed and manoeuvrability when parking.

However, there are some less-impressive elements to the C 43, too. The obvious one is the drama, or rather the lack thereof.

As I said at the beginning, the C 43 has never been as wild or raucous as the V8-powered C 63, but when you buy an AMG there’s a rightful expectation that it will provide some thrills.

The C 43 simply doesn’t have that character about it. Yes, it’s fast, but it produces that speed with efficiency rather than excitement.

And it’s not an engine size problem, because even the 2.0-litre four-cylinder A 35 and CLA 35 offer more ‘wow factor’ than the C 43.

Yes, the engine makes noise under acceleration (and it can be altered between discreet and sporty) but even at its best it sounds muted and lacks the evocative tone of a V8 or six-cylinder engine. 

Another disappointment is the transmission calibration, with the gearbox awkwardly shifting out of first gear on multiple occasions during our test drive.

In the taller gears it felt smooth enough cruising along, but given its low speed shifts we’d like to spend more time in the urban environment before passing final judgement. 

The other notable element of the driving experience we struggled with was the ride quality. While fine on the smoother motorways, our test drive included time on some patchy country back roads and the C 43, even in the ‘Comfort’ suspension setting, was simply too firm.

Riding on low profile tyres, the adaptive dampers struggled to isolate the cabin from the imperfections in the road, leading to a fussy ride at times.

Overall the C 43 is a good car, but it feels like there are still some areas where Mercedes could improve it to make it really live up to the AMG badge.

The C43 gets a comprehensive list of safety equipment that leaves little out. Obviously there are the usual passive safety items, like 10 airbags, including dual-front combined pelvic/thorax airbags and a front centre bag that drops between the front seat passengers to minimise the chances of a head clash.

Also included as standard is autonomous emergency braking front and rear (covering speeds between 7.0-200km/h), adaptive cruise control with active stop/go, a 360-degree parking camera, 'Active Parking Assist', 'Active Lane Keeping Assist', 'Blind Spot Assist' and, of course, anti-lock brakes with 'Brake Assist' and 'Adaptive Brakes' with Hold function and electronic stability control.

Also included are dusk-sensing LED lights, rain-sensing wipers and run-flat tyres with tyre pressure warning.

The C43 also comes equipped with Mercedes’ 'Driving Assistance Package Plus', which adds even more safety gear. This includes 'Active Blind Spot Assist', 'Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Function', 'Active Emergency Stop Assist', 'Active Lane Change Assist', 'Active Lane Keeping Assist', 'Active Steering Assist', and 'Active Stop-and-Go Assist'.

While the C43 hasn’t been specifically crash-tested, the latest C-Class was rated by ANCAP with a five-star score for all models except the upcoming C 63 S E Performance.

It’s a tale of goods and bads in the QS ownership world. The good is a near market-leading 10-year/250,000km warranty (so long as you regularly visit an authorised service centre), and solid service intervals of 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

The bad is eye-watering service costs – including a whopping $2920 dollar service at the six-year/90,000km mark.

All up, seven years/105,00km of servicing will cost you $6336 in the 2WD, or $6962 in our AWD – the latter averaging out at close to $1000 per year.

The C 43 is covered by Mercedes’ five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which has become the new standard for the luxury car market.

Service intervals for the car are at 12 months/25,000km, which is on par with industry standard.

Mercedes-Benz Australia will offer a service plan for the C 43, prices were yet to be confirmed at the time of publication but the company has indicated it will be similar to the C300. 

That means $550 for year one, $900 for year two, the third service costs $1000 and the fourth year service costs $2450 - for a total of $4900 for the first four years of ownership.