impression on cla 45 amg?

[Inspired]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Good grief. Wait for actual road tests, but a car that is limited to only 60% of the power to the rear wheels and defaults to fwd with no slip is very unlikely to be nearly as aggressive or rewarding to drive as a rwd or constant rate awd car.

Sadly, from interviews with the head of AMG, they're not even using the latest version of Haldex that runs a steady amount of power to the rear wheels, like the current Golf R, but an older version that defaults to 100% to the front.

So stop focusing solely magazine stats and learn something about how the car works and you'll understand why I think it's unlikely to be comparable to cars that it may be quicker than or make more power than. It is not a C Class with 4Matic, but an A Class with Haldex, sort of the difference of a 3er with xDrive and a Mini with Haldex.

Do you know that you make no sense at all? Who compares care based solely on the maker of the AWD?

How about you realize that I am comparing based on the size of the car (similar to the C, 3, A series), performance are comparable to the 335, S4, C350 (in terms of straight line speed), and they are all "luxury" sports sedan in the same price range.

Seems like you need some visual demonstration that one car is a luxury sedan while the other is a sport hatchback.

CLA45 VS:

[Vic311]

Originally Posted by R Grubba Balls

not good at all, i'd rather take a forest green toyota

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by Inspired

Do you know that you make no sense at all? Who compares care based solely on the maker of the AWD?

How about you realize that I am comparing based on the size of the car (similar to the C, 3, A series), performance are comparable to the 335, S4, C350 (in terms of straight line speed), and they are all "luxury" sports sedan in the same price range.

Seems like you need some visual demonstration that one car is a luxury sedan while the other is a sport hatchback.

Oh pardon me, you buy cars on style alone, not driving dynamics. In that case, look at how little distance there is from the front wheel to the front door. Notice what other cars have a similar profile? FWD cars. Weird, I wonder why.

Wait for reviews, I suspect it will not be favorably compared to the things you think it should. Or just pick up a European magazine and read about the A Class.

Don't forget about the Neon SRT4, which was a sedan, had a turbo 4, was about the size of a 3er and is as quick in a straight line as an S4, 335i or C350.

[FVM3]

Originally Posted by kmarei

360hp from a 2.0
That's 180hp/liter
That's probably one of the strongest STOCK outputs of any engine I know of
Damn impressive

Yes, running on 1.8bar stock

[keepittrill]

Comparable to the M3? Not in this universe...Mercedes equivalent to the M3 is the C63 AMG.

[CasperSYTFU]

I'd rock it.

[Inspired]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Oh pardon me, you buy cars on style alone, not driving dynamics. In that case, look at how little distance there is from the front wheel to the front door. Notice what other cars have a similar profile? FWD cars. Weird, I wonder why.

Who said I bought car on style alone? I never said they were only different by just style alone. I also included that they aren't comparable because of the price (48k vs 34k), luxury sedan vs sport hatchback, 355hp/330torque vs 256hp/243 torque.

I am trying to explain to you that CLA45 and Golf R are in different class. How hard is it to grasp the concept that the CLA45 and a Volkswagon Golf R are 2 very different cars with different purpose?

Let's compare a Lotus Elise to a Toyota Celica since they both share the same engine, that means they are direct competitors. Let's not factor in the price, performance, and class diference...

Wait for reviews, I suspect it will not be favorably compared to the things you think it should. Or just pick up a European magazine and read about the A Class.

I don't disagree but this has statement has nothing to do with a comparison between a CLA45 vs Golf R.

Don't forget about the Neon SRT4, which was a sedan, had a turbo 4, was about the size of a 3er and is as quick in a straight line as an S4, 335i or C350.

I think you forgot that a S4,335, C350 is a luxury sport sedan. Not only that, a SRT4 only has 215HP (03) and 230HP (04-05). If you really think a 215-230HP FWD car is comparable to a S4, 335 then you really have some issues. If you want to talk about straight line speed, the SRT4 has no chance -stock to stock.

2005 Dodge SRT-4 6.0 14.4 (Motor Trend Dec '05)

2010 S4 0-60 4.9 13.4 C&D
2010 335 0-60 4.9 13.6 C&D

http://media.caranddriver.com/files/...powertrain.pdf

[Revlis]

Originally Posted by fireline43

Well then I guess you mean the 335i is slower yea. It's 0-60 is 5.1 sec. The CLA amg is 4.5 sec. They are priced pretty similar also.

Got a bridge to sell you if you think for a moment that the CLA is a genuine 335 competitor based on published 0-60. Would be perfect if you're still in the C-Class though, or if you're getting out of a Civic SI or similar.

I've been in too many Mercs, hyped and praised by the media, only to find the same formula. Fantastic cars for sure, but really not any sort of feel, nor handling. Including the E63, CLS550, E550 Coupe, etc. LOVE the V-8 rumble though, especially out of the AMG. Driving a bank vault though, and when I am ready to buy my last car, it will likely be a Mercedes if they don't go down hill, cannot argue with their engineering longevity.

[Red Bread]

If you haven't driven a Haldex car, I can see why you still don't get the Golf R comparison. But if you want a very good idea of what the CLA will drive like, the Golf R will give you a much better idea than an S4 or 335ix. Further, try one with an APR or similar tune.

Remember that the S3 is a Golf R with a trunk and a tune, if that gives you enough of a comparable reference to the Benz.

[fireline43]

I think the question I have here is, what is competition for the 335i?

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by fireline43

I think the question I have here is, what is competition for the 335i?

S4.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

S4.

Plus C350 and IS350. Maybe the Infiniti Q50.

The CLA and S3 are sort of odd ducks, priced and powered like the C and 3er, but fwd based and based on significantly cheaper cars.

[fireline43]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

Plus C350 and IS350. Maybe the Infiniti Q50.

The CLA and S3 are sort of odd ducks, priced and powered like the C and 3er, but fwd based and based on significantly cheaper cars.

Ok I'll take that. Would the cla at least be a 1 series competition then?

[KingOfJericho]

There really isn't a direct competitor in the BMW stable. The S3 is the closest german competition.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by fireline43

Ok I'll take that. Would the cla at least be a 1 series competition then?

Next generation 1 series, yes. It's moving to a fwd chassis shared with Mini and will also have Haldex awd like the current Countryman AWD. This is what's funny to me about people making a lot out of the CLA 45 just because it has lots of power and awd. It's still based on the A Class, a car that competes directly with the Countryman and Golf R, but slap a trunk on it and Americans think it's fancy.

[alexc93]

sat in a CLA recently...didn't like it, dash was very in your face, the back seats were cramped (smaller than a C class in the back) and the roof was very low (lower than being in a 135i).

[eamon]

Originally Posted by kmarei

360hp from a 2.0
That's 180hp/liter
That's probably one of the strongest STOCK outputs of any engine I know of
Damn impressive

Is that a good thing?
I've always wondered about this, as in how it may affect the reliability long term by putting what seems like a lot of strain for such a small engine. Or how performance may be affected.

[eamon]

Originally Posted by alexc93

sat in a CLA recently...didn't like it, dash was very in your face, the back seats were cramped (smaller than a C class in the back) and the roof was very low (lower than being in a 135i).

Idk if you've sat in the CLS, but how was the room compared to the last gen if you have? Did it make the CLS look dated?

[kmarei]

Originally Posted by eamon

Is that a good thing?
I've always wondered about this, as in how it may affect the reliability long term by putting what seems like a lot of strain for such a small engine. Or how performance may be affected.

I'm sure MB has done a lot of testing on the engine
As much as I don't like MB, I don't doubt their quality

[alexc93]

Originally Posted by eamon

Idk if you've sat in the CLS, but how was the room compared to the last gen if you have? Did it make the CLS look dated?

Sat in the new gen CLS and old gen CLS, made the last gen CLS look very out dated, must admit looks quite swish inside the new CLA but still just not a fan. It was a bit less roomy than the old gen cls and even more so than the new gen cls (since its a bit bigger than its previous gen)

[rdub315]

I just can't get over the ugly exterior. Interior is a different story.

[daviddn]

Originally Posted by rdub315

I just can't get over the ugly exterior. Interior is a different story.

The interior is nice until I saw the big LCD screen. It seems so out of place like it was put there at the last mintue. Honestly, it looks like a giant tablet taped on the dash, a bit ghetto IMO.