There's A Traitor In The Camp

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Real Thing

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Sold The RS3 Couple Of Months Back and picked up it's replacement Yesterday.











Only Done about 100 Miles in it so far so can't really comment on performance but So far Ride seems harsher than the RS3 and one big criticism is the Audi Sat Nav isn't a great system but does look part of the Cockpit but the Merc although works well looks no better than having a Tom Tom stuck on the Dash
Anyway I've not completely left the fold as I've still Got This when I need my RS fix:

 
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Ironically I was chatting to the head guy down at Goodwood Mercedes stand, about the stuck on dash screen & said the same, that it resembled a TomTom & he agreed it wasn't there best moment, but bet that's one hell of a rapid car, the seats are sublime if same as what I sat in.
 
I appreciate what the A45 is and beauty is in the eye of the beholder & no 5 door hatch is a great overall shape.... but IMHO the A45 is pig uggly
 
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S3 AD said:
I appreciate what the A45 is and beauty is in the eye of the beholder & no 5 door hatch is a great overall shape.... but IMHO the A45 is pig uggly
Click to expand...

For me, the A45's outward looks are pig ugly too :scared2:, and the interior very tat! There's nothing at all subtle, it's all in yer face!

I too looked at it at Goodwood (just to compare (the Merc copy!) with the RS3) and found the interior of the A45 totally uninviting :sadlike: I really don't want to bring Mickey Mouse into this but I guess you know what I mean when you sit in it as the term (Mickey Mouse) did/does seem appropriate!

Twelve months on maybe you'll conclude the engine and gearbox of the TTRS more appropriate for UK driving, better engineered even, however, you pay the money and you take your choice...

That said, let me be the first to say, enjoy! :o.k:
 
"OH! Lord won't you buy (me :wtf:) a Mercedes Benz

WHY, Real Thing, WHY? It's F*#K UGLY! :Flush:
And a 4-pot to boot - ok with a higher output per cylinder than the Audi 5-pot :cold:

AND """Hand built""" as MB (!) say?

I mean, PLEASE tell me an engine that isn't as I've yet to find one a human hand hasn't touched during assembly

Make sure you've the :ninja: on when your out!
 
Guys I think your forgetting the RS3 is far from perfection true it is better looking than the Merc although I don't think the A45 is Ugly (Put it next to BMs M135 and it's a ****** beauty Queen) RS3 is on a dated platform bigger wheels on the Front Squeaky Brakes Just learnt that after selling mine it's now just had to have a replacement Gearbox that's on top of the New Engine I had replaced so think the Merc can have a few negatives and still come out on Top although I must admit I did prefer the RS3 but as they don't make them anymore and the New Model is quite some time away the Merc was the only Car that ticked most of the Boxes.
 
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Im not saying this just because have an RS3 i am /was a big merc fan i had three on the trot the last one being an SL before i bought a B8 S4 which i kept for 2.5 years and did consider an A45 but now own an RS3.Im not going to bang on how ugly it is [beauty is in the eye of the beholder] but Merc have lost the plot i sat in one on Sunday full of fake plastic looking carbon fibre, a large tomtom stuck on the dash and got out and told the salesman its crap and imo its a Mitsubishi EVO with a Merc badge on it.It looks cheap and nasty but costs a fortune and as my Mum would say[fur coat and no knickers].The RS3 may be old technology but still is a lovely environment to sit in and the five pot won engine of the year again,residual values are strong,ok on paper the Merc MIGHT be slightly quicker 0/60 but an RS3 that has has decent tyres and a remap is a different story . :end_of_discction:
 
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Congratulations Real Thing and enjoy your purchase.
 
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Real Thing said:
Guys I think your forgetting the RS3 is far from perfection true it is better looking than the Merc although I don't think the A45 is Ugly (Put it next to BMs M135 and it's a ****** beauty Queen) RS3 is on a dated platform bigger wheels on the Front Squeaky Brakes Just learnt that after selling mine it's now just had to have a replacement Gearbox that's on top of the New Engine I had replaced so think the Merc can have a few negatives and still come out on Top although I must admit I did prefer the RS3 but as they don't make them anymore and the New Model is quite some time away the Merc was the only Car that ticked most of the Boxes.
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A GREAT respons Real Thing, well done you for passing off the banter :salute:

As boozyjay says "Congratulations Real Thing and enjoy your purchase." :applaus:
 
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Congrats and Enjoy.

The amount of cars you have had you might as well try them all.

:)
 
Nice Real Thing, very nice indeed. Saw the A45 when it was announced and I almost made a little mess. I think it looks great, and the interior is equally nice. Each to their own at the end of the day. If I had the cash for one I'd probably join you lol.
 
Umm.. Rs3 to a A-45AMG ?

Interesting move.. if I was to move away from my RS3 it'll have to be something with more bhp i.e. RS4 upwards.
 
can you post some pics of the interior, I'm not sure I agree with it being ugly, looks ok to me, congrats on the new car
 
I'd be interested to see how you get on with it. Exterrior on the whole is fine and I ssupect the reason I didn't get on with the A45, raking rear pillars, limited headroom for reasr passengers / kids and small boot compared to the '3 are not items that will affect you. The interior is an acquired taste although more modern tech wise despite looks however I suspect the engine, economy and handling will be the plus point and the ride and transmission the bits that frustrate you.

Hope you enjoy it in the meantime.
 
That looks great Real Thing, my mrs cooed over the pictures. We like the look of the A45, it has the mean and aggressive stance you'd expect and in the metal I think they look even better. We have 2 of the cooking A Class with AMG kits near us and they both look good.

Oddly we like the A45 because it's basically an Evo with a Merc badge. Yes it's a bit more hard riding and louder than the RS3 with the optional exhaust but that also makes it quite a lot of fun. I think there is still a market for something more hardcore that can keep a 911T or GTR honest for sub £50k.

It would be useful to hear more of your views on the car as you learn more about it especially as you can compare it to most of the best of the current generation of performance cars. The motoring press are useful but they nearly always contradict themselves. On short tests they prefer the excitement of RWD, in long term tests they always admit the 4WD cars are good to live with everyday. The views of real owners who spend their own cash are much more valuable imo.
 
:lmfao: update: the Mrs just said "Ooh you know I have just got to have that Merc".

'Race Start' vs 'Launch Control' video will be first on the list.
 
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Apart from the slightly harsh ride (which is great when driving hard) and the interior, the A45 wins hands down for me of all the cars in this segment.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it :)
 
Very nice car, quite intrigued by these, does yours have the performance exhaust?
 
The looks are deffo growin on me, looks spot on in white. Regardless what folk say, I rather like the interior. Would love a drive of one.
 
Real Thing said:
Guys I think your forgetting the RS3 is far from perfection true it is better looking than the Merc although I don't think the A45 is Ugly (Put it next to BMs M135 and it's a ****** beauty Queen) RS3 is on a dated platform bigger wheels on the Front Squeaky Brakes Just learnt that after selling mine it's now just had to have a replacement Gearbox that's on top of the New Engine I had replaced so think the Merc can have a few negatives and still come out on Top although I must admit I did prefer the RS3 but as they don't make them anymore and the New Model is quite some time away the Merc was the only Car that ticked most of the Boxes.
Click to expand...


Well done for not getting in to a ******* contest! ;) I thought I'd stumbled on to a pistonheads thread for a moment LOL!

Out of curiosity, assuming you traded the RS in, how did you find the residual price?
There's a nice looking one near me & I'm sure I wont like one as much as I've enjoyed the old S3, but considering one for a couple of years until the new S3's start to appear.
The one in question is a 12 plate with 10k on it. they are asking 35k for it, which going by the book is about 3-4k over priced (Going by the book)
Looking at others around though, they all seem to be way over the likes of Parkers & Glass's guides.
 
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S3quatt said:
Well done for not getting in to a ******* contest! ;) I thought I'd stumbled on to a pistonheads thread for a moment LOL!

Out of curiosity, assuming you traded the RS in, how did you find the residual price?
There's a nice looking one near me & I'm sure I wont like one as much as I've enjoyed the old S3, but considering one for a couple of years until the new S3's start to appear.
The one in question is a 12 plate with 10k on it. they are asking 35k for it, which going by the book is about 3-4k over priced (Going by the book)
Looking at others around though, they all seem to be way over the likes of Parkers & Glass's guides.
Click to expand...

Sold my RS3 Mid June to a forum Member (Thanks to P_G) Think they are holding there price very well due to low volumes and still a very desirable Car Like The Merc there a similar Package 4WD 0-60 in about 4.5 Sec and return well over 30 mpg if driven like Miss Daisy (although I don't think many get driven like that) So not really much out there to compete which is helping to keep prices high (Good for owners not so good for Buyers) I was offered £33500 Cash Trade Bid for mine so a 12 Plate with 10K miles isn't over priced if your talking retail.
 
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Do you find the suspension a little hard/harsh if just pottering around in town? How about speed bumps?

I know it pays dividends when driven fast, but the harshness around town would be my bugbear.
 
Small update as I think the AMG affair is going to be short lived.
Due to a Disability and now the wrong side of 50 I’m finding the Merc a lot harder to get in and out off than the RS3 so decided that instead of selling the TT at the end of the Month The Merc’s going instead.
That I'm afraid makes the comparison I was hoping to be able to give you Guys a bit short.
Had a weekend away with a couple of mates so did just over 250 Miles in the Merc still not run in so performance difficult to compare.
I find the Ride a lot harder but mates both said they never noticed Sound is definitely better in the AMG although I have the Performance Exhaust (Might be a bit Chavy for some) Driving Position again the Merc wins but I didn’t have Buckets in the RS3 which is why it was probably a lot easy to get in and out off.
Not going above about 4500 rpm and mostly done on A or B roads trip returned just over 32mpg which I think would be better than the RS3 driven in a similar way.
Biggest joke on the Merc as I said at the beginning of the thread is it’s Sat/Nav stuck on the Dash so I had to take a bit of stick about that meaning the RS3 would win easily for Cockpit design (As well as Exterior Looks)
Think with luggage and carrying 2 Passengers the Audi had a bit more space.
Sorry can’t give you a long term comparison but as I don’t need the extra doors for a while think it will be easier to move the AMG on now and get back in something with 4/5 Doors early next year. (May really need the Beer Goggles then as the M135i is favourite at the moment)
MBK said:
:lmfao: update: the Mrs just said "Ooh you know I have just got to have that Merc".

'Race Start' vs 'Launch Control' video will be first on the list.
Click to expand...
If you want to buy the Boss an early Christmas Present Mark Drop me a PM before it goes to Xtreme and I could save you a couple of Grand
 
At least you've had the experience Real Thing, well done you. :applaus:
 
i had an exstenive drive in the A45 a while back, very nice car, reminded me of the R Golf to drive. Didnt feel anywhere as near as fast as my car in the lower gears, maybe because it was not run in and only running 95ron, the A45 accelerated smouthly where as my car slams you in the boot in the lower gears, the front end is vastly vastly better on the A45 although the RS3 has better steering weight

i dont like the stock colours, the A45 needs a dark colour imo (not black)

my dealer was trying to get me on the list for the a45 black
 
audi upgrades
Real Thing said:
If you want to buy the Boss an early Christmas Present Mark Drop me a PM before it goes to Xtreme and I could save you a couple of Grand
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, appreciated, she's not that lucky though! She's in the middle of some home improvements so it's too early for us otherwise we'd have been interested for sure.

I look forward to seeing what you find as a replacement I'm sure it will be special!
 
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MBK said:
Thanks for the offer, appreciated, she's not that lucky though! She's in the middle of some home improvements so it's too early for us otherwise we'd have been interested for sure.

I look forward to seeing what you find as a replacement I'm sure it will be special!
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Think this looks pretty impressive but don't think I could justify spending £50K on a 3 Series Diesel Estate.
Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo spec confirmed - PistonHeads
 
Wow... so you just decided to return the A45 AMG ?!

Isn't that gonna hit you financially? are you gonna get your full refund back?
 
tee-bee said:
Wow... so you just decided to return the A45 AMG ?!

Isn't that gonna hit you financially? are you gonna get your full refund back?
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I asked for a full refund on a pair of trainers i bought from JD sports they refused because i had worn them .I would like to see the Merc salesmans face when he takes the car back and asks for a full refund.
 
I Never Keep Cars Long Just that The A45 is probably a shorter affair than Normal will Sell it though Xtreme when I decide to let it go
 
audi upgrades
Its just down the road from me been there a few times and spoken with Ian they always have a good selection of well prepared cars.
 
DAYTONA500 said:
Its just down the road from me been there a few times and spoken with Ian they always have a good selection of well prepared cars.
Click to expand...

I usually deal with Ian (Great Bloke) although I think it's Jon (Proprietor) who oversees preparation and advertising which Is one of the reasons I'm happy using them as they do such a good Job
 
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