Soo I Test Drove An A45amg

Messi_alli

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So you may wonder why? I recently paid down a pretty highly specd S3 SB. Other posts by me will explain that I originally wanted a sedan and its not available here etc and blah and I was even indecisive about going from a JCW to the S3. Long story short, I test drove the S3 sportback and loved it and then I later found out that we get the 280hp version here which was a kina bummer. I still have not gotten a build date from my dealer and I am told by other dealers that I can request my deposit back. Anyhoooo.. the local merc dealer is selling a pretty low spec A45amg and by low spec I mean the following: no amg suspension, exhaust. No dual zone AC, no pano roof, no upgraded leather dash. It did have HK sound system and AMG seats and steering wheel and the black 19 inch wheels. Here are my reviews and I cam comparing it to the S3 SB. Please not these are my personal reviews and are meant to help anyone who is in the same dilemma as I am.

Exterior - The a45amg was in cirrus white and had basic black night package bits on the front bumper and side skirt. The a45amg is a more aggressive and better looking IMHO. The leds daytime lights are barely visible in the day from certain angles. To me the S3 that I am ordering with full LED headlights are wayyy nicer other than that, the front of the Merc is nicer. I also prefer the back of the Merc as well.

Interior- The Merch I drove had the basic dash and the faux carbon fiber finish with the upgraded AMG alcantara steering and fancy shiftknob. The merc feels more sports car driver oriented and the red seatbelts and red designs do make the car feel more sporty. The materials though appear to be a lot cheaper feeling an looking. The seats are very well bolstered and remind me of the recaros of old Evo's I the past. The SS seats in the audi are softer an less bolstered. The MMI in the merc is terrible. Its interface is almost Atari like and pales in appearance and graphics to the S3. It feels very econo box. I would give the s3 a clear winner here. It does not feel as sporty as the A45 but definitely more premium.

Exhaust - Bear in mind the model I drove did not have the amg exhaust. There is almost zero engine noise. Its all exhaust and the farts on upshifts are super loud and you only get them in sports mode or manual mode. I honeslty was disappointed. I really honestly do find the fake intake sound in the s3 and the exhaust sounds in the S3 are far more refined and more premium sounding.

The transmission - Listen, if you didn't know this was a DCT, you would think its a regular auto. The car shifts faster when you leave in manual mode. The DCT in the S3 shifts much faster and feels better geared in 1, 2, 3, 4. The Amg comes alive in 4-5-6. I didn't reach 7 but for some reason the first couple gears felt really long that I think that hurt the acceleration. The stronic feels so much more responsive in manual mode.

Suspension - this car did not have the optional amg suspension. The sports suspension is firm but it s not bone jarring as the journalists seem to have described it as. The non amg is liveable for daily driving.

Engine/performance- Ok so bear in mind that this was a limited test drive. I have owned and driven modified Evos with bigger stock frame turbos etc plus I own a MINI JCW so I have a pretty good appreciation for different typs of power delivery. I found the a45amg to feel less responsive especially when not not under heavy of full throttle. To me that makes for a very anemic drive when you don't feel like beating on it. IN other words this is a car that need to be driven on the boil at all times. Again, this car shines from 4th gear and at full throttle. Car does not feel like a 355bhp car at partial throttle in 1,2,3 gears. In fact it feel s very underpowered. This is where the S3 shines. There is more useable power for every day use on the streets.

Conclusion

Did it feel more special to drive the a45amg. yes it id. Maybe its because I knew it was an amg car and it looked so much more menacing. Is it a better car than the S3. that you would have to experience for yourself. I feel a bit torn as well. Interested to see I anyone had similar experiences.
 
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I drove both S3 Saloon and A45 round a test track recently. A45 is far better on track. Turn in, pace, noise - all far better.

However, as a daily, I couldn't live with the A45. Cheap feel inside, not keen on the looks and the ride is waaaaay too firm. S3 is far more premium feeling and looks more special in my eyes.
 
We don't have a track here where I live and maybe it really does come alive there but what I realised is that you need to stomp that accelerator from a standstill to feel the wrath of that engine. I found transient acceleration which is typical of city driving to be very unrewarding when compared to an engine with a broader torque curve. I know the up top pull is there and its true what the reviewers all say.. at about 5500rpm, the car feels as if it gets a second win and accelerates more but the red line is right there so you don't feel that for long. Nobody is launching this car from each stop in traffic. Its a car that I see you definitely have to learn to drive. It makes it very clear to me why bmw chose to tune their 2.0L for 240hp and audi for 296 bc they knew they would be better every day drivers. The high horse power small engine displacement will have its compromises. Ask me I know. The JCW Mini is a lot of fun from a boosted 1.6. In terms of my experience, I have owned 3 Subaru STI's, Nissan 350z one Evo X, a BMW 335i and a Mini JCW all with zero to heavy mods
 
I am coming from a M135I and had a A45 on order until I drove the S3, I have almost all the negatives to say about it as the op did. My basic conclusion was that unless you specced it right up with aero pack for visuals, the exclusive pack for a better interior and other expensive options that took it to we'll into the mid 40's and into the 50's it just wasn't special enough. The ordered one I had was 47k and even then it felt like someone had bolted a massive turbo on a small engine, coming from my M135i which has a very quick throttle response I was shocked how much lag the A45 had.
It also had many many squeaks and rattles to the point the accompanying salesman even got embarrassed.
In the end I went and drove the S3 being determined I wanted 4WD, what I found was sonethibg that had 90% Of the driving experience and pace of the A45 and M135i yet a major leap forward in terms of quality and finish and it was 10k less than the A45! In the end I thought there is a 10k defecit between S3 and A45 and a 10k defecit between the A45 and M4, two are virtually equals where as the latter two are different leagues.
And for the record my friend owns a tune boxed A45 and was quite shocked that his stage 1 A45 was equal to 60 mph when timed as a stage 1 S3, And the time given for 0-100 mph for a golf R stage 1 is only 0.2 behind the stage 1 A45.
So both tuned it seems the S3 will massively close the performance gap.
 
I am so shocked. Its so much more important to read real world reviews of cars if you want a daily driver and not a track warrior. I guess I need to convince myself that this is no C63amg which btw is a machine in its own right. This car reminded me of my heavily modded FP red evo X. I regretted going with a much bigger turbo bc city driving was bordering on miserable. Some of these editors agree http://autoweek.com/article/car-reviews/2014-mercedes-benz-cla45-amg-4matic-review-notes#
 
Also a quick Google or trip on the A CLASS forum will reveal that maybe merc have stretched the turbo a little bit.
 
Man I really wanted to like that car bc I was getting frustrated with the wait for the S3. the M135i is way too expensive here due to local import taxes and I already had a 335i n54 engine and I honestly did not get the fuss. Maybe bc I had the older 6spd ZF tranny. It felt too slush boxy and my car was chipped with upgraded intercooler and exhaust.
 
The reason the car feels like 1 2 and 3rd gear is uneventful is because the AMG A45 is torque limited in the first 3 gears. The S3 can handle upto 550 nm before a reflash would be required.
 
Man I really wanted to like that car bc I was getting frustrated with the wait for the S3. the M135i is way too expensive here due to local import taxes and I already had a 335i n54 engine and I honestly did not get the fuss. Maybe bc I had the older 6spd ZF tranny. It felt too slush boxy and my car was chipped with upgraded intercooler and exhaust.


Where in the World are you?
 
That is the key isn't it, what are your main purpose for the car, something comfortable, feels and looks premium and a day to day car, that will stay on public roads only or are you after a super quick track car.

From all reviews, the S3 is a great all rounder, so in our case, that's exactly what we're after.
 
Hey I live in Trinidad in the west indies. Yup. I feel so much better now that I am going with the S3. I just needed to see for myself that I was making the right decision. You guys would be surprised but the the 135i is much more expensive here as the larger engine attracts a higher import duty here so the S3 and the A45amg are actually more comparable here as they both have the same engine size.
 
That's why I chose the S3 has 3/4 of the performance and feeling the AMG ane about 200% of the premium build and I terror feel for 10k less!! Another thing that surprised me about the amg was that it had some exhaust drone when cruising and that was without the AMG exhaust that the salesman said was even louder!
 
Yep.. I cant comment on the amg exhaust as the one I drove had the standard exhaust which honestly sounded Japanese Honda civic. I know its more natural than the sound actuator on the s3 but I much prefer that deep bassy tone in the s3. The amg sounds more fart can. I can tell you.. my JCW Mini is one of the best exhausts I have heard from a 4 banger.
 
Hey I live in Trinidad in the west indies. Yup. I feel so much better now that I am going with the S3. I just needed to see for myself that I was making the right decision. You guys would be surprised but the the 135i is much more expensive here as the larger engine attracts a higher import duty here so the S3 and the A45amg are actually more comparable here as they both have the same engine size.

I used to work round all the Caribbean back in the 90's and lived in the Turk's & Caicos Islands from 2001 to 2006.... Love the Weather.... hate the Import Duty!
 
I'll put my 2p in here as I'm selling my S3 and got an A45 turning up in the next couple of weeks. To me the S3 is boring, even at stage 1 with a full turbo back Milltek exhaust it's just not exciting to drive. I drove the A45 and it made me buzz which I think the S3 is missing. Everyone obviously has their own opinion on this and wants different things out of a car and I know I'll get slated on here but I just think the A45 is in a different league. The fact it's hand built by AMG to me makes a big difference. You can't really compare to the S3 as it's built alongside the S Line diesels. When the RS3 comes out it'll be more comparable.
I'm not saying the S3 is bad at all, it's a great car, it's just not for me!
 
No I definitely understand what you are saying. It feels more special and probably sounds more special too. When you drive it, you know that its a beast you need to learn how to drive and without that type of test drive or even track use, its hard for me to say as I said in my review. I know on a straight, it will leave the S3 for dead further down the line. Gears 1-3 are useless for city driving but you see where the engine comes alive in 4th gear and onward. I agree it cant be realistically compared. The S3 gets everything done simply and effortlessly and you probably don't even need to work the engine as hard as the A45amg. some will find reward in it that way. Honestly, it felt like when I first jumped out my old 335i and drove a bigger more powerful naturally aspirated car. The a45amg wont run out of air on top.
 
I agree to a certain extent but it's only the engine that's hand built and even most experts dispute that ie the 6.3 engine meaning something in the region of 20,000 'hand built' engines a year!! And that's just that particular AMG engine!
I agree on max attack the AMG is a hoot and with that power it's bound to post quick times but a similar powered stage 1 S3 is quicker still.
The Badge does carry a certain creed to it but if getting built in a specialist factory means I get a car that's full of squeaks and rattles with brakes squeaking so loud in traffic people are staring at you laughing in my case then I'll take the cheaper bog standard factory built car, Especially when merc has put recalls out on certain build dates for turbos going pop already.
 
Put it like this.. if you took that AMG badge of that car, I would not buy it when compared to the S3. My wife asked me so why I am so concerned about it being an AMG. I said this would probably the only AMG car I could afford. That AMG badge somehow makes you want to just own it. Credit to Mercedes and their marketing insight here. One thing I would add is that the A45amg is a sports car 100% of the time. I don't think it makes for great traffic and city driving as the S3 does. Get it on some open tarmac and its beats the S3 hands down!!
 
You say it's not hand built, but they build it as an A250 on the same production line as all A class, then send it to AMG, who strip it (engine, gearbox, brakes, suspension, interior) then rebuild it as an AMG. If that's not a proper AMG car I don't know what is.
Having driven both and having a stage 2 S3, I'll tell you now it's not as quick. The power delivery is completely different. The A45 reminds me of past Evo's but better built and more class.
As Messi said the A45 is a sports car, the S3 isn't. It's just a faster version of an A3. If there'd been an RS3 I would possibly consider it, but I'm a bit bored of Audi's now and fancy something different.
 
A stage 1 S3/GOLF R puts out about 350-360 bhp and posts a 0-60 of around 3.7 secs and 0-100 of sub 9 secs which is a fair amount quicker than the similar powered A45, reason being it's about 100 kg lighter.
I think the AMG makes sense at 100% attack but it fails as an everyday car for me and then chuck the price in and it makes even less sense. Being hand built is not really a byword for build quality as many owners moaning on their forum has proven as has the recall on the turbo lines potentially causing turbo and/or engine failure. I don't think merc has done the A45's AMG badge any favours either by bringing out the engineered by AMG models which have diluted the experience somewhat.
 
CLA-S3_comparo.png


That CLA is sure an ugly mutha' :keule:

Almost as ugly as the BMW M135i ;) :keule::keule:

:kissmyrings:
 
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Turbos expiring are not exclusive to the A45.

Quite a few going in S3's, GolfR's and Leon Cupra's as well.
 
A stage 1 S3/GOLF R puts out about 350-360 bhp and posts a 0-60 of around 3.7 secs and 0-100 of sub 9 secs which is a fair amount quicker than the similar powered A45, reason being it's about 100 kg lighter.
I think the AMG makes sense at 100% attack but it fails as an everyday car for me and then chuck the price in and it makes even less sense. Being hand built is not really a byword for build quality as many owners moaning on their forum has proven as has the recall on the turbo lines potentially causing turbo and/or engine failure. I don't think merc has done the A45's AMG badge any favours either by bringing out the engineered by AMG models which have diluted the experience somewhat.

I'd love to see the vbox data from those figures?! Sub 9 sec to 100 at stage 1, no chance. Mine was dyno'd at 350bhp at stage 2, obviously there's the dyno lottery but that's with a full turbo back exhaust and tuning box. You'll be waiting a while for a proper map on an S3.
Audi is not a by word for quality either, mine rattles like a 10yr old peugeot.
 
I said a stage 1 golf R or stage 1 S3 vs a standard A45, all three will have similar power except the golf R and S3 post faster times.
No standard A45 will live with these a stage 1 A45 will but again it will be pushing out 400 bhp and maintain its 50 bhp advantage.

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/audi-s3-0-60mph-3-77-0-100mph-8-92.222705/

And the golf R
Revo Beta Stage1 Golf R MK 7 Launch:
 
I do love the exterior of the A45 but I feel it needs every bit of its extra options list to look that good, aero pack was a must, and after sitting in a quite frankly nasty standard A45 interior I felt the inside HAD to have the exclusive pack with upgraded steering wheel, one thing unchangable though was that nasty looking sat nav screen!! What we're they thinking? Looks like a superglued ipad mini.
I do like the A45 don't get me wrong but I just feel it's drawbacks are ones that at that price shouldn't be there that's all.
 
Seems only right to compare apples with apples, so a Stage 1 vs Stage 1 :)

Interesting that the Revo Beta remap achieved 9.2 to 100, and Leo's tuning box 8.9. It must be boosting something chronic, what's that about all those blown turbos? ;)
 
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I really can't see how anyone can prefer the looks of the Merc, I think it's absolutely gash...
 
Each to their own I guess. There's not many times in my life when I've seen a car before it's released and thought "I really really want one". Then I drove one and it confirmed it. The A45 is that car for me at the mo and I've ordered exactly the same as I first saw.
 
I am really happy to see that so many people agreed with me. Look we are all car people and could admit when a car is superior to ours even though this is an audi forum. I honestly wanted to like the A45amg because I find it looks better than the SB S3 I have on order. I really love the big 19 inch wheels and everything it offers. But honestly, it drove like my turbo modded Evo x that was pushing 400whp which was fun in attack mode. Unfortunately, 95% of my driving is city driving and its a car that is not meant for that. But even so.. I did not feel 355hp in gears 1-3.. not even close. There is like 1250 or rpm above 5000 rpm where the A45amg comes to life but to me that's not enough for a daily driver.
 
Each to their own I guess. There's not many times in my life when I've seen a car before it's released and thought "I really really want one". Then I drove one and it confirmed it. The A45 is that car for me at the mo and I've ordered exactly the same as I first saw.
I agree with you.. I think its amazing looking and I so wanted the drive to match what I thought of the appearance.
 
In exactly the same way some people think the interior of an A/S3 absolutely gash !



Gorgeous :)

20130402091519618.jpg

You know what, when I first saw these I hated them. But I've seen a few on the road now and they really do look smart. I prefer the hatch but these look good. Think the RS3 saloon will look better tho if they make it!
 
I think its really torque limited though. Its unfortunate bc most people associate that rush of acceleration in the first 3 gears when you are pulling off. The a45 must be a beast from 100km to 200km though
 
I really like the new A-class but buying one over an Audi? No thanks although i would love to have a weekend in an A45AMG :)
 
Its hard to call which i'd prefer between the CLA and the S3 Saloon, both very different looking cars in their own rights.

The Merc, arguably more daring looking, lots of different angles on it, almost a banana shape (look at it side on and you'll know what i mean). Marmite styling, which i personally really like. The S3, is a much more sober affair, straight line angles and masculine, it does look like every other Audi (a mini A4 if you will) but this is no bad thing, its also a great looking car.

It just depends on what you're after really. I know most people on here including myself have veered off topic a bit, as you're looking at the A Class AMG, good looking car also, my aunt has an A180 AMG sport and she loves it.