Audi S3 PFL vs Mercedes A35 AMG

[wab172uk]

I’m a big fan of the a35, I think with aero kit it’s got massive road presence and I’d happily overlook some of the cheaper plastics in the cabin for the way it looks. I however joined the a35 Facebook group a few months ago and it completely turned me away from the a35/cla35 as it seems to be a daily occurrence asking what each different warning light is, the fix, removing batteries for 10 mins etc. Seems like some amazing tech on them but after 6 years of never touching a dealership (touch wood) and after owning and Alfa prior, I’m not willing to risk a merc and fearing what will be the next bodge to get me by for a few more weeks until another dealership visit

That doesn't sound good. An A35 AMG was on my list of possible replacements. Might have just slipped down the list a few places. No car is ever faultless, and you always get the "Built on a Friday afternoon" car, but if lots of people are having the same issue, then that's a worry.

My Golf GTI was in and out of the dealership over a period on 11 months. I'd never want that experience again. Luckily the dealership was round the corner from where I live. If this happened after I bought an A35, it's a 30 min trip each way. Then time off work etc. Recurring or constant problems certainly can put you off a brand. I'd be reluctant to buy another VW for a while. And certainly not with the dealership round the corner.

 

[cuke2u]

I’m a big fan of the a35, I think with aero kit it’s got massive road presence and I’d happily overlook some of the cheaper plastics in the cabin for the way it looks. I however joined the a35 Facebook group a few months ago and it completely turned me away from the a35/cla35 as it seems to be a daily occurrence asking what each different warning light is, the fix, removing batteries for 10 mins etc. Seems like some amazing tech on them but after 6 years of never touching a dealership (touch wood) and after owning and Alfa prior, I’m not willing to risk a merc and fearing what will be the next bodge to get me by for a few more weeks until another dealership visit

Most of the cheaper plastics are hidden though and I would say the rest is easily at a A3 level. I've got a A250 CLA on order and been around a few of A series forums and I've found the build issues are no more than ones reported in any Audi forums. I can tell you that only two years ago Audi released a TSB on the metal B&O labels that were coming unstuck from the front speakers of the A4 and had a risk of causing injury. Their solution was to remove them and fit cheap nasty stickers.
In this process some owners cars were being returned damaged with scratches on the door trims.

Thing is any forum will always be biased towards any issues. Whatever the price of a A35 you are still getting the same interior as any other A Class, you are paying for the engineering of the mechanicals...

 

[AlS3BE]

Most of the cheaper plastics are hidden though and I would say the rest is easily at a A3 level. I've got a A250 CLA on order and been around a few of A series forums and I've found the build issues are no more than ones reported in any Audi forums. I can tell you that only two years ago Audi released a TSB on the metal B&O labels that were coming unstuck from the front speakers of the A4 and had a risk of causing injury. Their solution was to remove them and fit cheap nasty stickers.
In this process some owners cars were being returned damaged with scratches on the door trims.

Thing is any forum will always be biased towards any issues. Whatever the price of a A35 you are still getting the same interior as any other A Class, you are paying for the engineering of the mechanicals...

Is the cla not at least a better model to the a class maybe closer to the c class?
Was in the merc showroom a few weeks ago and starting to get confused with the line up as there’s an a class hatch and saloon then there’s the cla.
In the old line up the cla was the a class saloon and the shooting brake was the estate version.

 

[Ron240]

I've got a A250 CLA on order

There's one too many "A" in that sentence.
I know what you meant though.
The brand new CLA is a beautiful looking car and I would love to own one. The exterior is very classy looking and the interior is high tech....although the latter does divide opinion.
My first choice would be the CLA 35 in Sun Yellow, but second would certainly be the 250 like yours.

 

[Ron240]

Is the cla not at least a better model to the a class maybe closer to the c class.

Yes the CLA is above the A Class in the range but still based on the A Class platform.

 

[Chris4410]

That doesn't sound good. An A35 AMG was on my list of possible replacements. Might have just slipped down the list a few places. No car is ever faultless, and you always get the "Built on a Friday afternoon" car, but if lots of people are having the same issue, then that's a worry.

My Golf GTI was in and out of the dealership over a period on 11 months. I'd never want that experience again. Luckily the dealership was round the corner from where I live. If this happened after I bought an A35, it's a 30 min trip each way. Then time off work etc. Recurring or constant problems certainly can put you off a brand. I'd be reluctant to buy another VW for a while. And certainly not with the dealership round the corner.

I understand and agree that any car can have some issues, the issues I was experiencing were above and beyond normal.

The way the dealership in particular deal with any issues is also a huge factor, in this case they dealt with things terribly.

If they had accepted the issues were there and wanted to work with me to resolve them, that would have been perfectly acceptable to me. However as they continued to state this was a "characteristic" of the car as it was an AMG and I should expect the suspension to be stiffer and the car to rattle and creak more that a "normal" car I knew there was little point in hoping they could fix any problems.

 

[winrya]

Most of the cheaper plastics are hidden though and I would say the rest is easily at a A3 level. I've got a A250 CLA on order and been around a few of A series forums and I've found the build issues are no more than ones reported in any Audi forums. I can tell you that only two years ago Audi released a TSB on the metal B&O labels that were coming unstuck from the front speakers of the A4 and had a risk of causing injury. Their solution was to remove them and fit cheap nasty stickers.
In this process some owners cars were being returned damaged with scratches on the door trims.

Thing is any forum will always be biased towards any issues. Whatever the price of a A35 you are still getting the same interior as any other A Class, you are paying for the engineering of the mechanicals...

Most of my issues were door card quality, the feel/noise when closing, the plastic leather as opposed to nappa which has a massive difference in feeling of quality. Centre console shiny plastics weren’t great. But as I said, tech compensates for that and all manufacturers (especially audi) are cheapening materials with newer cars so expect the a3 to go backwards when released

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Personally, I think some young owners ( first new car ) of supposed "luxury" brands, bitch too much about dealers, perceived issues, and rant and rave on social media looking for sympathy from like minds. If you have a mechanical issue with a new car, take it to the dealer and go for a test drive with hopefully the shop foreman to show/demonstrate the issue. Your best friend in dealing with issues is the dealer, not Audi. Do not get angry with dealer personnel, as this will get you nowhere. If you live in a large city choose your dealer carefully, the large corporation ones are generally ones to avoid. The family run ones are normally the best. I have 4 Audi dealers in my area. I bought my S3 from a dealer I have dealt with for years. Family run and they are dealers for Audi,VW, Land Rover, Jaguar and Mercedes, and no I did not get the best deal from them, but if I have an issue it is dealt with.
Yes, there are lemon cars and if you have one and the issues can not be resolved in a timely manner return it, but again be polite and courteous in all conversations etc.
Lastly for god's sake take the car for a long test drive, 4 hours minimum by yourself. Some very young drivers may not be able to do this due to insurance requirements. This test drive will enable you to really evaluate the car and it's quirks, as all cars have them.

 

[wab172uk]

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/365hp-brabus-b35-closes-gap-to-a45/40853

And now Brabus is in on the act.

 

[deMarcus94]

I just saw this post and am in a very tough choice; S3 vs A35. You who have had both, from outside which car sounds better in your opinion? I have heard many say that the a35 even has the OPF sounds louder than S3.

 

[deMarcus94]

@Chris4410

 

[Chris4410]

@deMarcus94

I had a lot of problems with my A35 and I ended up successfully rejecting it and returned it to Mercedes-AMG for a full refund.

having said that, if the car hadn’t suffered from the fault I would still have it today. It was a really fun car to drive and IMO with the aero kit looked a million times better than the S3. The S3 I owned didn’t have an opf filter as it was pre 2017, the A35 didn’t sound great at first, but after it was run in and had about 3k miles on it, it really sounded well.

I also really liked the AMG start up feature that give you some pops and crackles on start up.

 

[dnzbdr]

@Chris4410

Could you be more specific where these sounds were coming from? Maybe we, thinking of switching to A or CLA, can pay attention during the test drives.

I was on the edge of buying an A-class with lots of tech options in it, or a CLA with less tech but a stunning look.

 

[Chris4410]

You mean the sound associated with the issues I experienced?

 

[Ron240]

I was on the edge of buying an A-class with lots of tech options in it, or a CLA with less tech but a stunning look as you say..

CLA has exactly the same tech as an A with as you say a stunning look.
Or did you mean if you choose the CLA you will opt for a lower trim spec?
I have a CLA in top trim spec Premium Plus and it is certainly not lacking in the tech dept.

 

[Chris4410]

@Chris4410

Could you be more specific where these sounds were coming from? Maybe we, thinking of switching to A or CLA, can pay attention during the test drives.

I was on the edge of buying an A-class with lots of tech options in it, or a CLA with less tech but a stunning look.

If it was anything like mine, trust me you would notice them.

It was a very loud creaking sound from around the door frames and where the side skirts attached to the main body of the car. You could replicate the noise even when not driving by simply pressing on the doors or side skirts with your hand.

 

[dnzbdr]

CLA has exactly the same tech as an A with as you say a stunning look.
Or did you mean if you choose the CLA you will opt for a lower trim spec?
I have a CLA in top trim spec Premium Plus and it is certainly not lacking in the tech dept.

A with top trim vs. CLA with mid trim.
I know the interior and tech options are almost the same. I don't know if the multi-beam led numbers are the same for both, or some saying that some of the materials inside is better in CLA (eg. steering wheel middle part with Merc amblem is softer)
Is there any platform where you share your experience or follow the others?

If it was anything like mine, trust me you would notice them.

It was a very loud creaking sound from around the door frames and where the side skirts attached to the main body of the car. You could replicate the noise even when not driving by simply pressing on the doors or side skirts with your hand.

Then I probably will notice with a test drive around town, thank you.
Wish you a nicer experience with your new beast anyways.

 

[deMarcus94]

@deMarcus94

I had a lot of problems with my A35 and I ended up successfully rejecting it and returned it to Mercedes-AMG for a full refund.

having said that, if the car hadn’t suffered from the fault I would still have it today. It was a really fun car to drive and IMO with the aero kit looked a million times better than the S3. The S3 I owned didn’t have an opf filter as it was pre 2017, the A35 didn’t sound great at first, but after it was run in and had about 3k miles on it, it really sounded well.

I also really liked the AMG start up feature that give you some pops and crackles on start up.

From outside, can you compare the exhaust sound of your S3 and Golf GTI with your A35? How it sounds comprared to them the A35? Louder, quietier?

 

[Chris4410]

The GTI sounds the best, but as it’s the TCR it’s fitted with a unique exhaust. It has a very nice deep tone, and it pops and crackles even when sitting stationary.

The AMG didn’t sound that great when stationary, it wouldn’t pop and crackle. However it would when being driven, but it had a far less deep tone compared to the TCR.

The S3 had a very nice deep tone, but far more subtle pops and crackles.

 

[deMarcus94]

So in an noise ranking car, from outside the car , who would you put first and who last?

@Chris4410

 

[Chris4410]

They are in that order in my previous post.

 

[Jassyo06]

The GTI sounds the best, but as it’s the TCR it’s fitted with a unique exhaust. It has a very nice deep tone, and it pops and crackles even when sitting stationary.

The AMG didn’t sound that great when stationary, it wouldn’t pop and crackle. However it would when being driven, but it had a far less deep tone compared to the TCR.

The S3 had a very nice deep tone, but far more subtle pops and crackles.

That'll be the S3 pre face lift and not to be confused with the face lifted S3 of which sounds far better than the pre face lifted S3

 

[Chris4410]

That'll be the S3 pre face lift and not to be confused with the face lifted S3 of which sounds far better than the pre face lifted S3

I would disagree, my friend drives a FL S3 and even he agrees that my TCR sounds better.

 

[MarcusForensen33]

I would disagree, my friend drives a FL S3 and even he agrees that my TCR sounds better.

Your TCR was with or without the OPF?

 

[Garrett 69]

Personally I wouldn't touch a modern Merc with a barge pole. Build quality is shocking compared to what it used to be and reliability has taken a major tumble in recent years. They hide these faults with over the top tech to make you moist between the legs. Personally, I hate all this tech ******** in new cars, they're just making them easier for idiots to drive.

 

[Damo S]

Personally I wouldn't touch a modern Merc with a barge pole. Build quality is shocking compared to what it used to be and reliability has taken a major tumble in recent years. They hide these faults with over the top tech to make you moist between the legs. Personally, I hate all this tech ******** in new cars, they're just making them easier for idiots to drive.

Isn't this true of all modern cars, particularly the more sporty ones. So much stuff to go wrong and it does and ownership pain is purely down to luck with whether you get a good or a bad one.. The sports cars of old were no better either to be honest. My blooming Toyota turbo cars were constantly down at the local garage with various things failing. The most reliable car we have ever had is the wifes 308 diesel peugeot. boring AF and doomy as hell (as the kids say) but it's never missed a beat or needed anything replacing in the 12 years she has owned it.

 

[Garrett 69]

Isn't this true of all modern cars, particularly the more sporty ones. So much stuff to go wrong and it does and ownership pain is purely down to luck with whether you get a good or a bad one.. The sports cars of old were no better either to be honest. My blooming Toyota turbo cars were constantly down at the local garage with various things failing. The most reliable car we have ever had is the wifes 308 diesel peugeot. boring AF and doomy as hell (as the kids say) but it's never missed a beat or needed anything replacing in the 12 years she has owned it.

Fair comments. I personally don't like new cars full stop. Apart from the obvious emissions bullsh!t, they're just too plasticy.
I'll be completely honest, out of the numerous cars I've had over the last 25 years or so, the most reliable ones were an SE4 Calibra and a Phase 1 Renault Mégane coupé. On average, the most reliable cars I've owned have been Renault, and I've had 7 of those.

 

[Garrett 69]

Oh, I don't go through cars because they're unreliable, I get bored of them lol.

 

[Damo S]

Fair comments. I personally don't like new cars full stop. Apart from the obvious emissions bullsh!t, they're just too plasticy.
I'll be completely honest, out of the numerous cars I've had over the last 25 years or so, the most reliable ones were an SE4 Calibra and a Phase 1 Renault Mégane coupé. On average, the most reliable cars I've owned have been Renault, and I've had 7 of those.

A few old Vauxhall cavaliers were fairly reliable, particularly a 2 litre 8v which I had for years. Typically though I've found the cars that have served me best are the ones I disliked most. With the complexity and unreliability of modern cars it does seem like they are more aimed at the leasing model: Just hand it back around the time the warranty runs out so neither you or the manufacturer care if its a bag of rubbish at that point, you've both moved on (once the dealer have offloaded it).

 

[GeneralA3]

Found the exterior of an A-Class pretty ugly in my opinion but interiors are pretty nice. Not sure about the steering wheel with hundred buttons though lol way to busy. That being said nice car.

 

[Ron240]

Not sure about the steering wheel with hundred buttons though lol way to busy. That being said nice car.

I think the Mercedes steering wheel is no worse than any others in regards to buttons. It has been a thing now for a while to put buttons on steering wheels, but once you are familiar with what they do it is much better than using touch screens. A lot of the functions can be done both ways button or touch screen, but I always prefer to press a button.
Comparing the steering wheels of my CLA with my S3 then there is not much of a difference with the number of buttons.

 

[Chris4410]

Your TCR was with or without the OPF?

With, the TCR was only produced from 2019. All cars from late 2018 will have an OPF fitted.

The TCR had a tuned exhaust from the factory, it was always going to sound better. The S3 just has a quad tailpipe, Audi doesn't really "tune" it to any extent.

 

[MarcusForensen33]

With, the TCR was only produced from 2019. All cars from late 2018 will have an OPF fitted.

The TCR had a tuned exhaust from the factory, it was always going to sound better. The S3 just has a quad tailpipe, Audi doesn't really "tune" it to any extent.

Wow, and your TCR with OPF was louder than an S3 FL no-opf?

 

[NevMan]

With, the TCR was only produced from 2019. All cars from late 2018 will have an OPF fitted.

The TCR had a tuned exhaust from the factory, it was always going to sound better. The S3 just has a quad tailpipe, Audi doesn't really "tune" it to any extent.

Definitely makes a difference if they tune the exhaust. My wife’s 2021 1.6 turbo Abarth sounds better than most

 

[Chris4410]

Wow, and your TCR with OPF was louder than an S3 FL no-opf?

My TCR sounded better than my 2016 S3, in my experience car makers can still make OPF cars sound good. In my opinion Audi just don’t want to do that, maybe they will bother with the RS range but not with S models.

My Porsche is a new model, and it has the 2 litre engine and the exhaust sounds awesome. So loud in sports mode it actually set off a car alarm in an underground car park the other night as I started it up and give it a few revs.

 

[MarcusForensen33]

My TCR sounded better than my 2016 S3, in my experience car makers can still make OPF cars sound good. In my opinion Audi just don’t want to do that, maybe they will bother with the RS range but not with S models.

My Porsche is a new model, and it has the 2 litre engine and the exhaust sounds awesome. So loud in sports mode it actually set off a car alarm in an underground car park the other night as I started it up and give it a few revs.

Your Porsche is louder than your GTI TCR with Akrapovic?

 

[Garrett 69]

So loud in sports mode it actually set off a car alarm in an underground car park the other night as I started it up and give it a few revs.

Are you a chav in denial?

 

[Chris4410]

Your Porsche is louder than your GTI TCR with Akrapovic?

My TCR didn't have the Akrapovic, and those weren't actually louder they just had a different tone.

And yes, my Porsche which has a Porsche Sports Exhaust is significantly louder than both.

 

[Chris4410]

Are you a chav in denial?

Definitely not a chav, but according to my wife can be very "childish" when I get behind the wheel of a car. Or anything I can go fast in to be honest.