RE: Mercedes A45 AMG: Review
Discussion
On who is going to buy one, I think there's a market out there of people who've always fancied an AMG Mercedes but not been able to afford a new one. This is a proper AMG (I know it's only 4-cyl, but it's a hand-built one developing mental bhp/litre). Downsizing is the new black too, I reckon it'll sell well.
On nav, please educate me because I honestly don't understand. Why would I blow £2k on Merc nav when I already have tomtom on my iPhone? As I understand it, tomtom with traffic and iq routes can still claim to be the best nav in terms of real world performance. And I don't find it much hassle to plonk the phone in a holder on the dash/windscreen and pop the charger in. Why why why? You'd normally have to be seriously rich to contemplate blowing £2k on something, but otherwise rational people on 5-figure salaries do this. I just don't get it.
On nav, please educate me because I honestly don't understand. Why would I blow £2k on Merc nav when I already have tomtom on my iPhone? As I understand it, tomtom with traffic and iq routes can still claim to be the best nav in terms of real world performance. And I don't find it much hassle to plonk the phone in a holder on the dash/windscreen and pop the charger in. Why why why? You'd normally have to be seriously rich to contemplate blowing £2k on something, but otherwise rational people on 5-figure salaries do this. I just don't get it.
I'm not sure who will be able to buy it.
I went in to an AMG specialist Merc dealer, 80% of their stock was AMG, including used.
So im over 40, i was suited and booted and drove my 13 plate car into the dealership. I also currently drive a 2 litre Evo with 400hp, so am I not the target market? I even said i didnt need to px the evo to buy the AMG.
I had done my homework, knew the dealer had a demo A45 LHD car but it had recently gone back.
I enthusiastically enquired from the salesman how I could get one and what options I could choose, instead of qualifying me, he talked crap, kept talking about the A250 ! and then took all my details....
You guessed it...... I havnt had a call, an email or any contact at all
What do you have to do to spend 40k these days
I went in to an AMG specialist Merc dealer, 80% of their stock was AMG, including used.
So im over 40, i was suited and booted and drove my 13 plate car into the dealership. I also currently drive a 2 litre Evo with 400hp, so am I not the target market? I even said i didnt need to px the evo to buy the AMG.
I had done my homework, knew the dealer had a demo A45 LHD car but it had recently gone back.
I enthusiastically enquired from the salesman how I could get one and what options I could choose, instead of qualifying me, he talked crap, kept talking about the A250 ! and then took all my details....
You guessed it...... I havnt had a call, an email or any contact at all
What do you have to do to spend 40k these days
pilchardthecat said:
I have a real choice to make between one of these and a 7-8 year old 997.1 Turbo, so the new/used comparison is entirely valid. The running costs and practicality vs. "done" depreciation, higher running costs. Obviously the 911 is a lot more special but do i want one for a 60-mile-day every day commute.....
No competition IMHO - Commute aside I would plum for the Porker and buy a £ 2K diesel Shedtoo . In the UK we have such low second hand car values it is crazy not to take advantage of them. In France a 7 year old 997 TT would be considerably more. . . I test drove one a couple of weeks ago and put a deposit down on the back of it. Harris nails the review for me and the car is exactly what I’m looking for, so Mercedes have found their target consumer here.
Hopefully be delivered at the end of September.
ETA. My local dealer had 20 slots and they've all been snapped up.
Hopefully be delivered at the end of September.
ETA. My local dealer had 20 slots and they've all been snapped up.
nicfaz said:
On nav, please educate me because I honestly don't understand. Why would I blow £2k on Merc nav when I already have tomtom on my iPhone? As I understand it, tomtom with traffic and iq routes can still claim to be the best nav in terms of real world performance. And I don't find it much hassle to plonk the phone in a holder on the dash/windscreen and pop the charger in. Why why why? You'd normally have to be seriously rich to contemplate blowing £2k on something, but otherwise rational people on 5-figure salaries do this. I just don't get it.
To be fair to M-B, satnav is available in two flavours; the Becker Map Pilot (£495) and the full-fat, online-enabled Comand system for the £2,100. Comand also does a lot more such as internet browsing, DVD playback, HDD music storage and voice command.The Becker system is excellent and you don't even need to pay £495 for it as you can buy exactly the same plug-in unit on Ebay etc. for about £180-200.
At that price it starts to make a lot more sense against a smartphone solution, for convenience if nothing else.
nicfaz said:
On nav, please educate me because I honestly don't understand. Why would I blow £2k on Merc nav when I already have tomtom on my iPhone? As I understand it, tomtom with traffic and iq routes can still claim to be the best nav in terms of real world performance. And I don't find it much hassle to plonk the phone in a holder on the dash/windscreen and pop the charger in. Why why why? You'd normally have to be seriously rich to contemplate blowing £2k on something, but otherwise rational people on 5-figure salaries do this. I just don't get it.
If you're buying a ten grand supermini then you've got a point. However, if you're buying a £40k, top of the range Merc then you really don't want a crappy iPhone bracket attached to your dashboard, sucker marks on your windscreen or cables dangling everywhere. I can think of few ways to make your expensive car look cheap than a naff aftermarket sat nav.And for those Pistonheaders whose sole mission in life is to get maximum badge for their buck, having integrated sat nav makes sense from a resale perspective. You won't get all your money back, but you will get some and more importantly the car will be more desirable to dealers and private buyers.
SonicHedgeHog said:
nicfaz said:
On nav, please educate me because I honestly don't understand. Why would I blow £2k on Merc nav when I already have tomtom on my iPhone? As I understand it, tomtom with traffic and iq routes can still claim to be the best nav in terms of real world performance. And I don't find it much hassle to plonk the phone in a holder on the dash/windscreen and pop the charger in. Why why why? You'd normally have to be seriously rich to contemplate blowing £2k on something, but otherwise rational people on 5-figure salaries do this. I just don't get it.
If you're buying a ten grand supermini then you've got a point. However, if you're buying a £40k, top of the range Merc then you really don't want a crappy iPhone bracket attached to your dashboard, sucker marks on your windscreen or cables dangling everywhere. I can think of few ways to make your expensive car look cheap than a naff aftermarket sat nav.And for those Pistonheaders whose sole mission in life is to get maximum badge for their buck, having integrated sat nav makes sense from a resale perspective. You won't get all your money back, but you will get some and more importantly the car will be more desirable to dealers and private buyers.
SonicHedgeHog said:
If you're buying a ten grand supermini then you've got a point. However, if you're buying a £40k, top of the range Merc then you really don't want a crappy iPhone bracket attached to your dashboard, sucker marks on your windscreen or cables dangling everywhere. I can think of few ways to make your expensive car look cheap than a naff aftermarket sat nav.
And for those Pistonheaders whose sole mission in life is to get maximum badge for their buck, having integrated sat nav makes sense from a resale perspective. You won't get all your money back, but you will get some and more importantly the car will be more desirable to dealers and private buyers.
Quite. Finance residuals on the Comand are usually pretty good showing it's an option valued by the market (or at least in M-B's eyes), and I wouldn't be surprised if the Becker couldn't be sold on separately for effectively what you paid for it.And for those Pistonheaders whose sole mission in life is to get maximum badge for their buck, having integrated sat nav makes sense from a resale perspective. You won't get all your money back, but you will get some and more importantly the car will be more desirable to dealers and private buyers.
Schnellmann said:
You might get something back but if you were to get 50% then 50% of £2'000 is still £1'000. Strikes me as quite a lot. I agree that having cables dangling not so good and the integrated solution is much easier (I've been fortunate to have BMW Sat Nav with all my company cars) but if you are buying privately it isn't so straightforward. At least it wasn't for me when we ordered our M135i. After weighing up the pros and cons decided against the Sat Nav. Partly because I did go for the Sat Nav for my wife's current Polo GTi and she has never used it. Made me realise that 95% of the time she/we would be using the car for journeys we know. For the other 5% having a portable Sat Nav stuck on the window is a compromise worth living with if it saves £1500 (for the BMW).
I think the numbers are a bit different on the 135i. That car attracts people looking at other mainstream hot hatches. Come resale there will more than likely be enough people desperate to get that BMW badge that are happy to forgo the sat nav if it gets them out of their Focus ST etc. The Merc is considerably more expensive and will attract a more mature buyer who, until it is several years old, will want all the toys that are expected on a premium product.
Just as an aside, people seem fairly confident when talking about how much cars will depreciate.
How do they know?
Mine was meant to be worth less than £15k by now (and I didn't expect any different) but it's worth at least £20k.
If this is made in small numbers and considered desirable, why will it depreciate as hard as more bog-standard fare?
How do they know?
Mine was meant to be worth less than £15k by now (and I didn't expect any different) but it's worth at least £20k.
If this is made in small numbers and considered desirable, why will it depreciate as hard as more bog-standard fare?
roystinho said:
I actually thought the noise of the engine would've been better. But, certainly at the top end shifting up it makes a stupendous noise. The one I went out in didn't have the optional exhaust, but I heard someone elso out with it on and that sounded even better/more anti-social tootling around.
As for pace - it was unbelievable. I quite like the comparison with the C63 as I went out on the same roads in one only a few hours later. I found it about the same, but more than likely that was because I knew the roads by then.
I thought the ride comfort was pretty good for what it is, though I had just jumped out of a Clio V6 into it. The damping is excellent and it reminded me of a megane 265 round the country lanes. The electirc steering I thought was fantastically weighted too. And being pedantic, the steering wheel is actually a £570 option. But it is well worth it.
I found it quite neutral blasting down some B roads, which was fun in a way, but not my kind of fun. It was almost too devastatingly competant. Would love to have a go on track in one.
Overall I liked it, but the price is a bit, erm, steep. The one I was in specced out at £51k (yes £51k no typo). If I had the cash to spend on such a car I still reckon I'd go M135i, definitely if I was pushing my budget.
That sounds like a good day! As for pace - it was unbelievable. I quite like the comparison with the C63 as I went out on the same roads in one only a few hours later. I found it about the same, but more than likely that was because I knew the roads by then.
I thought the ride comfort was pretty good for what it is, though I had just jumped out of a Clio V6 into it. The damping is excellent and it reminded me of a megane 265 round the country lanes. The electirc steering I thought was fantastically weighted too. And being pedantic, the steering wheel is actually a £570 option. But it is well worth it.
I found it quite neutral blasting down some B roads, which was fun in a way, but not my kind of fun. It was almost too devastatingly competant. Would love to have a go on track in one.
Overall I liked it, but the price is a bit, erm, steep. The one I was in specced out at £51k (yes £51k no typo). If I had the cash to spend on such a car I still reckon I'd go M135i, definitely if I was pushing my budget.
Johnnytheboy said:
Just as an aside, people seem fairly confident when talking about how much cars will depreciate.
How do they know?
Mine was meant to be worth less than £15k by now (and I didn't expect any different) but it's worth at least £20k.
If this is made in small numbers and considered desirable, why will it depreciate as hard as more bog-standard fare?
There's a simple reason for this. Check how much your car costs brand new today. I bet it is significantly higher than when yours was new. If the price today was the same then the depreciation forecast would probably have been pretty accurate but the higher list price rebases everything. My last car suffered the same fate - list price was about £4k more than when I bought it and my residuals were better as a result.How do they know?
Mine was meant to be worth less than £15k by now (and I didn't expect any different) but it's worth at least £20k.
If this is made in small numbers and considered desirable, why will it depreciate as hard as more bog-standard fare?
Chances are the A45 won't be too bad for depreciation because of its desirability and scarcity. However, the used values will be very misleading because of the price of optional extras. A standard car will probably depreciate least, but only tight-fisted or cash-limited buyers will be interested in buying it. A car with desirable options will get lots of interest, but will have lost more money.
Personally I can't think of anything more pointless than spending all this money on a car and not having the spec you want. Yes, optional extras are very expensive, but IMHO the only reason someone won't spec this car properly is because they can't afford to.
SonicHedgeHog said:
Personally I can't think of anything more pointless than spending all this money on a car and not having the spec you want. Yes, optional extras are very expensive, but IMHO the only reason someone won't spec this car properly is because they can't afford to.
Almost certainly true, but some people's idea of speccing it "properly" might involve not selecting any options simply because they don't want any of them. Certainly I can't see much that isn't standard which I'd want. Speccing a car for resale always struct me as daft. I'm not convinced there's such a thing as an optional extra that doesn't depreciate.
SonicHedgeHog said:
.... the only reason someone won't spec this car properly is because they can't afford to.
Not everyone likes gadgets/bling/leather. The UK market generally goes for higher specifications than most other markets - I don't know why. £37k will still buy a nicely equipped, practical car that is also crazy fast.
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