RE: Mercedes A45 AMG: Review
Discussion
exactly...or any 997 variation..£37+ K on a Merc hatch with a hot motor...madness
Cyrus1971 said:
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. . . EdM said:
£37,845.....ha ha ha ...last week I was laughing out loud at £30K for a Golf Gti...
Predictable comment, but I think most of us expect our money to go further than it really does these days. Off the top of my head I can't think of any car for that price with more bhp, let alone 4wd and a premium badge. Think about it that way and the price isn't so bonkers.Cyrus1971 said:
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. . . why predictable..?
...for this money second hand you are in proper performance car territory and many will consider -as quoted above to buy a supercar that has done its depreciation - a 997 turbo love it or hate it is IMHO just more car for the money and an opportunity to own some proper automotive history...an A class Merc with a hot badge ...never will be - but you pay your money and take your choice
Ultimately at this price for what is essentially a hot hatch it is only going to be painful ownership from the word go...from my experience of running a V8 CLK and driving and being a passenger in friends' AMG Mercs - whilst competent they generally leave me cold - yes big bhp but fundamentally lacking in character ..(and build quality), there is performance and fun available at this price point and even lower still particularly if you consider the 'previously owned supercar' option..
...for this money second hand you are in proper performance car territory and many will consider -as quoted above to buy a supercar that has done its depreciation - a 997 turbo love it or hate it is IMHO just more car for the money and an opportunity to own some proper automotive history...an A class Merc with a hot badge ...never will be - but you pay your money and take your choice
Ultimately at this price for what is essentially a hot hatch it is only going to be painful ownership from the word go...from my experience of running a V8 CLK and driving and being a passenger in friends' AMG Mercs - whilst competent they generally leave me cold - yes big bhp but fundamentally lacking in character ..(and build quality), there is performance and fun available at this price point and even lower still particularly if you consider the 'previously owned supercar' option..
SonicHedgeHog said:
EdM said:
£37,845.....ha ha ha ...last week I was laughing out loud at £30K for a Golf Gti...
Predictable comment, but I think most of us expect our money to go further than it really does these days. Off the top of my head I can't think of any car for that price with more bhp, let alone 4wd and a premium badge. Think about it that way and the price isn't so bonkers.
pilchardthecat said:
Nope, cant put the "commute aside" - i'm not spending 40-45k on a car and then leaving it on the drive and spending 10 hours a week driving a 2k diesel snotter. I'll never understand why people do that, its a total waste!
Perhaps it depends upon your commute. Mine is 99% motorway. I am fortunate to have a company car but if I didn't I couldn't imagine using a Porsche or Ferrari to sit in traffic. They wouldn't be any quicker than a diesel BMW but would be much more expensive to run and less comfortable. Schnellmann said:
pilchardthecat said:
Nope, cant put the "commute aside" - i'm not spending 40-45k on a car and then leaving it on the drive and spending 10 hours a week driving a 2k diesel snotter. I'll never understand why people do that, its a total waste!
Perhaps it depends upon your commute. Mine is 99% motorway. I am fortunate to have a company car but if I didn't I couldn't imagine using a Porsche or Ferrari to sit in traffic. They wouldn't be any quicker than a diesel BMW but would be much more expensive to run and less comfortable. My commute is rural A/B single carriageway ... Although 80% of the time a diesel BMW would be just as fast, but i've had 2 of those and they both made me want to drive head-on into a tree in despair
bertie said:
I've not driven an A45, but I test drove an A250 Engineered by AMG and a BMW M135i back to back the other week.
In the Merc the plastic trim felt cheap, the whole thing was dark, very high waisted and claustrophobic, particularly in the back.
The engine was rough, if you left it in normal it had you into 7th at under 30 mph, if you put it in sport it revved it's nuts off, the gearbox was forever changing gear!
But by far the worst thing was the jarring ride, painfully uncomfortable, truly shockingly bad, and I'm used to firm rides.
The wife couldn't wait to give it back.
The BMW felt far nicer, smooth engine, great auto box, really comfy ride and felt far better quality, so that's what I bought.
I've driven both on a mixture of roads. You really can't compare them at all. The A45 is like a totally different model.In the Merc the plastic trim felt cheap, the whole thing was dark, very high waisted and claustrophobic, particularly in the back.
The engine was rough, if you left it in normal it had you into 7th at under 30 mph, if you put it in sport it revved it's nuts off, the gearbox was forever changing gear!
But by far the worst thing was the jarring ride, painfully uncomfortable, truly shockingly bad, and I'm used to firm rides.
The wife couldn't wait to give it back.
The BMW felt far nicer, smooth engine, great auto box, really comfy ride and felt far better quality, so that's what I bought.
I didn't like the A250, but bordering loving the A45. And not just because of the ferocious power
If new vs old is a valid argument you might as well just write off every car over £38k because you can get a Ferrari 360 (albeit not in resale red unless you're very lucky) for the same money...
As great as the 997TT is, how old are the cars that are being compared to a brand new MB? Also these arguments disregard the risk factor - a brand new car with 3 year warranty vs a 4+ year old one with potential repair and maintenance costs of a once £100k car.
Also regards options whilst it is good to be headstrong about what you want, if you have any desire for a reasonable exit strategy you need to at least consider options that are market driven. When I was selling my Porker the first question I was asked by 2 dealers was whether it had PCM (effectively the equivalent of Comand)
As great as the 997TT is, how old are the cars that are being compared to a brand new MB? Also these arguments disregard the risk factor - a brand new car with 3 year warranty vs a 4+ year old one with potential repair and maintenance costs of a once £100k car.
Also regards options whilst it is good to be headstrong about what you want, if you have any desire for a reasonable exit strategy you need to at least consider options that are market driven. When I was selling my Porker the first question I was asked by 2 dealers was whether it had PCM (effectively the equivalent of Comand)
Durzel said:
If new vs old is a valid argument you might as well just write off every car over £38k because you can get a Ferrari 360 (albeit not in resale red unless you're very lucky) for the same money...
As great as the 997TT is, how old are the cars that are being compared to a brand new MB? Also these arguments disregard the risk factor - a brand new car with 3 year warranty vs a 4+ year old one with potential repair and maintenance costs of a once £100k car.
Also regards options whilst it is good to be headstrong about what you want, if you have any desire for a reasonable exit strategy you need to at least consider options that are market driven. When I was selling my Porker the first question I was asked by 2 dealers was whether it had PCM (effectively the equivalent of Comand)
It's a valid argument simply because it's the actual, real-life, factual choice i am in the process of making As great as the 997TT is, how old are the cars that are being compared to a brand new MB? Also these arguments disregard the risk factor - a brand new car with 3 year warranty vs a 4+ year old one with potential repair and maintenance costs of a once £100k car.
Also regards options whilst it is good to be headstrong about what you want, if you have any desire for a reasonable exit strategy you need to at least consider options that are market driven. When I was selling my Porker the first question I was asked by 2 dealers was whether it had PCM (effectively the equivalent of Comand)
Yes there are potential repair and maintenance costs of a 6-7 year old 997TT, but these have to be weighed against the shocking depreciation of a £45k A class which is probably going to drop 8-10k/year for the first 2 or 3 years. Yes the 997 will be thirstier on my long-ish commute, but will it be much thirstier than a Z4M?
I need to get a spreadsheet out and do some man-maths, but my gut feeling is that the overall cost will be about the same.... there's probably a 4-5k/year depreciation difference in the first 3 years in favour of the pork (?).... that's a fair bit of maintenance and fuel for the pork
Well, i actually own a Gen 1 997T and still require a decent daily driver because in a lot of situations i fall out of love with the Porsche.
I have tried the nice car for a weekend / snotter for a daily because it makes so much sense on paper, but i failed miserably. The problem is, you slog it out at work all week and you want to feel rewarded there and then. Otherwise, why do you bother? I've never understood the garage queen mentality; i need to DRIVE the car to enjoy it.
I have tried the nice car for a weekend / snotter for a daily because it makes so much sense on paper, but i failed miserably. The problem is, you slog it out at work all week and you want to feel rewarded there and then. Otherwise, why do you bother? I've never understood the garage queen mentality; i need to DRIVE the car to enjoy it.
pilchardthecat said:
It's a valid argument simply because it's the actual, real-life, factual choice i am in the process of making
Yes there are potential repair and maintenance costs of a 6-7 year old 997TT, but these have to be weighed against the shocking depreciation of a £45k A class which is probably going to drop 8-10k/year for the first 2 or 3 years. Yes the 997 will be thirstier on my long-ish commute, but will it be much thirstier than a Z4M?
I need to get a spreadsheet out and do some man-maths, but my gut feeling is that the overall cost will be about the same.... there's probably a 4-5k/year depreciation difference in the first 3 years in favour of the pork (?).... that's a fair bit of maintenance and fuel for the pork
I agree, and I personally wouldn't spend £37k (£40k+ when optioned sensibly) on this car, no disrespect to those that would. But I think looking at it purely on terms of what second hand metal you can buy for the same money essentially values the new car experience at nil.Yes there are potential repair and maintenance costs of a 6-7 year old 997TT, but these have to be weighed against the shocking depreciation of a £45k A class which is probably going to drop 8-10k/year for the first 2 or 3 years. Yes the 997 will be thirstier on my long-ish commute, but will it be much thirstier than a Z4M?
I need to get a spreadsheet out and do some man-maths, but my gut feeling is that the overall cost will be about the same.... there's probably a 4-5k/year depreciation difference in the first 3 years in favour of the pork (?).... that's a fair bit of maintenance and fuel for the pork
Different strokes for different folks I guess. You could essentially use the same logic against buying a new 911 as well, when you could get a F430 or Gallardo or something for similar cash. Without some people buying them though they'd never be on the market for the rest of us to snap up later on
New vs used is only relevant if you you're not bothered about having a new car. Some people on this site refuse point blank to even consider a new car. Others take great delight in speccing and owning a brand new car that is the latest model with all the latest features. Throwing used alternatives into a discussion about new cars is predictable, tedious and unhelpful.
pilchardthecat said:
It's a valid argument simply because it's the actual, real-life, factual choice i am in the process of making
Yes there are potential repair and maintenance costs of a 6-7 year old 997TT, but these have to be weighed against the shocking depreciation of a £45k A class which is probably going to drop 8-10k/year for the first 2 or 3 years. Yes the 997 will be thirstier on my long-ish commute, but will it be much thirstier than a Z4M?
I need to get a spreadsheet out and do some man-maths, but my gut feeling is that the overall cost will be about the same.... there's probably a 4-5k/year depreciation difference in the first 3 years in favour of the pork (?).... that's a fair bit of maintenance and fuel for the pork
Yes there are potential repair and maintenance costs of a 6-7 year old 997TT, but these have to be weighed against the shocking depreciation of a £45k A class which is probably going to drop 8-10k/year for the first 2 or 3 years. Yes the 997 will be thirstier on my long-ish commute, but will it be much thirstier than a Z4M?
I need to get a spreadsheet out and do some man-maths, but my gut feeling is that the overall cost will be about the same.... there's probably a 4-5k/year depreciation difference in the first 3 years in favour of the pork (?).... that's a fair bit of maintenance and fuel for the pork
And what if you want the practicality of the A45? 4 proper seats, a proper boot, easy to live with around town. Performance aside the sort of person looking at an A45 will not be interested in a old 911.
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