Discussion
I had one of these for 4 days whilst waiting for my C63 to arrive. They are a proper little rocket, have very firm suspension (the one I had was on the larger wheels) and you can hear lots of transmission whine, turbo whistle etc. It was a fantastic drive. For a driver of my calibre (average), I think I would struggle to get any other AMG product from A to B quicker. That may have been helped by the fact I didn't own it! It reminded me of an old Mitsubishi EVO.
sgreenham said:
I had one of these for 4 days whilst waiting for my C63 to arrive. They are a proper little rocket, have very firm suspension (the one I had was on the larger wheels) and you can hear lots of transmission whine, turbo whistle etc. It was a fantastic drive. For a driver of my calibre (average), I think I would struggle to get any other AMG product from A to B quicker. That may have been helped by the fact I didn't own it! It reminded me of an old Mitsubishi EVO.
Agree, very Japanese feel to them (plus a half decent interior), not much in it but I preferred the A45 to the CLA variant. The sports exhaust gets a tad irritating after a while.
simo1863 said:
Agree, very Japanese feel to them (plus a half decent interior), not much in it but I preferred the A45 to the CLA variant.
The sports exhaust gets a tad irritating after a while.
Straight away I assumed the one we borrowed had the sports exhaust fitted because the exhaust was black but I later learnt that that doesn't necessarily mean it is the sports exhaust. Plus as I drove it more and more I'm not so sure it was, as the videos I have watched seem to show it being much louder than the car I drove. However the CLA I drove sounded great still.The sports exhaust gets a tad irritating after a while.
sgreenham said:
I had one of these for 4 days whilst waiting for my C63 to arrive. They are a proper little rocket, have very firm suspension (the one I had was on the larger wheels) and you can hear lots of transmission whine, turbo whistle etc. It was a fantastic drive. For a driver of my calibre (average), I think I would struggle to get any other AMG product from A to B quicker. That may have been helped by the fact I didn't own it! It reminded me of an old Mitsubishi EVO.
How did it compare to the C63?Twincharge said:
How did it compare to the C63?
The CLA seemed a lot more 'raw'. The C63 takes no effort at all and never seems to run out of grunt but the CLA45 takes a bit more work, however with the 4WD you seem to be able to take any corner at any speed. It gives you huge confidence from the off. The CLA doesn't do the civilised bit quite as well as the C63 but the engine is a marvel. All that power from 2litres! It'll be interesting to see how the next C63 compares to them both. Here's hoping it will do the best bits of both cars.moffat said:
Neither are black so it must have just been very sooty.
I have the A45 AMG which started out with chrome exhausts when it was released, but they're black now (As mine is, so maybe teh CLA is the sameI'm loving the A45, it's got loads of grip, fantastic brakes, goes like a small rocket and has a really nice cabin, plus it's pratical too! I also like the fact that my road tax has dropped from neartly £500 to £180, bonus!
They really need to sort out a fix for the DCT in the A45 / CLA45 though.
A couple of issues that I had on an extended testdrive were:
1. Major delay when accelerating hard from stop in 1st gear - its like there is a major delay until the gearbox decides that you need max power and you get it - I think that this is an error with the clutch biting fast enough as it doesn't happen with launch control, with launch control its epic
2. Downshifts get frustrating when moving at speed, decelerating and making quick shifts for engine braking can get annoying when they don't happen. No issues with upshifts though.
Finally I am quite keen on a CLA45 but cannot get my head around the price, the car I specced with way less kit than my C63 was £51k, only £5k less.... That's obscene. The new M3 / M4 is cheaper on lease with a few essentials e.g. COMAND, leather, exhaust.
A couple of issues that I had on an extended testdrive were:
1. Major delay when accelerating hard from stop in 1st gear - its like there is a major delay until the gearbox decides that you need max power and you get it - I think that this is an error with the clutch biting fast enough as it doesn't happen with launch control, with launch control its epic
2. Downshifts get frustrating when moving at speed, decelerating and making quick shifts for engine braking can get annoying when they don't happen. No issues with upshifts though.
Finally I am quite keen on a CLA45 but cannot get my head around the price, the car I specced with way less kit than my C63 was £51k, only £5k less.... That's obscene. The new M3 / M4 is cheaper on lease with a few essentials e.g. COMAND, leather, exhaust.
moffat said:
1. Major delay when accelerating hard from stop in 1st gear - its like there is a major delay until the gearbox decides that you need max power and you get it - I think that this is an error with the clutch biting fast enough as it doesn't happen with launch control, with launch control its epic
Finally I am quite keen on a CLA45 but cannot get my head around the price, the car I specced with way less kit than my C63 was £51k, only £5k less.... That's obscene. The new M3 / M4 is cheaper on lease with a few essentials e.g. COMAND, leather, exhaust.
I agree with both these points. I have a DSG Octavia Vrs as well and I find the hesitation at junctions can be a real burden. This seems to be a problem with a few of these types of gearboxes. Finally I am quite keen on a CLA45 but cannot get my head around the price, the car I specced with way less kit than my C63 was £51k, only £5k less.... That's obscene. The new M3 / M4 is cheaper on lease with a few essentials e.g. COMAND, leather, exhaust.
And yes the price is pretty crazy. Once Mercedes starts throwing it's usual discounts at the A45 and CLA45 it will be much more realistic. However I have just read about the Citroen DS3 Racing Cabrio in the latest EVO mag... £29000!!! Makes the CLA45 look like a bargain!!
moffat said:
They really need to sort out a fix for the DCT in the A45 / CLA45 though.
A couple of issues that I had on an extended testdrive were:
1. Major delay when accelerating hard from stop in 1st gear - its like there is a major delay until the gearbox decides that you need max power and you get it - I think that this is an error with the clutch biting fast enough as it doesn't happen with launch control, with launch control its epic
2. Downshifts get frustrating when moving at speed, decelerating and making quick shifts for engine braking can get annoying when they don't happen. No issues with upshifts though.
Finally I am quite keen on a CLA45 but cannot get my head around the price, the car I specced with way less kit than my C63 was £51k, only £5k less.... That's obscene. The new M3 / M4 is cheaper on lease with a few essentials e.g. COMAND, leather, exhaust.
Have to say as an owner, the only significant issue I have is the slow pick-up, which has caught me out a couple of times when I've tried to 'nip' out at junctions.A couple of issues that I had on an extended testdrive were:
1. Major delay when accelerating hard from stop in 1st gear - its like there is a major delay until the gearbox decides that you need max power and you get it - I think that this is an error with the clutch biting fast enough as it doesn't happen with launch control, with launch control its epic
2. Downshifts get frustrating when moving at speed, decelerating and making quick shifts for engine braking can get annoying when they don't happen. No issues with upshifts though.
Finally I am quite keen on a CLA45 but cannot get my head around the price, the car I specced with way less kit than my C63 was £51k, only £5k less.... That's obscene. The new M3 / M4 is cheaper on lease with a few essentials e.g. COMAND, leather, exhaust.
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