RE: Mercedes-AMG A35 unveiled with 306hp
Discussion
gruntmonster said:
Hopefully when this is launched and turns out to be good used A45 prices will plummet making them a real used bargain..that’s what I’m looking at with interest being a lot cheaper will also mean easier to convince the wife lol
If trade in prices are anything to go by, they're already a bargain.Our car was £46K list, discounted to £42K. Really good spec. At 20 months old we took a cursory look at changing it. Dealer said it and i quote "had held its value quite well" - he said that with a straight face too - and as such was able to give us £27,000 for it.
legless said:
This is blatantly aimed squarely at the Golf R and S3, and it seems to stack up well.
The Golf and S3 are at the end of their model cycles though, and replacements will be seen in the next 12 months. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to these.
My thoughts exactly. I think the new Golf R/S3 will be closer to 2 years away and will have a power hike (as they always do) to at least 350hp.The Golf and S3 are at the end of their model cycles though, and replacements will be seen in the next 12 months. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to these.
I also think they will incorporate hybrid technology which will make the A35 seem obsolete. (If i've thought of this i'm sure MB has too and will be working on the next A35 already.)
ManOpener said:
I just hope they've fixed the ride and gearbox. That, along with the abysmal customer service I had in my local Merc dealer, were what put me off the A45.
+1I dont mind the ride, but the gearbox is positively dangerous in comfort mode. Sport or Sport+ is the first thing we do before moving off.
cookington said:
legless said:
This is blatantly aimed squarely at the Golf R and S3, and it seems to stack up well.
The Golf and S3 are at the end of their model cycles though, and replacements will be seen in the next 12 months. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to these.
My thoughts exactly. I think the new Golf R/S3 will be closer to 2 years away and will have a power hike (as they always do) to at least 350hp.The Golf and S3 are at the end of their model cycles though, and replacements will be seen in the next 12 months. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to these.
I also think they will incorporate hybrid technology which will make the A35 seem obsolete. (If i've thought of this i'm sure MB has too and will be working on the next A35 already.)
I actually quite like the idea of this now - i didnt think i would when i heard initially it was coming. I think our A45 will be replaced by a small coupe (ideally Cayman) but this could be a potential replacement for our Cooper S.
Deep Thought said:
ManOpener said:
I just hope they've fixed the ride and gearbox. That, along with the abysmal customer service I had in my local Merc dealer, were what put me off the A45.
+1I dont mind the ride, but the gearbox is positively dangerous in comfort mode. Sport or Sport+ is the first thing we do before moving off.
Johnnytheboy said:
Deep Thought said:
ManOpener said:
I just hope they've fixed the ride and gearbox. That, along with the abysmal customer service I had in my local Merc dealer, were what put me off the A45.
+1I dont mind the ride, but the gearbox is positively dangerous in comfort mode. Sport or Sport+ is the first thing we do before moving off.
The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
ManOpener said:
The change is lax in Comfort but overall pretty good in other modes. The biggest issue I had was trying to preempt the changes up and down outside of Manual mode, which meant I kept double shifting. Found that much easier on the ZF8. Suspect the later cars software may have fixed this.
The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Can confirm that the facelift one I have isn't crashy at all. Haven't really noticed any weirdness with the gearbox in both comfort and sport+ mode or in fact when using it in race mode with the paddles. The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
cookington said:
I have the current S3 and think the brakes are equally as impressive as the acceleration. I'm not sure how they would hold up on a track but are plenty enough for fast road use.
I disagree - I've got a 2016 S3 and I think they're s
t. There's no excuse for single piston sliding calipers on a 300bhp hot hatch. Especially when the cheaper Leon Cupra and the like have had decent Brembo calipers for years now. Plus, who doesn't like the look of a nice set of 4 pots?
ManOpener said:
Johnnytheboy said:
Deep Thought said:
ManOpener said:
I just hope they've fixed the ride and gearbox. That, along with the abysmal customer service I had in my local Merc dealer, were what put me off the A45.
+1I dont mind the ride, but the gearbox is positively dangerous in comfort mode. Sport or Sport+ is the first thing we do before moving off.
The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Thats pretty much it. With Comfort mode the idle revs and the relaxed acceleration mean some cheek clenching exits from junctions because the car can just sit there for what seems like an age.
I never had much issue otherwise with the 'box. Ours is a facelifted car which has the better box anyway, and maybe theres a S/W update in there too.
We opted for the adjustable suspension which is supposed to help on the default settings
cerb4.5lee said:
Limpet said:
cerb4.5lee said:
Gameface said:
It just made me sigh inwardly when the Mercedes was dismissed in the very first post on the thread because it's not a RWD 6 cylinder BMW.
Indeed, and lets be honest the 1 series has to be one of the worst examples going in terms of a 6 cylinder RWD BMW. The chassis/suspension is a complete mess, and it gets mentioned how poor it is in every 1 series review I've read. Looks are subjective but for me its one of the most ugly Bmw's ever made. I'm not that impressed with the chav direction that the A Class has gone in, but I don't think its ugly and I do really like the interior.
The 1 series interior is like dropping back into 2004, dated doesn't even cover it.
The chassis/suspension has its flaws, but by no means is it "a complete mess". I'm not sure where you draw that conclusion from, as every review of the car I've read rates the car as a good all round package and generally awards it 4-5 stars.
The damping can get in a bit of a pickle when the car is pushed to its absolute limits on poorly surfaced roads, but for most people, most of the time, this is irrelevant. It's nicely balanced, doesn't struggle to get its power down, and the car fundamentally handles well. I'm basing this on 24,000 miles all over the UK in all weathers in mine in the last 18 months. I don't think I've ever seen or heard it referred to anywhere as being "a complete mess".
The only thing I remotely agree with you on is the interior. I think it's fair to say BMW interiors are pretty average across the board at the moment, and the 1-series dash does look dated and underwhelming next to Mercedes' and Audi's efforts.
I've always thought of the 1 series as an interesting package but it was very poorly executed for me by Bmw(all the road tests I've read mention this)...especially when compared to how highly regarded the 3 and 5 series are. I'm a big Bmw fan and I love the way they drive, yet I agree with you that their interior is a fair bit off the pace compared to the rivals. Even the 6 series I had wasn't that great inside sadly, and I much prefer Audi/Merc interiors for sure...but I don't think either drive as well as a Bmw though.
I think the criticism of the M140 stems from "road tests" on track where the M140 is found to be lacking compared to the RS and AMG. This is great if we are talking about a Caterham or Ariel where the track is its natural home, but the AMG and M140 are not track specials they are hot hatches, certainly as far as I can see.
They are both great cars. The AMG excels at being a performance car 100% of the time, with fine on the limit handling, this is great, It can get a little tiresome when driving up the M3 at rush hour to a meeting in Basingstoke.
The M140 is great at driving up the M3 at rush hour and being a performance car when you want it to be, this means it is left a bit lacking in handling refinement, especially steering feel.
To me the deficiency in the M140 handling is only felt when really really pressing on or on the track, the 100% performance focus of the AMG is present all the time.
Unfortunately I spend more time on the M3 than on the track.
Never you mind said:
ManOpener said:
The change is lax in Comfort but overall pretty good in other modes. The biggest issue I had was trying to preempt the changes up and down outside of Manual mode, which meant I kept double shifting. Found that much easier on the ZF8. Suspect the later cars software may have fixed this.
The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Can confirm that the facelift one I have isn't crashy at all. Haven't really noticed any weirdness with the gearbox in both comfort and sport+ mode or in fact when using it in race mode with the paddles. The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Wholly our experience, other than in comfort mode and moving off from junctions, so we just stick it in Sport.
Slightly annoying that it cant be defaulted to Sport. I've a Cooper S and was able to program it to start in Sport by default which is handy.
TheOversteerLever said:
cookington said:
I have the current S3 and think the brakes are equally as impressive as the acceleration. I'm not sure how they would hold up on a track but are plenty enough for fast road use.
I disagree - I've got a 2016 S3 and I think they're st. There's no excuse for single piston sliding calipers on a 300bhp hot hatch. Especially when the cheaper Leon Cupra and the like have had decent Brembo calipers for years now. Plus, who doesn't like the look of a nice set of 4 pots?
Deep Thought said:
Never you mind said:
ManOpener said:
The change is lax in Comfort but overall pretty good in other modes. The biggest issue I had was trying to preempt the changes up and down outside of Manual mode, which meant I kept double shifting. Found that much easier on the ZF8. Suspect the later cars software may have fixed this.
The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Can confirm that the facelift one I have isn't crashy at all. Haven't really noticed any weirdness with the gearbox in both comfort and sport+ mode or in fact when using it in race mode with the paddles. The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Wholly our experience, other than in comfort mode and moving off from junctions, so we just stick it in Sport.
Slightly annoying that it cant be defaulted to Sport. I've a Cooper S and was able to program it to start in Sport by default which is handy.
You sure it can't be defaulted to sport/sport+/race or even individual?
Never you mind said:
Deep Thought said:
Never you mind said:
ManOpener said:
The change is lax in Comfort but overall pretty good in other modes. The biggest issue I had was trying to preempt the changes up and down outside of Manual mode, which meant I kept double shifting. Found that much easier on the ZF8. Suspect the later cars software may have fixed this.
The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Can confirm that the facelift one I have isn't crashy at all. Haven't really noticed any weirdness with the gearbox in both comfort and sport+ mode or in fact when using it in race mode with the paddles. The ride on 19" wheels was pretty awful- I found it very crashy.
Wholly our experience, other than in comfort mode and moving off from junctions, so we just stick it in Sport.
Slightly annoying that it cant be defaulted to Sport. I've a Cooper S and was able to program it to start in Sport by default which is handy.
You sure it can't be defaulted to sport/sport+/race or even individual?
Happy to be proven wrong. I recoded the MINI using BimmerCode, but the Mercedes equivalent - Carly doesnt seem to have the functionality. Cant find any reference to how to do it on forums either.
Would be a big help. Having said that, its just part of our startup procedure, start car, engage Sport mode, drive off...
Interesting.
On my facelift A250 it will default to comfort when you first turn on unless you left it in individual where you can set things like gearbox speed etc. At least that;s what I thought, it did you've got me wondering now as 99% of my driving is commuting it's generally in comfort and that's it.
The A45 is supposed to have a faster (in standard mode) gearbox than mine (although the A250 in sport with traction off is the same speed) and I have no issues with speed of change or having a quick getaway in any mode. Eco can possibly be a little lethargic once moving but that's to be expected and it doesn't affect a quick take off. I came from a VW DSG and would say it's as good if not better.
There have been updates for the gearbox software so if you've not Merc serviced it it might well be worth the extra just this once to bring it up to standard?
On my facelift A250 it will default to comfort when you first turn on unless you left it in individual where you can set things like gearbox speed etc. At least that;s what I thought, it did you've got me wondering now as 99% of my driving is commuting it's generally in comfort and that's it.
The A45 is supposed to have a faster (in standard mode) gearbox than mine (although the A250 in sport with traction off is the same speed) and I have no issues with speed of change or having a quick getaway in any mode. Eco can possibly be a little lethargic once moving but that's to be expected and it doesn't affect a quick take off. I came from a VW DSG and would say it's as good if not better.
There have been updates for the gearbox software so if you've not Merc serviced it it might well be worth the extra just this once to bring it up to standard?
Edited by hornmeister on Thursday 20th September 14:33
Edited by hornmeister on Friday 21st September 08:12
hornmeister said:
Interesting.
On my facelift A250 it will default to comfort when you first turn on unless you left it in individual where you can set things like gearbox speed etc. At least that;s what I thought, it did you've got me wondering now as 99% of my driving is commuting it;s generally in comfort and that's it.
The A45 is supposed to have a faster (in standard mode) gearbox than mine (although the A250 in sport with traction off is the same speed) and I have no issues with speed of change or having a quick getaway in any mode. Eco can possibly be a little lethargic once moving but that's to be expected and it doesn't affect a quick take off. I came from a VW DSG and would say it's as good if not better.
There have been updates for the gearbox software so if you've not Merc serviced it it might well be worth the extra just this once to bring it up to standard?
Its not the speed of the gear changes cause issues with moving off in an A45 its that the RPM are low in comfort mode and the big turbo has spun down. Therefore you go to move off and you've to wait until the turbo spins up to make progress. On my facelift A250 it will default to comfort when you first turn on unless you left it in individual where you can set things like gearbox speed etc. At least that;s what I thought, it did you've got me wondering now as 99% of my driving is commuting it;s generally in comfort and that's it.
The A45 is supposed to have a faster (in standard mode) gearbox than mine (although the A250 in sport with traction off is the same speed) and I have no issues with speed of change or having a quick getaway in any mode. Eco can possibly be a little lethargic once moving but that's to be expected and it doesn't affect a quick take off. I came from a VW DSG and would say it's as good if not better.
There have been updates for the gearbox software so if you've not Merc serviced it it might well be worth the extra just this once to bring it up to standard?
Edited by hornmeister on Thursday 20th September 14:33
The smaller turbo on your car will spin up more quickly.
I've no issues at all with the gearbox or the car in Sport, Sport+ or Race mode, i just find Comfort mode a bit "cheek clenching" as the lack of go for that second or so from a standing start is unsettling.
The box can most definitely change up and down gears quicker than i ever could
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