Monday 12th March 2018

CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake: PH Carpool

Fast enough for track days; big enough for the dog? Jekyll and Hyde required...

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Name: Matt Hogben (BlackCup)
Car: Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake
Previous cars: Renaultsport Megane 225 Cup, Renaultsport Megane 250, Ford Fiesta Mk2, Renaultsport Twingo 133 and Lotus Exige S2 S Touring
Purchased: February 2017 at 5,500 miles and six months old.

Why I bought it:
"Running the Twingo as a daily and dog car, with the Lotus for track work and weekend hooning, meant I ran into some expensive bills with both cars. They were each cars I'd always fancied running and I'd scratched that itch, so it was time to move on.

"I wanted something different; ideally German with creature comforts for everyday use (and ferrying the dog around), plus the ability to keep up with my mates' cars on weekend runs and track days as well.

"I wanted a Jekyll and Hyde car, so looked into fast estates. I discounted some of the obvious older stuff like RS4s and C63s, however desirable, fearful of unforeseen future costs and the cars being out of warranty. I like the Golf R Estate and BMW 340/335s, but their looks didn't do it for me and they're not as fast.

"I looked quite a bit at the A45 - especially with the aero pack in metallic green, which I really liked, but it was both over budget and too small for three bulldogs! However, that's where the CLA Shooting Brake came in...

"With 0-60 in 4.3 seconds and 100mph in around 10, performance was nigh on identical to my previous Exige (just several hundred kilos heavier). The power comes in at 381hp for the facelifted car and I know a cheeky remap can easily add another 50hp.

"I'd looked for a month for the Shooting Brake, watching the market and getting an idea what I'd want spec wise. When searching the Mercedes-Benz Approved Used site late one night, up popped a Mountain Grey car with the optional 19s, full leather, sunroof, switchable sports exhaust and heated seats - perfect!

"They'd had it a while (traded in by an older gentleman who found it a little too uncomfortable), but hadn't put it on the usual classifieds, so it was priced just in my budget and after some negotiation it was mine for £34,500 - quite a chunk off the (extortionate) list price. The catch? I had to travel from Woking to Grimsby to get it!"

Things I love:
"The looks - I'm sure they're not to everyone's taste (as with my previous cars), but to me I think the Shooting Brake combines a very modern and practical shape with a relatively small footprint as well as a distinctive Mercedes design. I love too that they're rare, especially in AMG form - most probably as they're overpriced to start with!

"It grips and grips, it wasn't until I did a track day I realised just how good the 4Matic system was. It's fast as hell, too - certainly faster than the Lotus, even on track, despite the weight difference. I guess it's a combination of the dual-clutch gearbox and high speed cornering grip, plus the lack of fear about spinning it! And it sounds great for a four-cylinder, especially with the optional sports exhaust. With the valves closed it's perfectly quiet and civilised, and then with them open it's almost yobbish - which I really like.

"Combine all this with Bluetooth, climate control, folding mirrors, power tailgate, a decent stereo and heated seats and the CLA is vastly more welcoming than the barren Lotus and Twingo!"

Things I hate:
"The squeaky sunroof! Very annoying, but probably fixable come service time. The passenger seat belt rattles on the metallic part of the seat when no one's sitting in it, too, but that's cured by tucking the belt around the side bolster.

"Crabbing in cold weather! 235/35 R19 tyres combined with tight maneuvering makes for godawful crab-like skipping and creaky squeaky noises - very annoying! Switching tyres in the near future may help.

"The start-stop - luckily it hardly ever works (due to all the necessary parameters - temperature, battery charge, air-con etc) but when it does it's frustrating. When you want to nip off at a junction or roundabout, it sometimes cuts out just as you want to go.

"The auto braking, which has to be switched off every time you start the car. It's great if you're dozy at the wheel and worry you'll shunt the car in front. However, when you're on track following people late on the brakes, if you've forgotten to disable the system it will slam them on for you and scare the life out of you!

"Fuel consumption isn't great either, at 23mpg, but understandable given it's a highly tuned 2.0 engine and carrying some serious weight- the panoramic sunroof is around 100kg!"

Costs:
"Not a lot! It's cost me two tyres rather unexpectedly - I thought they had loads of life left but the inside edges had worn to the metal; luckily I was on my way home when I got the warning message on the dash. I'll be switching from the very capable Pirelli P Zero to the highly rated Michelin Pilot Sport 4 as all the tyres will need replacing soon.

"I opted early on for the monthly direct debit maintenance plan, so for about £30 a month for the first three years all the servicing is taken care of. It works out cheaper than paying separately.

"New pads are due soon, which are quite cheap at about £90 for the fronts.

"When I bought the car I also purchased all weather mats and a roll out boot protector for about £130 - vital for keeping the rear bumper dog proof!"

Where I've been:
"My wife and I got married up near Oban in Scotland about two weeks after I bought the car, so I put around 1,500 miles on it straight away. It was a perfect people hauler and was packed to the rafters.

"Several Sunday hoons, some long road trips north to see family and daily dog walking trips to the common. I only work a mile from home, yet I've managed to do 12,000 miles this year - I just love driving it!

"My favourite outing has been a weekend to Wales including a track day at Anglesey. What an amazing track, one that I'm returning to with even more mates this year. Throughout the day I pushed more and more, tightening my lines when I could feel the grip still there no matter how much speed I was carrying. The grunt from the engine is amazing, it just made the car come alive and cement my love for it. The only problem was stints had to be kept to around 15 minutes as brakes, fluid & tyres were OEM and took quite a pounding. I remember the lightweight Lotus (lightly modded with track brakes and sticky tyres) would go for more than 30 minutes without so much as a groan!"

What's next:
"As mentioned, the new tyres from Michelin and some front pads. I will certainly add a remap when I feel I've become used to the power, but for now I don't really want to void the warranty. One or two track days, plenty of hoons when it warms up a bit and loads more V-Power while we can still buy it!"

[PistonBroker]

Not even in the same ball park, but a mildly damaged CLA180 Shooting Brake came up nearby on eBay recently. First time they'd really come onto my radar. They look like a good practical little thing.

Interestingly, at the same time I spotted some 19s on FB marketplace. Nice to see my crazy daydreaming would work in reality!

Great write-up OP, hope you continue to enjoy it.

[sagarich]

I always dismissed these as they looked rather awkward in the press photos... However I parked next to one a few weeks ago, very good looking in the metal. As we all do, a quick look on PH to see what they're trading at... early 30's is a bit punchy. Maybe in a few years.

[culpz]

I think that these look great, especially in Shooting Brake form. I was initially going to ask if those pics were from Anglesey. It's a stunning track with some great scenery.

The one question on my mind is how was the Twingo 133 working out too expensive in terms of throwing up bills? I'm sure you've made the man-maths work somewhere but opting for a brand new performance Mercedes over a used warm hatch-back doesn't seem to add up to me.

As long as you're happy though, enjoy!

• EDIT* Has this car replaced both the Elise and the Twingo, so more of a do-it-all car? If so, i can see where you're coming from and what you've done.

Edited by culpz on Monday 12th March 15:59

[jamiemce]

I've just got a pre facelift A45 with similar spec (no heated seats though) and it's brilliant.

The seats have a magnet on the side for the buckle to stick to stop the rattle!
Slide the metal part up along the side of seat from where it normally rests and you'll find it

[kritter86]

Looks great in that colour and wheel combo

[Roy m]

I think you'll find your crabbing issue and the tyre wear problems are interlinked and simply won't go away Check out GLC (which I believe uses the same 4matic setup) forums where they're going mad as Mercedes UK are putting their heads in the sand apart from asking customers to sign a disclaimer that this is not a fault! Best option there is smaller wheels and all weather tyres ( being provided fix to some) neither of which would really suit you.
Luckily I found out before ordering a GLC!

[sasha320]

“...unexpectedly - I thought they [the tyres] had loads of life left but the inside edges had worn to the metal; luckily I was on my way home when I got the warning message on the dash. “

What was the warning message?

[Alex_225]

I guess it's trying to replicate the appeal of the CLS Shooting Brake which is obviously rare and looks considerably better in my eyes.

This version of the CLA certainly looks better than the normal version, the normal car looks like it's melted and even as a Mercedes fan it has to be one of the worst looking cars in their line up and they've built some munters in recent years.

I can see the appeal of a small estate though and the performance of the 45 powered cars is undeniable.

[anonymous-user]

Looks a lovely example OP. I think the inside edge wear is related to the toe angle, which is set up to be quite aggressive and probably more pronounced on this car as it looks to be on the upgraded 19"s from the CLS SB - which, by the way, really suit it.
Interestingly the Michelins will also scrub, especially in the cold or on low grip surfaces; I've found its not just related to the 4matic but at least it never rears its head above parking speeds!

EFA

Edited by JIMMYJ4ZZ on Monday 12th March 21:20

[kambites]

JIMMYJ4ZZ said:

Looks a lovely example OP. I think the inside edge wear is related to the tow angle,

I think you mean toe, unless he's had a knackered caravan on the back.

[anonymous-user]

kambites said:

JIMMYJ4ZZ said:

Looks a lovely example OP. I think the inside edge wear is related to the tow angle,

I think you mean toe, unless he's had a knackered caravan on the back.

Toe indeed! Although, if you could use an AMG to tow I can imagine the caravan would end up knackered!

[aaron_2000]

They kind of remind me of the old Impreza STI Wagons from the 90's. Not really an estate boot, but still practical enough for a family and usable all year round.

[LukeyC]

" Throughout the day I pushed more and more, tightening my lines "




I assume this was taken early on then..

Only kidding, lovely car

[m1980k]

"I discounted some of the obvious older stuff like RS4s and C63s, however desirable, fearful of unforeseen future costs and the cars being out of warranty."

That doesn't make any sense. The CLA is guaranteed to depreciate; the RS4 might have some well-known issues, but C63s are pretty reliable. I suspect the total cost of ownership over 2 or 3 years of a C63 bought for £25k would be considerably lower than what you'll lose on the CLA...

[DMAndy]

BlackCup said:

The squeaky sunroof!

Mine also does this when the seals dry out and it annoys the heck out of me too. However, its easily solved with a spray and wipe around the rubber seals with some silicon spray. This stuff works great.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Siroflex-SXSILSPRAY-Sil...

[Meridius]

sagarich said:

I always dismissed these as they looked rather awkward in the press photos... However I parked next to one a few weeks ago, very good looking in the metal.

I find this with all nearly all new Mercedes, especially so the AMG models, press photos and review articles they feel underwhelming and a bit ordinary but then everytime I see one on the road, among normal traffic, they look amazing.

[culpz]

m1980k said:

"I discounted some of the obvious older stuff like RS4s and C63s, however desirable, fearful of unforeseen future costs and the cars being out of warranty."

That doesn't make any sense. The CLA is guaranteed to depreciate; the RS4 might have some well-known issues, but C63s are pretty reliable. I suspect the total cost of ownership over 2 or 3 years of a C63 bought for £25k would be considerably lower than what you'll lose on the CLA...

That's kinda what i was getting at.

Saying that, If he's struggling to pay the repair bills on a Twingo and an Elise, then something that's premium-branded that's also the halo performance moniker of it's range is a complete no go!

[Macboy]

I've often thought that fuel consumption on these heavily tuned hot-hatches and their offspring must be pretty high. 23mpg is eyewatering but, I suppose, the price to pay for the performance. I ran a couple of V8 Audi S4 Avants and they were getting around that figure (the RS4 never ever did) but for all the downsizing of engines, real world fuel consumption isn't improving on everyday performance cars.

[aaron_2000]

Macboy said:

I've often thought that fuel consumption on these heavily tuned hot-hatches and their offspring must be pretty high. 23mpg is eyewatering but, I suppose, the price to pay for the performance. I ran a couple of V8 Audi S4 Avants and they were getting around that figure (the RS4 never ever did) but for all the downsizing of engines, real world fuel consumption isn't improving on everyday performance cars.

Seen high 30's on a 340i Touring, 32 was the most we'd get from a Leon 225, the most I've seen from my ST170 is around 28mpg. I'd say in reality fuel economy is improving, although if you're really so interested in MPG, you wouldn't be buying a performance car.

[Macboy]

aaron_2000 said:

Seen high 30's on a 340i Touring, 32 was the most we'd get from a Leon 225, the most I've seen from my ST170 is around 28mpg. I'd say in reality fuel economy is improving, although if you're really so interested in MPG, you wouldn't be buying a performance car.

I think the point I was inadequately making is that there has been a push toward smaller engines and turbocharging but economy - one of the quoted rationale for the move along with emissions - is not only nothing like the officially quoted figures (40.9mpg for this model - and we all know the reasons why that is) but they rarely appear to improve upon older larger capacity engines. The emissions are better than my old S4 I admit but I'm still surprised that the CLA can't achieve more than 23mpg - granted its not the major purchase driver.