[NickJ]

Those plucky Brits get to have all the fun before the Colonies. The boys on the other side of the pond have gotten their tea drinking mitts on the brand new CLA45 AMG and it's hot hatch brother, the A45 AMG, and did what any respectable automotive journalist would do… Pit the almost identical cars against one another in a Civil War type showdown.

The two cars share everything except the sheet metal, so this war could be a close one. I have to assume that you already watched the video before you read these sentences, so I don't feel bad about any spoilers. Both of these cars have been able to shout about the hills in true AMG fashion by having deep and throaty noises coming from the back end when your foot mashes the loud pedal.

This is the first time that the AMG skunk works have had a go at a 4 cylinder motor, and boy have they gotten it right. The 2.0L 4 cylinder motor is the most powerful power plant per liter on the market, ever. As for the interior, the only, and I repeat ONLY difference in the two is the fact that one of the cars gets a bit more room due to it's hatch setup. The ride will still break your molars out of your mouth, but who cares?!? You get to rage down the road like your hair is on fire, and listen to the popping and gurgling from the exhaust that is reserved for only the finest vehicles to roll out of the AMG factory in Affalterbach. I cannot wait to drive one of these incredible machines.

 

[dascrow]

I really like the design of the A45, to bad Mercedes doesn't bring that over to the states.

 

[Sue Esponte]

It would never sell. The rear end looks too much like a Golf. It kind of screams "economy" car to me....and, unlike most of m compatriots, I don't dislike hatchbacks. If its base price was inline with the Golf it would do very well. A $50k A45, however, would be a very tough sell. Sadly, I think they made the right decision for the US.

Just my $.02,
-Eric

 

[I want my A-M-G]

It would never sell. The rear end looks too much like a Golf. It kind of screams "economy" car to me....and, unlike most of m compatriots, I don't dislike hatchbacks. If its base price was inline with the Golf it would do very well. A $50k A45, however, would be a very tough sell. Sadly, I think they made the right decision for the US.

I think you're dead-on. For most of us in the US, hatch=economy. It's like minivan=mommy, fair or unfair... If Mercedes wants to reach a different market, they need a different brand. I know they have 'Smart', but that's been identified with those clown-car golf-cart deathtraps. I'm thinking like Scion for Toyota- except not so dorky. Not sure of any different connotations, but a quick google translate has cool= "lässig" in German. So the Lassig brand could have the A, B, maybe even include CLA. Mercedes would start at 'C' and go upmarket from there. I would bring back Maybach, but as a brand like AMG, for the ultralux vehicles, approx 100K+. Like Ford/Lincoln/Mercury or Buick/Caddy/Pontiac used to be.

 

[NickJ]

While you both may be dead on, I for two would love to have a beefy hatch in my garage. Especially one that had the fit and finish that comes with the Mercedes Benz line. I hope to hell that the CLA and the C45 hold up better than some of the C class cars that I saw come through the dealership. It was amazing to see how beat up they could get in just a few short years, and the problems that would persist in the whole line. If you had a C class, you know about the shifter surround that pops off and somehow breaks and will never ever go back to it's home.

 

[Sue Esponte]

While you both may be dead on, I for two would love to have a beefy hatch in my garage. Especially one that had the fit and finish that comes with the Mercedes Benz line. I hope to hell that the CLA and the C45 hold up better than some of the C class cars that I saw come through the dealership. It was amazing to see how beat up they could get in just a few short years, and the problems that would persist in the whole line. If you had a C class, you know about the shifter surround that pops off and somehow breaks and will never ever go back to it's home.

You should seriously consider the next gen Golf R!

 

[NickJ]

I have always liked the Golf incarnations. Maybe I should take one for a spin, but for the money I would rather an STi hatch. They both scream boy racer to me with equal volume. The exact same car with a Mercedes Benz badge makes it more sophisticated somehow.

 

[I want my A-M-G]

While you both may be dead on, I for two would love to have a beefy hatch in my garage. Especially one that had the fit and finish that comes with the Mercedes Benz line. I hope to hell that the CLA and the C45 hold up better than some of the C class cars that I saw come through the dealership. It was amazing to see how beat up they could get in just a few short years, and the problems that would persist in the whole line. If you had a C class, you know about the shifter surround that pops off and somehow breaks and will never ever go back to it's home.

When I was younger, I thought the (Rabbit) GTI was very cool. My cousin had an Omni GLH that was pretty fast. Once you get past 30, then 40, for whatever reason, hatchbacks start to seem a bit too 'young'. Don't know if that applies to you... I'm a bit old for the CLA target anyway!

I think cars are starting to be like phones or computers- you used to own them, care for them and keep them for a while; now it makes more sense to use them and move on. 10 years ago very few cars had navigation, bluetooth, rear camera, keyless... Just in the last few years, things like adaptive cruise, blind spot assist, smartphone integration are becoming attractive features. The pace of change is accelerating. Do you want to own and pay to maintain your CLA while your neighbor has a self-driving hover-car? I don't! Lease it, buy it out at the end if you really want- but I bet in 3 years you'll want the new features.