I read that article and the question keeps bringing me someplace mentally that I don't want to go!
The C63 is just a lot more car than the CLA45 even if the performance is so close. It just is. The materials are better. It comes with more standard stuff. Blah, blah, blah. It also costs $61K vs. $49K for the CLA45. That's a lot more money...to me, at least.
But, hold on...it's not really $12K more because we're comparing a car (the C63) that is built on a platform nearing its end of life that MB is now discounting and comparing it to a white hot new model (the CLA45) that is selling at MSRP. So, really the question isn't about the $12K difference in base price. It becomes a question of whether you get a C63 for $60K with the same (or similar equipment) as you would get in a CLA45 for $55-60K. At the end of the day, a no frills C63 at $61K is still more car than a no frills CLA45 at $49K....but does that C63 really cost $61K?
Edmunds places the "True Market Value" of a C63 without any options at $56K. Maybe I need to stick my head back in the sand.
I think the answer comes down to what we (individually) want from a car.
- Do you really even want a C63? It's the same question I asked of the member comparing a new CLA to a used CLS or another member who was considering a heavily discounted E Class. How great of a deal is it if you don't really want the alternative in the first place? Just because it's technically a better deal doesn't make it the right car for you. If the alternative option excites you just as much as the CLA then it makes sense to consider.
If you find the idea of a C63 intriguing but aren't convinced then I'd ask....
- How important is a V8? I know you know this but a 4 banger will never be a V6 or a V8 (aurally or otherwise). I'm not saying it's less than a V8. It's just different.
- How important is AWD? For me, it's the reason that I won't consider the M3 or C63. As much as the pricing bothers me the C63's lack of AWD is a deal killer.
- How important are nicer materials? A car based on an economy platform will not be the same as a car based on a near-luxury platform. You can plop down $40K on a Subaru Impreza STI Special Edition and get a car that will do 0-60 in 4.7 sec (with the potential for MUCH more in the hands of the right tuner)...but it's still based on an $18K Impreza. The $22K extra doesn't get you a nicer dashboard with better materials. It buys you wicked performance and a bulletproof engine that likes to make gobs of power that it puts down with alacrity to all four wheels. As well as it performs, it will never feel like a $40K BMW, Audi or Mercedes.
- How important is it to be the first guy on the block with a CLA45? Next year, the car will be a year old, a year more common and perhaps seeing some discounts. There will also be a new C-Class and probably a new, more expensive, AMG version to further differentiate itself from the CLA price-wise and performance-wise. So, the C63 successor will be more expensive, probably faster, less of a "deal" than it is today.
- Do you want the last model year of a C63 and the depreciation hit that sometimes goes with it? You pay less up front (the market giveth) and then you buy a car worth that much less (and it taketh away). Good times.
Try taking the financials out of the equation and ask yourself which car you truly WANT more. Now ask yourself why it really matters that you can buy another car (one you don't want as much) for a similar price? Get the car you want. I know it's not really that simple...but...why not?
-Eric
