[2011evo]

Hello
Currently have a 2011 evo mr. I see we already have people wanting to compare the forthcoming amg model against the evo and the sti. Cant speak to the sti but i will tell you the evo mr is alot of fun. In a nutshell the engine, dual clutch transmission and the handling IMO can not be beat at the under 50k segment. Keep in mind the evo carries a more advanced 4 wheel drive setup than the amg will. What the Mitsubishi does not do well is in the interior, paint and finish dept. they pretty much left that off the build list. Still for 46k you get alot of performance. I live in snowy slc so I need 4 wheel drive and that leaves me the s4, gtr or hopefully the amg will be all that and then some. I realize the gtr is a bit out of league but in 1.5-2 years a 2012 model will be around 60k and change. S4 is pretty boring and a bit too bland for my taste in its current config. So I have seen the amg video, I like it, I would prefer a more ultra aggressive black model option even if I had to pony close to 60k but hopefully a fully loaded black amg will do the trick. I imagine there is afair amount of 46 year old type with two kids like me in the same boat that need a 4 door year round sedan but blanch at either the rs5's sticker price or feel the gtr may be a bit too aggressive. One thing I am concerned with will be understeer on the 50-50 max bias it seems even in the videos it is getting a bit of corner push rather than the end coming around. On my evo you can pretty much be a moron and the car will bring it around for you without alot of drama ala gtr. Thanks for reading can't wait to see some performance testing. :smile:

 

[C45]

CLA45 all the way!

the salesmen i preordered mine with just called me this morning and there was a small delay they were told i wont see it til oct-nov... was not expecting to see it til xmas anyway...

 

[2011evo]

Did you order the AMG model and if so what is the general price point/options with your order?

 

[C45]

yeah cla45 amg

i added premium pack (says 2200 for now)...mulitmedia pack (2300).. and the panormaic roof (1480)

i called this morning to remove the pano roof . . just going to get the regular sunroof (standard/free with cla45)

 

[Endaar]

Does your dealer actually have an order guide for the CLA45? It's odd that they're saying a standard sunroof since I don't recall MB officially indicating that anywhere.

 

[Sue Esponte]

Welcome, Evo!

I know people will draw comparisons. It's inevitable but I wouldn't expect the CLA45 to truly compete with the Evo or STI. Fully equipped, the Subie and Mitsu run into the low-mid $40s, A well equipped CLA45 is going to run just south of $60k (probably mid-high $50s). While 0-60 performance numbers are on par with (if not better than) the specs on the current Evo and STI, based on what I've read so far (and as you pointed out), the CLA45's AWD system is not going to match the skills of the Evo's or STI's and, being a Benz, it will also not be as raw to drive.

If there is ever a Black Edition of the CLA45, I would expect to pony up a lot more than $60k once you're into options. I can't imagine them getting much more power out of the current engine without some serious modifications. 26psi is a lot of pressure out of a stock configuration. There can't be a lot of extra room to play with for MB or the aftermarket without serious upgrades to the mechanicals.

As for understeer, I believe MB is using a Haldex (or a Haldex-style) system in the CLA45. Having owned cars with this type of system I can't imagine running into any issues during normal day spirited driving or even in deep snow. I used my MkI TT Quattro as a daily driver during some pretty snowy winters. I don't live in or near SLC but New England gets its fair share of snow and, while not mountainous in CT, it's not flat around here either. If someone is looking for a track car or one with similar handling capabilities to an Evo I really don't think the CLA45 is it. The ultimate question is probably whether you're willing to compromise a little performance for some additional luxury.

Much like you, I have a number of questions about the 45 that will only be answered by a test drive. I can't wait!

-Eric

 

[Sue Esponte]

I configured my CLA45 with a dealer and included the carbon fiber trim package. The dealer told me the package included interior and exterior CF trim. Turns out that's wrong.

It seems odd to me that they'd include a regular sunroof for the CLA45 and not also make it available as on option on the base CLA models. Does the A45 available in Europe have a sunroof that they could take from a parts bin for the CLA45? I wouldn't trust anything coming from the dealers at this point unless there's an actual ordering guide out. I'm not saying the dealer is wrong. I've just seen way too much inconsistent information on the car coming out through various outlets (including dealers) for me to trust the accuracy of most of it.

-Eric

 

[C45]

the one cla youtube review said they tried to create understeer but couldn't and noted that benz said they use electronics to counteract torque steer...

hmmmmm

 

[Sue Esponte]

Understeer is very difficult to create in a car with a FWD biased AWD system.

As for torque steer, think about any FWD car approaching 300hp and it is riddled with torque steer issues. That's why manufacturers start equipping their equipping their 275+hp cars with AWD instead of their standard FWD systems. 355hp to the front wheels alone is (or would be) insane. They've got to control it through the AWD (presumably) and traction control systems. My only hope is that they haven't de-tuned the Haldex to defeat its true capabilities. I can't imagine AMG doing that but, then again, I couldn't imagine MINI doing that either. A couple of months ago, just for the heck of it, I took a Mini Countryman S All4 (not the JCW version) out for a test drive. Every time I stomped on the gas the damn thing pulled to the side! When the dealer asked me what I thought I told him that I've never felt torque steer in a car with AWD before. He said, "yeah, it has lots of power...that's good, right?" I said, "maybe if it could put it down to the road..."

-Eric

 

[2011evo]

yeah i remember my old CRX si/civic si, in the right situation it would definitely try and pull you left or right and prior to awd/traction control on a banked turn that either climbed or dipped you would get gobs of push onto the shoulder- not what you want anymore.