Drove AMG CLA 45

[scrammer]

FYI - this is a repost from the 2 forum but I thought that you may be interested ...

The new AMG CLA 45 was at my local MB Dealer for a one day engagement and i was one of the lucky few that got to go for a test drive

First impression is that everything is light and almost flimsy - throttle, steering, shift levers, etc. The car is comfortable, smooth, quiet, yet is only exciting at max boost (an incredible 26lbs) and when executing full throttle shifts; other than that you can’t even tell if it is running.

Comparatively, the 135i that i drove recently is similar in size but is a solid RWD car that has the soul of a true BMW. (Sorry I have never driven a 1 M)

As i drove away in my E90 M3 i concluded that the CLA 45 is simply a $30k car on ‘turbo’ steroids; just like my brother's STI. Nothing wrong with it but it is not a BMW and certainly not an ///M car.

The M3 is loud and rough, maybe a bit raw for the average consumer, but everything is very solid and feels planted. It feels like an $70k car that has earned its muscles through solid engineering.

At the end of the day for $55k (CDN) you can have a "stripper" 2014 CLA 45AMG or a 2010/11 CPO M3 with 30,000km - i know what i will be driving while i wait for the M2!!!

PS: I find it next to impossible to load photos to this board ... thus the "video"

[Les Grossman]

Hideous looking car. I much prefer the hatch.

[LeifW]

How was the speed of the shifts in the dual clutch transmission?

Leif W.

[scrammer]

Originally Posted by LeifW

How was the speed of the shifts in the dual clutch transmission?

Leif W.

Not sure to the millisecond ... But fast enough

The craziest thing in the CLA is the shift lever that that moves P D R - it looks and feels like it's from a kids toy car . Unlike the bmw DCT you can not shift with the stick either

[LeifW]

Originally Posted by scrammer

Not sure to the millisecond ... But fast enough

The craziest thing in the CLA is the shift lever that that moves P D R - it looks and feels like it's from a kids toy car . Unlike the bmw DCT you can not shift with the stick either

Thanks. I wasn't looking for millisecind info. I was more curious about your thoughts on the shifting. The reason I asked is that I had a 2005 C230 Sport Sedan. I really liked it except for the automatic transmission. When trying to shift manually, there was a very long delay in the downshift. Also, the transmission logic would try to determine the best gear to downshuift into rather than downshifting sequentially. I was curious if the DCT was better. It sounds like it is.

Leif W.

[Spoolin Montego]

What was the point of that video...

[scrammer]

Originally Posted by Spoolin Montego

What was the point of that video...

Good question .... I have tried every trick in my book to post photos on this board and it always says that the resolution is too big. I have used iPhoto's lowest setting and no dice. It doesn't matter if I use my android, go pro, or SLR I can't make it work. However, if I import the same photos into iMovie, add some music, and upload to my YouTube channel there is no problem with a link.

It is a lot of work to get three photos posted but I wanted to prove that this was not an arm-chair review of the CLA - I actually did drive it.

[scrammer]

Originally Posted by LeifW

Thanks. I wasn't looking for millisecind info. I was more curious about your thoughts on the shifting. The reason I asked is that I had a 2005 C230 Sport Sedan. I really liked it except for the automatic transmission. When trying to shift manually, there was a very long delay in the downshift. Also, the transmission logic would try to determine the best gear to downshuift into rather than downshifting sequentially. I was curious if the DCT was better. It sounds like it is.

Leif W.

If you have driven the DCT, DSG, PDK, or in this case the AMG MCT or any of the non-torque converter, automated transmissions ... They all feel about the same because they are actually manual transmissions with an electronically controlled clutch.

[Osiris]

Thanks. This was really helpful. I was contemplating trying the car but not you solved it.

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by scrammer

If you have driven the DCT, DSG, PDK, or in this case the AMG MCT or any of the non-torque converter, automated transmissions ... They all feel about the same because they are actually manual transmissions with an electronically controlled clutch.

TRUE. same basic feel with different software adjustments. the biggest variable seems to be how aggressive the gearbox is VS. how passive the programming is.

the Porsche PDKs and the Audi s-tronic/DSG are the best ones i've driven..i had a brief drive in a BMW DCT and thought it was decent but not quite to the level of Audi's dual clutches, however plenty of other people i've spoken too think the BMW DCTs are on par with Audi...haven't tried an MB DCT, but the early reviews of the CLA AMG seem to infer that it is 'laggy' as compared to better gearboxes around.

[scrammer]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

TRUE. same basic feel with different software adjustments. the biggest variable seems to be how aggressive the gearbox is VS. how passive the programming is.

the Porsche PDKs and the Audi s-tronic/DSG are the best ones i've driven..i had a brief drive in a BMW DCT and thought it was decent but not quite to the level of Audi's dual clutches, however plenty of other people i've spoken too think the BMW DCTs are on par with Audi...haven't tried an MB DCT, but the early reviews of the CLA AMG seem to infer that it is 'laggy' as compared to better gearboxes around.

Laggy is about right … in my initial post i said unless shifting at full boost you cannot even tell if the car is running so therefore when you shift it feels like they cut the ignition for an extra nano-second so you get some fuel in the headers and thus some sound to remind you that the engine is actually on … good point - IEDEI