A45 AMG

[ManOpener]

So I've been looking at a couple of options to replace my rather tired old Leon, and currently it's between the BMW M135i and A45 AMG. I've had brief drives of both but are testing properly at the weekend. As the BMW is the (ex) darling of the internet, I know plenty about them, but very little about the A45. What kinds of things should I be on the lookout for?

The specific one I'm looking at is a 2015/15 car without the aero pack, but with the 19" wheels and AMG Performance exhaust. Circa 25k miles, and £24,500 with a Mercedes main dealer.

Edited by ManOpener on Friday 26th January 21:58

[RedAMG45]

Hi
I have owned the non Face lift ( 2 years) and currently own the face lift version (1year)
I find it great package it great fun to drive
The grip and speed is outstanding
Try to get a long test drive I got a couple hours and you will see how good it is
Here is a website to help you
http://www.aclassclub.co.uk/forum/a45-amg-forum_fo...

Service history is key
earlier 2013-2014 models there was a batch of turbo issues whick were faulty they will have been fixed
Check the gearbox for excessive noise there threads on the forum
The age you are looking at is just out of warranty
You will get 12 months for second hand but I would get warranty after that
Running costs
Tyres £160 last 10,000 fronts and rears 20,000
Get a service plan if you can servicing is every 12500 miles
MPG 22 but I drive it hard
Brake pads fronts 11,000 miles£300
Discs rear and pads 19,000 miles£800

I liked mine that is why i bought another one

[va1o]

I remember when you got the Leon, I think I had one at the same time!

I've just recently parted with a BMW M135i after a year of ownership and found it to be an epic car. The 6-cylinder engine is so much fun and works amazingly well with the ZF8 gearbox.

My friend has the A45 AMG and we took them both out a few times to compare. The Mercedes is the faster the car, but there isn't masses between then. I think the BMW is more playful with it's RWD chassis and it sounds awesome especially with the M-Performance exhaust.

On the inside the Mercedes is slightly more practical and BMW more comfortable. BMW's iDrive is better than the Garmin system fitted standard to the Merc. Both of ours had the HK speaker upgrade which is well worth having.

Other thing you might want to factor in is Mercedes are about to announce a new A-Class which could knock back the residual values of the current model. The next 1-series is still about a year away and there won't really be a true RWD 6-cylinder replacement for the M135i/ M140i - so the current models should remain popular on the used market.

[ManOpener]

Yes, remember you posting on the thread! Nearly changed on several occasions but other things, like buying houses, took precedence.

So tested both cars yesterday, back to back and couldn't agree more with what you said. The Merc was faster but not by as much as I thought it would be, and in terms of midrange pickup it actually felt slower, but that might have been down to the utterly dimwitted gearbox (I've got no idea how that ever got signed off on, it seemed to change at complete random with little consideration for...well, anything). Merc seats were fantastic, some of the comfiest I've ever sat in, and the teenager in me loved the silly pops and bangs from the AMG exhaust.

But the BMW just felt more rounded- more playful on the A-roads, with the TC letting you have a bit of slip before reining in the fun, and it was much more comfortable on just about every road surface I tried. I preferred the interior, seats aside, and the general driving experience. So Cotswold BMW are now looking to source me a 5-door 65-66 reg facelift in a colour other than grey or silver.

[RedAMG45]

The non facelift the gearbox is not brilliant
They made some key changes with face lift