A45 should I do it?

[allsop60]

Hello everyone... first time on here ,
Quick question... A45 or Golf R ? Swaying towards the A45 ( in a big way) before I go for it though just wondering if there are any problems to look out for?
Also what are the choice options?
TIA....

[RedAMG45]

I have had 2 A45 in last 4 years and very happy with them
Currently got a face lift version for the last 2 years
The options i went for
Night pack
Performance exhaust
dynamic pack with LSD
Black alloys they look good with Red
Things I did not go for
Aero kit
Panoramic roof
Running cost really depend on how you drive it
Front tyres 11,000 miles
Rear tyres 21,000 miles
Running Michelins now the grip is fantastic
You will go through front pads every 14,000 miles and rear pads 22,000
All discs at 26,000 miles
I do drive it hard
MPG can see between 33- 35 on Motorway but I average 21 mpg so far
It drives very well and sounds good
I have been on number runs and it is very capable
I went for steath mode people do not realise that an A class be that fast
In gear performance is great and it has different modes for all types of driving
Comfort,Sport,Sport + and Race
Go for a test drive

[va1o]

The Golf does a better job at actually being a car. Nicer interior, more practical, better infotainment and a more comfortable ride. But it can't quite match the A45 for performance. So depends what your priority is really!

Personally I prefer the BMW M140i as it offers the best of both worlds IMO. But you can't really go wrong with any of them to be fair

[JimmyR1]

Have driven both but have nothing to add in terms of ownership. Agree with above in that once you look beyond the obvious similarities - ie 2 litre turbocharged AWD hatchback - you will find these cars quickly head off in quite different directions on the automotive spectrum. The A45 is in fully manic fully wound up mode all the time. Everything about it is highly strung, with the focus purely and simply on optimal performance and handling. The Golf is way more of a blended "luxury performance hot hatch". On the track an A45 would probably run rings around an R but you would arrive for the track day in much better shape, with none of the double vision, backache, headaches and tinnitus you would have after a few hours driving an A45 on typical roads. If ever there was a need for a test drive to sort out which of these cars suits your needs I reckon this must be it.

Edited by JimmyR1 on Tuesday 5th February 12:32

[Tiggsy]

Had a face lifted a45 for 2 years. Found it a complete one trick pony. Brutal quick in any conditions......that’s it. Standard A class otherwise. My kids thought it was cool. 😄

[Monkeylegend]

Golfs are ten a penny, be different.

[JamieG]

Cannot comment on the Golf R but we have a pre-fl A45 as a daily driver. Silver with standard wheels and no aero pack- super sleeper spec.I can understand the one-trick pony comments but when that trick is going like a touring car when you want it too, I’d say it’s quite good fun! Gives reasonable mpg when driven sensibly ( which tends to be most of the time) , has 5 doors and under 200 quid a year to tax - difficult to find any major quibbles. Interior a little shonky in places ( I hate the carbon-effect material on the dash that lifts in hot weather) but it’s a small price to pay for a great little car.
Go drive one - would be interested to hear your thoughts.

[Patch1875]

Considering one as well (or a C43) had a Golf R but after an attempted theft I moved it on.

These don’t seem as popular with the scumbags or are they just rarer?

[Tiggsy]

Just way less of them.

The one thing I will say - get one with all the stupid extras. Mine had every daft spoiler available! Otherwise it looks like your mums shopping car.

Having a car that looks crap but is fast is a bit useless nowadays. And £40k + is a lot of cash for a bland looking car.

[Tony1963]

I test drove one not long after they were launched here. Sweet chocolate monkeys to the get off the line quick, and they keep going. But... hideous interior, and silly ‘artificially induced’ pops and bangs from the exhaust, and no sense of occasion. I started leaning towards a C63 until my wife said she didn’t want a chest-wig chariot. Bought a used 911 and was very, very happy for the two years we had it.

In the end, the looks on the inside killed it for me, but if it’s your sort of thing, just buy one. I doubt you’d regret it at all. For me, the Golf R is a plasticky bland place to be, so I wouldn’t bother looking in that direction at all.

[Tiggsy]

The sense of occasion is something that really is missing - it's problem is that one trick issue (which it is awesome at) can only be enjoyed for such a short time before you are just going to fast - and it does it so well it's not even that much fun getting there.

We swapped to an SLK55 - the A45 would DESTROY it A-B....completely and utterly run rings around it anywhere other than straight line speed. But from twisting the key to getting out and walking away, it's just a cool thing to have/be in/etc. Missed that with the A45 after the first week of ownership fun wore off.