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.
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 $80k 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: Why is it so hard to load photos to this board?!?!?!?