I'm a bit of a car nut but tbh, quick Mercedes hatchbacks/crossovers have never really been on my radar. Until last week. This thing flew along VERY nicely and he was pulling ahead on the bends. Fair enough, he was a local on his local roads and he knew how to drive (I think I saw the brake light flick on twice in over 5km of twisty Black Forest tarmac) but it was really impressive. So, just curious, has anyone on here actually driven one? If so, what were your impressions? Ideally someone that's also driven a Golf R I guess, as I was surprised between the actual on road performance between the two! It also sounded very nice, especially for a four cylinder!

£45000 on the road price.The MB Dealer on island has 2 of the lower speeced GLA,s for sale and they have been there for over 6 months and no takers. 

Tony

That's quite a bundle of cash. Looked up the info on them now, didn't realise their pricing was at that level!

I've had a go in the A45 version which is just a lower ride height,  slightly firmer riding version of the GLA. I fancied the GLA and was looking at the whole A45 family when I got my M135. The gearbox is a bit of a pain and not a patch on the 8 speed ZF g/b in the BMW though and the engine with the sports exhaust is a little wearing. It does feel like you are driving an early 80s rally car though, super firm suspension and the most ridiculous cracks and bangs from the exhaust (in a good way, although I don't think you neighbours would agree). There is an improved version coming out soon with a little more power, suspension better suited to the UK and improved shifting on the g/b. I prefer the looks and general usefulness of the GLA version, but it costs several thousand pounds more than the A45 hatch and that is hard to justify :( It has masses of grip when you boot it out of a corner and the understeer stuff you see on the interweb only happens when you are being silly in tight low speed corners or are traveling at warp speed. I wouldn't fancy trying to keep up with any of the A45 family cross country in my car or a S3/Golf R to be honest. It's a little bit brutal I like the GLA version an awful lot

I've had a go in the A45 version which is just a lower ride height,  slightly firmer riding version of the GLA. I fancied the GLA and was looking at the whole A45 family when I got my M135. The gearbox is a bit of a pain and not a patch on the 8 speed ZF g/b in the BMW though and the engine with the sports exhaust is a little wearing. It does feel like you are driving an early 80s rally car though, super firm suspension and the most ridiculous cracks and bangs from the exhaust (in a good way, although I don't think you neighbours would agree). There is an improved version coming out soon with a little more power, suspension better suited to the UK and improved shifting on the g/b. I prefer the looks and general usefulness of the GLA version, but it costs several thousand pounds more than the A45 hatch and that is hard to justify :( It has masses of grip when you boot it out of a corner and the understeer stuff you see on the interweb only happens when you are being silly in tight low speed corners or are traveling at warp speed. I wouldn't fancy trying to keep up with any of the A45 family cross country in my car or a S3/Golf R to be honest. It's a little bit brutal I like the GLA version an awful lot

that's all very interesting to read Lady E. It was without doubt quicker than what a manual R can do (also gauged against my car) but I have a feeling that the GLA driver really knew how to get the best from it on those roads. And from the outside, that engine/exhaust sounded totally immense!

Driven a few of these and find the A45 drives better not a fan of the GLA, they have 20 inch wheels too so really horrible ride. Race start never fails to impress though, also the gear change is spot on some wicked noises. Not sure if it's a option on the GLA but the A45 can have a optional exhaust if so get it ! Makes the car pop and bang so easy. Drove one quite tidy back from road test which was about 8 miles and got 38mpg which for a car of that power was impressive.

Richard

Fantastic seats too Got to say I didn't like the switch gear as the buttons and layout of many things are straight from the parts bin. A lot of it in fact was the same as my old C350 except they weren't chromed, just dark plastic. Also the sat nav is horrendous in appearance. It looks like a cheap Maplins version of a 7" tablet and stuck on as an afterthought. Autocar did a video review of it and thought it was a bit pointless compared to the A45 hatch, but Steve Sutcliffe is a bit of a racer so it is to be expected. Most other magazine articles (and videos) seemed to think the GLA version was the sweet spot as It had more compliance in it's suspension. Mind you, none of them could figure out how it cost so much more than the Hatch.

The normal A Class hatch is much better looking,  can't stand the GLA shape, reminds me of a Nissan Juke.    Only test driven an A45  Hatch version myself, damn quick and grippy everywhere but  the price of £39 K is the base price, too much.

I've had a go in the A45 version which is just a lower ride height,  slightly firmer riding version of the GLA. I fancied the GLA and was looking at the whole A45 family when I got my M135. The gearbox is a bit of a pain and not a patch on the 8 speed ZF g/b in the BMW though and the engine with the sports exhaust is a little wearing. It does feel like you are driving an early 80s rally car though, super firm suspension and the most ridiculous cracks and bangs from the exhaust (in a good way, although I don't think you neighbours would agree). There is an improved version coming out soon with a little more power, suspension better suited to the UK and improved shifting on the g/b. I prefer the looks and general usefulness of the GLA version, but it costs several thousand pounds more than the A45 hatch and that is hard to justify :( It has masses of grip when you boot it out of a corner and the understeer stuff you see on the interweb only happens when you are being silly in tight low speed corners or are traveling at warp speed. I wouldn't fancy trying to keep up with any of the A45 family cross country in my car or a S3/Golf R to be honest. It's a little bit brutal I like the GLA version an awful lot

One car instead of two? If new uprate in power soon?

Either of these would i think fill the job for me of, 'choose anything you want to drive and only one car allowed for all your needs and wants.'

here is the A45 facelift link   gives an idea of what to expect in the GLA A45 (just knock a couple of tenths off the acceleration times and add about £5-7K to the price ))

I'm sorry but for me the car with this engine/gearbox combo would have to be the CLA;

 

 

Although the 45 AMG is way out of my budget for both purchase and running costs. Wouldn't mind a CLA 220 CDI with the same 7 speed dual clutch box though.

 

Would love a drive of one. The power they have got from a 2.0 4 cylinder is impressive (355bhp).

 

It also has AWD like the Golf R. They both have a dual clutch gearbox. On paper the Golf does 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and the Merc 4.5. What the real world performance is like though I don't know (thinking 30-60 mph etc).

 

 

 

 

Would love a drive of one. The power they have got from a 2.0 4 cylinder is impressive (355bhp).

 

Not any more, see my link

Not any more, see my link

 

Wow. 380bhp from a 2.0 production car. How technology is moving on!

.....and as Golf have the oft rumoured 400 coming, Merc are also rumoured to be doing a Black Edition that will eclipse what ever output the Golf has!      420+ anyone?

Macan S 340 petrol would do me.

Who will launch the first 0-62 sub 4.0 second car? or at least 0-60 sub 4 seconds (Disclaimer alert: I am aware that 0-62 proves nothing, I am just interested)

 

 

 

Oh hell, better button that down.........

 

 

the first small family hatchback based on a mainstream production car yah de yah de yah............

Edited 8 September, 201510 yr by Lady Elanore

I do wish they would only give the 0-100km / 62 mph times if it is a car that can drive up, stopped, stand still and then accelerating 0-100 km.

Launch Control pressing of Buttons sitting Revving to 4,000rpm and all that jazz is just a bit of a Micky take.

 

Lots of these very quick cars even need Traction Control to off or you look at total prat as the power is cut as wheels spin.

I do wish they would only give the 0-100km / 62 mph times if it is a car that can drive up, stopped, stand still and then accelerating 0-100 km.

Launch Control pressing of Buttons sitting Revving to 4,000rpm and all that jazz is just a bit of a Micky take.

 

Lots of these very quick cars even need Traction Control to off or you look at total prat as the power is cut as wheels spin.

It's super easy to turn the guibbins off in mine Sport+ automatically deactivates stage one if you see what I mean and a very quick press on the traction button next to it turns off further nannies. I need brave pills to do all of that though, oh and a fair bit of run-off .

Some would argue they are two very different cars but the standard A-Class gets mauled when compared to it's mainstream competitors such as the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series etc. It seems it is flawed in most aspects.

 

If the AMG version is indeed a completely different car then great but for that sort of money it seems an expensive risk just to get the three pointed star on the grill.

The A45 got rave reviews when it came out. In terms of absolute speed cross country it was reckoned to be King when it came out. Can't see much changing with the latest revisions. The gearbox was criticised - they've allegedly fixed this. The suspension was criticised as being overly firm for normal road use - They look to have fixed this and it was said to be too expensive - it's an AMG badged Merc, what do you expect

£45000 on the road price.The MB Dealer on island has 2 of the lower speeced GLA,s for sale and they have been there for over 6 months and no takers. 

Tony

 

Not driven one, but the MB dealership up here has a few of the top end series on the forecourts & not seen any on the roads here. I still see more Golf GTD, R, Audi S3, Mitsu, Scooby, or big OTT 4x4 eg BMW, X5, Porsche, Range Rover, Evoque or the Mini 4x4 JCW, see quite a few of those, ugly as sin though IMHO...............

 

Another friend has a RS4 & drove the top end A45 AMG (can't remember which exact version) & was not impressed as an overall package. It was good in some areas, but not enough to swap his older RS4 for!

Take a run through to Aberdeen. Just the other night in the 1 hour it took to get from between Bridge o Dee and Dyce i spotted 3 A45 AMG, 2 CLA 45 AMG and 2 GLA 45 AMG.

Then the various S3, S4, S5, including Taxis, a few RS's 3, 4's, 7,s, then the various C63's etc

 

Times of austerity.

Take a run through to Aberdeen. Just the other night in the 1 hour it took to get from between Bridge o Dee and Dyce i spotted 3 A45 AMG, 2 CLA45 AMG and 2 GLA45 AMG.

 

That's Aberdeen, more money than sense there.................... :p .............oil industry lot..................

 

They have about the highest house prices in Scotland & as high as London

Autocar has had a brief drive in the new faster A45 and the signs are very good, if a little expensive. If the Taxman doesn't stiff me like I think he is going to do to us small limited companies, then GLA A45 may possibly be on my wish list again I suspect I will be becoming more sensible next time though..........thank you Taxman :(