Mercedes Gives Us A Consolation Prize

by Derek Kreindler

Updated: July 19th, 2013 Published: March 20th, 2013

Just because the Mercedes A45 AMG isn’t coming to America doesn’t mean that Daimler forgot about us. Instead, we’ll get the three-box version.

The CLA45 AMG is mechanically identical to the A45 – same ultra-boosted 2.0L 4-banger with 360 horsepower, same dual-clutch gearbox and yes, the red brake calipers and Recaro seats made it over as well. 60 mph should come up in 4.5 seconds, which is actually a tick faster than the quoted time for the hatch. Even though it lacks the brutality and belligerence of the great V8 powered AMG models, I cannot imagine how much fun this thing will be in the snow, what with 360 horsepower and all-wheel drive…

Discuss this more at our Mercedes CLA Forum

#AMG #Mercedes-Benz #Mercedes-benzCla #Mercedes-benzCla45Amg #Sedan

Derek Kreindler

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16 of 31 comments

Chrishs2000 on Mar 20, 2013

Maybe I'll check it out in 4 or 5 years when it's worth $15k. Thanks to the suckers who eat all of the infamous AMG depreciation for the rest of us!

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- Blowfish on Mar 20, 2013
  
  Isn't it pretty sad, it goes down faster with AMG tag. If it weren't all that fancy, shmancy electronics i bet it wont drop as fast as a ton of brick. All these new cars are only as good as u have Warranty of some sort, or else making payments is becoming more fun or less painful than making repairs!
  
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- Corntrollio on Mar 20, 2013
  
  @blowfish I think it's more that the AMG model tends to have a massive premium in price, so there's more room to drop. Then add the fact that most of them are abused, and the price drops for that reason. I always found it funny that the AMG owners who write reviews on Tire Rack complain about this tire or that tire having short tire life. Umm, it's the Indian, not the arrow.
  
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- Sitting@home on Mar 20, 2013
  
  I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole in five years time. I don't know what they've done to get so much horsepower out of a 2.0 engine, but it won't be pretty, it won't be reliable and it won't be cheap to fix. Ditto the AWD, especially if owner #1 had it on lease and didn't care how much he hooned it because he knew it was going back at the end of 3 years. You could always get a CPO warranty and pay the depreciation all over again.
  
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- MBella on Mar 20, 2013
  
  @corntrollio Lol, There is a guy with an SL55 that gets new rear tire once every 4000-5000 miles. He always complains about how quickly his tires wear, but always buys the same Pilot Sports.
  
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- Speedlaw on Mar 20, 2013
  
  @MBella Ha ! I used to get all of 17k out of mine, on the back of the 3-er. The summer version is sticky like fly-paper, so while they don't do 'consumer reports' you will get every single "g" force you can. I cry watching Top Gear as Jeremy makes clouds of PS smoke with every car.....
  
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- J. C. on Mar 21, 2013
  
  @sitting@home This is the truest thing on the web
  
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- Chrishs2000 on Mar 22, 2013
  
  @sitting@home Exactly why cars like this will never be owned by anyone with any sense of practicality. I am a car fanatic, but I simply cannot justify spending (losing, really) so much money on a car. For the price you'd pay in brand new AMG ownership costs over a couple of years, you could easily own a C6 and an Audi A4, both preowned and far more reliable.
  
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Marko on Mar 20, 2013

I was going to make an SVT Contour joke, but the CLA is seriously growing on me (at least this AMG version). I still think it looks stubby, but that doesn't matter when you're inside driving it.

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- Corntrollio on Mar 20, 2013
  
  That's what she said?
  
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- Caboose on Mar 20, 2013
  
  @corntrollio Ohh! Rimjob! Wait..."RimSHOT". Sorry.
  
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- Marko on Mar 21, 2013
  
  @Caboose I see what you did there!
  
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CJinSD on Mar 20, 2013

This serves as a reminder that Mercedes and Mitsubishi were married for years.

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- Compaq Deskpro on Mar 20, 2013
  
  It's a Galant Ralliart.
  
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- Wmba on Mar 20, 2013
  
  And shows that Mitsubishi's AWD expertise did NOT rub off on the dome-headed dorks running Mercedes.
  
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Rod Panhard on Mar 21, 2013

I look forward to seeing this car, and its less enhanced stablemates.

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