I I was going to get an AMG the CLA would be the last one in my list. It's a front biased awd boring understeer machine. The M2>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>CLA45 AMG The CLA AMG doesn't even seem to have a manual option. It shows that the car was meant for non driving enthusiasts who display all their immense driving skills with freeway pulls and erratically changing lanes in interstate traffic and think they're Ayrton Senna yet they don't even know what a 'heel n' toe' is. That's where this car's 'performance' shines.:grin: Here's what you need to do. Forget those 3 cars. Save yourself 20 grand and buy this I garentuee the E46 M3 is more fun than any of those cars listed and is just as practical. For 20 grand you can find one in excellent condition. However, DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER THE SMG GEARBOX. Just get the manual. The SMG is known to have many issues and can be clunky.
Good choice. The old m3 is a legend with the true stick shift and better steering feel, not to mention less bloated weight. The modern bmw - 340i and even the m2 has automatic rev matching. So much for heel toe. You can turn off rev match for the m2 but you have to keep stability control off to do that. Ironically the s4 is the only of the three cars in the OP with a true stick shift. It is also understated in styling. Hardly a poser car. The supercharged s4 engine has instantaneous torque for the most in gear pull. Rolling start time (which is a better measure of real world speed) is much faster for the s4 than for the 335/ 340. Most cars have much slower rolling start than non-rolling start because you can't do the artificial launches. Teslas and supercharged cars are the exception. An inexpensive ECU tune for the s4 engine gives huge gains in power. On the downside it's a heavier car than the bmw, the chassis isn't as sporty as the 3 series and it uses more fuel. I keep my opinions unbiased. Also I didn't realize the OP was talking about the amg cla. I still stand by my opinion that the gla45 is a way better car. The awd is rear biased rather than front and it's way more sporty. One of the best hot hatches out there but no stick. Focus rs is a great car that hasn't been mentioned. Cheaper than all the cars in the OP for better performance and practicality - 4 doors and a hatch.
Unfortunately I read Audi is dumping their manual with the latest S4 and I believe throughout their entire lineup. For me. An s4 is a really well made quick luxury highway cruiser that can grip really well in all conditions. However, it still is front heavy like an economy car and now it doesn't even come with a manual. It also has a really disconnected steering feel.
I was torn between the S4 and the 335, but ended up getting the 2014 335 with 26,000 miles on it. It was a model year newer, and about 3k cheaper after negotiating with a longer warranty. I did like the AWD on the S4, but it wasn't enough to justify the price difference and lack of warranty. The S4 was also lowered by the previous owner, which I don't mind if it's done right, but the dealer wasn't going to check what kind of springs was used to lower it and was gonna charge me extra to take out the lowering springs so I was sketched out. Thanks for the advice guys, I'll put up some pictures when I pick it up!
Oh yeah!! I drive a 2011 335... it's a joy. Even though they newer model isn't meaningfully different - imo - I'm still jealous when I see one, because newer... is newer. or put more plainly... because I likely! Do post the pics.
It's a good choice if you don't want to track it hard. It's got some issues with that fancy rear diff shutting down pretty quickly and some other flaws. Lots of details and even more details. The Mk7 VW Golf R is another option if an AWD hatch with a manual is something that interests you. I have a 2016 with the DSG (too many ankle injuries, sigh) and it's damned quick (I walked a 2012 Camaro ZL1 a few days ago from a roll and put busses on it from a dig) with just a simple flash tune and ridiculously fast with a turbo swap and some other bolt-ons (APR Stage 3 or 3+). The manual is pretty good and better with some small mods. The interior is nice, much better than the Mk6 was, and feels premium. It's a bit of a sleeper and understated, which I like. Some simple suspension mods take out all of the understeer and give it really neutral handling and it doesn't turn into a FWD car after a few hot laps like the Focus RS.
Heh, it's not better in any way, really. Did you even read the links? It's got issues and lots of them. The oil temps get ridiculously high. The vaunted RDU overheats and cuts out after a few laps. The overboost technology seems sporadic and slightly unpredictable, just what you want mid-corner. Tuning seems pretty limited at this point too. I feel for the suckers that paid 2x MSRP due to dealer markup. Ever Ford fanboy Matt Farrah got rid of his pretty quickly. I personally can't wait to see one on the street or track.
So you can get nice and toasted? It is better in every way to the german scam box you have dude. You bought the slowest hot hatch available. No need to hate.
I still prefer the overall awd system in the RS. It allows more slip angle in the rear. You can actually rotate the RS. Not as finesse as something like an actual rwd sports car like a BRZ or S2000, but it can be done. I used to love golfs but once I expanded to actual sports cars, I discovered the downfalls of the haldex system which has a heavy tendency to understeer. Also, haldex is full time fwd and part time awd. It also makes the car more nose heavy. The Golf's engine sits high and in front of the front axle. Also, if you don't track the RS, you won't ever overheat the rear diff/clutch pack. That only has occurred on track after a couple of full out laps. Driving on a canyon road, I doubt anyone will overheat the clutch packs. Also, the Golf R has a variable steering rack which often leads to a disconnected feel in the steering. The RS has a fixed ratio rack. The Focus ST had a variable ratio rack like the GTI and Golf R, but Ford engineers didn't want to dull sensations on a more hardocre set up. The R has a nicer interior. That is for certain.
Have you driven a Mk7 R? The MQB chassis is a huge step up from previous generations. It's not a true sports car, but it's a nice compromise for a DD that sees occasional track duty. A good rear sway lets you rotate the R with relative ease. I run a Superpro "track" rear sway bar set to middle position for track days and it's damned near perfect paired with the Ground Control camber plates at -2.5 degrees. I do wish HPA or someone similar would come up with a Haldex controller for the current generation to make it even better, but it's no slouch as set up currently. It's a lot more neutral and tossable than my Mk6 R ever was even with coilovers, front and rear sways, and camber plates. Night and day. The steering takes getting used to, but it doesn't go out like some people have had happen with the RS on track. I've got a couple of friends in California that have tracked their shiny new RS pretty hard and they've both had issues with the power steering going out mid-lap, even in relatively mild ambient temperatures. Combined with the RDU issues (and you can't tell me you wouldn't be pissed if that cut off after just a few laps) and oil temperature issues and they're both talking about selling theirs unless the aftermarket seriously steps up soon to address those issues. The links I posted are pretty long and detailed, but the RS is having some serious first year issues. I'm sure Ford (and the aftermarket) will address most of the issues in time, but for now it sounds like a pretty frustrating car if you actually track it.
I agree that the next RS has its fair share of technical issues that it needs to hash out. It's the first model year. If I ever contemplate purchasing one, it wouldn't be the 2016 model year. I hope Ford engineers hash out those issues however, for people who don't track, they won't ever run into these issues.
I wasn't aware of the focus rs issues. It does have a better awd system than the golf r when working, however. Better torque vectoring that is not just brake based. Golf r is a very good car though. Awesome dual clutch transmission, very tossable - it's lighter than the focus rs. 3300 vs 3500 lbs. I test drove the manual. I still prefer manuals even if they are slower. A bit turbo laggy but very nimble. I loved it as much as the m235i I drove. To the ts, good pick up. I thought you were shopping for the new 340i. Bad reading comprehension by me. The old 335 is a good car. Hope you got it in estoril blue. It's the most true sports car of the three you listed. To the bmw guy, yeah s4 steering feel sucks. I think most awd cars are similar including bmw. The sti, porsches, and the Lancer evo are exceptions I know of. 340i I test drove didn't have that much feel either.
Thanks. I got it in mineral gray metallic with black and red interior. I only like gray on cars . I'm picking it up Friday, I'll post some pics then.
