The Real 3 Series Killer - The Mercedes Benz CLA

Originally Posted by kobechrome

Wikipedia lists the following trims for the CLA:

CLA 180 - 122hp/148ft-lb tq
CLA 200 - 154/184
CLA 250 - 208/258
CLA 45 AMG - 349/322

Not sure if all these will make it over to the US - but looks like they're targeting the 320, 328, and 335 with these trims and engine specs.

All four bangers. There will be no six.

Originally Posted by tturedraider

All four bangers. There will be no six.

Up to the 250 I can believe... but the CLA AMG - they're going to squeeze 350hp/tq out of a 4 banger?

Originally Posted by kobechrome

Wikipedia lists the following trims for the CLA:

CLA 180 - 122hp/148ft-lb tq
CLA 200 - 154/184
CLA 250 - 208/258
CLA 45 AMG - 349/322

Not sure if all these will make it over to the US - but looks like they're targeting the 320, 328, and 335 with these trims and engine specs.

They're not targeting the 3 series at all. Mercedes-Benz is creating a new market and going downrange with it. The BMW 3 series will continue to compete with the C-Class. BMW will likely come out with a 2-series Grand Coupe to compete with the CLA. If the 2-series Grand Coupe is indeed rear wheel drive (as it currently seems to be) I think the 2 will be a significantly better value than the CLA.

Originally Posted by patrick_y

In total agreement with -=Hot|Ice=-, the Mercedes-Benz cars are very good and are indeed close competitors. The C250 and C350 are great cars that handle differently from BMWs, but still handle very well. A touch light on the steering, and a touch slow on the steering rack (maybe a faster ratio would help) but excellent cars overall. The C63 is tremendous and I have a hard time determining whether I like the C63 more or the BMW M3 more...

I think a lot of people on this forum have drank the BMW Kool-Aid and don't realize that other brands have their strong points as well. Good to see another forum member who isn't steeply biased.

If we bought cars simply by merit and not image, we might all be buying a Cadillac in a few years. With the way they're advancing Cadillac may actually be making the superior vehicle in less than 10 years.

I had a C250 Rental in Florida for a month. It was a very nice car but did not drive as well as either my 335i or 750Lix. I think a lot of buyers in the segment would be very happy with the C250. The one we rented was a base model so I suppose I would have to compare it to a base F30 to make a fair comparison. Hertz had an E63 AMG available, it was tempting but it was just too expensive to rent for a month.

CA

Originally Posted by kobechrome

Up to the 250 I can believe... but the CLA AMG - they're going to squeeze 350hp/tq out of a 4 banger?

There have been 300+hp 2.0l japanese cars lacking direct injection and other modern tricks for over ten years now. With larger 2.5l engines, direct injection, vvt etc, don't see an extra 50hp being a problem.

Remember our 2.5l STI for example is 2.0l in Japan. They have higher power levels of the Evo and Sti than we ever got here. They had an Evo FQ360-400 which made big power.

Originally Posted by kobechrome

Up to the 250 I can believe... but the CLA AMG - they're going to squeeze 350hp/tq out of a 4 banger?

*******>********>

CLA 45 AMG 4MATIC

2013–

1,991 cc (121.5 cu in) I4 twin turbo (M 133 DE 20 AL)

354 PS (260 kW; 349 hp)@?

450 N·m (332 lbf·ft)@?

Originally Posted by tturedraider

All four bangers. There will be no six.

Yeap. No six, No RWD...No care. On the other hand does anyone have any new scoop on the 2 series?

Originally Posted by captainaudio

I had a C250 Rental in Florida for a month. It was a very nice car but did not drive as well as either my 335i or 750Lix. I think a lot of buyers in the segment would be very happy with the C250. The one we rented was a base model so I suppose I would have to compare it to a base F30 to make a fair comparison. Hertz had an E63 AMG available, it was tempting but it was just too expensive to rent for a month.

CA

I agree the C250 is a very nice car; I was very, very close to buying one (Sport model) but the F30 just arrived at my dealer that day and I signed the papers after one test drive of a base model!

Originally Posted by sr5959

I agree the C250 is a very nice car; I was very, very close to buying one (Sport model) but the F30 just arrived at my dealer that day and I signed the papers after one test drive of a base model!

To me this is just the fundamental difference between BMW and other brands. I can't even count the number of times people have made posts like this on Bimmerfest. Maybe people make posts like this on other forums, but I have a hard time envisioning it - was planning to buy the BMW 328i, but after I drove the C250 I signed the papers then and there and drove it home - maybe it happens, but I just doubt it happens with anywhere near the same frequency that it happens the other way around.

Small point of empirical evidence, at least to the greater enthusiasm of BMW owners - the BMW Car Club of America is the largest car club in the country and has over 75,000 members.

One other tidbit - Neither Mercedes nor Audi operate a Performance Driving Center in the U.S. like BMW does.

Originally Posted by kobechrome

Wikipedia lists the following trims for the CLA:

CLA 180 - 122hp/148ft-lb tq
CLA 200 - 154/184
CLA 250 - 208/258
CLA 45 AMG - 349/322

Not sure if all these will make it over to the US - but looks like they're targeting the 320, 328, and 335 with these trims and engine specs.

122hp????

Good lord. That thing will be so slow it will be a traffic hazard.

Originally Posted by patrick_y

They eventually will (but this may be 10+ years away), but they'll be among the slower ones to discontinue it in the luxury market.

They were the last to discontinue it in the large car market. The 7-Series (with smaller engines) still had a stickshift in European markets through the late 1990s. With the new 7 Series introduced in the US as a 2002 Model Year, I believe that body style was never offered in a stick again (worldwide).

If BMW stops offering stick, I'd get the automatic or SMG. Most VWs are FWD so I would prefer a RWD car.

So the Passat is FWD? What would be the "equivalent" of a 3er?

Originally Posted by pkim1079

Only thing great about her are her ****. She has stick legs no hips and a chubby girls face.

She stands out among the girls precisely because she doesn't have any of these:
1. super toned stringy body
2. leathery skin on bones because of too much dieting
3. stretched leathery tan skin because of face lift
4. plastic surgery/collagen injection duck lips
5. plastic bolt-on boobs

just google search her name and look at the bio pic google brings up on the upper right. She does have a beautiful face and beautiful eyes. Oh, I forgot about not having the classical nose job. She is probably not for everyone because of all those things. So she is not from the same old mold and that works to her advantage for a sizeable audience.

Originally Posted by Axxlrod

122hp????

Good lord. That thing will be so slow it will be a traffic hazard.

Yeah seriously? 122hp in a Merc. Is it going to be the slowest Benz ever? And a 4 cylinder in an AMG?

Mercedes AMG loses chassis guru to BMW M:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...sis-guru-bmw-m

About time BMW got serious about handling and driving dynamics.

Originally Posted by smashhell

Yeah seriously? 122hp in a Merc. Is it going to be the slowest Benz ever? And a 4 cylinder in an AMG?

I doubt this engine is coming to the US. There are slow BMW's Mercedes and the like all over Europe. They are used as taxi's. In the US we nearly always get the highest HP versions.

Originally Posted by Michael Schott

I doubt this engine is coming to the US. There are slow BMW's Mercedes and the like all over Europe. They are used as taxi's. In the US we nearly always get the highest HP versions.

Ding ding ding!

Originally Posted by EddieB

So the Passat is FWD? What would be the "equivalent" of a 3er?

The member I was replying to mentioned that if BMW stopped offering sticks, he'd get a VW.

Personally, I'm not keen on procuring any VW, mainly because I would prefer RWD cars such as BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

I guess a good competitive vehicle from VW to BMW would be the Toureg Vs the X5. The Phaeton if it's still sold in the States would be a potential competitor to the 7 series.
Otherwise, I don't consider the Passat a good competitor to the 3er.

Originally Posted by patrick_y

The member I was replying to mentioned that if BMW stopped offering sticks, he'd get a VW.

Personally, I'm not keen on procuring any VW, mainly because I would prefer RWD cars such as BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

I guess a good competitive vehicle from VW to BMW would be the Toureg Vs the X5. The Phaeton if it's still sold in the States would be a potential competitor to the 7 series.
Otherwise, I don't consider the Passat a good competitor to the 3er.

If anything, while still FWD at least have it be the CC against the 3.

Originally Posted by 408Racer

Mercedes AMG loses chassis guru to BMW M:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...sis-guru-bmw-m

About time BMW got serious about handling and driving dynamics.

lol

Originally Posted by EddieB

If BMW discontinues manual transmissions I'll look at VW.

I already did that, at least for diesel offerings. Truly a shame.

EDIT: I'm not talking about current Jetta, I'm budgeting and buying Golf TDI in June. I'm pretty sick of BMW's BS it's coming ... no it's not. Engine ... we don't know. Auto only ... probably. Coming when ... we'll let you know. Thanks, I'm not buying your product on your terms - there's a guy next door selling it right now.

Originally Posted by tturedraider

I can't even count the number of times people have made posts like this on Bimmerfest.

I would like to see the number of posts saying "came to drive F30, left in my E21/E30/E36/E46/E9x"

Just kidding, just kidding ...

im not a fan of the i6 being replaced with turbos

Sent from my XT557 using Bimmer App

Originally Posted by mr29

im not a fan of the i6 being replaced with turbos

Sent from my XT557 using Bimmer App

Well for now we have an i6 and it's turbo.

Originally Posted by Mark K

I already did that, at least for diesel offerings. Truly a shame.

EDIT: I'm not talking about current Jetta, I'm budgeting and buying Golf TDI in June. I'm pretty sick of BMW's BS it's coming ... no it's not. Engine ... we don't know. Auto only ... probably. Coming when ... we'll let you know. Thanks, I'm not buying your product on your terms - there's a guy next door selling it right now.

The Golf TDI is a fun car to drive (with a stick), especially for the money.

Originally Posted by beden1

The Golf TDI is a fun car to drive (with a stick), especially for the money.

I had a '79 Scirocco back in the day and I enjoyed it immensely. Same chassis/motor as the Golf (Rabbit back then).