My thoughts as a current owner of an M135i
Just back from a nice 90 minute test drive of the A45. A few boring pics from the camera phone first.
Looks
Think it looks a bit better in the flesh than the M135, but hard to tell the diference between it and the A Classs AMG Engineered. Guess we can say the same about the 1 series.
Interior
Starting from the back. The boot is SMALL. No way to put Golf clubs in without dropping a rear seat. Buggies might be an issue, but at my age it doesnt worry me
Back seats felt as spacious at the M135. The front seat though are a big improvement on the 1. Lot more supportive and look the buisness. The dash however is a step behind. No mater how many times you look at the sat nav screen it seems to be an after thought and the dials look a bit Max Power. Seen better in a low level Clio.
Gearbox
Obvious a dual clutch which is different to the 1, but very familiar to me as former owner of PDK, Stronic and DSG. Changes felt just like in those, so a little bit more clunky (not sure thats the best word). On the positive side I found it much easier to drive it in manual mode. In the 1 with the extra ratio and smoothness of the change I sometimes get confused :shock: So a big thumbs up. On the negative side no ability to change gears on the gear selector.
Handling
The road tester that think it rides softer and smoother than the 1 need to see the doctor quickly. The ride is harder, but at the same time not annoying. It feels right for the type of car it is. Ride quality was about the same as my old 981S on big wheels.
What I loved was the feel through the steering wheel and confidence the car gave me as a driver to push it. Obviously would like more time in it, but for certain I would take corners quicker in this than my 1.
Exhaust Note
Car didnt have sports exhaust, but was noticably louder than the 1. Driving slowly in town and lifting off gave a lot more and louder pops and crackles. The upshift noise when close to the limit was also enjoyable and certainly you would notice it if the car passed you. Big thumbs up here as well.
Engine
A lot more like the old days. You can feel the lag and the engine is not as smooth as the 6 in the 1. It felt that it was just getting into its stride a couple of time as it reached the limiter. Is it quicker than the 1? It didnt feel it to me, certainly in the mid range. A lot of the power felt right at the top of the rev range. Between 30-70 I would guess there is nothing in it between the two cars, maybe the 1 feels a bit faster. In the 1 you still have the ability to tweak, where my guess is the AMG is close to its limits.
Conclusion
Guess I have come away thinking the AMG is an old school hot hatch thug and the M135i went to Eaton. If you want a car that rides smoothly, sounds nice without shouting, looks nice inside and has a more Rolex feel then the M135i is a great car. The AMG will always beg you to drive it, will let everyone know your in a go faster version as you drive past, will let you abuse it without putting you in a hedge, but inside looks more like a Timex watch, then the AMG is great.
Will I buy one? Not sure. Might depend on the deal, but if I want to go back to a drivers car and spend around £40k, then most likely it will be a Porsche again. It does deliver in the areas I feel the M135i is weak - handling (too soft), steering (no feel), exhaust note (none exisitent). Just getting on a bit so the M might be more for an old fogey like me in their 40's