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This test has been around for a while I think, right?
A fair few UK magazines do give the win to the A45. Although Evo magazine (which I'm a big fan of) gave the win to the M135i in their A45 vs M135i comparison, as did Autocar.
To be honest I've test driven both and prefer the M135i.
- performance felt very similar to me overall but the M135i has more oomph down low. Take away the launch control and acceleration times are very similar so not much in it.
- gearbox: preferred the 8sp auto in the M135i. The A45 dsg works well on upshifts but its jerky at low speed and often has a mind of its own when trying to manually downshift
- Exhaust noise the M135i wins hands down
- looks are entirely subjective, don't think either are beautiful cars but I prefer the M135i
- interior I prefer the M135i, but again subjective. The A45 feels more "racy" for sure but just can't get over that stuck on screen and the centre stack is very busy.
- handling: the A45 does have better ride control and outright grip, with the M135i having more body roll. Didnt get a chance to push them but I like the fact that the M135i is RWD and the balance that comes with that. Some will prefer the AWD grip of the merc so guess its another personal preference.
Add in that the A45 is more expensive (substantially more in UK, less so in Australia but still $10-15k AUD difference) and it was an easy choice for me. No doubt they're both fantastic cars and its great for the hot hatch segment to have them both pushing one another.
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