Giannis
Staff member
Even though the M135i is not a real M, while the A45 is a proper AMG product, Chris Harris feels there's a solid reason to compare these two hot-hatches. The M135i is slightly less powerful than the A45, but it's much cheaper and potentially more fun. CH drives both in UK B-roads and the Landau circuit in a video found after the jump.
Interestingly and as expected, he found the A45 to have an amazing point to point performance, being very agile and remarkably fast. The ride, although it felt harsh at first, became better the harder the car is pushed, with "firm" being the best word according to Mr. Harris. Mercedes-Benz has made a tremendous work with the in-house developed double clutch gearbox, as have with the brakes and extracting the utmost out of this 2.0l 4 cylinder engine. The M135i on the other hand, makes the A45 look expensive. It has a better engine, to live with, and the ZF 8 speed gearbox is superior than MB's in smoothness and speed. The steering is very fast, but less communicative compared to the AMG, and so is the brake pedal.
Around the circuit, the BMW feels that it's rear wheel driven, but MB has done a far better job than VAG with the Haldex four-wheel-drive system of the A45, as the car doesn't understeer easily and feels very neutral. Chris Harris find the A45 to be a more precise car to drive, as opposed to the M135, which feels numb and unresponsive, when driven back to back with the A, despite it's monumental powertrain.
Bottom line? CH feels that the A45 is worth the (considerable) extra money, but the M135i is quite a bargain, unless you start checking boxes on the extra equipment list. In any case, don't miss the video after the jump!
Source: [YouTube]
[youtube]
