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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) General G20 Sedan / G22 Coupe / G26 Gran Coupe Discussions M340i or CLA 45 S Plus?

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      06-01-2020, 11:03 AM   #23
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I would check this out. The new CLA45S looks like a really fun car.

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      06-08-2020, 04:24 PM   #24
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Well thank you everyone for the replies and information. Even though I may not have replied I did read everything you guys posted.

Couple days ago I placed my order. It was for the M340i in mineral white with technology pack and sun protection glass. It is a stock car so should be here by the end of the month hopefully!

I must say I do feel like I have made the right choice.
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      06-12-2020, 08:14 PM   #25
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I'm late to the party, but you did the right thing. I had a fairly early CLA45, and sold it in less than a year. I loved the size & looks of it, but it didn't do anything right. The suspension and tranny were beneath contempt. I think the 3 has grown too large, and looks kind of dowdy, but as a car, it shines. The auto tranny isn't up to the Porsche PDK, but it is still very good. The suspension and engine are world class.
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      06-13-2020, 01:00 AM   #26
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I’m late to the party as well but as someone who’s had a a C43 for 3+ years now (a few weeks ago I factory ordered a M340i) I’ve test driven the CLA45 AMG in the states we don’t have the A45s we have the 35 which isn’t a hatch. The c43 when I got it was fw bias they recently changed it to rw bias. The interiors on the merc has a lot of plastic and you get rattling noises after like 5-6 months of ownership. When your pushing the merc they tend to understeer at there limits the engine response is a little laggy and I think the displays looks funny since it’s not a flushed fit like how it is on the E & S class the instrument clusters being customizable is better on the merc sadly on on the C class another $1200 option. The M340i felt lighter and more nimble on the road and the car tends to oversteer when I pushed it which was nice. The m340i felt noticeably faster then the c43. I watched a video of a M340i acceleration test vs a A45s from a dig the merc was a little quicker from a rolling start the M340i was quicker until about 125mph and that’s well the merc started to over take it. Personally I like the interior of the bmw more it looks cleaner more modern and defiantly has a better built quality. I’m going to miss the panoramic roof power adjusting steering column, power headrest and thigh adjustment as well at the 64 color options of the ambient lighting even tho I only picked between 5 of them lol. The exhaust notes on the merc was much better but I got my M340i with the M performance exhaust I can’t wait to hear how it sounds in person. Also for the money you get more technology and comparing to the A class you get a lot more tech I also felt the tranny is better on the bmw. On exterior styling the merc has more presences & more aggressive styling, even my c43 gets confused for the 63 only amg fan boys and enthusiasts know the difference, where as the M340i looks like the 330i IMO. I believe you made the right choice going with the bmw. Congrats and enjoy the car!

Last edited by Casone238; 06-13-2020 at 01:19 AM..
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      10-16-2020, 03:35 AM   #27
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I'm also late to the forum and having ordered a CLA45S AMG that arrives in May/April 2021, i'm starting to have second thoughts if i have done the right thing. Since the last post has anyone else driven the A45S/CLA45S?. The CLA45S i ordered costs £53K and there are tonnes of 1 year old M340i's selling at £36k!..... Have i made a mistake???
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      10-16-2020, 08:16 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wtwo3 View Post
Isn't the CLA45 FWD biased? I don't think I'd want a FWD biased performance car. That alone would make me favor the M340i. I think the C43 is the better comparison.
+1. The CLA is the cheap Merc and is front wheel drive based. The comparison to a 3 series is the C series.

They don't compare except as to HP/torque.
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      10-16-2020, 08:57 AM   #29
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Late as well but thought I would add another data point. I was between the C63 non-S and m340i and after test driving both the m340i was the clear winner for me. I had even pre-negotiated 15% off a C63 so the cost was comparable. Though I love the looks/interior of the C63, the transmission felt clunky on my test drive and that was enough to rule it out. I see the CLA has a new 8-speed dual clutch transmission though so maybe it's smoother.

I ended up purchasing an m340i yesterday and couldn't be happier, great car!
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      10-16-2020, 11:41 AM   #30
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I drove a the A35 AMG thinking it might be a good alternative to another BMW. That little Mercedes is blast to drive, closer in character to something like a Golf R or WRX than a C-class. It is lethargic at low RPMs but the power at higher RPMs is manageable. I could enter a roundabout fast and floor it coming out without overwhelming the tires.

After some contemplation I decided the character is not what I want for a daily driver. The high lease price, the salesman's repeated reference to the car as the "entry level AMG", and the cheap feeling interior (despite some very cool technology) all turned me off.
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      10-17-2020, 06:53 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwmboss View Post
I'm also late to the forum and having ordered a CLA45S AMG that arrives in May/April 2021, i'm starting to have second thoughts if i have done the right thing. Since the last post has anyone else driven the A45S/CLA45S?. The CLA45S i ordered costs £53K and there are tonnes of 1 year old M340i's selling at £36k!..... Have i made a mistake???
Test drive both and see. Only you can decide what car is best for your needs.
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      10-17-2020, 09:11 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jstein55 View Post
Test drive both and see. Only you can decide what car is best for your needs.
It's quite difficult to get test drives at the moment with rising covid cases in the UK. Plus i have rarely found 10 min test drives very helpful. You need several weeks if not months to be able to reliably judge a car. So why not ask a large group of people on a forum who have driven both cars extensively to find common themes. Surely this is more useful than a short test drive with the salesman sitting next to me watching my every move and distracting me with nonsense coming out of his mouth?
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      10-17-2020, 09:14 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwmboss View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by jstein55 View Post
Test drive both and see. Only you can decide what car is best for your needs.
It's quite difficult to get test drives at the moment with rising covid cases in the UK. Plus i have rarely found 10 min test drives very helpful. You need several weeks if not months to be able to reliably judge a car. So why not ask a large group of people on a forum who have driven both cars extensively to find common themes. Surely this is more useful than a short test drive with the salesman sitting next to me watching my every move and distracting me with nonsense coming out of his mouth?
Well, this being a BMW forum I would think your gonna get answers to go for the Bimmer, I suggest you also post on MBWorld.

As for assistance in a recommendation as for what you should go for, other than price, what do you want/value in a car, without that information, its a bit more difficult to recommend one over the other as they are very different cars for different types of people in my opinion. I've driven both and they're quite good, but like I said, depends on what you want in a car.
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      10-17-2020, 10:20 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwmboss View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by jstein55 View Post
Test drive both and see. Only you can decide what car is best for your needs.
It's quite difficult to get test drives at the moment with rising covid cases in the UK. Plus i have rarely found 10 min test drives very helpful. You need several weeks if not months to be able to reliably judge a car. So why not ask a large group of people on a forum who have driven both cars extensively to find common themes. Surely this is more useful than a short test drive with the salesman sitting next to me watching my every move and distracting me with nonsense coming out of his mouth?
In the last week we've had two 90m+ test drives (330d/340i) without a salesmen - they just gave us the keys and left us to it. Next week I'm taking the 330i overnight. All with official BMW dealer in the UK.

All you need to do is ask. It's not quite the three month test drive that we'd all like but it's also not quite as bad as the 10 minutes scenario you outlined.
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      10-17-2020, 11:16 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmwmboss View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by jstein55 View Post
Test drive both and see. Only you can decide what car is best for your needs.
It's quite difficult to get test drives at the moment with rising covid cases in the UK. Plus i have rarely found 10 min test drives very helpful. You need several weeks if not months to be able to reliably judge a car. So why not ask a large group of people on a forum who have driven both cars extensively to find common themes. Surely this is more useful than a short test drive with the salesman sitting next to me watching my every move and distracting me with nonsense coming out of his mouth?
Sometime even a 10-min test drive can reveal some dealbreakers for you, which no body in the forum or YouTube ever talked about. Your feelings definitely matters more than what others (even most people) said about the car.
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      10-17-2020, 08:27 PM   #36
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CLA's creaky interior over rougher roads, excess wind noise, and fixed headrests were already deal breakers for me.
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      10-18-2020, 12:58 PM   #37
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The new CLA still looks like one gigantic cheap piece of trim
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      10-19-2020, 04:48 AM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flamingi View Post
That statement about the DAP I have only ever heard from people that have not yet driven extensively with it. It is a complete game changes, never would order a car without it ever again, if it's a daily. If I only use the car for joy rides, I wouldn't get a M340i anyway, there are better cars for that money if it's only about fun.
I agree. It’s genuinely brilliant - possibly my favourite feature. Our country has more and more average speed cameras and enough traffic jams going round to make DAP brilliant. I even love it for just the fact it is so clever. It slows me down for roundabout etc (even if it can’t steer round them).
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      10-19-2020, 05:10 AM   #39
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I would add that I looked at the CLA35 before getting the M340i and the fact it doesn’t display CarPlay or Android Auto correctly was massively frustrating. Also, it doesn’t come with a 360 camera system (and it’s a long car) or heated steering wheel we’re small but annoying letdowns.

Also, the CLA45 S doesn’t get the proper driver assistance program. If it’s your daily driver, it might be a bit of a problem not having this.
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      10-19-2020, 11:57 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CinnamonRage View Post
I would add that I looked at the CLA35 before getting the M340i and the fact it doesn’t display CarPlay or Android Auto correctly was massively frustrating. Also, it doesn’t come with a 360 camera system (and it’s a long car) or heated steering wheel we’re small but annoying letdowns.

Also, the CLA45 S doesn’t get the proper driver assistance program. If it’s your daily driver, it might be a bit of a problem not having this.
CarPlay/Android Auto being displayed very small was also something I noticed. So much screen and then they leave massive black bars on the side...

The CLA does have 360° camera as well as heated steering wheel as optional extras though (at least in the German configurator).
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