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00:00 If I want I can get it out and drift it a little bit.
00:03 One hand.
00:03 (laughing)
00:04 That was for the camera.
00:06 (dramatic music)
00:09 Woo hoo!
00:11 (engine revving)
00:14 This is the manliest thing I've ever done in my life.
00:21 If you were to turn the clock back one generation
00:24 and do a head to head about small, sporty German cars,
00:28 you'd most likely wind up with a BMW E30 M3
00:31 versus the Mercedes-Benz 190 2.3.
00:35 But then things got crazy.
00:37 The horsepower wars got underway,
00:39 they put the cars on growth hormones,
00:41 and you wind up with stuff like the C63 AMG Black Series
00:45 and the upcoming M4.
00:47 They're cool cars, but they're almost too much.
00:49 They're track cars for the street
00:51 instead of street cars that you might once in a while
00:54 take to the track.
00:55 But of course, the more things change,
00:57 the more they change right back,
00:58 which is why I'm standing in front of
01:01 the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG
01:04 and the all new BMW M235i.
01:09 But which one of these is the better car?
01:10 Which is more fun to drive?
01:12 That's what we're gonna find out.
01:14 (dramatic music)
01:16 (dramatic music)
01:25 (dramatic music)
01:28 (dramatic music)
01:31 (dramatic music)
01:36 Whippin' around here in the M235i,
01:43 and let's start off with the looks
01:44 because unlike the 1 Series, I like this car.
01:47 (dramatic music)
01:50 (dramatic music)
01:53 I think it's one of the best BMW front ends
01:56 in a very long time.
01:57 I love the character line that kind of runs
01:59 all the way around the upper part of the car.
02:01 The rear end of the car is good, the taillights are good.
02:04 I love the hard side.
02:06 That said, I love how this thing drives.
02:09 It's such a fun car.
02:10 (engine revving)
02:13 (engine revving)
02:20 The new German buzzword is kinematics
02:22 because dynamism is so 2013.
02:24 Anyways, the kinematics, which means stuff like
02:28 bushings and the anti-roll bars
02:29 and the actual dampers themselves
02:31 and spring rates and all that, are all new.
02:33 Obviously, tons of engine, three liter,
02:36 goes like hell, great throttle response,
02:38 especially when you're in Sport Plus.
02:40 We've got the eight speed transmission.
02:42 I'd be very curious to see how this car
02:45 behaves with a manual.
02:47 The eight speed ZF is quite good
02:49 and I like it better than the quote unquote
02:51 dual clutch that's in that AMG.
02:53 As far as automatics go, this is good.
02:56 Still an automatic.
02:57 That said, you can just go crazy
02:59 on these back roads in this thing.
03:01 (engine revving)
03:04 I like the steering.
03:09 I understand it's not the greatest BMW steering feel
03:13 of all time, but pretty dang good.
03:16 Loads up really well, unlike the AMG,
03:18 which that thing just kind of unwinds very well.
03:20 (engine revving)
03:23 It does drive exceptionally well.
03:29 You know, small little rear wheel drive cars,
03:32 they're rare these days and when you can find 'em,
03:34 they're just so much fun.
03:36 Dives in the corners, wonderful steering.
03:38 And if you've listened this far,
03:39 you're probably thinking,
03:40 "Wow, this guy really likes a BMW."
03:42 And I do, but that's not to say
03:44 there's a lot of drawbacks to this car.
03:46 One of which, especially compared to the AMG,
03:49 are the brakes.
03:50 (engine revving)
03:52 And you gotta get way into the pedal
03:53 to start to get some stopping power.
03:55 And for such a quick, kind of aggressive car,
03:59 that's not good.
04:01 And if they're gonna slap all these M badges
04:03 all over this car, give me some M-worthy brakes.
04:05 I know it's not the M2.
04:07 I know it's not really from M division,
04:09 but come on, it needs better brakes.
04:11 And I should point out, this car still has a handbrake.
04:14 (engine revving)
04:17 (laughing)
04:21 That felt great.
04:23 So in summary, the M235i, a hell of a car.
04:29 Fun to drive, handles really well, gobs of power.
04:33 Could use better brakes.
04:35 But is it more fun to drive than that AMG?
04:38 (engine revving)
04:42 (upbeat music)
04:45 Driving the Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG,
04:56 and this is a good car too.
04:59 Just instantly going back and forth
05:00 from the BMW to this car.
05:02 There's a lot I can tell you.
05:03 I like the brakes on this car better.
05:04 I like the way the steering wheel feels on this car better.
05:06 As much as I like that BMW,
05:08 the Alcantara grips on this are fantastic.
05:11 This feels like more engine,
05:14 and it's probably what I'm feeling is
05:15 the all-wheel drive grip allowing me
05:17 to kind of get on the power earlier in this thing.
05:19 It's a pretty special car.
05:22 Steering on this, you know, the AMG,
05:26 it's gonna not load up as well as the BMW,
05:28 but it unwinds just terrifically.
05:31 Gets back on center so well.
05:33 I will say this, this is an exceptional car
05:37 to drive at eight tenths.
05:39 Just kind of right up to where your limits are,
05:41 where the car's limits are.
05:42 Once you kind of really get up to the edge,
05:45 it's a little squirrely.
05:47 The brakes here on the AMG are so much better
05:50 than the M235i.
05:51 You get bite instantly as soon as you get into the pedal.
05:54 It just feels strong and solid.
05:55 In our testing, the BMW actually does stop quicker
05:58 like once or twice,
05:59 but these are the brakes you're gonna wanna have.
06:02 These are good brakes.
06:03 But there's a lot of things I don't like about the CLA.
06:09 Those are the looks.
06:11 America, it's your fault this car is as ugly as it is,
06:14 and here's why.
06:15 Over in Europe, Mercedes makes the A45.
06:18 It's this gorgeous little five-door,
06:19 this little hatchback wagon thing.
06:21 Stunning looking.
06:22 And from the B pillar forward, this looks the same,
06:25 but then you have this kind of truncated
06:27 miniature sedan body, and it just looks terrible.
06:31 Of course, the big news is the engine.
06:34 355 horsepower out of a two liter four cylinder
06:39 with a turbo.
06:41 I remember when I was growing up
06:42 and a Corvette made 250 horsepower.
06:45 I mean, this is amazing.
06:47 Then there's the transmission.
06:51 This is a seven speed dual clutch.
06:54 This transmission gives dual clutches a bad name.
06:56 It's very hesitant to shift,
06:59 especially when you're at like 4,000 RPM
07:02 and you're looking at about a 6250 red line
07:04 and you pull the downshift, and it just won't.
07:07 It just won't let you downshift.
07:08 When it does let you shift, it is slow.
07:11 In fact, it's so slow, it'll show you the gears up here.
07:14 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
07:16 And you'll pull the paddle and you'll see it
07:19 visually switch to the gear you want.
07:21 And a second after that, it shifts gears.
07:24 It's really the worst part of the car,
07:26 and it's so frustrating.
07:27 Like it's an AMG.
07:28 You're supposed to be best of breed, right?
07:31 Transmission, totally not.
07:33 So, which do I like better?
07:37 The answer is I'm not sure.
07:39 There's a lot of things about this car
07:41 I like more than the BMW,
07:42 and there's a lot of things about the BMW I like more.
07:44 I think overall, the BMW's a little bit more fun to drive,
07:48 but I think this one sounds a little bit better,
07:50 and I think this one's a little bit faster,
07:52 and this one grips a little bit more
07:53 and has better brakes.
07:55 I think in this situation, then,
07:56 the only sensible thing to do is
07:59 to call up my friend Randy Post,
08:00 have him fly out to California,
08:02 and take both these cars to a racetrack to settle it.
08:05 (engine revving)
08:08 Streets of Willow, BMW M235i.
08:13 (laughing)
08:16 That's so fast.
08:19 - Good entry speed.
08:20 The BMW is that kind of car, though.
08:22 Boy, does it put a smile on my face.
08:25 The balance is so good.
08:27 When I get on the power, I actually take the wheel out.
08:30 It's sweet, Johnny.
08:32 I also like the engine.
08:34 It's a turbo six.
08:35 You would never know it was a turbo.
08:36 I don't feel any lag.
08:37 It just is a linear power delivery with a broad torque curve.
08:41 The steering is quick.
08:43 It feels great.
08:44 (engine revving)
08:48 (laughing)
08:49 The train is shifting great.
08:51 I really love it.
08:52 - Kind of makes you wonder,
08:53 why do you need the expense and complexity of a dual clutch?
08:57 - You bet.
08:57 - You were saying something I thought was very interesting.
09:00 I guess this is the Randy Post understeer, oversteer scale.
09:04 You said a balanced car is a zero.
09:06 And then you go minus 10 for understeer
09:08 and plus 10 for oversteer.
09:10 What's ideal?
09:11 - Well, I think ideal is about a one understeer.
09:14 - Oh, really?
09:15 - Yeah, 'cause it's more stable.
09:17 But about a one oversteer is more fun.
09:20 This car is a little bit on the oversteer side.
09:23 I mean, just a little, like a half or a one oversteer.
09:27 See how I take wheel out?
09:28 - Yeah.
09:29 - And it's kind of beautifully balanced.
09:31 - There's a fun factor to this.
09:33 That is just, to me, is absent from the AMG.
09:36 - I agree.
09:37 And that's because of the balance.
09:39 The fact that the horsepower actually reduces understeer.
09:43 Whereas in the Mercedes,
09:45 the horsepower increases understeer.
09:48 And that just feels like it's a cross purposes
09:50 from what you're really trying to accomplish.
09:52 (car engine roaring)
09:54 It's my favorite BMW in the last 10 years.
09:58 - That's an amazing statement.
09:59 - So well balanced.
10:00 - Think about all the BMWs we've seen in the last 10 years.
10:04 - Yeah.
10:05 - And there are dozens and dozens.
10:06 And this is the one, the M235i,
10:08 which you think is the best driving one.
10:10 - Yep.
10:11 It has that balance.
10:12 It's a dance partner.
10:13 I can put it right where I want it.
10:15 It's just really rewarding.
10:17 (car engine roaring)
10:20 - Wow.
10:29 - The engine's great.
10:30 - Yeah.
10:31 - But the understeer is not so great.
10:33 - Yeah, but what an engine.
10:34 I mean, let's just stop for a second.
10:35 I mean, two liters, 355 horsepower,
10:38 330 pound feet of torque.
10:41 You know what I mean?
10:42 It's incredible.
10:42 - It is.
10:43 And it gets more powerful as it revs.
10:46 It's really kind of a satisfying, really sporty feeling.
10:49 Feel the power build down these short straightaways.
10:53 - I also just noticed twice in a row now
10:54 that the brakes seem to be more immediate than the BMWs.
10:59 - Yes, they do.
11:00 There's still some travel,
11:01 but the pedal feels a lot better to me than the BMW does.
11:05 Yeah, we're on.
11:07 (laughing)
11:08 You were thinking I wasn't gonna make it.
11:09 - No, no, actually, honestly, through the kink there,
11:13 this is not nearly as spooky as what it felt like
11:16 in the M235i.
11:18 And I think it's because the suspension
11:20 isn't bouncing around as much.
11:21 I think this is damp better.
11:23 It's a stiffer, flickier ride.
11:24 - Yes, it is.
11:25 (car engine roaring)
11:28 See this understeer I get here?
11:29 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:30 - Makes me worry about going off the road
11:32 with a bunch of wheel in it.
11:34 Power understeer.
11:36 That I find unsatisfying.
11:38 (car engine roaring)
11:41 The shift does not happen fast enough in the CLA.
11:45 I have to almost like pre-select.
11:48 I got to shift at 5,800
11:50 to make sure I don't hit the rev limiter at 6,250.
11:52 In the Mercedes, you're in a narrower range
11:57 of performance in terms of understeer, oversteer.
12:01 It's more stable.
12:03 And that's actually really good for a lot of drivers.
12:07 But the BMW gives that satisfying feel of balance,
12:11 of dancing the car,
12:13 of choosing between understeer and oversteer.
12:16 And that makes it a better driver's car
12:19 and the car that I like better.
12:20 (car engine roaring)
12:22 - And now, here's a side-by-side look at Randy's Hot Laps.
12:26 (car engine roaring)
12:29 (car engine roaring)
12:32 (car engine roaring)
12:35 (car engine roaring)
12:39 (car engine roaring)
12:42 (car engine roaring)
12:51 (car engine roaring)
12:57 (car engine roaring)
13:04 (car engine roaring)
13:07 (car engine roaring)
13:34 (car engine roaring)
13:37 - Very close race, but the more muscular motor of the AMG
13:56 is gonna win it just by a hair.
13:58 You've made it to the end of the video.
14:01 And at this point, you probably want a winner.
14:04 And so do I.
14:06 Here's my dilemma.
14:07 The CLA is faster in a straight line,
14:10 faster on our figure eight,
14:11 and as Randy showed us, it is faster around a racetrack.
14:14 But the BMW costs less and it's more fun to drive.
14:19 So how do you choose?
14:21 I mean, I guess if you held my face to the fire,
14:23 I'd go with the BMW.
14:25 But it just doesn't feel right.
14:26 If only there was some car that was faster
14:29 than the AMG on a racetrack
14:31 and was as much fun to drive as the BMW,
14:34 but cost less than both of them.
14:36 See you next time.
14:39 (laughing)
14:44 Down boy, sit.
14:46 Down boy, sit.
14:47 (laughing)
14:50 Good entry speed.
14:51 - That was a lot of entry speed.
14:53 - I know a shortcut.
14:54 - I think I shut my eyes.
14:55 (laughing)
14:57 That was fast.
14:57 (laughing)
14:59 We were talking about something.