Photo: Car Advice
It seems like in Australia things do differently than the rest of the world and we like it. All the previous tests we’ve seen comparing the new AMG hot hatch from Mercedes, A45 AMG and the M Performance vehicle from BMW, M135i, have declared the Benz as the winner.
Of course, every time it was pointed out that the win was just by a hair but still, it made us feel uncomfortable. This time, the guys from Car Advice, that we accused of being biased towards BMW more than once, seem to have found the truth.
They set up a test between the two, a test that both companies wanted badly to be done, to prove that their respective cars are better than the opposition’s.
Over the course of the test, a few things became obvious: there’s no replacement for displacement, the Bimmer is more comfortable and easy to live with and the gearbox and drivetrain of the Bavarian were superior to the Stuttgart-built full AMG model, despite being just an M Performance model.
The engine sound of the four-banger in the Merc is simply not up to the task. It sounds like a kid on steroids and, no matter how much it tries to impress you, it simply doesn’t have the mass it needs to be unbeatable.
The BMW is more like that chilled down neighbor that's always frowning at you and, despite the fact that you never heard him shouting, it’s enough to hear him growl to know your place.
On the road, the 40 HP lacking the M135i are hardly felt and that’s because the torque helps you out whenever you need it, coming in at almost idle revs.
Where the Merc shines is on a race track, where it will get you faster from a corner to another thanks to its harder suspension and AWD. However, unless you spend all your life on a race track, you’ll find it hard to live with such a harsh car.
Bottom line, the Bimmer wins it, not by a long shot but it’s still better, from a normal person’s point of view, not a race car driver’s.
Full test at Car Advice
They set up a test between the two, a test that both companies wanted badly to be done, to prove that their respective cars are better than the opposition’s.
Over the course of the test, a few things became obvious: there’s no replacement for displacement, the Bimmer is more comfortable and easy to live with and the gearbox and drivetrain of the Bavarian were superior to the Stuttgart-built full AMG model, despite being just an M Performance model.
The engine sound of the four-banger in the Merc is simply not up to the task. It sounds like a kid on steroids and, no matter how much it tries to impress you, it simply doesn’t have the mass it needs to be unbeatable.
The BMW is more like that chilled down neighbor that's always frowning at you and, despite the fact that you never heard him shouting, it’s enough to hear him growl to know your place.
On the road, the 40 HP lacking the M135i are hardly felt and that’s because the torque helps you out whenever you need it, coming in at almost idle revs.
Where the Merc shines is on a race track, where it will get you faster from a corner to another thanks to its harder suspension and AWD. However, unless you spend all your life on a race track, you’ll find it hard to live with such a harsh car.
Bottom line, the Bimmer wins it, not by a long shot but it’s still better, from a normal person’s point of view, not a race car driver’s.
Full test at Car Advice
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