Mercedes A45 AMG vs Volkswagen Golf GTI vs BMW M135i - hot hatch mega test - autocar.co.uk
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- Опубліковано 28 січ 2025
- We know the Mercedes A45 AMG is quick, but is it as good to drive as the hottest BMW 1-series, the M135i and Volkswagen Golf GTI?
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Having reviewed the Mercedes A45 AMG at its launch, we know its 355bhp engine makes it a real weapon, dispatching 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. But, it's also hugely expensive for a hot hatch, especially when you consider the thrills dished up by the slightly cheaper BMW M135i and much less expensive Volkswagen Golf GTI. Is the A45 AMG really good enough to justify its premium price, and how will it cope with the Welsh roads?
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Guys remember, this video came out before the Golf R came out.
then why not Golf 6 R?
SunLoverMan I got not clue, maybe they wanted to show the MK7 golf since it was newest.
Should have either A. waited, or B. not had a Golf, or C. used a Golf R 6.
@Harpreet06 Then you still cannot take the gti as a comparison.
For the looks I would take the Mb.... but for the price and engine, 6 cylinder and with that sound, I would rather take the BMW... no doubt!
The GTI still could hold it`s ground. I have one and I LOVE IT!!
if he cant catch the bmw in the amg and cant catch the amg in the bmw then the problem must be with the driver
So true!
+1
Pierre Decuyper thanq :-)
Perhaps you missed out on watching Sutcliffe in the TVR one make championship back in the 90s . He is as a pro a driver as you will find in auto journalism.
kranercurve he failed here hehehehhe
You cannot compare a GTI to a M or AMG. However an R, yes that would be more comparable
hell right dude
I was just thinking the same. LOL. the comparison is a blasphemy!
Daniels30
Just so you know the M badge is not for a M-Car. It only symbolize it has m-performance styling like side skirts, a couple of decals but nothing in the way of handling, suspension, engine, steering etc.
KEVIN MANSFIELD 4.6 s to 62 is a bit more that side skirts m8
Precisely, BMW have recently released an 'M' performance range in some of their diesels in the 5 series for example. This is their first release of a petrol version to compete with 'S' models of Audi. M135i's have been getting quotes of 4.5 seconds to sixty and a real power output of 340 BHP.
FYI: I own one.
The only reason i can see why they used the GTI over the R is because they just wanted to see how a good hot hatch compared to these mega hatches. At the end of the day you will see 5-6 GTI golfs compared to the R so its good to see the comparison because most people will have the GTI
Having owned the Mark 5 and Mark 6 GTI and now owning a BMW 1 Series I would have to rate the BMW just ahead of the GTI, with both ahead of the Merc in my opinion. The GTI is thee benchmark and the Merc is ugly, too tall looking, over priced and the cabin looks cheap - what is that stuck on sat nav screen all about?!
However I don't think putting the GTI against the 135i and Merc AMG is fair....the GOLF R would have been a better choice to take on the powerful BMW and Merc!
The Cabin might not look as valnuable as an e class but on the other Hand the one from the gti looks way cheaper and in my personal opinion it looks pretty stupid with that little metal bar on the co drivers site. it`s just my opinion but i think it looks like they were in the vw companies lik : Hey we`ve got to make the golf like way more valnuable. Ingenior: let's ad some metal bars like bmw and mercedes does.
GTI x A45 AMG x M135. Is this fair? Why not Golf R?
+JR F I dont think the R was out then, it came out a wile after the GTI.
+NikesZ28 Ok. Then why not the MK VI Golf R?
+JR F
Mk7 Gti with pp is much much better than mk6 R
What about the MK7 R
what benefit pp gives?
I have a 2015 Gti and went on a drive with a few people. There was a Lamborghini 560-4, a v8 vantage, GT-R, 2015 M3, and a bunch of American muscle cars. It was super fun and in the real world I kept up with them in the front of the pack, at the checkpoints of the drive almost everyone was surprised of how quick it was and more so I could keep up in the mountains, on the straights they would destroy me but again in the real world your not going 150 mph the whole way we would be going about 80-100 in most parts and the GTI did flawlessly. I can't wait for the APR tune and some springs then really surprise everyone.
+Evan Sargent This has to be a troll. A GTI hanging with a Vantage, a GT-R, and an M3? If you had the A45 maybe, but a GTI? No way, sorry.
+stuartthelegend I'm not a fan of any of these cars, but in real life, on real give and take roads, there comes a point where absolute power takes a back seat. On twisting, undulating, uneven roads with poor sight lines, you can't deploy it properly, what you gain in acceleration, you lose under braking and you find yourself working harder for little benefit. That's not to say there aren't advantages to more power, but there is a law of diminishing returns.
+stuartthelegend i also own a gti Performance and evan sargent was right. you can drive sportscar Drivers to nuts with the gti because from 60-150 kmh for example the different is not sooo big. you will stay behind the fast Sports cars up to round about 150 kmh. after that the Sports car destroy the gti for sure. but in the City or on backroads the different from a 230 hp car and 400 hp car is not so big as you might think.
This is so stupid! A45 n 135i is a different level than GTI, use R instead. I thought Autocar really knows 'cars'. Yet, even simple thing like also u dunno. *facepalm
everyone sayin that... doesn't make sense the didnt use the Golf R LOL
i have the R. unfortunatly not as quick as my mates GTI. This is why people are buying gti instead of R
usman hussain What R do you have? Are you even serious here. The R32 is in another league than a fucking GTi. The new stock R32 has over 297hp, does 0-62 mph in 4.9 secs and has a significantly higher red line. The Gti has a little over 215hp, does 0-62 mph in 6.5 seconds. Hence the reason why the R32 costs more. I pulled these specs off their website and I ve test driven the 2014 stock R32. It beats the living daylights out of any stock GTi any day.
A stage one GTI may outrun a stock Golf R; Mk7 stage one tune is nearing 300 hp/400 tq.
Whos talking about a stage anything GTi? We're talking about stock GTi and R32. There is no way in hell that a GTi can outrun an R32 if both are stock. Stage 1,2 or 1000 is an entirely different matter. And if you really want to make them stage 1, make both cars stage 1. An R32 will always be ahead of any GTi if both are the same hp. R32 was designed totally different than a GTi and is a much more capable machine.
The odd thing is that I bought the BMW m135i and a mate has bought the AMG. The cars are the same spec as shown in this video and in a straight line he can't keep up with my BMW. It's close but my BMW is certainly faster. Its now stage is even quicker.
The GTI never intended to be an ultimate machine. It is pretty cheap to insure, tax and buy (relatively). It is designed to be a pretty straight forward proposition. Provided you are not too young for insurance of course. Comparisons between it and 300 plus bhp machines, misses the point. As other commentators have said: the Golf R is more appropriate.
Before this video GTI was a legend. After the video it's a lemon.
Thanks Steve. Keep up the good work!
why not a golf R ? or a ford focus st or even a megan rs
because Mercedes paid a lot of money for this advert
I just couldn't wait for the cla45, I purchased a 2013 Audi S5 and never looked back. I do see here why I was so interested in the CLA45 it is a fantastic piece of engineering and whomever is lucky enough to own one will feel special every time they fire it up and roll it down the street,
Will you do a proper comparison, now that the GOLF R, RS3, and 235i are around as true competitors for the A45?
M235i is not a competitor for a 5 door hatchback. The M235i has to go up against other 2 door Coupe's that are as practical as an MX-5.
I agree. plus, it should be pointed out that the GTi does so much with "so little" power. GTi's so good that nothing in its power range touches it!
I understand that the Golf R hadn't come out yet, so why not use the A250 and 128I? The GTI is matched perfectly with them.
perspective
Apex Predator Chris Hansen
What do you mean by "perspective"?
Andrew Denisyuk for those of us that will likely never drive the mercedes or BMW, it gives me good perspective on how my GTI compares to these other cars.
Apex Predator Chris Hansen
I have am mk6 gti and after driven a cla 250 and the f30 328i, I honestly prefer my gti.
I wasn't biased at all.
the reason why the A45 AMG started to pull away on the hill was because Mr Sutcliffe held on to 2nd gear in the M135i and hit the limiter, that alone was enough to see the AMG pulling ahead. I really liked this test, it's nice to see the car's on the roads instead of the track, some serious speeds as well which although very dangerous makes the video so much better. More of the same please.
He's clearly not using the gearing correctly in the BMW which has one more gear than the MBZ. The extra gear gives you lower gearing so better acceleration if you choose the correct gear.
If you look at the new G7 GTI, they are actually R382 800 for the version we are getting. Which is not this performance pack version, so it is safe to assume it would be over R400K.
But I agree, not the same price. I also reckon you will have more exclusivity with either the M135i or the A45.
Personally I prefer the A45's looks to the other two.
Unfair comparison. you cant compare the Golf GTI with these cars but the Golf R Can be !
you re right ?
maybe they wanted to present that Gti 227hp Version
or maybe they Crashed The Golf R for the Test some miles away :)))
Not rily, if they call on their ''R'' it will be fair for Merc to call on their Brabus... since R is VW's super class so is Brabus to Merc. The comparison was very fair.
Unaswi Mothuti Brabus is like APR for VW not like R... R is stock from factory not aftermarket tuned. So it is like that VW-R Audi-RS BMW-M Merc-AMG....
Okay, i will JUST agree wit you cause either way, MERC WILL BURN YOU!
Unaswi Mothuti www.worldcarfans.com/114032972532/mercedes-benz-a45-amg-modified-by-brabus
www.worldcarfans.com/114042874155/volkswagen-golf-r-by-mtm-packs-360-ps-hits-100-kmh-in
Not so sure...
Because the Mk7 Golf R isn't yet on sale and because we regard the GTI to be a dynamic benchmark, despite the fact that it is significantly down on power
Where is the golf R? Why use a GTI?
I was thinking the same thing at least compare it with a golf with similar HP but I don't believe VW has released the 2015 R yet. However, I can't wait for the R400 it'll blow both out of the water.
i don't think the r mk7 is out jet
Luis Guevara Actually, Yes it is, the 2014 Vw Golf R is out now. I've had mine since the 3rd of May-2014, & it was released ~2 weeks before that date!
yeah that's what im sayin.. Golf R fits this category LOLLL
Thats how to do an auto test folks...entertaining , factual, great commentary, great visuals. Autoexpress please take note !
Just subscribed.
I feel that the A45 should be compared to the audi RS3, vw golf R, and the Subaru wrx sti 2.5l hatch
I m glad Merc is back to being the boss, again!
Golf GTI??? What??? It should be Golf GTI vs Hyundai Velostar vs Renault Megane RS. The Golf R would be out of it's league here, let alone a GTI
When did David Brent start doing reviews lol.... sorry had to do it. Great review :-)
AMG. Yes £37,000 is a lot for a hatch but you cannot deny the fact that you would rather have a brutal, fast AMG over some FUCK ugly tumour that is the M135i or worthless "let's hang out in Tesco car park revving our engines" golf. When Audi's next RS3 comes out I will be very interested in seeing a comparison - I'm an AMG fan myself but I think the RS3 will be special
i am amg fan too and i think that a45 vs. rs3 would be a pretty good matchup :D
It's not all about pace! He was impressed by the handling characteristics of the Golf and the package VW offer!
Shouldve had the golf r then it wouldve been a serious competition
I now own that BMW and I can confirm it’s great fun 👌and a great car.
you compared 335hp with 225hp ??
seriously ?
yeah they did and that surprises so many here???? You can buy a stock 240hp car that will literally obliterate the A45 both on the straights and in corners. There's a lot more to comparisons than horsepower alone.......would be very ****ing boring if it were only about horsepower
what about the gulf R ? what for its release then compare them
I'm about to buy a car and these cars (plus others) are on my list, I’ve driven them all. The merc looks great but the ride, road noise, cheap interior plastics & reliability questions put me off. The BMW looks drab, space in the rear/boot is crap, handling is skittish in wet. The golf is slower, but IMO is better in every other way (ride, handling, quality, practicality, price etc.). If I were doing a test, basing my conclusion on performance I’d pick the merc, in the real world I’ll buy the GTI, it just gets it right! Not a great consumer test from Autocar!!
Please tell me you bought the Gti with pp?
Not yet, a funny thing happened and I drove a GTD and really loved it (as an all rounder for the family), still debating.
+MrArchie800
Come on man. Gti all the way! The GTD is good and all but its no Gti.
Dont do it! I hade MK 6 GTI and I loved it! And I drove the MK7 hard and with a step one chip you love it! I havent personally not driven faster on a twisty road than on a GTI. Not even with my RS3! I have a BMW 520d xdrive and its fantastic! But its never the fun of the bensin motor. Am buying the M135 xdrive, in Sweden I cant drive without it.
It's pretty clear you haven't the money for a A45... GTD PHAHAHA get the hell outta here... Driven the Golf R, RS3 and A45 today, and there is no question, the A45 is a special car, nice to drive slowly around town, is the fastest, handles amazing, sounds the best, and the interior is on another level, plus you get a Mercedes. Get back to your 180 BHP Diesel Archie IMAO!!
the bm's got 2 extra cylinders, there larger and also turbochargered and the merc still beats it in a straight line.. how good is the merc engine..
how much would it cost to beef up the golf to the same output as the merc?? bet you you could do it and still have alot of change over the merc asking price
the a45 may be the most desirable.
but you can pick up a used 2014 135i for 19k!!!
that's some kind of rocketship bargain :)
Once again, another passionate review from Steve. thanks big guy. Steves verdict is bang on, but the question remains, which one? Probably the Golf; its great value and i would bet damn sight more reliable than a Mercedes. But the Merc is a rocket ship...
They are always complaining MB's price, why? Take BMW M135i with 4WD and 4-doors, its lot more expensive, and much slower. .... Yes, I have MB A45.
That's exactly true! People complain about the fact that the A45 is expensive, but the BMW is not cheaper! I don't know why nobody notice that. Thank you man. Having said that I will also have a million time the A45.
When you tune the GTI Performance Pack's ECU (as I did, extracting 280hp now) it's all the car you'll ever need on the road.
SYNCOPY It did. But my brother works at VW...
7:35 'i don't think i've got a chance of staying with him around these corners'. you can see the bmw catching the merc fast in those corners and he's lying through his teeth saying it can't catch it.
Autocar, great job selecting cars on the same playing field. You should compare the Berlinetta against a Jeep Wranglr next week.
Golf R would have been a fair comparison
Is the bm is on run flat on this vid? If it's the case the bad steering is normal
The BMW is the loser and also the ugliest in my opinion. Somebody was actually payed to design that... OMG!
BMW looks nice for me
It's not about the looks, it's about the power. Beamers are the most manliest cars I have ever seen.
The BMW looks so much better than that honda odyssey-looking mercedes. Mercedes styling has never done it for me with exception of the ML 320 when it came out.
///M Forever bae
John Doran
Actually since I posted that comment I had the opportunity to see the BMW in reality not just pictures and I have to say it doesn't look half bad... I continue to think BMW design team was not at it's best with this car but I would buy one... Cheers!
Man what an era. Looking at prices of hot hatches now, i wonder if that ridiculousness was influenced by this A45. Automakers saw what Merc came in with and asked, and still made a killing. It probably convinced them ridiculous (in terms of price) is not really ridiculous
The Golf is simply underpowered(always a problem with the GTI) and cannot match the handling dynamics of the other cars in the test.
Did they engineer out the A45 AMG turbo whine? I almost miss it. It was pretty defining.
Mercedes is the best, end of.
+Tidgy Definetly! and will always be! love my CLK
I agree, I'm buying the gti and waiting for the apr tuning to come out and save a bunch of money because in Canada we don't get either the bmw or mb in hatchback!!
Definitely should have used R... & GTI faster than a R? Lol... impossible....
What sort of 4wd does the merc have? Is it fwd or red biased?
Yes - you're right! Most car reviews I watch on UA-cam have Chris at the wheel (hence my typo!), including his M135i vs RS3 comparison on Drive.
To Jonathan Mccrae: I don't think it is an issue really to show your speed, it is also possible that they recieve permission to do high speed testing on the road. The TopGear instance was for the lol's obviously, they do closed road tests on TopGear where they definitely exceed the speed limit.
What a cute comparison, all these cars look like they came straight out of a Disney cartoon!
What about the new M140i auto vs the golf gti clubsport? Which one do you pick?
as a BMW Fan I'm afraid to say that AMG left BMW behind in the Sports Department at almost every level. Most of the time the Problem seems to be the weight of the basic cars the M department has to deal with.Good review.
I agree with this a bit. I think it is a pretty big win for the GTI just to be included in this test and have a chance and achieving something good. The reviewer did go on to say that if money was no object, he would choose the A45, but if it were his money, the GTI would be his pick. That is huge, all things considered (and stacked against the VW)
Will be interesting to see how well the new R goes against the other two..
What do you think the M in front of 135i stands for ?
The merc ticks all of my boxes but the BMW has a great engine! And sounds amazing
I definitely like driving dynamics as well, and yeah the BMW can play much more than either the Golf or the Merc because it's rear drive, I just don't like that the BMW doesn't have a great steering feel and the body control issue....at least according to Sutcliffe.
You'd better wait for the next 1M. This one gonna definitely FTW.
wow, that's awesome. now i need to see a track comparison between the gti performance and the focus st.
TheDrequalizer said it right. I was watching and thinking the bmw has over 315bhp. The Mercedes has 350+ bhp. And then a gti with a little over 200 bhp. This is a ridiculous showdown.
i love the idea of a rwd hot hatch and i tried to love the bmw, but i can't get over the way it looks! the amg 45 isn't a looker either, but gives me a more "normal" feeling! the golf..., well it's a golf! performance-wise, that amg is pure dynamite!
what microphone did autocar use for this recording???
nice
what do you think depreciation would be over a year??
the new RS3 is not out yet, and i didn't mention the old one since it is getting old. but i think it will also be much more expensive, so it will be in a slightly different class.
Not being funny... But the fastest car was the most expensive. The middle priced car was in the middle and the slowest car was the cheapest..... I think there may be a reason for this.
BTW - The test would have been better if they'd used a Golf R (as it's more comparable in price - but still cheapest).
To be honest, though. Which car any one individual would prefer to drive is a matter of personal preference. On paper i'd probably go for the Merc for the AWD system, but then again I didn't like the Dash design...
Take the looks and interior of the Merc, the exhaust of the Golf, and the RWD and //M's 6 speed manual gearbox and you have a perfect hot hatch.
Wouldn't a closer test be the Golf R, Audi RS3 or WRX STI hatch?
In drag race yes. The thing which let the M135i here was it's chassis (it's not a M car), the RS3 is much more sorted. So on a country road, it could be anyones race.
The AMG is more money but it's also a much better car.. plus it comes in cla and gla trims... there is a driver's package and if you want to talk flashing then there is a 450hp flash for the ecu already...
I hope that flash comes with a way to eliminate that understeer..
Im not a fan of it but an A45 that handles like a Subaru? That's interesting!
Juan Galvis I had no problem with understeer in the A45. I got some scary oversteer but only when pushing it way too hard
Good day!
From someone who could afford a car a few times more expensive than these 3. I am bored with the cars in the 50-70k range. I don't necessarily want a v8 with dual turbos or blowers, I would like a car I can THROW into turns and accelerate out of them hell bent for leather while in COMPLETE control and of course looking good at the same time. Cars like the CLA45 are a breath of fresh air and I believe well worth what they charge for the little monster. This is NO GOLF!
I would personally take the AMG over the other 2 any day. In the States we get the wonderful sedan version & its pretty HOT!!
1. The RS3 isn't produced anymore so you can't compare it. 2. The 1M isn't out so it makes sense to compare against the only BMW currently out that's worth comparing against. 3. The Golf R isn't out either. It would have been more sensible to include the new Audi S3. Also the Haldex system is not permanent 4WD and the A45 is effectively FWD until more traction is required when the car will shift up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels.
That Merc is just a killer
where was this video recorded? would love to take my car round those nice roads
Neat video. Would love to see the A45 against the Mk7 R or the Scirocco Mk3 R, when the new models hit the market.
the 1M, if it comes, will be based at the current 1-series, which got to the market about the same time as the A-class.
but you are right about new-old. sometimes they actually want this to happen, so each model does its selling circle, and give room for the competitor, so they don't cut each others sales...i think it is a win-win system for the companies ;)
Really this is not fair .. you should bring the mersedec A250 .. not the amg or bring the golf R ..
Why wouldn't compare the Golf R to the MB and M series BMW???
No I understand now, I also like rear wheel drive and a manual but I am too lazy to shift these days. Save your money for a Zl1 or a use Z06, even a Mustang. You have alot of great domestic options. I live in the north and I have to have a car that can drive in snow as well. This limits my choices alot. When I lived in Arizona I could drive cars like you are referring to, it was great.
It's all about the driver at the end of the day and if you notice in the first part of the video the driver of the BMW M135i keeps up with the Mercedes no problem. It's when Sutcliffe drives the BMW he holds onto the gears too long, hits the limiter and is generally slower at responding. Where's the Stig when you need him! ;)
Why not the R series golf.. and why not the audi a1 quattro instead of the golf altogether?
really simple, rear wheel drive (only one in the category) inline 6 engine (BMW specialty) 50/50 perfect distribution and a real sport pedigree.
They do, but they use a 6 cylinder as it is going to be tuned for their full on M car of the 1 series, as the 4 cylinder is at its maximum capacity with the A45 AMG.
I'm not missing any point. I understand the M135i is not an ACTUAL M car, but it still has some improvements under the hood compared to a 135i, and it is meant to be the 135i's hatchback version of an M. The 1M already exists in coupe form, and is BARELY faster then the M135i. It has nearly identical 0-60 times, and only starts to pull away slightly at about 80-100mph. It was only 1 second faster around Hockenheim then the M135i. A CLA45 S-AMG would still beat a true 1M hatchback if they made it
Is Alfa Romeo giulietta "quadrifoglio verde" model available in your country?.
If it is, it is possible that you may include in an other "hot hatch" videos?
bye. nice video!
Whats with the bad audio quality?
Very interesting conclusion. Wonder then about GTI vs Megane RS...
It's not about me being a "fanboy" of Mercedes, it's just knowing the history of Mercedes and BMW, and the current trends of both of their performance brands. Mercs have generally been the faster on straight compared to equivalent BMWs, and BMWs have generally been faster around a track due to superior handling and weight distribution. Mercedes has now recently beaten the M3 GTS around a track and in a drag with the C63 Black, and the new SL63 has beaten the new M6 around the track as well.
Best review in a while
great vid, and fire this sound man.
The A45 AMG is 4 wheel drive, it uses a Haldex system like VAG group.
How about the CLA build on same chassis?
Is it just me or could the sound mix be better? In the beginning it is difficult to hear what is being said over the sound from the car driving about. Later on in the video the overall volume is simply too low.