The Reason I Would Buy The Mercedes A35 AMG Over The A45s!

[@mutt40106]

I Bought a new 2024 AMG 35 about 7 weeks ago and I must say, it’s the best car I have ever owned and driven. As was said in the video, in comfort mode, put your foot down and the power is instant. Put it into sport+ mode and it becomes a complete beast. I’m 61 years old but I have always liked my fast cars since my 1980’s rallying days. To me this AMG 35 is perfect and practical, fuel efficient yet has the power when needed. Comfortable too, what a fantastic job Mercedes have done for a pretty reasonable price tag as well. Superb piece of kit. 😊

[@MitchTube]

Have driven both and bought the A45s. The A35 felt slower than my golf r and didn’t corner as well for much more money. The A45s handles and steers better than both!

[@rossdonaldson5552]

I have just bought a new 2024 A35 Premium Plus saloon and let me tell you it has more than enough power, it hugs the road in all corners and has a great feel good factor.

[@AMGB35]

i think the head cylinder issue was fixed on the 2022 models

[@smooondrosgaming643]

Yes and all replacement cylinder heads do not have the issue anymore as well, so if the cylinder head is replaced on a pre-2022 model you do not need to worry about it going bad again. Had mine replaced under warranty luckily, new cylinder head has a different part number than the old one.

[@adriansmith4685]

I’m sure the cylinder heads have regular problems, otherwise a good car

[@coloneltheo]

had mine blow up just after 3 years

[@km4089]

Great honest review thanks, you picked up on something that holds me back..and that's the comfort of the seats especially for longer journeys it became abit of a deal breaker, Perhaps I need another test drive.

[@novasigma5964]

Set the seat to it's lowest setting , roll it the wheel forward and pull the chair extension out all the way , I've driven the length of the country like this with nomissue

[@stephenhorslen6075]

Just brought one , Its a dream pour class .

[@asifmohammad2978]

I was of a similar mindset to urself until I purchased an a45s plus model. I’ve owned an a35 prem with aero pack too. A45 feels more premium and bespoke. Everywhere the a35 falls short the a45 fills it. Larger brakes 6 pot. Over 100bhp more, recaros, wider front track, adaptive suspension, forged wheels. The a35 is a great car for what it is but the a45 is a league above. I ran my m4 comp and a45s at the same time. In 1-3rd gear I haven’t driven anything faster than the a45s. I’ll be purchasing another one. Oh and with a miltek non res it sounds nuts

[@whatsupwithsteve]

Don't forget the chassis bracing too...:) Yeah, I got to autocross the 45s at AMG Experience and I found myself needing a car I wouldn't have given a glance a few months ago. after all it is only a 4 banger...... maybe but dang what a 4pot it is!!!

[@michaelslingsby2956]

Another great review, Max 👍

[@DrivenPlus]

Thanks Michael!

[@crocoman776]

The cylinder head issue is significant. Wouldn’t touch it. You can get a Facelift W176 A45 from 2017 for £25k with less than 30000 miles. That car is an absolute beast. I’m sorry but you’d only ‘decide’ to choose an A35 over an A45 purely for financial reasons. Which is fine btw, but let’s not kid ourselves.

[@markrhoden68]

My thoughts exactly

[@johnnyVGtran]

whats the actual figures regarding how many sets have had to get the heads redone ?? is Mercedes on board with the problem as a known issue?

[@pricey78]

Don’t agree with that statement at all. I bought the new A35h ‘73 reg, this is after owning an M340, RSQ3, RS5’s, some of which £70k. Nothing to do with finances, not for me anyway, each to their own. I just refused to pay over £43k for a hot hatch with a spoiler! Plus they are a bit rattly, not the quality imo you should get when paying this kind of money.

[@novasigma5964]

The W177 interior wipes the floor with any hatchback atm , while said cylinder issue is fixed via a recall

[@ulysees321]

Cylinder head issue is only prominant on 2019-21 plate cars 22 plate had revised cylinder head a35h doesnt have a issue,

[@diggernick6515]

I also have this car and i can put it in manual mode with buttons on my steering wheel. You can choose what features those screens on the button show you.

[@DrivenPlus]

Ah okay! Good point 👍

[@OK-mb7zb]

Don’t these have cylinder head issues

[@Whiponized]

yeah the heads of the cylinders

[@deanlaw6033]

Hi I am the owner of the A35, around about 20% of cars have the cylinder head issue. It’s not quite as common as you think but as long as you have Mercedes warranty the cylinder isn’t an issue

[@andyp8464]

For manual mode cant you just use the gear shift pedals to change gears in any mode...

[@adebih8126]

yes it can, it will switch to manual

[@tro3y]

Great car, great review❤

[@DrivenPlus]

Thanks Troy 😎

[@jezavison663]

These are great cars but there is one major day to day issue that lets them down and led to me getting rid of mine, and that’s their ground clearance… I dreaded speed bumps / sleeping policeman / ramps. I lost count of the times I grounded mine and that’s driving over them slowly! In the end it was a deal breaker and I got rid…

[@DrivenPlus]

Not the first time I’ve heard this

[@jezavison663]

@@DrivenPlus any idea whether the a45 suffers from the same problem? I assume it does.

[@DrivenPlus]

No idea but I would’ve thought so

[@blve69]

Where are the Parts from? It has wider air intaktes which are looking quite cool I think.. would like to have these in my A35 too

[@jazlafayette7059]

Another great review 👍🏽

[@DrivenPlus]

Thank you! 😎

[@Buck3366]

Max can you try and get hold of a facelift with the 8 speed 45 box and hybrid engine? Might be interesting to see any significant differences and how close it is to the 45 now

[@DrivenPlus]

Hey mate, I’m reviewing a facelift A45s soon, but not the A35 unfortunately. No one I know has one! Plus I’m not in with Mercedes yet lol

[@Buck3366]

@ My cousin has a 2024 35h model and it’s sort of swayed me to buy one instead of the 45. I don’t really need that 420 odd bhp for my daily and the hybrid gives it the instant power that suits me more over the balls out 45 pace. If I do get one I’ll let you know and you can review it for content. I’d ask my cousin to get his on channel but he would decline as he is, well, a bit of a fanny when it comes to who drives his cars🤣

[@DrivenPlus]

Yes sure let me know if you get one I’d definitely love to review it! Thanks

[@x58evo2puma7]

Yes I driven one of these and I can say this will put a smile of your face then a bmw would in my eyes so both amg a35/45s great cars and the performance is amazing been the 35 is only 306hp feels like 330hp when u put your right down ❤

[@DrivenPlus]

Couldn't agree more!

[@whatsupwithsteve]

But I want that AMG Experience class that comes with the 45s...:)

[@pablofieldo2289]

What are the seats like? I’m 6ft2 - anyone else tall with one of these?

[@MrMattCalifornia]

Hi! I'm owner of AMG35 sedan 2023 facelift. How can I join to your Eurotrip? 😊 I've got a plan to go to Nurburgring, than Switzerland and Tuscany in 09.24 ;)

[@DrivenPlus]

Hi Matt, that’s great you should join us on this years euro trip. Drop me an email on [e-mail] for some event information

[@keithronson2624]

Max. This is the only Merc to buy! An absolute gem! Yes better than the A45S. It is a real 'Q' car. An everyday, 'disappear' into the background. Perhaps a Golf R? Great review as always. Fantastic roads featured too. To conclude, [in my opinion!] the Only car in the entire Mercedes range that i[you] would buy. By Merc standards, subtle! Thanks Max. And 10k + subscribers! Soon be half a million!

[@DrivenPlus]

Thanks Keith, definitely a Q car! You’ll happy to know that I’m reviewing a M135i on Tuesday

[@keithronson2624]

@@DrivenPlus Thank You! Another hidden gem! Only better! It's a BMW!! 👍💪👌

[@jamesclark9857]

The new Facelift A35 blows the old A35 out the water, way better gearbox(Same as A45s) and hybrid which gives you instant power and smoother.... meanwhile the FL A45s got.... Nothing

[@ShowMustG]

True, the newer A35 FL is way better then the old one, and it's a brilliant car, I still went for the FL A45s though as I was in a good financial position at the time.

[@hondacar]

There would be no way I would buy an A45s, for the same price I would rather buy an M2, even with AWD it cannot match the M2 in acceleration. Echoing a previous comment the A35 received a mild hybrid system and the same 8sp transmission as the A45s yet the new A45s received nothing in terms of performance. I've also been sceptical of the power figures for the A45s. There have been instances where dyno readings for power were disappointingly underwhelming. The M240i has achieved higher performance figures and is capable of outperforming the A45s in a quarter-mile acceleration test.

[@robprior1246]

New hybrid a35 cars have been dyno tested and most are pushing 330/340 Bhp according to tuners

[@ShowMustG]

But that Merc interior man, that was the deciding factor for me getting the A45s, RS3 is a great car though I also loved it nothing between them, M2 with 2 doors not practical for myself personally.

[@paulgirling9927]

What a great video!! For many yrs I have been fond of VW starting with polo’s and working my way up the ladder to golf’s and a golf R. Then I saw this Mercedes A35 and wanted one. So I purchased a second hand A35 on a 20 plate from Mercedes and was so pleased with my purchase, as I have never owned such a car in my life. Beautiful interior although the side pillars are scratchy thin plastic, but that’s my only gripe. Although cars are getting quicker 306 HP for the A35 is respectable for sure. It’s pretty natural to want bigger and faster cars and I get it totally. But Mercedes have really made this car special with a good looking interior with beautiful dash and lighting. So although there are quicker cars out there, this car has a mix of performance and a stunning interior to go with it. 👍

[@DrivenPlus]

You have explained the A35 very well!

[@sv-rh4dz]

How can you say the a35 is better looking. The a45s looks better

[@DrivenPlus]

I would like to know the point where I said it looked better?

[@hazzam82]

they look almost the same?

[@wainerollins2587]

The A35 and A45s are not in the same league. I cannot imagine someone passing up the A45s in order to buy the A35. You might do that in order to buy an Audi RS3 which is better looking, better sounding and has similar punch, but not the A35.

[@andyp8464]

@wainerollins2587 probably more comfort too in the rs3 but soulless and can't handle as well or make you feel like you're driving an animal . Some who need comfort will be better suited to the rs3 but if you want an animal then you can't pick the rs3

[@missingrider4551]

Engine bay needs cleaning

[@markrhoden68]

Can we just be clear here, all these 300hp + four wheel drive cars are pretty much the same. A35 interiors look great but can have build quality issues and those seats are just pants. If you could afford a a45s would anyone seriously say "no i prefer the a35" said nobody ever

[@DrivenPlus]

You are right Mark, they are all pretty similar. But the A35 is the better looking. As I said in the video, if I was to buy the A45s I wouldn’t be buying it due to its competitors being better.

[@ShowMustG]

@@DrivenPlus Jason Plato disagrees :)

[@johnnyVGtran]

im currently looking at buying the A35 AMG edition 1 model. i was thinking its basically the same as the 45 just 100ish hp less . Bu t a downpioe and tune and it would be close ! imo the updated model doesnt look as good the stingray looking front bumper look awful

[@sv-rh4dz]

The a45s is a completely different car , mechanical nothing is shared between the 2 cars . 1 is a drivers car with an amg engine and the other one is a hot hatch

[@Max2332-w5n]

@@sv-rh4dz they are quite literally the same minus the 45 having torque vectoring and a different engine. So he’s right, with a tune, it’s practically the same car

[@jason-si4mq]

Had 2 a35 both cylinder head gone one at 13k other at 19k there shit guys go a45s better engine

[@nbb6609]

Pre facelift?

[@jason-si4mq]

@@nbb6609 both

[@jason-si4mq]

Trust me a45 is a different engine a35 are shit go golf r all day

[@jason-si4mq]

Both pfl and fl

[@nbb6609]

@@jason-si4mq crikey! I have the pre facelift and an extended the warranty on it. No issues touchwood. I need to change it soon due to age, but honestly not really liking much on the market. M340, RS3, A45, CLA45 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@Ok-jf3nr]

Just say Merc

[@jisraelg1]

Never show the interior . Dumb

[@tobylerone1814]

Not a true AMG, doesn't deserve the badge .. Had a C63, then a couple of SLK 55s, now in a stage3 (521bhp) A45 AMG (2016)...

[@carbonate5006]

That’s not up for some nerds on the internet to decide i’m afraid.

[@tobylerone1814]

@carbonate5006 aye, it is ya melt.

[@Y.D.D1]

​@@tobylerone1814 Calm down blood. Don't pop a cap in his ass. 😂😂

[@thenurbguy2023]

don't need to watch the video, so just let me guess.. BECAUSE YOU ARE POOR?

[@DrivenPlus]

Wtf 🤣🤣🤣

[@sambo2700]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@BobK5]

Ugly looking car and the interior is a mess