I’m an Audi driver and have enjoyed my current A3 cabriolet very much. I’m considering upgrading to the A5 but inventory is low. In my search I saw the 2021 Mercedes CLA 35 AMG. I have never seen this model but it’s appears really nice. (But it’s not a convertible.) Has anyone had experience with the CLA35 AMG coupe? What are your thoughts? Thanks!
My thoughts are that in this overpriced car market, the smart thing to do is keep what you have and wait for supply chain issues to be resolved. Also, this is not a type of car I would ever buy or own, nor would I ever pay more than $10k for a used car or $20k for a new car. I just don’t see the value.
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Thank you 
Drive it and see if you like it.
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I’m about 4 hours away from the dealer. I will talk more with them on Monday. Thanks
Have you read reviews of each?
Sure some people have but just how many of those do you think are going to see your post ? And if that is what you want why even care what anyone else thinks .
I’m a few hours away from the dealer. I thought I’d get some feedback here before I visited the dealer.
I’ve seen and heard a previous generation CLA45AMG in black that looked and sounded great but I haven’t had an opportunity to ask the owner what they think. My nearest dealer is about 35mi away and is on the same property as the Audi and Porsche dealership’s owned by the same group so I’d take an afternoon and look at the Mercedes as well as the Audi but at the moment the closest 35AMG is in Seattle, still an hour or so away. Good looking car but the most important thing is how you feel about driving it.
I usually read a lot of online reviews and watch videos about the cars I am interested in before going to the dealership. You can narrow your choices down. Some of these videos are by non-professionals which I find more useful. Also, look at forums too.
At the end of the day, the test drive is the most important part, but usually the test drive is short, so it is better to know what concerns you might have before going in.
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This seems to get more posts than the other forum i’ve found for these
This one’s more hit or miss but is specifically for the CLA35
https://mbworld.org/forums/cla-35-amg-c118-264/
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I just took a quick look at the C&D review. They like it alright. Downside, for me, it is AWD.
AWD would be fine if I lived in snow country and drove it in the winter. Four door sedans are just not for me.
Thank you for these replies. I will check out the review sites!
If this is the only MB dealer within a 4 hour radius, I STRONGLY suggest that you not buy that marque.
I hope you realize that the CLA line has reliability that is worse than average, and the AMG modifications are likely to make it even less reliable than “regular” CLAs. In other words, you are likely to be spending a lot of time at the dealership service department with a car like this, and adding distance to the equation will make for a really frustrating experience.
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… and “owner satisfaction” with CLAs is only “average”. For that much money, that doesn’t seem promising to me.
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There is a dealer in my city but no CLA inventory. I spoke with my Audi dealer. We are going to look for the model I’m interested in or wait. Thanks for all the assistance here.
Have you thought about an Audi S4? It’s about the same price, and maybe your local dealer has one in stock. It might be worth a comparison against the CLA35 AMG. Drive them both and see which one you like more. Another possibility is the Cadillac CT4-V. Power is between the S4 and CLA35 AMG, it also has magnetic ride control, a feature so good that Ferrari buys it from GM for their cars. If your heart is set on the AMG, that’s fine, and enjoy it. It isn’t clear how much comparison shopping you have done, and I thought I’d offer some similar suggestions.
Yes. Great idea. I have driven an S4 before. It was by far the best drive around. But dealer cannot get one. The Cadillac dealer has a few CT-4 (not sure if they are V) models in stock. Thanks!
If you can wait a few months, the 2022 models will be out, including the new S3.