[LilBimmer]

Originally Posted by nxshar2

If you liked the X3M, then why not consider the GLC43 as well?

I did. I couldn’t come to terms with its looks, the high driving position (some people get a feeling of commanding power sitting up there - not me) and ultimately decided that either I go full fat sports car, with the associated performance and damn the practicality, or not bother, given that this will be possibly my first and last performance car if at all. I’m of course keeping the 330i. I saw Turbanator’s M5C for sale in the classifieds, sorely tempting, and if the car had a Maharashtra registration, I’d have been all over it. Thanks for pitching in.

[LilBimmer]

Originally Posted by ssbb1808

A45s is bonkers and a brilliant car but it is expensive. If you can pull it off - go for that.

Done. Thanks for writing in.

[LilBimmer]

So. I made the call, coughed up my kidney, and got it. Thanks everyone for all your inputs, I’m very grateful. I will hopefully follow up with an ownership thread. In the meanwhile, please grant us privacy for the honeymoon. ��

[androdev]

Congratulations!! But c'mon.. just one photo?

[nxshar2]

Congratulations! It looks awesome in red.

Which dealer did you go with? How was the experience with offers and discounts? Would love some pointers.

[LilBimmer]

I went with Auto Hangar. There are zero discounts. The new system of paying Mercedes directly means that going forward there is very little wiggle room or scope for attaining the same. The handling of the purchase was awesome, from first contact to delivery. A stark contrast from the way Infinity handles sales of BMW. Karan Rajani and Inderjit Pardeshi at the AMG Performance Centre were such a pleasure to deal with. Straight forward and upfront with what they could do for me and what they absolutely couldn’t.

I drove them nuts for the first month with multiple test drives of multiple AMG cars. I drove all of them with the exception of the GLA. Then repeated test drives one after the other till the cars were eliminated, as documented at the beginning of the thread. Ultimately it was between the A45s and the C43, but the C43 being ex demo, older, and driven plus 6-7 months less warranty, and the glorious rush of sound and acceleration of the A45s made it the winner. To finally reduce upfront cost, and be able to justify the purchase, I opted for a BH registration.

This was the last available A45s with Mercedes and was preconfigured by them with every option, which raised the sticker price by 20%. But getting immediate delivery versus waiting for a configured car to be delivered till September, beating the price hike, and (unexpected bonus) also a hike in interest rate meant that the gap between the configuration that I’d have done, and the fully loaded one become significantly small enough to just go ahead with it. After 3 BMWs, everything about this car feels weird, I still grab the touchpad to change gears.

I have absolutely not even begun to play with the MBUx system or even get into it as yet. The owners manual is a disaster and generic for all A class cars. An AMG with so many specific bits (and at this price) should have a specific owners manual.

The drive is supreme. Very very enjoyable. As is the howl of the exhaust. And that’s all that is important. Everything else is cherry on the pudding.

[LilBimmer]

As regards the owners manual, I may have been a bit harsh and too quick to judge as I downloaded a copy instead of (stupid me) looking at the leather mercedes Benz provided folder with the hard copy. And behold, of course, there is a separate manual for all the AMG parts in the car. All is good. More pics on the weekend!!

[n:CorE]

Originally Posted by LilBimmer

So. I made the call, coughed up my kidney, and got it. Thanks everyone for all your inputs, I’m very grateful. I will hopefully follow up with an ownership thread. In the meanwhile, please grant us privacy for the honeymoon. ��

Heartiest congratulations on your latest acquisition, LilBimmer! I see what you just did there, this is the most drool-worthy spiritual successor to your red 116i. Amazing choice.

I'd love to know what your deal finally came up to, if not publically, I'd really appreciate a PM with your final OTR cost for the AMG A45s, if possible. Cheers.

PS: The honeymoon seems to have gone on for almost 3 months. Haha. Here is some motivation to upload more pictures & pen down an initial ownership report soon!

[daniksta]

Originally Posted by LilBimmer

So. I made the call, coughed up my kidney, and got it.��

Thanks a lot for your post LilBimmer. I am considering an a45 and my main question to you now that you’ve had it for a bit is how are you coping with the low ground clearance? I test drove the car - absolutely loved it but was stressed every time i approached a speed bump. Your answer would be very helpful in my decision making .
Btw i bought an e53 and sold it a few minths later and i think you made a good choice with the a45 as it has that completely nuts aggressiveness and handling . The e53 i felt never really gave me that real satisfaction although the exhaust note was louder than the a45 the handling and acceleration felt very tame compared to the a45.

Hope you have a lot of fun with your new car!

[LilBimmer]

Originally Posted by daniksta

Thanks a lot for your post LilBimmer. I am considering an a45 and my main question to you now that you’ve had it for a bit is how are you coping with the low ground clearance? I test drove the car - absolutely loved it but was stressed every time i approached a speed bump. Your answer would be very helpful in my decision making .

Hope you have a lot of fun with your new car!

Hey,

Sure. It some times does scrape, but for the most part it’s fine. I now know all the speed breakers it scrapes on (so far, only in the suburbs, no issues in town) and I work a slightly different route to avoid them.

On a separate note, I think I test drove your e53 through a dealer, if it was silver, before I bought the A45. Ultimately while both the e53 and GLC43 seemed more practical to own on paper, I had a feeling that this might be my first and last ICE performance car, so decided to go the whole hog and get a full AMG, no halfway measures. If it’s any consolation, my mom loved tHe E53. Cheers.

[daniksta]

Thanks a lot for your reply, something to think about for me , I guess it will have to be a pure city car and definitely no trips to alibaug or longer drives elsewhere then which is sad .

Yup that was prob my e53.

Im sure moms would love it - its super comfy and has all the practical luxury bits and bobs i guess.

I sold it primarily because it was too practical while i feel the a45 just has some craziness that i can deal with while im still in my 40’s lol. Its so much sharper in handling and performance.

I will miss the adjustable suspension height feature though!!

Originally Posted by LilBimmer

Hey,

Sure. It some times does scrape, but for the most part it’s fine. I now know all the speed breakers it scrapes on (so far, only in the suburbs, no issues in town) and I work a slightly different route to avoid them.

On a separate note, I think I test drove your e53 through a dealer, if it was silver, before I bought the A45.

If it’s any consolation, my mom loved tHe E53. Cheers.

[LilBimmer]

Originally Posted by daniksta

I sold it primarily because it was too practical while i feel the a45 just has some craziness that i can deal with while im still in my 40’s lol. Its so much sharper in handling and performance!

Thanks buddy. I feel validated. It’s not the correct choice for most people who will roll their eyes, call you crazy, and say “you bought a hatchback for HOW much…????”

On the other hand, it’s absolutely the closest you can get (to a point) to a supercar for not insane money. And that’s good enough for me.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by LilBimmer

And that’s good enough for me.

How is the ownership going? You should start a thread.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

How is the ownership going? You should start a thread.

How's the car treating you? Any issues with the ground clearance in Gurgaon?

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

How's the car treating you? Any issues with the ground clearance in Gurgaon?

Car has been treating me well, it's a very special machine but not at all what I expected (A compact hatchback with lots of power). It is pretty big and low, it does scrape a bit on bad speed breakers so you need to be careful. Normal life in Gurgaon/NCR is not an issue, just isn't as practical like the mini. It's more of a pocket supercar.