- Entry into AMG territory has never been this easy or this attractive.
The 2019 Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan offers an easy entry into the realm of German performance driving shared by the M cars over in BMW at an an amazing price of RM348,888.00. Mind you, that would mean that for a slight premium above other performance compacts such as the Volkswagen Golf R (RM294,390.00) and the Honda Civic Type R (RM330,002.00), you can be the proud owner of a piece of Stuttgarts finest which is a grown up A 45 in practical saloon body and just as exciting as its predecessor.
- It competes with the ‘best’ in class.
The 2019 Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan turbocharged 4-cylinder 2.0 litre engine pumps out 306 horsepower and 400 nm of torque. Pairing these numbers with the Mercedes-AMG specific 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, we have an amazing 0-100 km/h time of 4.8 seconds. In contrast to that, the Type R gets to 100kph in 5.8 seconds, while the Golf R does it in 5.1 seconds.
The closest competitors being the Volkswagen Golf R produces 287 horsepower and 380 nm of torque out of a turbocharged 4-cylinder 2.0 litre engine and the popular Honda Civic Type R produces 306 horsepower and 400 nm of torque also out of a turbocharged 4-cylinder 2.0 litre engine. So in terms of raw numbers, they are pretty evenly matched, with almost similar or slightly better performance figures. Yet this is considered to be the ‘detuned’ A Class AMG model.
- Driving dynamics and transmissions.
The A 35 sports an AMG specific 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system which gives it better stability and confident driving dynamics as you’re cruising down city streets or carving out canyons. Again this is an AMG specific offering which has trickled down to the entry level performance cars. Only the Golf R has AWD as well, while the Civic Type R makes do with a front wheel drive setup and a really well sorted Mechanical Limited Slip Differential.
With the amount of power and torque these cars provide, an AWD transmission, that too a performance focused one would provide the best experience. Its the proper tool a driver needs to reel it all in, whilst keeping safe and confident at all times. It should also be noted that in terms of performance numbers, the A 35 is also the highest.
- What ownership of these cars entail.
These cars command similar price tags, similar performance but very different outlooks. To put these into perspective, in the upper echelons for RM300,000.00, you have a Japanese boy-racers dreamcar, a flagship offering from Volkswagen and a performance sedan brandishing the letters AMG and of course the 3 Point Star.
Where these cars differ would be in the luxuries provided on the interior. The Golf R is not too different from the lower-tier GTI albeit having a few more R badges. The Civic Type-R is largely similar to your regular Civic with a manual gearbox and red accents here and there to remind you you’re in a Type R. The A 35 however comes with a whole slew of MBUX multimedia features and and luxuries such as wireless charging, active lane and parking assist, blind spot monitoring system, AMG design touches, nappa leather and Mercedes Connect me services. This connection service rivals BMW’s connected drive and is one of the most sophisticated car user experience enhancers currently on the market.
- Makes Ringgit Sense.
When it comes right down to it, from a financing point of view at their listed prices.With a 30% downpayment the monthly instalments for 7 and 5 years:
Mercedes A 35 = RM2,907.40 (7 years) and RM4,070.36 (5 years)Honda Civic Type R = RM2,750.02 (7 years) and RM3,850.02 (5 years)Volkswagen Golf R = RM2,453.25 (7 years) and RM3,434.55 (5 years)
As you can see, once you break it down they are not very far apart and at the end of the day, the most comprehensive bang for your ringgit in our opinion would be the 2019 Mercedes-AMG A 35 4MATIC Sedan as you get power, prestige, panache and the 3 Point Star to adorn your driveway. That’s something you will not need to explain to anyone.
We would love to hear your thoughts on which car you would choose also is there another segment you would like us to tackle as well? Let us know in the comments below!
By: Joshua John
