FRS/BRZ vs. CLA 250
 

I already posted a thread on the CLA Forum but I really wanted to go into detail on my dilemma or maybe even someone else's dilemma.

First off, a little introduction. I have owned a 96 Eclipse, 00 Civic Si, 08 Civic Si, and I currently drive a 13 FRS. So right off the bat you can tell that I have had PLENTY of FWD cars. I also worked on these cars quite often as well. I have been following this car for some time now and I really am torn. It's almost as if Mercedes said "Lets take everything from the FRS/BRZ and do the opposite and then sell it for the same price." Here's the reasons I BELIEVE this:

1. Pricing: Roughly the same price. Yes the BONE stock CLA will be about 30K so we are talking roughly 2-5K more which isn's a lot. Currently owning the FRS, there werent a ton of ways to get anything else out of it so the CLA is nice in that regard that it has a plethora of options. I wouldn't even mind the extra cost as the CLA is, well, a MERCEDES. Bravo!

2. MPG: This is roughly the same as well. The CLA will get better gas milage in the city as the ECO Start/Stop is an awesome addition. But as far as highway and the CLA having the twin scroll I can't imagine them being too far off in a real world scenario.

3. Interior: Hands down goes to the CLA. OBVIOUSLY. That's what you get when you buy a Mercedes. The class is all over the place. The FRS interior is cheap to put it nicely. The seats look similiar but I am not sure. I also want to point out that one thing I am in no interest of is leather. I actually don't like it and it may be due to the fact that I live in Phoenix and well, it's just not really a luxury lol.

4. Exterior: Oh boy... Well, as most of you will point out, this is like comparing apples to oranges IMO. They really were made to appeal to two different types of people. There is more class vs. more sporty. I honestly LOVE the look of the FRS. It just looks aggressive but the CLA has some real potential. Although I won't even be close to the price of the AMG version, the AMG version looks PERDY. I actually think both look great but I would like to see my car seated next to the CLA. That will really give me a good idea of what Exterior I think looks better. From the pictures, it seems to me the CLA is much bigger than the FRS but we will see (Yes I can look at dimensions but to put side by side will be a better comparison). I am also curious to see the build quality of the exteriors. The FRS up close might come off as cheap but again I'd like to see the CLA in person. Toyobaru did want to keep the cost of this car down.

5. Suspension/Handling/Transmission: This is hard to say as I have not yet driven the CLA. First off I want to say, WHY?!?!?! For the love of GOD, why did you make this car FWD lol. This is probably the most negative feature I see with this car. I understand they were keeping the price down but FWD is just a bummer. Torque steer, Body Roll (especially on a 3300lbs car) and just no excitement. And if you ever wanted to squeeze a bit more out of the motor, you will only make it worse. I just have never understood the reason for a 4 cyc turbo FWD. It just doesnt make any sense to me. I do understand it comes with an optional 4MATIC AWD but with that you just had huge powertrain loss on a motor that already has 208 for power. With that comes the next bad for me, no option for a manual. I haven't driven with a car with a paddle shifter but I do love the control you get with a stick. This might grow on me as I have heard that the Dual Clutch is actually quite good, so some part of me really wants to test it out.

6. Performance: I must say I am very excited to feel that torque in CLA. The FRS has a GROTESQUE torque curve. I have had it tuned on E85 since and it is MUCH better and almost none existent so it feels much better. I'd like to see how the CLA performes. It already has awesome perks. Twin scroll turbo, 208 hp, 258 lbs of torque, Direct Injection. That thing has some serious potential. Granted it's Mercedes first 4 cyclinder so I might wait (if I do decide the CLA) to make sure they iron out all of the kinks.

7. Warranty: I don't know if this matters for some people but considering this is the first time I have used a warranty with the FRS, it actually is kinda nice considering it's a new car as well and if anything goes wrong they will fix it. They both have pretty similiar warraties and I am curious if any Mercedes owners have had good experiences with their warranty services.

8. Tech: This is something that realy sways me towards the CLA. The gadgets and the Tech this car has is AWESOME to say the least. It has so many assists! It really makes the car feel like its a Mercedes. You feel like you have a ton of class and I bet it is insanely comfortable. I will say that this having so many assists it might feel like the car is doing all of the work but again that might be why many people buy this car. The FRS is all about you doing the work.

Summary: The weight, tranny, torque, turbo, interior, and tech, are all swapped on these cars. It's going from one end of the spectrum to the other. I must say that many of you are going to say this is an apples to oranges comparison and they are made in a completely different way and apply to different crowd altogether. And you are definitely right. I do agree with that statement. Maybe it's me not being able to come up with a decision on whether I want comfort and class, or a "drivers" sports car. For the past month and half, I really just can't decide what I want to do. I love how the FRS drives it just has a cheap outlook to it, whereas the CLA is class, comfort, and techy, but its heavy, AWD (my model at least), and a bit pricey.

I am really curious what you guys think especially anyone who has a twin. I tried to make this as unbiased as possible and with as much knowledge as I have on these two. What are your thoughts?

I think you hit the nail on the head with that. It's one of those thing that only you can decide after thinking about how you use your car and why you like it.

FR-S if...
- you love track, autocross, or backroads/canyons
- you want a proper sports car (driver feedback, handling, steering, suspension, driving position, redline, MT)
- you want power oversteer

CLA if...
- you will only use it as a commuter car
- you want a classy-looking sedan
- you value an upscale, comfortable interior
- you want midrange torque

Definietly lean way towards the FRS. It's just more fun!

Yeah that would be my decision as well. Mainly because I can't ever see myself bringing a CLA to the track or autocross.

:burnrubber:

To each his own. If you want the luxuries take the mb if you want some spirited driving stick with the frs

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Agreed. I will take it for a test drive. I am curious what the car feels like. However, it's going to take a lot for me to switch. Every car I drive feels heavy and no fun.

I for one will be looking at the CLA when the dealer gets it.. I love my FRS, but performance I have a 2011 GSXR 750.. So I'm good for performance.. The FRS with everything was 31-32 out the door.. About what I can get the base CLA.. I've always had family cars, the FRS is my first real sports car and not a sporty 2 door like I used to have.. But I could be easily be sold I to a Benz that's new and affordable

If you test drive it before me, please let me know what you think. Haha, I feel you on the performance, my bike is more than enough for me.

Have you considered insurance? There may be a big difference between the two.

Excellent point! I can only imagine it would be considerably higher. It's a freakin Mercedes -___-

Not necessarily. Your age is a factor, as is your location and claims reported per owner. Yes, the name can carry some weight, but as this is a new car for the line, you may find that the rates are low at first (that's been the experience of a lot of early Twins buyers). Its worth looking into :)

i would NOT get a CLA over a FRS... unless it was a CLA 45:drool:

i came from a 2013 lexus gs350 f sport, i do miss it sometimes, but i feel the FRS fits me better right now

HA! Yea I wish... That's a pretty penny, but it sure is PURDY. The Lexus is a nice car too! If the FRS fits you better than that is definitely saying something.

:word: My friend has a CLA45 on order, he's trading in his C63 for it.

I can't even imagine how common the CLA250 is going be with that kind of base price.

If I had to choose an entry level luxury car right now, I'd get the new IS250 F-Sport.

hes giving up his v8!?:(
look at how many C class are out there, times that by 5 and thats probably how many cla250 theres gonna be on the road

I think you should do the FRS + Innovate supercharger :)

Who cares about luxury when your enjoying a raw bare essentials sports car? I don't need my seats to warm my butt, my seats to adjust to everybody who sits in *my* seat lol.

This ^. I thought about the 45 but a couple things bother me specifically. The wheel wells are too unbalanced and disproportionately small for the mass of the body. The rear is even more unbalanced by this problem, something MB exaggerated w/ the CLA more so than Caddy has w/ its current lineup. Can't stand how it looks directly from the side. I also hate the cheap looking static screen that just sits there like a $200 knock off tablet from China. If I were you, I'd keep the FRS and get the CLA based SUV instead to cover more bases.

Personally I've always been into lightweight, agile cars. Few years ago thought I might be getting softer so picked up something w/ leather, wood, turbo and AWD to replace a beater sedan. A few years later, I'm really tired of it for DD. Too big, fat and unresponsive. That's why I got the FRS which matches my driving style/attitude much better, gets better mileage and carries more cargo. I know now, I'll never be happy to DD anything tall w/ 4 doors that ways more than 2,700-2,800lbs. I prize being one w/ car and road w/ instant response to my will as number one. The FRS will probably be the furthest away from that I'll ever go in a DD from now on.

So the lesson here is, stop trying to figure out whether to go fwd sedan or rwd coupe and figure yourself out first. Once you learn about yourself, you'll stop benchmarking hypotheticals and find what makes you happy in real life. Then the answer will be clear.

So who are you really? The plush and oblivious A-hole Merc driver or the zippy crotch rocket guy in tune w/ death's doorstep?

On a side note, one thing I hate about many sedans is the lack of fold down rear seating. Total waste of utility for such a big heavy beast. Any car w/o trunk pass through is automatically DQ'd for me unless it's MR.

O boy... getting rid of the C63, that's quite a move. I was checking out the Agency Power C63 and wow... That thing is a monster...

Yea I have been thinking about going FI. In reality it makes a lot of sense in terms of price. I get the power and I get to keep my FRS, but it still does have that cheap factor to it.

Understandable. And I wouldn't say ALL merc drivers are A-holes... just the majority lol. I am 85% sure I am going to stay with what I have. After losing the torque dip, it just feels so much more fun to drive. And coming from a civic, I can live without the luxury.

wow you didn't keep that for very long lol. Imagine if those Lexus sedans came with manual transmissions...

I am not sure I love the front end on this car. It (the grill/front) seems disproportionate to the rest of the car. Otherwise it seems lie a solid deal for a Mercedes. That said no manual, and many reviews say the dual clutch tranny is vague... I would like to drive one, but this car is no FT86...

Sounds like peeps looking for a CLA 250, but wanting it to be a bit more "86ish" should be looking into a Cadillac ATS 2.0T w/ manual trans.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuR1l30ySZA"]Road Test: 2013 Cadillac ATS - YouTube[/ame]

I was also stuck against getting a Caddy, but the car has most of what people have mentioned that the CLA 250 is lacking. The ATS made my very short list, but eventually figured I didn't need the rear doors.

2014 Cadillac ATS 2.0T (MT)
$34,900 MSRP - Selling for $31,000 OTD in most areas.
RWD - 6 speed manual trans
272 hp @ 5500 rpm
260 ft-lbs. @ 1700 rpm
50/50 weight distribution
Limited Slip Diff
21/31 MPG

http://modifiedcars.biz/wp-content/u...S-3Tuning3.jpg
http://modifiedcars.biz/2013-cadillac-ats-sports-sedan/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuR1l30ySZA

It's his daily and his commute is over an hr so MPG might be a factor. I thought he was going to get the C63 Coupe but nope.:iono:

Do not buy the low end model of a luxury brand. Unless you are a badge whore you will get bored really quick.

And you're not going to find one for 30k. Most will be optioned out and would probably be in the mid to high 30's.

i just tried *building* my CLA this weekend and with only the sports package and headlights... it was like 35k+. I seriously would just keep the frs unless you want to move on to classy cars and brands. If i could do it over... i'd get the FRS because of my age and where I am in life... now give me another 4 years and I'd buy the CLA any day.

I actually drove a CLA last week. It was priced at 41k and had a racing inspired interior. The exterior looks really nice. Compared to the FR-S (if you can), when the driver seat is set up for my 6'5" frame, there is no room behind me (just like the FR-S). The driver and front passenger doors are really small and I sit well behind the post in between both font and back doors. I found the engine rather sluggish. I asked about the AMG 65 version and they said they would be getting some in and would be priced around 65k. (My only beef with the 65k price is that you can get a C-Class coupe that is way nicer for less.) This past weekend I ended up buying another FR-S. Not that I was deciding on either of the two as I have been wanting my own FR-S ever since my wife sold her's and bought a Lexus.

We had the 2011 IS250 F-Sport Pearl White. Now the wife has a 2013 IS250C F-Sport Black. Drives the same and has that great exhaust sound.

Jesus, 26psi boost from the factory? And BMW thought they were cool for going 19 on the new M4.

I saw a CLA on the dealer lot a few weeks ago, I really dislike the looks. The front grille looks like the new iPhone 5C case.

Yep I used the build your feature and kept getting $37k. That's the price you see a lot of them at on lots.

Also, I saw my first one on the road yesterday. Then I saw my second one on the road yesterday. Great looking cars, good price point, but they're gonna be everywhere.

The C class Benz wouldn't cut it for me as a spots car replacement.
Might be a good commuter car, but will never replace the Go-Kart experience the FRS provides. The CLA is the opposite of "pure" anything..
It will just be another appliance like commuter car with boost... Meh...

I saw one of these on the road the other day. Did not look as good as I was expecting.

I don't agree with that statement. I'd rather have a cayman over a 911 and I'm sure I would prefer the new 2-series to the 3/4-series BMW.

The biggest problem with the CLA is the same problem the new BMW 1-series is going to have. It is fwd and they expect you to pay premium price for an inherently cheaper drive train. The only CLA i would consider would be the AMG, but with the car being a fwd car I'm sure the awd setup will be fwd biased.

I saw a bunch of them at a dealership and I couldn't believe mercedes created such a hideous car. They use clever camera angles in the commercials to make it look FARRR nicer than it really is.

Additionally, like caradd said...theres no point to buying the lowest model of a luxury brand unless you're a badge whore. It's like being the 3rd string quarterback on a superbowl winning team...yeah you're associated with greatness...but you kinda suck lolol *worst of the best*

Additionally insurance will probably be more expensive and maintenance and replacement parts are probably insanely expensive.

Remember, the CLA is built on the A-series platform, MB's budget platform. Once you put even a few options on it, it hits into the upper 30's. I have a feeling very few of these will be available at base price with no options. I've never seen a single luxury brand that had any base cars on their lots.

i dont think you will turn as many heads in a CLA compare to being in a FR-S.

I work at mercedes benz as a tech and ive driven both the cla 250 and the cla45 (got lucky) and they are very nice cars but i havent seen one under 39k and most are in the 40s, as a daily driver it would be a great car but it wont be nearly as fun as the frs.

I remember reading (I forget where) that the torque split on the CLA45 will range from 90-10 (front-rear) to 50-50, and it will never send more than half the power to the rear. Assuming that's correct, it's really disappointing, since the car will basically drive like a FWD platform all the time. I'm also disappointed about the new 1 series - I was hoping that the new 1 series would be a lighter, smaller RWD platform than the current 1 series. That would make it more of a driver's car, since the 3 series has grown so much recently, leaving a gap for a small, lightweight, fun rwd platform. Instead though, they will be catering to the people who want a BMW simply for brand recognition. I'm sure they'll make tons of profit that way, but it is disappointing to me.

I know Top Gear Magazine was disappointed with the understeer in the A45 AMG, and I believe it shares its AWD drivetrain with the CLA45.


http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/spe...amg-2013-08-16

Maybe in the 1st yr of the CLA. Seen 2 of them on the road and the front end looks pretty sharp. Unfortunately the CLA will be more common than the C-Class in the near future.

I guess the CLA is a bust. Here is hoping the 2-series doesn't chunk out like the 3/4-series did. Honestly the only car I can actually look forward to possibly owning in the future seems to be the Cayman.

I saw a yellow 981 on the road the other day... :drool: