Mercedes A35 vs A45S: Is the A45S REALLY worth £15,000 more!? | 4K

Mercedes A35 and A45 S are, on the surface, almost identical cars. They're both high-performance versions of the A-Class. They both do 0-60 like that, and they both kind of look the same. But there is one key difference that separates these two cars. Money. That black car, £35,000. This yellow one, £50,000. Now, you'd think, being the cheaper car, that the A35 would be pretty rubbish. The truth is, it's not. £35,000 buys you a lot of car. £35,000 buys you a 2-litre turbocharged engine that makes 300 horsepower and 400 newton-metres of torque, and it will do 0-62 in 4.7 seconds. For a hatchback, that's pretty decent, especially considering most hot hatches are doing 0-62 in sub-7, sub-6 seconds. This thing's a proper little terrier. It's actually quick enough to embarrass a lot of sports cars, and that's down to the fact that the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system just launches it away from the line so aggressively. You can get on the power super early. It is genuinely hilarious to drive. And then, when you get to the twisty bits, where you think it might fall down, it's actually really capable. It changes direction like a flight in a tornado. You get yourself on a straight, it just pulls really nicely. Seven-speed dual-clutch slaps with every change. Not as quick as I'd like it to be, but, damn! This is an impressive little car for the money. The only problem, if I was going to be picky... Can you hear that? That's understeer. The front tyres just wash a little bit wide when you're carrying a little bit too much speed through the bends. You've got to be careful, you've got to be patient. But when you are, that power just rewards you. It's a really nice, really capable, even slightly playful little hatchback. And, unlike many hot hatches, which can feel a little bit rough around the edges, this is a proper Mercedes. Its interior is about as smart as it gets. The leather is upmarket, the vents look as if they've been taken from a high-end private jet, and this infotainment display is wide enough to make an IMAX jealous. It's every bit the Merc, and certainly doesn't lose out to the A45 S where quality is concerned. In fact, apart from the A45 S's Alcantara and slightly more sporty, more supportive yellow-striped seats, it has the same interior as the more expensive car. They're even quite similar on the outside. They've got the same headlights, the same lower grille, the same little aero flicks on the side. OK, there's a couple of things that help you differentiate one from the other. For example, on the A45 S, you've got this Panamerica-style grille with the vertical strakes that makes it look that little bit more aggressive. And on the side, you've got six-piston calipers versus four pots, unique wheels. Then, around the back, again, it's all very, very similar. They both have almost identical spoilers, the same rear diffuser. The only big difference is the fact that the A45 S has quad exhaust as opposed to twins. Very, very similar. Separated at birth, really. There are differences, of course. The A45 S promises to be a high-performance car with some very geeky tweaks under the surface. Chassis stiffening, a strut brace, the kind of tweaks that if you told people about them down the pub might cause everyone to make their excuses and leave. Like I said, boring. But there is one big difference that you will want to brag about down the pub. The engine. Traction off, race start. Whoa! Oh, my God. That's 60 in 3.9 seconds. Jesus! It might use a 2.0-litre engine, but it is nothing like the 2.0-litre engine in the A35. This thing is making 421 horsepower, 500 newton-metres of torque. It is an absolute animal. That's 120 horsepower more than you get in the A35. That makes it the most powerful 2.0-litre engine in any series production car. And then there's the A45 S's party trick. It's not just shockingly fast in a straight line. It also loves the corners. Look at this. Fully sideways in a hatchback. Hot hatches just aren't supposed to do this. That's the kind of stuff that's normally reserved for proper AMGs. But look at this. That's leg up. And it's so simple as well. You just approach a corner, turn it in, bang on the power, and round it goes. How is it doing this? While the A35 uses 4MATIC all-wheel drive, the A45 S uses 4MATIC+. This includes a pair of clutches on the rear axle that can distribute 100% of torque to either rear wheel to help it break traction. There are no other hot hatches doing that right now. I mean, the Focus RS used to do it, but that car basically doesn't exist anymore. So... this thing is in a class of one. It's making me feel like a complete driving god. And the good thing is, it can be neat and tidy as well. This car isn't just a drift machine. You can actually get it turned in, get on the power super early, and it's a really, really accomplished sports car in its own right. Absolute hooligan of a thing, but, my God, the balance. I remember the old A45 and while it was a very fast car, it wasn't that much fun to drive. This is completely different. It's engaging, it's involving. This is a hell of a machine. If I was going to criticise one thing, I would say that the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox is a little bit on the sluggish side. You change gear and it takes half a second too long before it changes up or down, but once you get used to it, that's completely irrelevant. The brakes, super strong, much stronger than you get in the A35. You can really lean on them. But above all else, the front end on this car, you approach a corner, get it slowed down, turn it in. Tiny bit of understeer, but, honestly... it's so good. Do you know what? It feels like they've lavished a lot of time, energy and engineering prowess on a little hatchback that's completely deserving of the AMG name. But whichever way you look at it, 50 grand is a lot of money. Yeah, 50k buys you a lot of car, but so does 35 grand. And with a 15-grand price difference, that gives you a lot of cash to spend on other things. For example, I fire up the old AutoTrader app and if you bought a brand-new A35, you could use the change to buy a Bentley Continental GT, a BMW M3, a TVR, a Panamera. I mean, look at this, if you really wanted an A45, you could buy a brand-new A35 and a used A45 for the same price as a brand-new A45 S. You could buy a new screen for my phone. Or you could buy 85 bottles of my new fragrance, Odor New Car, exclusively by AutoTrader. Yes, 15 grand for the privilege of spending yet more money to destroy your rear tyres does seem like a lot. So what we need to find out is if that difference is tangible when both cars are pushed to their limits on a fast lap. Unfortunately, the weather was against us. At this point, the heavens had opened, large puddles had begun to form and an already treacherous kerbera became more slippery than ever. Off the line, both cars get a staggeringly good launch despite the lack of traction. But by the first corner, the 45 S pulls ahead by a car length. Over the next couple of corners, the A35 hangs on gamely, showing neat body control and stable handling. As I exit the chicane, the 45 S's 120-horsepower advantage means it's more of a handful to keep tidy. Notice that snap oversteer. These corrections make the car feel more alive in your hands. The big right-hander is all about mitigating understeer, where the A35 suffers slightly. Even on that short run from the last corner, the A45 S crosses the line, winning by 1.25 seconds. We've got to give credit to the A35. Despite its massive power disadvantage, it still put in a good show. But it was no match for the absurdly quick A45 S. So, the £15,000 question. Could you ever be justified in spending all that extra cash on the A45 S when the A35 is so damn good? I think the simple answer is absolutely. The A35 is a brilliant car. It's a lot of fun to drive. It's fast. It's great to look at. But this, this thing, is in another league entirely. It will always be difficult to justify that price premium, but the results speak for themselves. The fact it can be fast and neat one minute or a complete sideways lunatic the next is what makes the A45 S a unique proposition and one that's worthy of its price tag. The A35 is a great hot hatch trying its best to be a sports car, but the A45 S is much more than that. It's a genuinely good sports car trapped in the body of a hatchback.