I’m looking to decide on a car between the 2 and not sure which to pick. I like the c43 as it’s interior quality and drive is better compared to the cla35, but the cla35 has a much more modern interior and sportier exterior too. Anybody have any input on this(price aside)?
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Larger car with proven reliable V6 engine vs smaller car with potentially suspect 4 cylinder engine that shares foundational parts with the piston cracking M274 engine.

C43.

 

Happy new year!

I posted a reply on your other thread: https://mbworld.org/forums/cla-35-am...ml#post8480127

I am not sure if the information was not helpful/helpful or you have further questions as I never got a reply, I am not sure if you missed the post or not but just in case you did, I linked it again here. If you did indeed saw the post and decided you didn't want to reply, that is perfectly fine, in that case I am sorry to bring it up again.

It was however a right decision for you to post it again in this sub-forum as it is more active, hopefully someone else here chimes in with their experience or knowledge with both vehicles.

Please do ask if you have further questions because I am more than happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge.

 

test drove both. c43 was the pure winner. i suggest you do the same, if not its just a mental list of pros and cons =)

 

I find these types of cross shopping always odd. You are comparing two vehicles from different segments. The CLA does have its upsides such as lower curb weight, therefore nimbler, but it's based on an FWD platform with the rear axle being called in for duty when required and it doesn't have the trick torque vectoring rear differential from the 45. The C43 is an RWD platform, although the old 4MATIC system is kinda crap. Just google tire crabbing for example to learn about some of its issues, but under normal conditions more torque is going to the rear and that gives it better driving dynamics.

As for the cabin tech, which seems to be your main criteria, personally I'm not a fan of the first generation MBUX. I think it's been rushed to market and shoehorned into the small two screen setup. Ergonomically it's kind of a dud. Even in the CLA I have to lean forward to reach the touchscreen and can't rest my arm to hit a target while moving. I much prefer the latest version of COMAND in the C43/63 as the UI works much better with the physical controls (jog wheel instead of silly swiping with a touchpad), and I prefer the cockpit style interior with the recessed digital dash. IMO, that looks much more sporty than the two iPads stuck to the dash. One of the annoyances of the two side-by-side screens, is that the steering wheel is always blocking part of the screens.

The CLA is also a much cheaper platform and you can feel it. I haven't driven the 35 and 45, but I've had a CLA 250 loaner. Just not the same level, compared to my C63S coupe at least. The CLA is more disco like with the ambient lighting so at night it looks quite nice, but during the day you kinda feel the cheapness. It starts with the stalks on the steering wheel column. They feel very cheap plasticky in the CLA. The ones in the C have a more quality feel to them. It continues with the seat controls on the doors, over to the center console, vents etc. It's just a noticeable downgrade.

 

Minor point, but when I swapped out the OEM run-flats for new tires (Continental DWS06), the crabbing went away completely.