Thread of the Day: Audi S3 Sedan or Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG?

Thread of the Day: Audi S3 Sedan or Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG? It’s no coincidence that the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG and Audi S3 sedan were both shown at the 2013 New York auto show, because as the saying goes, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. That’s exactly what the two German automakers are doing by firing back at each other with equally impressive products. But which one would you choose? For today’s Thread of the Day, we want to know whether you’d pick the S3 sedan or the CLA45 AMG.

Thread of the Day: Audi S3 Sedan or Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG?

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 Thread of the Day: Audi S3 Sedan or Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG?

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 Thread of the Day: Audi S3 Sedan or Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG?

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In terms of styling, the CLA45 looks like a mini version of the elegant CLS63, sporting many of its larger sibling’s lines and curves. Underneath the hood is a hand-built, turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 that packs 355 hp and 332 lb-ft, making it the most powerful four-cylinder in production, according to Mercedes. You can hear all its glory thanks to a butterfly valve installed in the exhaust system, which automatically opens to deliver a throatier sound at wide open throttle. With standard all-wheel drive and AMG-ified interior, the CLA45 starts at $48,375.

The S3 sedan has a nostalgic thing going for it since its dimensions are close to those of the original Audi A4. While powertrain details haven’t been revealed, Audi says we can predict the S3 will produce almost 300 horsepower, and while that’s not as much as the CLA’s, the Audi packs much more inside to lure tech-savvy customers. Exclusive features include 4G LTE connectivity, which increases a phone’s coverage, and an infotainment screen that’s just 0.43 inches thick. The S3 can also be turned into a wifi hotspot. Audi also says it will be priced competitively with the CLA45.

So, which compact high-performance luxury sedan would you chose? Tell us your decision in the comments below.