Again, the torque steer wail and cry . . . has anyone bothered to read the first impression test drives and reviews of the current cars?

Car&Driver

An all-wheel-drive CLA250 4MATIC will arrive a few months after the CLA’s September 2013 launch, but we found no issues with torque steer or traction in the front-driver, despite the new four-cylinder’s robust torque.

Edmunds

Much of the credit goes to the fact that there's very little tugging at the steering wheel during acceleration. So-called torque steer is typically a dead giveaway that a car is having trouble steering and propelling itself with the same wheels. We tried to get the CLA to squirm with big doses of throttle, but the steering wheel barely quivered, even when pulling away from a stop.

Road & Track

Torque steer is virtually nonexistent on the two-wheel-drive car, and a pseudo-torque-vectoring function brakes the front wheels individually to help the car pivot into corners.

Motor Trend

Somewhat miraculously, given the torque at play, the driver’s sense of touch is never troubled with torque steer. I tried standing on the gas from a stop with the wheel turned, kicking down mid-corner at low speeds, and nuthin’. This is impressive, considering there’s no tricky multi-link virtual steering axis front suspension at work—just a humble strut and control-arm setup. It’s either magic, or (as Mercedes asserts) such forces are being cancelled by the electric power steering, which also allegedly compensates for extreme road crowns and heavy crosswinds, and applies corrective steering if the driver hasn’t mastered “steering into a skid.”

Don't care, unless its a Miura I won't buy a car with the motor facing left to right.

As they say in the BMW world, RWD as God and Munich intended them to be!

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2006 CL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2026 Genesis GV70
2007 Tiara 3200

My qualms are with ridiculous oversteer. I'd like to see them get over that. My gti had virtually no torque steer.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

90% of the driving public doesn't care if it's an automatic with FWD, RWD, AWD or floating on an electromagnetic field. It's almost like Mercedes is targeting...gasp...the unwashed masses.

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

From what I have read, I am excited for the CLA. Yes, FWD is a disappointment but with 4Matic, it should be fine (even though the reviewers seem to think the FWD is entirely capable). My favorite point about the car is that is has the lowest verifiable drag coefficient of any mass production vehicle ever. The VW XL1 and the GM EV1 were lower but neither are mass production, the EV1 was not really a consumer's car, plus the XL1 is not very practical. This drag coefficient paired with the 2.1l turbo diesel should make for a rather efficient, fun car. The CLA45 AMG is also pretty cool to me, it has gobs of power but is still rather efficient, better than the 190D, a similar car although much older. One could say the CLA is the true successor to the 190 with how big the C Class is now.

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Current: 1975 450SEL, 83 300D, 88 Yugo GVX, 90 300D OM603 swap, 91 F150 4.6 4v swap, 93 190E Sportline LE 3.0L M104 swap, 93 190E Sportline LE Megasquirt, 03 Sprinter, 06 E500 4Matic wagon.

I bought a brand new 2001 Volvo C70 turbo back when I lived in San Francisco. It was thefirst new car I ever purchased.
The torque steer was terrifying under full throttle from a standing start in that car, too.

It must have been cursed by every deity from Allah to Zeus, that Volvo. It turned out to be a lemon that was so awful I had to hire a Lemon Law attorney who finally recovered the entire $42k price of the car. plus attorney's fees - everything was a slam dunk case, I documented everything.

I would NEVER buy a front wheel drive car.

I would not mind renting one for a few days, if I had to, on a vacation or trip though..

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Anyone with $300 a month to spare who can fog a mirror.

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2006 CL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2026 Genesis GV70
2007 Tiara 3200

Check the Chris Harris /Drive video with regard to oversteer.

Love the opinion based on a 12 year old Volvo . . . priceless.

Daimler is making a bold move, likely a successful one if the motoring press is to be believed, by advancing its product line to a younger demographic (the average E Class owner is a married male, mid-50's) to not only generate sales, but to build brand loyalty. The old guard will continue to have products to enjoy, but youth (34+ ) will start to be served.

I now know what torque steer is with the MINI ... it's kind of lame

you mean 3 Series owners?

Been There, Done That! I would advise that you slow down and wait a year or two.

In the Summer of 2000 I was doing extensive traveling in Europe and was actually using Mercedesshop as a sort of diary of the trips. While I was in Germany they introduced the W203 C Class and I was instantly enamored like you are now.

When I came home I told my wife that if they would sell me a manual transmission version, I would buy one. A day or two later my copy of the Star magazine hit the mailbox and they said that they were indeed going to sell a manual transmission version in the US.

I was first in line to get one. It was probably among the first boatful of them to hit US shores. The car was a dream to drive, but the dreamed turned out to be a TERRIBLE nightmare. It had so many production problems, I thought I had bought a new Chevy.

My BIL was a tech at the dealership and told me that the cars were plagued with MANY Gremlins. They ironed them out pretty well in a year or two.

I would strongly suggest that you let them use some other buyer as their Guinea Pig. I understand your Zeal for the car, but recommend that you proceed cautiously.

Best of luck!

My father had an '86 Chrysler Lebaron GTS, I believe the only car he has ever bought brand new and it's what I took my driver's test in. It was a crazy/fun car for a 16yo with a new driver's license. Once the turbo spooled up, you really had to work to keep things headed in a straight line. MEGA torque steer!

Despite the reputation when it came to quality, my brother and I beat the hell out of that thing and my father put 150K on it without a hitch before selling it to my buddy who put another 30K while in college.

Snap!

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1980 300TD-China Blue/Blue MBTex-2nd Owner, 107K (Alt Blau) OBK #15
'06 Chevy Tahoe Z71 (for the wife & 4 kids, current mule) '03 Honda Odyssey (son #1's ride, reluctantly) '99 GMC Suburban (255K+ miles, semi-retired mule) 21' SeaRay Seville (summer escape pod)

Err . . the chassis and powerplant (W176) has been out for about a year as the A-Class around the world. It has been pretty much "gremlin" free during that time.

There is more to a car than suspension and drivetrain.

My W203 also consisted of previously proven components. That is not where the problems existed. It was mostly electronic Gremlins. If you want to be their Guinea Pig, ..... GO FOR IT!

Yes, but the manufacturer is in need of chumps to purchase their cars and act as 'test pilots'. Chumps, Schmucks, whatever, just as long as they pay us for the privilege to test out our latest plastic computerized, FWD rides and then report back to us the problems.

The chumps pay US for the privilege of being a test pilot. What kind of a deal is that?