The original Mercedes CLA and GLA cars were not the most well received in their “regular” versions. While they were inexpensive for something with a Benz badge, you definitely noticed the cost on the inside. Of course, a healthy dose of horsepower from the AMG division fixed all that, and now the CLA/GLA 45 AMG cars can be found cheaper than you might expect.

The Mercedes CLA has had an interesting evolution. It went from a frumpy, compact version of the CLS four-door “coupe” to it’s most recent version. There is even a along with a

Back in 2014, and even our own . It’s not bad, but not great either. The Mercedes-AMG crew couldn’t do much about the interior, but they did crank up the juice to 355 horsepower and sent it to the ground via a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which improve the little, though not cheap with a starting price at the time of around $50,000.

However, if you are currently in the market for a new Civic, or something similar, and are feeling adventurous perhaps take a look at some used AMG CLA 45s, which can be had with reasonable miles and for less than $30,000.

The GLA 45 AMG hatchbacks are a bit harder to come by and most tick over $30,000 mark.

Now, your average Civic shopper isn’t likely going to go for a five-year-old AMG Mercedes with an obscene amount of horsepower for such a little car, but for the right buyer, these German pocket rockets could be a solid opportunity for a little fun before life takes a more responsible turn.