Mercedes-Benz CLA review

With its unique body style, the CLA is different from other saloons you’ll see on the road. It looks like a coupe but it’s also very practical with lots of space in the front and a decent-sized boot. It’s also great to drive with efficient engines and comfortable seats.

Like many Mercedes-Benz interiors, the CLA is beautifully laid out. It features a digital speedometer and a tablet-style infotainment screen mounted on top of the dashboard.
While the CLA is practical and spacious, it’s coupe-like sloping roof isn’t great for tall passengers in the back.

The CLA feels luxurious and has a low seating position for a sporty vibe. It also has plenty of adjustment options.

The steering wheel is chunky and all the materials you see and touch are high-quality. There are also plenty of controls on the steering wheel as well as a dial to control Mercedes-Benz’ Comand infotainment system. All the basic functionality is easy to understand and use.
There’s reasonable storage with a cubbyhole between the seats, a number of cup holders and the usual door pockets and glove box.

In spite of its coupe-like roofline, there's a good amount of space upfront, but it lacks some of the practicality of a regular saloon, mainly for your back seat passengers.

Boot space was 470 litres on the original version but this drops to 460 litres in the new model. This is enough space to hold a number of suitcases and you can fold the seats down if you need more. Boot capacity increases to 495 litres on the Shooting Brake estate.

AMG-Line models are popular and have lots of sporty trim elements inside as do the performance derivatives, the CLA 34 and CLA45 AMG.

The CLA is sportier than the larger C-Class or rivals such as the Audi A3 saloon. This means a firmer ride and a tendency to feel the bumps more on broken road surfaces. If you’re going to spend lots of time on good roads and motorways the CLA will give you a composed ride. Sport models have a practical comfort setting that improves things, while AMG models look and feel sportier.

The ride was very similar in the last generation of the A-Class but, like the hatchback, things have improved in the latest version. It’s more comfortable with a better ride that puts it on a par with its rivals.

Engines range from fuel-efficient diesels to the sporty CLA35 and CLA45 AMG petrols with decent performance figures. While there are a few manual versions available, most CLAs are automatics which make long-distance cruising a breeze and also take the slog out of commuter traffic.

Prices are similar to the Audi A3 saloon and you can expect to pay less if you go for one of the not so popular manual versions.

The diesels deliver up to 67 mpg, which is excellent and you won’t pay that much extra for them over the petrol versions.
Insurance costs can be substantially higher than the Audi and even the A-Class. Parts and servicing costs are similar to its German rivals but are more than non-premium competitors.

The CLA has an average reputation for reliability, with a few electronics and interior component issues. It’s also had a number of recalls, mainly related to airbags. A proper service history will ensure they were fixed at the time.

Like all Mercedes-Benz models, safety is excellent with a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating and loads of kit, including multiple airbags and electronic driver assistance systems, which all come as standard.