It's impossible to look at the Mercedes-Benz CLA without comparing it to the Audi A3 sedan I drove just a few weeks ago. The two are about the same size, meant to appeal to the same market and actually even stickered within a few hundred dollars of each other when they came through the office. The verdict? I want to take pieces of both and build a third car.
From a style perspective, the Mercedes trounces the Audi inside and out; the interior of the Benz in particular is a far nicer place in which to spend time, feeling the part of a proper entry-level luxury car, whereas the Audi comes off as a Volkswagen -- and not a particularly well-equipped one at that. The Mercedes flaunts its unique and well-proportioned exterior lines as well, where even Audi aficionados will have to squint to tell if the car in front of them is an A3 or A4.
Under that sheetmetal and interior trim, though, the tables are turned. Where Mercedes' turbo four is peaky and seems dissatisfied coupled to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, Audi's turbo four and six-speed dual-clutch combo is exquisite. Whether sport or economy mode is selected, the Mercedes always seemed to be a half-gear shy of where it should have been, and the combination of turbo lag and wonky clutch take-up makes smooth low-speed driving difficult. Once on the road there's plenty of power to get into trouble, so it's not a fundamental output issue -- rather it's a lack of refinement between the engine and transmission. Throw in a touch of torque steer on our FWD CLA250 and there just seem to be some calibration issues that need to be worked through.
The Audi gets the nod on overall chassis feel, too, but not by much; the big difference is that hard-to-define characteristic of “tossability.” The bottom line is that, even with AWD, the Audi feels lighter on its feet than the CLA, but since our Mercedes tester was FWD I'm not prepared to declare a winner until I get to drive both, comparably equipped, back-to-back. Overall impressions are that the Mercedes has a fairly noisy cabin, extraordinarily good brakes/pedal feel and good stability at all speeds. The car's FWD nature is well-masked, too, unless you're putting your foot into it at a light.
If I could unbolt the Benz body/interior package and stick it on the Audi A3's chassis and powertrain, I could perhaps offer the world the best compact sports sedan ever made. As it stands, though, if you're looking for elegance and luxury, head for the Mercedes. If you're seeking the true driver's car, Audi has your ride.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4.
SENIOR MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: I'll echo most of Stoy's comments, though I haven't yet spent time in the new Audi A3.
I like the CLA250, but I don't love it. Yes, it's stylish, yes it is fairly well-equipped, and yes, the cabin is pretty nice though it necessarily at this price features more of economy materials than you'll find on most other Mercedes-Benz offerings.
The chassis feels sure-footed, the steering walking an OK line between sporty and too light. But this drivetrain frustrates me with awful throttle tip-in lag, or clutch engagement, as Stoy mentions. I often find myself starting the car, then thinking I forgot to shift out of neutral when I attempt to move forward or backward slowly at parking-lot speed; you need to give it a surprising amount of throttle to get moving, and this can lead to the jerkiness Stoy alluded to.
One downside of the sharp-looking exterior is short rear windows and a reasonably bulky B-pillar, which creates more of a blind spot than I expected, which is just something to be aware of as you adjust to it.
I don't like my Mercedes' in front-drive configuration, though this is the best example yet of such a creation. But again, as Andy said, from a driving standpoint I'm going with an A3 or A4 every time. No, I didn't forget that I said up front I haven't driven an A3, but I have driven an A4 recently and there's no reason to think Audi's new offering feels much different -- and that means a world-class, rock-solid chassis and drivetrain combo.
Regardless, the CLA is an excellent entry-to-Mercedesdom option -- light years beyond, for example, the ill-conceived, circa-2000 C-class SportCoupe. Well done, Mercedes-Benz.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 comes in at a base price of $30,825 with our tester topping off at $36,545.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR GRAHAM KOZAK: Since small-premium seems to be
the wave of the future here (the concept has already taken off
overseas), I've been thinking a lot about what makes it so hard for me
to embrace the CLA250 and its more aggressive sibling, the CLA45 AMG.
They're good cars by any metric, and the price, though high, isn't
jaw-dropping.
I guess what it comes down to is that, if you took the Tristar off the front, would there be anything about the CLA that really screams “luxury” like an S-class? Or even the new C-class?
The biggest disconnect for me isn't the size, or style, or even the choice of materials inside (they're generally good, though I could do without the swath of weird metallic plastic stretching across the dash). It's how high-strung this car feels. With a pair of gum-soled shoes on, I could feel the engine vibrating through the throttle at higher rpm. Since I associate luxury with reserves of power doled out with smooth, languid ease, I was let down by the powerplant and its throttle response.
To be fair, I tend to say the same thing about the inline-fours in BMWs -- so this is not a knock on Mercedes specifically. And once you remove my biases from the equation and acknowledge that these relatively frugal, smaller, yet still very power motors are, sadly, here to stay, it's easy to see that the little 2.0-liter is a fun motor that packs enough of a punch to make things a bit unruly.
Hit the gas at a stoplight and the front wheels will want to get loose (after a hint of lag -- may as well just leave the stop/start enabled). There's more than a hint of torque steer, which, frankly, I wasn't expecting. I would like to try the 4Matic version of this car when it arrives; powered rear wheels would do a lot to tamp down on this car's wilder handling characteristics.
Still, like Andy, my mind keeps coming back to the A3. Granted, I've only driven AWD-equipped A3s (quattro is something you get standard when you check the box for the 2.0-liter engine), but even this imperfect matchup shows how different the automakers' approaches are to bringing new, up-and-coming buyers into the fold.
The Audi is more restrained inside and out; I don't ding the A3's interior as much as the other editors, preferring its sparse center console to the busyness of its Benz counterpart's. But that's personal taste, and I'm apparently in the minority here. Outside, it looks like an Audi. It's a relatively eager performer on the road, though it remains buttoned-up even at speed.
The Benz has evocative lines from snout to tail (the only aspect I'm not a fan of are the melty taillights). Seats and steering wheel convey sportiness. The engine's mechanical, metallic exhaust note is more audible inside the cabin. It's an eager, tight handler that just wants you to like it.
Overall, the A3 comes away as a more mature entry-level emissary for its brand than the CLA250. Whether younger buyers actually want that maturity is another matter -- and if they don't, there's always the slightly more emotional CLA waiting for them at their local Mercedes-Benz dealership.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is capable of producing 208 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR RORY CARROLL: The tough thing about the
CLA250 is that the central question I have about it won't be answered
for a long time. I'd like to know how it will impact the Mercedes-Benz
brand in the long-term. The rise of the cheap, high-quality car has
raised a lot of interesting questions about how much brands mean to
buyers and why. If all cars are of reasonably high quality, how does a
luxury automaker differentiate its product? Does the fact that a “luxury
automaker” builds a mass-market car at a near mass-market price serve
to “devalue” the brand? Or, are the degrees of quality between cars
sufficiently obscure or abstract that the average car consumer can't
understand them -- meaning, do average consumers know enough about what
makes a car “good” to make a judgment that is based on factors other
than brand name, features and price? Are there differences other than
those at all? Do people care about them?
Regardless, the CLA250 is a nice little car. It never feels especially pricey, and there are definitely some inexpensive parts inside that stand out -- looking at you, center console -- but if you're looking at well-optioned Jettas, and in this price range you might be, the CLA is going to feel like a step up. Like the CLA45 AMG, the throttle doesn't feel all that responsive at low speeds, it's a lot like the feeling of a clutch being disengaged slowly. But, given the manic nature of the AMG car, I was expecting this one to be a bit duller than it actually is. It's certainly not as hard-edged as the AMG, but it's quick and sharp.
As for the big questions about what the CLA is going to do to the Mercedes brand, I suppose we'll have to wait. In the meantime, the car seems to be selling well.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 receives an EPA-estimated 38 mpg highway with our average fuel economy reaching 25 mpg.
ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: Does the CLA250 look good? No
question, yes, it does turn heads with its swoopy lines. How about the
base price? Yeah, that $29,900 figure ($30,825 including destination)
which Mercedes has been beating into everybody's heads with
advertisements has a whole new group of people who previously couldn't
seriously consider purchasing something with a three-pointed star on the
hood now taking a good look. Instead of getting something like a fully
loaded Toyota Camry, Honda Accord or Ford Fusion, they can now get a
Benz instead.
Of course, that means you get a smaller, front-wheel drive vehicle with interior build quality that's not on par with its larger, more expensive Mercedes siblings. By no means is the CLA250 a tin can, but there are areas within the car's cabin that are cheap by Benz standards. In particular, the plastics on the center console. Does that detract from the CLA's ability to bring new blood into showrooms? Probably not, because the fact that there is a relatively affordable Mercedes vehicle is reason enough for people to take notice and ultimately sign on the dotted the line. And it seems to have been working with the surprising number of these that I've seen running around.
During the first drive program last year, I was quite impressed with how well this front-wheel driver behaved. It rounded corners with healthy grip levels, the suspension kept the body well controlled and steering is fairly responsive. Ride quality is harsher, which I'm going to attribute to the stiff sidewalls of the performance tires our test car had. Of course, pushing it too hard will make the front end wash out, but its capabilities are plenty for spirited drives on public roads.
My problem with the car mirrors what many have pointed out above: the drivetrain. The 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder is fine. With 258 lb-ft of torque available from 1,250 rpm, it's got some guts, but there's some turbo lag here and doesn't sound the smoothest. Benz's dual-clutch gearbox is a bigger sore spot, though. There's a lot of clutch slipping going on during launches and shifts are far from lightning quick. That's in comparison to Audi's own dual-clutch box in the 2015 A3 2.0 TFSI Premium I drove previously, which is stellar. My guess is that Benz's laggy transmission comes down to tuning and I'm hopeful that improvements are in the works.
Personally, if given the choice between this exact CLA250 test car and its $36,545 as-tested price or the A3 we had in here that stickered at $36,645, I would be getting myself the Audi. To me, it's a better put together piece with normal-size rear door openings, an interior that features materials that are higher in quality, it doesn't have a massive blind spot, and for the price you get quattro all-wheel drive. Obviously, the Benz wins the flash contest with its higher styled sheetmetal compared to the Audi which is more conservative.
ASSOCIATE WEST COAST EDITOR BLAKE Z. RONG: The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 delivers on true
luxury: the true and tangible luxury of an under-$30,000 starting
price, a mission it hones in with laser-like precision. The focus
permeates nearly every element of the car. Witness the rough plastic
center console. Fiddle with the COMAND system, part of a $2,370
multimedia package, desperately holding to infotainment relevance with
its confusing menus and hidden settings. Gaze upon the styling with the
small car spearheading an all-encompassing design language that Mercedes
is instilling across the lineup. From a distance, the S-class looks
like the CLA. The C-class looks almost exactly like the CLA.
The worst part of this car is the suspension, with MacPherson struts up front and an independent multilink rear that crashes over bumps. Every road aberration, no matter how minor, reverberates through the cabin with soft pings and groans. Every freeway joint feels like the car will shake itself to pieces. Road noise thrums upward from the pavement. Blame our noisy “high-performance tires,” perhaps.
Put the car in Eco mode and the throttle tips sharply, then slowly rolls on the power. Put the car in Sport mode and the delivery is frenetic -- buzzy and harsh. There are no other modes. The seven-speed dual-clutch interrupts momentum with its hard shifts. Mileage around traffic was a good 10 miles below the 26 mpg city estimate. Stop/start mode is one of the most aggressive I've seen, while the collision warning beeped its shrill notes at phantom cars.
The brakes are grabby at low speeds, but easy to modulate. Surprisingly firm steering -- weighty, lacking feedback -- transmits some lazy, rolling torque steer -- nothing too dramatic. 208 hp might not sound like much (these days, anyway), but the CLA250 accelerates with gusto, a thorough straight line rocket. Add up the rough transmission, the lackluster throttle response, and the turbocharged power, and the CLA becomes Benz's answer to the Buick Regal GS.
As-Tested Price: $36,545
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4; FWD, seven-speed dual-clutch sequential manual
Output: 208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,250-4,000 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,262 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 26/38/30 mpg
AW Observed Fuel Economy: 25.2 mpg
Options: 320 multimedia package including COMAND system with navigation, rearview camera, 7.0-inch high resolution LCD screen with 3D map views, enhanced voice control system, 10GB music register, 6-disc DVD changer, Gracenote album information including cover art, SD card slot, SiriusXM traffic and weather ($2,370); P01 premium package including SiriusXM radio, media interface, heated seats, Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 surround sound system, garage door opener, compass, driver's side and interior auto-dimming mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control ($2,300); blind spot assist ($550); 18-inch wheels with high-performance tires ($500)
From a style perspective, the Mercedes trounces the Audi inside and out; the interior of the Benz in particular is a far nicer place in which to spend time, feeling the part of a proper entry-level luxury car, whereas the Audi comes off as a Volkswagen -- and not a particularly well-equipped one at that. The Mercedes flaunts its unique and well-proportioned exterior lines as well, where even Audi aficionados will have to squint to tell if the car in front of them is an A3 or A4.
Under that sheetmetal and interior trim, though, the tables are turned. Where Mercedes' turbo four is peaky and seems dissatisfied coupled to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, Audi's turbo four and six-speed dual-clutch combo is exquisite. Whether sport or economy mode is selected, the Mercedes always seemed to be a half-gear shy of where it should have been, and the combination of turbo lag and wonky clutch take-up makes smooth low-speed driving difficult. Once on the road there's plenty of power to get into trouble, so it's not a fundamental output issue -- rather it's a lack of refinement between the engine and transmission. Throw in a touch of torque steer on our FWD CLA250 and there just seem to be some calibration issues that need to be worked through.
The Audi gets the nod on overall chassis feel, too, but not by much; the big difference is that hard-to-define characteristic of “tossability.” The bottom line is that, even with AWD, the Audi feels lighter on its feet than the CLA, but since our Mercedes tester was FWD I'm not prepared to declare a winner until I get to drive both, comparably equipped, back-to-back. Overall impressions are that the Mercedes has a fairly noisy cabin, extraordinarily good brakes/pedal feel and good stability at all speeds. The car's FWD nature is well-masked, too, unless you're putting your foot into it at a light.
If I could unbolt the Benz body/interior package and stick it on the Audi A3's chassis and powertrain, I could perhaps offer the world the best compact sports sedan ever made. As it stands, though, if you're looking for elegance and luxury, head for the Mercedes. If you're seeking the true driver's car, Audi has your ride.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4.
I like the CLA250, but I don't love it. Yes, it's stylish, yes it is fairly well-equipped, and yes, the cabin is pretty nice though it necessarily at this price features more of economy materials than you'll find on most other Mercedes-Benz offerings.
The chassis feels sure-footed, the steering walking an OK line between sporty and too light. But this drivetrain frustrates me with awful throttle tip-in lag, or clutch engagement, as Stoy mentions. I often find myself starting the car, then thinking I forgot to shift out of neutral when I attempt to move forward or backward slowly at parking-lot speed; you need to give it a surprising amount of throttle to get moving, and this can lead to the jerkiness Stoy alluded to.
One downside of the sharp-looking exterior is short rear windows and a reasonably bulky B-pillar, which creates more of a blind spot than I expected, which is just something to be aware of as you adjust to it.
I don't like my Mercedes' in front-drive configuration, though this is the best example yet of such a creation. But again, as Andy said, from a driving standpoint I'm going with an A3 or A4 every time. No, I didn't forget that I said up front I haven't driven an A3, but I have driven an A4 recently and there's no reason to think Audi's new offering feels much different -- and that means a world-class, rock-solid chassis and drivetrain combo.
Regardless, the CLA is an excellent entry-to-Mercedesdom option -- light years beyond, for example, the ill-conceived, circa-2000 C-class SportCoupe. Well done, Mercedes-Benz.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 comes in at a base price of $30,825 with our tester topping off at $36,545.
I guess what it comes down to is that, if you took the Tristar off the front, would there be anything about the CLA that really screams “luxury” like an S-class? Or even the new C-class?
The biggest disconnect for me isn't the size, or style, or even the choice of materials inside (they're generally good, though I could do without the swath of weird metallic plastic stretching across the dash). It's how high-strung this car feels. With a pair of gum-soled shoes on, I could feel the engine vibrating through the throttle at higher rpm. Since I associate luxury with reserves of power doled out with smooth, languid ease, I was let down by the powerplant and its throttle response.
To be fair, I tend to say the same thing about the inline-fours in BMWs -- so this is not a knock on Mercedes specifically. And once you remove my biases from the equation and acknowledge that these relatively frugal, smaller, yet still very power motors are, sadly, here to stay, it's easy to see that the little 2.0-liter is a fun motor that packs enough of a punch to make things a bit unruly.
Hit the gas at a stoplight and the front wheels will want to get loose (after a hint of lag -- may as well just leave the stop/start enabled). There's more than a hint of torque steer, which, frankly, I wasn't expecting. I would like to try the 4Matic version of this car when it arrives; powered rear wheels would do a lot to tamp down on this car's wilder handling characteristics.
Still, like Andy, my mind keeps coming back to the A3. Granted, I've only driven AWD-equipped A3s (quattro is something you get standard when you check the box for the 2.0-liter engine), but even this imperfect matchup shows how different the automakers' approaches are to bringing new, up-and-coming buyers into the fold.
The Audi is more restrained inside and out; I don't ding the A3's interior as much as the other editors, preferring its sparse center console to the busyness of its Benz counterpart's. But that's personal taste, and I'm apparently in the minority here. Outside, it looks like an Audi. It's a relatively eager performer on the road, though it remains buttoned-up even at speed.
The Benz has evocative lines from snout to tail (the only aspect I'm not a fan of are the melty taillights). Seats and steering wheel convey sportiness. The engine's mechanical, metallic exhaust note is more audible inside the cabin. It's an eager, tight handler that just wants you to like it.
Overall, the A3 comes away as a more mature entry-level emissary for its brand than the CLA250. Whether younger buyers actually want that maturity is another matter -- and if they don't, there's always the slightly more emotional CLA waiting for them at their local Mercedes-Benz dealership.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is capable of producing 208 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.
Regardless, the CLA250 is a nice little car. It never feels especially pricey, and there are definitely some inexpensive parts inside that stand out -- looking at you, center console -- but if you're looking at well-optioned Jettas, and in this price range you might be, the CLA is going to feel like a step up. Like the CLA45 AMG, the throttle doesn't feel all that responsive at low speeds, it's a lot like the feeling of a clutch being disengaged slowly. But, given the manic nature of the AMG car, I was expecting this one to be a bit duller than it actually is. It's certainly not as hard-edged as the AMG, but it's quick and sharp.
As for the big questions about what the CLA is going to do to the Mercedes brand, I suppose we'll have to wait. In the meantime, the car seems to be selling well.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 receives an EPA-estimated 38 mpg highway with our average fuel economy reaching 25 mpg.
Of course, that means you get a smaller, front-wheel drive vehicle with interior build quality that's not on par with its larger, more expensive Mercedes siblings. By no means is the CLA250 a tin can, but there are areas within the car's cabin that are cheap by Benz standards. In particular, the plastics on the center console. Does that detract from the CLA's ability to bring new blood into showrooms? Probably not, because the fact that there is a relatively affordable Mercedes vehicle is reason enough for people to take notice and ultimately sign on the dotted the line. And it seems to have been working with the surprising number of these that I've seen running around.
During the first drive program last year, I was quite impressed with how well this front-wheel driver behaved. It rounded corners with healthy grip levels, the suspension kept the body well controlled and steering is fairly responsive. Ride quality is harsher, which I'm going to attribute to the stiff sidewalls of the performance tires our test car had. Of course, pushing it too hard will make the front end wash out, but its capabilities are plenty for spirited drives on public roads.
My problem with the car mirrors what many have pointed out above: the drivetrain. The 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder is fine. With 258 lb-ft of torque available from 1,250 rpm, it's got some guts, but there's some turbo lag here and doesn't sound the smoothest. Benz's dual-clutch gearbox is a bigger sore spot, though. There's a lot of clutch slipping going on during launches and shifts are far from lightning quick. That's in comparison to Audi's own dual-clutch box in the 2015 A3 2.0 TFSI Premium I drove previously, which is stellar. My guess is that Benz's laggy transmission comes down to tuning and I'm hopeful that improvements are in the works.
Personally, if given the choice between this exact CLA250 test car and its $36,545 as-tested price or the A3 we had in here that stickered at $36,645, I would be getting myself the Audi. To me, it's a better put together piece with normal-size rear door openings, an interior that features materials that are higher in quality, it doesn't have a massive blind spot, and for the price you get quattro all-wheel drive. Obviously, the Benz wins the flash contest with its higher styled sheetmetal compared to the Audi which is more conservative.
The worst part of this car is the suspension, with MacPherson struts up front and an independent multilink rear that crashes over bumps. Every road aberration, no matter how minor, reverberates through the cabin with soft pings and groans. Every freeway joint feels like the car will shake itself to pieces. Road noise thrums upward from the pavement. Blame our noisy “high-performance tires,” perhaps.
Put the car in Eco mode and the throttle tips sharply, then slowly rolls on the power. Put the car in Sport mode and the delivery is frenetic -- buzzy and harsh. There are no other modes. The seven-speed dual-clutch interrupts momentum with its hard shifts. Mileage around traffic was a good 10 miles below the 26 mpg city estimate. Stop/start mode is one of the most aggressive I've seen, while the collision warning beeped its shrill notes at phantom cars.
The brakes are grabby at low speeds, but easy to modulate. Surprisingly firm steering -- weighty, lacking feedback -- transmits some lazy, rolling torque steer -- nothing too dramatic. 208 hp might not sound like much (these days, anyway), but the CLA250 accelerates with gusto, a thorough straight line rocket. Add up the rough transmission, the lackluster throttle response, and the turbocharged power, and the CLA becomes Benz's answer to the Buick Regal GS.
2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250
Base Price: $30,825As-Tested Price: $36,545
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged I4; FWD, seven-speed dual-clutch sequential manual
Output: 208 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,250-4,000 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,262 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 26/38/30 mpg
AW Observed Fuel Economy: 25.2 mpg
Options: 320 multimedia package including COMAND system with navigation, rearview camera, 7.0-inch high resolution LCD screen with 3D map views, enhanced voice control system, 10GB music register, 6-disc DVD changer, Gracenote album information including cover art, SD card slot, SiriusXM traffic and weather ($2,370); P01 premium package including SiriusXM radio, media interface, heated seats, Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 surround sound system, garage door opener, compass, driver's side and interior auto-dimming mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control ($2,300); blind spot assist ($550); 18-inch wheels with high-performance tires ($500)
