Mercedes-AMG CLA45: Lots of Power, Lots of Problems
YouTuber Doug DeMuro tests an older version of the CLA45 and discovers big flaws in Mercedes-AMG’s little road rocket.
When you were a kid, you probably heard at least one adult say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That’s true. First impressions are key. But second impressions can have a powerful effect, too. Just take the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 as an example. When it first came out, popular Youtuber Doug DeMuro loved it. The 2016 model he rented from a person in Denver? Not so much.
On paper, his review vehicle has a lot going for it. DeMuro says, “It has all-wheel drive. It has a lightning-quick dual-clutch automatic transmission. And it’s not big or bloated. I love zippy little luxury cars like this.”
The CLA45’s design is a hit, too. Even though it’s an entry-level car for Mercedes-AMG, the CLA45 doesn’t look chintzy or boring to DeMuro. And he can’t resist the appeal of the hopped-up four-cylinder engine, which cranks out a stout 375 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque (DeMuro quotes the stats for the 2015 CLA45).
But things start to fall apart even before DeMuro opens the driver’s side door because his $50K Mercedes-AMG rental doesn’t have keyless entry. He also needs to insert the key to start the CLA45. Everywhere he looks, he finds disappointment. Below him is an unheated seat – an anomaly in Denver. In front of him is cheap trim, HVAC controls with no Auto setting and only one climate zone, and the absence of a navigation system and backup camera. Above DeMuro is a conspicuously missing sunroof. He sums up his feelings by saying, “This is probably the most depressingly optioned car I have ever been inside in my entire life. It has all of the ‘Look at me. I’m cool!’ options and none of the actual luxury features to back it up.”
The back seat is not much better. There are no rear vents or climate controls. DeMuro’s 6’4″ height doesn’t make things any easier. “I’m sitting back here with the front seat almost all the way forward and I barely have enough room for my knees and it’s even worse for the headroom in this car because Mercedes-Benz calls this a sedan coupe…thingy. They slope the roofline and so my head hits the top of the ceiling.”
On the road, the CLA45 is a mixed bag. Its power and handling make it a blast to drive…quickly. DeMuro says, “It is just a total thrill to throw this thing around.” It’s so much fun that he thinks of the CLA45 as a German version of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. At normal speeds, it’s a different story. The throttle response, particularly from stop lights, is hopelessly jerky. The ride quality is punishing over rough pavement. It’s enough to make driving the CLA45 in everyday conditions feel tedious and annoying.
Fortunately, subsequent updates to the CLA45 seem to have addressed complaints like DeMuro’s. And the CLA is all new for 2020. Perhaps that model will make a positive first – and second – impression on DeMuro.
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