mis3

My nephew came to visit me with his 2016 CLA250. I drove the car this morning and I was not impressed at all. I compared the ride and drive qualities to my 2004CLK320. I did not have the centered and solid feel with the CLA which I feel are important attributes of a MB.

The Stop/Start feature is downright annoying. There is always a slight vibration every time the engine starts.

One thing lacking my w209 is the amazing technologies like lane assist, 360 views, etc.

Rudeney

I think this is one reason MBZ has for so long delayed bringing these lower models to the USA. Here, MBZ has always been a luxury brand wit high expectations. Across the world, however, it's just another car brand that offers a wide range of models to suit many needs. I'd say the CLA is competing for the same customer base that would buy a Nissan Altima, so in that respect, it's probably a perfect fit. I think MBZ has done a great job of offering the cars that meet the needs of most any driver and the CLA is just another option. It's not my choice but it is for somebody.

mis3

Agreed, it's all about expectatIon. However, in Canada, Altima starts $24CAN while CLA starts at $35K. Price wise, CLA should be compared to the Maxima which starts here at $35K.

This confirms what they said that it has to be at least a C class to get MB quality.

gaazmon

The people I know that have purchased CLA's are all non-MB owners previously. I also believe the low quality feel of the drive of the car is due to the vehicle being FWD versus RWD.

mis3

Really? Does RWD make the car feel solid?
How about 4matic? The CLA I drove was a 4matic.

abqhudson

CLA tops the list of cars that drivers would never drive again. For me - they drive terribly. YMMV.

gaazmon

The 4matic definitely would make a difference. At least in my feel. In the US they mostly come FWD (I see you're in Canada though). I remember a buddy of mine with a FWD audi a4 vs his quatro audi a4 afterwards. I definitely felt a difference when I tried both out. He said he definitely could tell as well. But in this case the A3 would be more on the same level as the CLA probably (since the A4 is on the C class level). I think it would've been more appropriate to bring in a lower level C class model below the 300 (such as on the 3 series: 320, 328 (soon to be 330 I believe), and 335 (I think 340 now). You'd still get the feel and build of a C class but lower price point with a na i4 engine (probably somewhere around 200hp).

tw2

Dealer loaned me an 2016 A160. I actually thought it was a great car. I quickly learned to turn the engine start stop off but I can see how it would be good on a clogged highway. The handbrake was all automatic which was a bit strange but the quality was there. I admit I actually looked up prices for the A45.

Rudeney

It's not necessarily FWD that's the issue, but likely the transverse-mounted engine that sits ahead of the front axle an strongly skews the weight distribution.

gixxerboy

when they came out we looked at them, my wife wanted to get rid of her clk, She liked the look of the CLA so we test drove it. My wife thought the interior was cheap, she didnt mention anything about the ride of it. Personally i didnt like it but i dont like FWD cars.
So she ended up with an E coupe.

Yidney

There are a couple in the lot where I park for work. They just look cheap. Maybe it's the absence of molding in the middle of the doors but they just have a slabbish, plain look.

eteller

I really like the exterior, but the interior looks cheap as hell. Ok, I get the line of sight of the display on the dash, that looks like a ipad stuck on there, but those ricer air vents, ugh.

Rudeney

LOL! How subjective is a thing called beauty. I actually like the air vents - they look like the SLS. In fact, in photos, the interior looks pretty nice, though I have not seen one in person. I have a problem with the exterior. It looks great up to the C-pillar, then it seems like the design team ran out of money and parts.

RNajarian

The CLA is referred to as a coupe despite having four doors, I suspect because of its styling.

May be semantics but that annoys me, when I would search Coupes on the MBUSA website I would get inundated with four door (sedan) CLAs

mis3

I think toe car looks great but just not too crazy about the ride.
I cannot tell if they use good material in ine interior. I can tell my w209 has top notch interior parts because they still all fit tight and look great after 12 years of personal ownership.

Rudeney

A coworker bought a CPO GLA250. I didn't drive it, but I did sit in it and it looks nice. It's a base model with "pleather", FWD and no sunroof, but she was happy with that. It does have voice control, Bluetooth and NAV (though NAV requires the SD card to remain inserted in the slot on the radio). The wood trim is fake (but so is that in my wife's Jeep Grand Cherokee). It's no S-CLass or even CLK, but fit and finish are nicely presented. The NAV screen does look like something tacked-on aftermarket, but it gives you excellent visibility when driving as it's right in the field of view. She's coming from a MY2002 CLK320, so she's very excited about it with all the new features. And she got a great deal - under $30K, with CPO with unlimited miles warranty through Dec. 2022. I'd take that over any Hyundai or Toyota any day.

mis3

This is the trend now. BMW 428i Gran Coupe is a 4-door as well.
MB probably started this with the CLS.

Rudeney: I rent cars all the time for trips and I drove plenty of Kia and Hydundai. While I do not like the looks of them, I am always impressed of their engines and suspensions (especially considering their prices). In Canada, Kia Optlima is $23.6K while CLA is $35.3K.

Rudeney

I travel a good bit and drive rental cars, too. What I notice first about them is the seats - they are just plain uncomfortable and not large enough (I'm 6'2", 230lbs). And then the suspensions - they may handle OK, but they are so noisy, it sounds like something is broken. Like I said, I have not drive my co-worker's GLA, but I sat in it and it was very comfortable.

mis3

Even though I am a small guy and I , too, found the seats uncomfortable, especially in long trips.

I did not experience any noisy suspension. I usually rent from Enterprise (Canada) and they only rent cars in current year. Not unusual for me to get a car with less than 10K miles in the odometer.

Rudeney

Speaking of rentals, the best one I had? A GL450 from Avis in Las Vegas at The Aria. I was there for a conference and a co-worker and I decided we wanted to go see the Hoover Dam. We went to the Avis desk and the "special of the day" was a GL450. I think we paid like $120 for the day, but we went in style. Oh the joys of a company expense account!

(And a side note, I am so embarrassed to read my quoted posts full of typos!)

ALFAitalia

The CLA?.....mmmm..... nice front.....nice middle.....pity they let a giant sit on the rear before it was set! LOL!


PS. I could call my cat a dog....but it would still be a cat. That is NOT a Coupe. By dictionary definition a Coupe is a hard top TWO DOOR.....it matters not the slope of the roof or how much rear space there is....if its got four doors its a saloon (or sedan as you guys to the left of the puddle say!)

C280 Sport

The CLA is a good looking car. However, that is where it all ends... It is junk inside. It rides awful. Handling is poor. Inside is crazy small and it rattles and creeks so much.

BigMike62

My wife and I drove the GLK350 when it first came out and we didn't like it because it was so plain and cheap looking on the inside. Same price range as a Cadillac SRX which was so much more for the money. We actually ended up buying a new (then) 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland HEMI. Still going strong at 70k miles with no problems, beautiful interior and all the power ever needed.

There is a GLA45 in the parking lot at work I think it looks pitiful, like it was trying too hard to be something it wasn't.

Rudeney

Love the Jeep GC! My wife leased a MY2011 Jeep GC and then went back and leased a MY2014. It's the only car model we've bought twice like that. My biggest gripe is the short seat cushions and some cheap plastics, but it rides and drives great with plenty of features. We've had very few problems, too.

Honestly, I like the looks of the GLA much better than the CLA. In fact, I like it a lot more than other compact XUVs. It may not be equivalent in quality to a $50K E-Class, but it's a $30K car. It's an entry-level MBZ. I remember all the "haters" of the W203 when it first came out and before that the W202 and the W201. In the USA, MBZ as always been heralded as an exclusive luxury brand and anything that dilutes that is met with pitchforks and torches. I think it's a good thing that there are so many choices.