My E was in for the B5 major service (over 87,000 KM) yesterday and I was also given a CLA250 loaner. The car was practically brand new with only 48 KM on the ODO!

Over the two days I had it I drove over 300 KM.
I'm getting to like the "iPad Mini" sized NAV screen with the HD maps display and the superb back up camera.

The 4 banger is very responsive and peppy and the smaller chassis makes it quite a fun car to drive.

Whilst the interior is certainly not as luxurious as the E, one cannot expect it to be the same standard since the CLA is almost half the price of the E.

The FE is pretty impressive too.

IMO if I have a college age son/daughter, I would certainly consider getting one for him/her.

I'm sure M-B has done it's home work before coming up with the CLA.

It should fare well against the Audi A3 or the BMW 2 series.

 

I really like your post. I had a lot of the same experience as you and I felt the same way when I got my first Benz, a CPO E350. Even though it was used, not brand new, it felt like magic to me coming from POS cars before. It made me feel like my hard work paid off. Thanks for posting!

 

did that feel like a car that's about 40k US? because with the options it has (color, nav, heated seats, wheels) it's right there, if not more (did it have K-G and the h/k sound sys?).

see, to me, that seems like a lot for that car. in that range, it has a A LOT of loaded competition.

 

Very good point. The ads I have seen for the CLA and GLA are selling it primarily as a Mercedes-Benz for less than $30,000. When you get through adding the standard options most people expect, the price can really get up there.
I still wonder about the reactions when they take it in for 10K service and are told it costs $200-300. Then $400 for 20k and $1,000 for 40K.

 

I agree. Where the CLA absolutely does not compare in quality and overall sophistication is to the A3. And the 2 Series is a much more fun and dynamic car, but a different category altogether as it's not nearly as practical (even though the CLA makes terrible use of space for even its compact size).

I just got my fiancé a new Mazda 3 i Sport. Which has gotten acclaims as being by far the sportiest and most high quality class leader (even got some recent "Car of the Year's").

IMO, the Mazda 3 drives comparable to and handles even better than a base CLA. I think in many ways it actually drives better as it's a bit bumpy, but not as harsh. It's also considerably lighter, and extremely solid. The CLA is not an impressive driving car, at all, to me, quite the opposite.

The Mazda Connect infotainment I think is far above COMAND in the CLA as well (and far above PCM in the Porsche as well, for that matter). It's like the best of iDrive and Audi MMI combined (and it ripped off the iDrive knob and Audi volume controller), and throws a touchscreen for good measure, on the same trendy gimmicky "stick up screen" on the dash (which is more elegantly applied than the current Benz "taped on screens" look, imo). It's a fantastic system and car, and listed at $20,515 MSRP. MUCH less for imo in many ways, a better car. I even think the design looks competitive to a CLA as I'm not into the CLA design so much, and the 3 I think is the only car in its class that can be considered even remotely "handsome" (I think it's a great design, unfortunately with FWD proportions which it disguises better than anything else in its class, but the CLA is also hampered by FWD proportions which give it a bean-bag profile).

Interior of the new Mazda 3 is so sophisticated and premium for a car of its range, I actually think it looks more grown up in some ways than the CLA's interior. It's also imo more harmonious as it doesn't have the cheaped out/haphazard "ran out of R&D" look of how the doors look totally mismatched from the CLA dashboard (as if they were designed for different cars entirely). And the CLA plastics are so cheap that I think they're comparable in material quality as well, with the Mazda outshining it in many ways. Keep in mind, the Mazda costs a LOT less.

I was searching for a lot of cars in the CLA and under range. And the CLA was probably the least competitive than all. For how cheap M-B is leasing the W205 which is on another universe of interior quality, I think it's certainly worth whatever premium over the badge-exploitiation that the CLA conveys.

 

At last count, I've owned or leased about 60 new cars, all for personal use. About half were German, about half Japanese, with a few Corvettes and a Rolls thrown in for good measure. My wife and I currently drive E & S sedans respectively, with an older SL "garage queen," because it's so darn pretty! We drive these cars first and foremost because I think they are engineered to be as safe as possible for their class, while being luxurious, prestigious--and, we happen to really LIKE them. All that said, I feel that there are Asian brands out there that are simply spectacular. I happen to be a huge fan of Toyota and Honda and happen to think that the current Accord sedan is one of the most beautiful sedans ever produced. I am also watching, with great interest, the steady and somewhat impressive recent accomplishments of American manufacturers, hoping that they may one day truly be top tier players once again. However, at the end of the day, when all the positives and negatives of all the passenger cars are tallied and after we review our finances, we feel that we drive the best cars for us, at this particular point in time. In the end, isn't that what we all do? I hope you are all enjoying what you drive. We certainly are.

 

I don't like the "Ipad double sided taped to the dash" look on the
c class. It looks like an after thought. The C250 I had as a loaner was noisy, and the engine had to rev up too much on entrance ramps.

 

So you have a 07P German production W204? Have you verified on your door placard that it is not a South African production car (of which there is no difference in build quality...)?

 

I did test drive CLA250 4MATIC last January when we were looking to my wife's new car. First off, interior is less luxurious and material used not same quality as my C300.

Driveability is dynamic, ride is pretty firm and chassis seem rigid, double clutch gearbox in sport mode is superb. Biggest issue was starting from stoplight, there is an important lag (throttle hesitation) in gas pedal, that was really annoying and decreased the driving experience. Also rear seat headroom is terrible.

My wife opted for A3 Quattro mainly because of interior seems better quality and better response from the throttle gas pedal.

Personally I would not say that CLA is not a good car nor it would not deserved MB logo on the front grill.

 

My wife and I are on our 2nd set of C300's. First set 2012's.. now we have 2 2014's, mine has the AMG Sport Package.

My wifes family is all Mercedes Benz... Her mother S550, CLA250 and her father C63 AMG 2012.

My C300 has been in the shop all week and I have been driving a GLA 250.

My opinon my C300 handles like crap. This GLA blows it out of the water. The C300 is all over the place on the highway the steering is way to light which allows for way to much oversteer. The GLA on the other hand is solid and planted... The steering is Tight (Maybe too tight for some) tight like a proper sports car /suv.

As far as the engine there is noticeable lag when you start out untill you finally get going over 2k rpms..

As far as people saying the GLA is cheap I have to disagree.. Of course if you are comparing a fully equipped E550 to a GLA your a moron to begin with ... that would be double the price!

So my wife and I both are scratching our heads trying to figure out how a GLA 250 handles better than a C300 with AMG sports package.. but its true it does.. It handles very well.. it handles in my opinion better than it should.

I used to own a 600 rwhp Z28 that I built the motor for so I do have some idea of what a proper sports car should handle like. Steering has to be tight for starters or a set up suspension wont matter you will over steer yourself into a tree. Which is exactly the problem I am having with my 2014 C300.. the steering is unacceptably light or loose however you want to describe it.

The driving experience I had in the GLA was much much better than in my C class. Maybe I got a lemon.. but the dealer does not seem to think so they keep giving it back to me telling me there's nothing wrong with it. Sure the GLA could have had more power, it could have been a little quieter in side, the quality of the materials could have been better. but I would be buying the GLA simply for the handling and because it is a Mercedes Benz.

If there is a car I am dissapointed in it is my C class not the GLA 250.. Maybe I will go for the GLA 45 when it is time to trade in my C300 if they cant fix my steering and make it handle like a proper sports car is supposed to.. like the GLA i have right now already does.

 

It was less than impressive NVH that steered me away from a new CLA and into a CPO C250.


IMHO the only CLA I'd be interested in is the CLA45. Sure the CLA has build issues, but nothing that a professional disassembly / reassembly won't cure.