Mercedes-Benz CLA (2013 – 2018) Review

After the Mercedes CLS proved a big seller, the German company sought to do the same at a more affordable level. To achieve this, it used the Mercedes A-Class as a base to create a four-door coupe called the Mercedes CLA. Buyers loved it and it continues to be popular with used buyers. Direct rivals were thin on the ground and not even the Audi A3 Saloon or dynamically impressive BMW 2 Series Coupe can match the drama of the Mercedes CLA. There was even a compact estate model from 2015. Read on for our Mercedes CLA review.

The Mercedes CLA made small saloons sexy. Without a saloon option for the latest generations of Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra, buyers looking for a small car with a boot didn’t have much choice. The Volkswagen Jetta had pretty much the market to itself.

But the Jetta, for all its qualities, doesn’t have the cachet of a Mercedes, Audi or BMW. And this is why the Mercedes CLA is particularly noteworthy. It was the starting gun for small coupe-like saloons from all three of the premium German manufacturers.

The Mercedes CLA itself was pitched as a having the look of the larger Mercedes CLS, but without the price tag. There is certainly a resemblance there, with a distinctive, rakish rear that blurs the line between saloon and coupe.

There was nothing like it on the market, so it flew out of showrooms.

Being based on the Mercedes A-Class meant front-wheel drive and four-cylinder engines.

There was a limited line-up from launch, with just the Mercedes CLA 180 petrol and Mercedes CLA 220 CDI diesel on offer. Later in 2013 came the Mercedes CLA 200 CDI and Mercedes CLA 250, as well as the headline-grabbing Mercedes CLA 45 AMG with 355PS.

Up front, it’s very similar to the Mercedes A-Class with upmarket-looking controls that have a top-quality feel to them. It also has an iPad-esque tablet mounted to the dash. It’s standard and is how many of the car’s functions, including the stereo and sat-nav, are accessed.

Overall the Mercedes CLA offered a new spin for buyers whose default choice may previously have been an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series.

The looks won’t be to everyone’s taste, but those who like the coupe-esque styling or had previously fancied a Mercedes CLS were guaranteed to love it.

Read our review of the latest Mercedes-Benz CLA here.

One area where the Mercedes A-Class came in for criticism was in the way it rides – it proved too choppy, too firm and often downright uncomfortable.

So it was no surprise that a few changes were introduced to improve comfort on the Mercedes CLA, including revised damper settings, specially-calibrated shock absorbers and an entirely new rear suspension subframe.

And, to a degree, it worked. While it remained a firm riding car, it’s far smoother at higher speeds and could be specified with Comfort or Sport suspension. Comfort gives a better blend of ride comfort and dynamics, and is standard on Mercedes CLA Sport models.

The Mercedes CLA doesn’t offer a particularly engaging or rewarding driving experience when compared to the likes of the Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series.

Body control could be better, especially when it’s being pushed, but the steering is nicely weighted and gives a reasonable amount of precision.

Being based on the Mercedes A-Class means front-wheel drive and four-cylinder engines. It was a limited line-up from launch, with just the Mercedes CLA 180 petrol and Mercedes CLA 220 CDI diesel on offer.

Later in 2013 came the Mercedes CLA 200 CDI and Mercedes CLA 250, as well as the headline-grabbing Mercedes CLA 45 AMG with 355PS. Mercedes’ 4MATIC four-wheel drive system was made available to compete with Audi's quattro and BMW’s xDrive systems.

As ever with Mercedes, the badge on the boot doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s under the bonnet. In the Mercedes CLA 180's case, it’s a 1.6-litre petrol with 122PS.

With 0-62mph coming in 9.2 seconds, it certainly isn’t that quick, but it does offer decent economy (on paper at least). The combined figure is 50.4mpg and it emits 126g/km CO2. That’s pretty good for a car of this size.

But the model that most buyers will opt for is the Mercedes CLA 220 CDI. As its name doesn’t suggest, it’s a 2.1-litre diesel with 170PS and gets from 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 143mph.

This is an engine that we like: punchy, flexible and with 350Nm of torque available, it doesn’t hang around when it comes to overtaking. Emissions are pretty good too, at 117g/km, and official economy is 62.8mpg.

In the larger Mercedes C-Class, owners report in our Real MPG section that the figure for this engine is up to 93 per cent of the official claim.

The Mercedes CLA 220 CDI gets the 7G-DGT seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard. It’s not a bad gearbox and changes are generally swift and smooth, although in situations where you need to change several gears quickly, it can feel as though it has been caught out.

For those looking for outright speed, there’s the petrol-powered 211PS Mercedes CLA 250 or the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG.

The Mercedes CLA 250 has a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 149mph. In reality, it lacks excitement and feels much slower than that. The Mercedes CLA 220 CDI – despite being slower on paper – has so much more usable power.

Neither does the Mercedes CLA 250 offer particularly impressive economy: 46.3mpg and 142g/km.

For outright performance, the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG is the one to have and can take on the likes of the Audi RS3 or the Volkswagen Golf R with confidence.

There are seven airbags inside the Mercedes CLA’s cabin, along with Attention Assist fatigue warning for the driver.

Every Mercedes CLA also has the firm’s Collision Prevent Assist tech that warns of impending hazards and will help with braking in an emergency. However, this is not a fully autonomous system.

You also get Speed Assistance in all models, along with Isofix child seat mounts in the rear. This contributed to a five-star score from Euro NCAP when the Mercedes CLA was tested in 2013.

Buyers are more likely to look to the Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake as a tow car and it can handle a braked trailer with a maximum weight of up to 1500kg depending on the exact model.

At the other end of the scale, some Mercedes CLAs can only tow up to 1200kg with a braked trailer. No figures are available for an unbraked trailer.

That slippery shape doesn’t help when it comes to rear space. While the two front passengers have plenty of headroom and legroom, that’s not the case in the rear.

Headroom is very tight, and is the big giveaway that this car was developed from the Mercedes A-Class rather than the Mercedes C-Class.

Although there are three seats, it’s a real squeeze for two in the back and the sloping roofline means many adults will find their heads hitting the rooflining.

If you’re only going to occasionally use the rear seats, you can probably get away with it. But if you have older children and expect to be using the rear regularly, it may well be enough to put you off the Mercedes CLA altogether.

The boot is impressive. At 470 litres, it’s 130 litres more than on a Mercedes A-Class and just five litres short of a Mercedes C-Class.

It opens at a good height, too, so it’s pretty easy to load and unload. Unusually for a saloon, it gets split-folding rear seats as standard, which lends it a little extra practicality.

The Mercedes CLA is similar to the Mercedes A-Class, with very upmarket-looking controls that have a top-quality feel to them.

The sense of solidity is backed up the by design, which is exemplified by the air vents that are similar in style to those on the company’s sports cars of the period, such as the Mercedes SLK or Mercedes SLS.

As with its Mercedes A-Class sibling, the sat-nav and infotainment screen could be better integrated. Its positioning means it looks rather thoughtlessly ‘plonked on’.

That said, it’s a good system to use. Navigating the menus is as simple as turning one chunky dial and it’s easy to access the features you’ll need.

Key information can be displayed in a small screen in the instrument binnacle, so you can keep your eyes on the road more easily.

If you want to go all out in a Mercedes CLA of this generation, the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG is the one to have and that will cost you up to £30,000 for a late model with low mileage.

A diesel will be a better bet for most, and you should reckon on spending £17,000 for a Mercedes CLA 220d in AMG Line trim with 25,000 miles to its name.

Earlier Mercedes CLA models can be had from £10,000 with 80,000 miles on the clock. This price applies to both the four-door coupe and Shooting Brake estate model, with the less potent petrol or diesel engines.

Some costs are very reasonable for this Mercedes CLA. For instance, the diesel engines offer up to 70.6mpg claimed average fuel consumption.

This figure is for the Mercedes CLA 200d with the seven-speed auto, although our Real MPG data reckons this will be closer to 60mpg.

This model also delivers 105g/km carbon dioxide emissions, so earlier versions registered before 1 April 2017 will pay just £20 in road tax.

All Mercedes CLA models put on the road from 1 April 2017 pay road tax at a flat rate of £180.

The fast Mercedes CLA 45 AMG model comes with insurance that sits in group 46, so premiums will be hefty. However, most Mercedes CLAs sit nearer the lower end of the model’s spectrum, in group 20.

Looking after your Mercedes CLA could be expensive if you insist on using a Mercedes dealer, although there are many independent specialists to help lower this cost.

Service intervals come at 12,000 miles or 12 months, based on which comes round first.

The line-up with the Mercedes CLA Sport model. It comes with dual-zone climate control, 5.8-inch iPad-style infotainment screen with Bluetooth, Light and Sound pack that has automatic wipers, console light, and centre console storage.

You also get Attention Assist, Collision Prevention Assist, Active Park Assist and twin exhaust pipes. The CLA Sport has Comfort suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, sport front seats in Artico man-made leather and Corumba cloth, and a multi-function steering wheel.

Choose the Mercedes CLA AMG Sport and it gains different alloy wheels, Sports suspension, diamond grille design, and AMG body styling.

Inside, it has sports front seats with integrated headrests in Artico faux leather and Dinamica microfibre suede cloth. There is also a flat-bottomed steering wheel to mark it out.