Mercedes-Benz CLA Review (2013-2018)
Mercedes-Benz CLA cars for sale
3.0
Expert review
Pros
Stylish and eye-catching
High-quality cabin
Solid reputation for reliability
Cons
The ride is too firm
Looks compromise practicality
Uninvolving to drive
The CarGurus verdict
Saloon or estate, the CLA is a treat for the eyes and will look great sitting on your driveway. And if you’re bored with traditional car interiors, the glamorous (or gaudy, depending on your point of view) and high quality cabin of the CLA will lift your spirits each time you climb aboard.
Sure, the CLA isn’t the world’s greatest drive and its ride quality really should be much, much better. And yes, the rear is cramped and awkward to get in and out of. But most owners are going to buy a CLA mk1 on the strength of its looks alone, and won’t be dissuaded by matters of practicality and comfort. Besides which it drives reasonably well, is relatively cheap to run, and there are very few reliability issues for which you need be wary of. If the CLA is the car you want, go for it.
The CLA mk1’s engine range comprises a trio of diesels of 1.8-litre and 2.1-litre capacities, and 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines, all of which are available with several different power outputs. Most efficient is the CLA180d BlueEfficiency diesel with a claimed combined fuel consumption figure of 76mpg and CO2 emissions of 98g/km: quickest is the all-wheel-drive 276bhp CLA45 AMG that rips from standstill to 62mph in 4.2 seconds.
Despite its youthful looks and sporty pretensions, the CLA mk1 isn’t the most involving car to drive, but neither is it a bad one. The steering is a bit light but reasonably accurate, it has lots of grip and stopping power, and most of the range are gutsy performers (the rabid CLA45 AMG in particular). And yet the diesel engines are noisy and gruff when pushed, and the ride quality is excessively firm and crashy, even on models with ‘comfort’ suspension.
None of these dynamic inadequacies are deal-breakers, however. If you like the looks of the CLA mk1 you’ll overlook them: it’s an emotional purchase.
Mercedes-Benz does operate servicing plans for the later model CLA mk1s, but it’s hard to imagine why you’d go to a main dealer unless your car was still under warranty or you really, really value a full MB service history. For example, you can pay £33 a month for two years to finance two services for a (non-AMG) CLA covering up to 15,000 miles a year: that’s £792, to save you reaching for the calculator. Three services will set you back £1,188.
There are plenty of well-respected independent Mercedes-Benz specialists out there, and typically they’ll charge between £80-155 for an interim service depending on the model, with a full service (every 12,000 miles/12 months) costing in the region of £175 to £250.
A number of the diesel derivatives of the CLA mk1 are very fuel efficient, with the CLA180d BlueEfficiency stretching out a gallon for an average of 76 miles while puffing out just 98g/km of CO2 from its tailpipe. The CLA200d and CLA220d automatic aren’t far off the overall efficiency of the BlueEfficiency and there are more of them to choose from. And as a consequence of this efficiency, diesel versions of the CLA mk1 can be taxed from as little as £20.
It’s no surprise that the petrol derivatives can’t match the low running costs of the diesel models, but all of them, including the Mercedes-AMG CLA45, are capable on paper of more than 40mpg and many of them can achieve more than 50mpg. Annual road tax can be as low as £125 for some versions of the CLA180, but if you’re determined to have the rip-snorting Mercedes-AMG CLA45, best you set aside £475 for the privilege of driving on Her Majesty’s highways.
Often when you’re researching the reliability of cars you’ll find countless negative comments on the car in question from disgruntled owners. Not so the Mercedes-Benz CLA mk1. It’s as though it never breaks down. Or if it does, loyal owners don’t want to highlight the fact.
Perhaps this lack of negativity is attributable to Mercedes cleanly clearing up a number of recalls on the CLA mk1, because the model hasn’t been without fault. Although it didn’t affect the car’s reliability, there was a serious issue with Mercedes’ diesel engines produced between January 2011 and September 2015: they were emitting more than eight times the legal limit of NOx and required a software upgrade to bring levels back down. There were numerous problems with faulty airbags that might not properly deploy in an accident, a broken steering column spring that could cause a short-circuit which triggers the driver’s airbag randomly, and a brake booster pipe leak that might make it very hard to brake quickly. There was also a glitch with the starter motor wiring that in extreme circumstances could cause an under-bonnet blaze.
While British owners of the CLA mk1 seemingly have nothing to say about their car’s reliability, an American CLA forum does detail a few niggles. The stop/start system in some cars has been playing up, alloy wheels are starting to suffer from lacquer peel, sticky turbocharger actuators are causing some CLA mk1’s to drop into limp-home mode, and the panoramic roof’s sunroof panel in some cars is becoming sticky and requires re-lubrication. Parking cameras are reported to play up from time to time and are expensive to replace, while a roof panel at the leading edge of the roof is starting to bubble, requiring replacement or re-painting.
But even with those problems, there seem to be very few fuming owners. Which is great news.
- While its range of high-efficiency engines helps the CLA mk1’s excellent performance at the fuel pumps, another factor is also at play here: aerodynamics. The coupe/saloon’s drag coefficient of 0.22cd made the CLA mk1 the world’s most aerodynamic production car when it was launched. Helping the CLA to that achievement are its front grille shutters that close at speed for more efficient airflow, aerodynamically optimised door mirrors, fins on the rear lights, and vents in the rear wheel arches to expel air.
- In addition to its regular Sport, AMG Sport, AMG Line and Engineered by AMG trim packages, the CLA mk1 was available with a number of special editions, including AMG Night Edition, AMG Line Night Edition, AMG Line Night Edition Plus, AMG Yellow Night Edition, OrangeArt and WhiteArt. The coloured specials have splashes of the appropriate hue applied to edges of the front and rear spoilers, sills and wheel rims on the outside, and then inside on the surrounds of the air vents, the stitching of the steering wheel, central armrest, and seats, with further stripes of colour on the seat upholstery and edging the floor mats.
- The Mercedes-AMG CLA45 derivative of the CLA range is maybe a bit extreme for most of us and costs a small fortune to run and to buy, even as a used model. But if you can afford it, you’re buying something special. Each engine is completely hand-assembled by just a single Mercedes-AMG engineer, and once he or she is done, what you have (or at least had at the time), is an engine with the highest specific power output of any production engine – 179bhp per litre.
- If you want the best blend of performance and economy: The CLA220d automatic (launched in 2016 as part of the facelifted CLA line-up) has a claimed combined fuel consumption of 71mpg and CO2 emissions of 104g/km; commendable stuff given that it will also do 144mph and zip from standstill to 62mph in 7.7 seconds. Whichever trim level you choose, ensure it comes with the Comfort suspension package.
- If the lowest possible running costs matter to you: A 2016 model, the 180d BlueEfficiency diesel has an official combined fuel figure of 76mpg and produces CO2 emissions of just 98g/km, making it very cheap to tax. It isn’t all that quick – 127mph and 0-62mph in 11.6sec – but the engine’s torquey enough to keep up with everyday traffic.
- If you’d prefer to drive a petrol model: While the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 is a tempting prospect for hardcore driving enthusiasts, if you want something less frantic and cheaper to run, have a look at the CLA250 automatic. It has an AMG styling pack but does up to 52 to the gallon and produces 125g/km of CO2, while at the same time running to 149mph and sprinting to 62mph in 6.6 seconds. Calmer is the CLA200, which is plenty fast enough and more likely to feature the Comfort suspension.
- If you like the security of four-wheel drive: Several CLA mk1s are available with the option of Mercedes’ 4Matic four-wheel drive system, which is tuned for on-road performance in all weathers rather than implying any off-road prowess. And you’ll find examples teamed with either six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearboxes. The latter, by the way, can be operated using paddle-shifters, but works much better if you just let it handle all the gear shifts by itself.
