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2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Long-Term Road Test


Our long-term Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is the least expensive Merc you can buy, but it still looks good and reminds me quite a bit of the CLS-Class.
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Full disclosure - I own a CLA. Is it flawed? Absolutely. Do I love it? Absolutely
Allthingshonda, full disclosure, I've owned and loved an Integra and Prelude before owning Mercedes. While I really like the current Accord and think it represents a more focused Honda; I respect the engineering that went into the Benz. The sweet spot of the Accord range seems to be the Sport with the V6 probably a bit more than the chassis can handle (check out MotorTrend's latest update on their V6 manual coupe). Potential reliability aside, the A, CLA and GLA cars in the bonkers AMG 45 guises are the sweet spots in the range. They have been quite well reviewed and have obviously been engineered to handle that level of power and handling. I really like the new Accord's interior but actually find the CLA's basic materials better, the door panel gaps notwithstanding. There are more soft touch materials all around especially the lower door panels, all the pillars covers are fabric covered and the plastics are more dense. Finally, I do get a sense that the basic structures are stronger. No one really performs as well as Mercedes when it comes to IIHS intrusion measures for the frontal and side impact tests. The C class did poorly in the small offset because the older design of the structure doesn't deflect the car, causing the car to absorb the full force but if you look up the other intrusion measures, it's a rolling vault.
The 3 pointed star on the grill doesn't make it a better car, it only makes it a Mercedes. They're selling tons of these cars because lots of people want to say they drive a Mercedes. IMO Audi is the best luxury car maker from Germany now but still nothing says I made it like a Mercedes. I will be the first to admit that the 3 pointed star on the grill is worth way more than Honda's H ever will.
Unless my memory is failing me, only the A pillars are fabric covered. The B and C pillars are textured plastic. In the CLA, the fabric also has a soft backing as well.
When I was referring to the IIHS intrusion measures I meant pure strength.
For example, intrusion measurements for the 2014 Accord moderate overlap:
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 7
Left (cm) 12
Center (cm) 9
Right (cm) 8
Brake pedal (cm) 9
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 1
Rearward (cm) 6
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0
2010 C Class moderate
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 1
Left (cm) 1
Center (cm) 2
Right (cm) 1
Brake pedal (cm) 3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 1
Right (cm) 3
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -4
Rearward (cm) 6
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1
In the side impact for both, the Mercedes had over 5cm less deformation. In the roof crush test, the C Class' roof was able to handle almost 3000 pounds more pressure.
Interesting viewing, look at the area behind the sliding door on the small offset test with the 2014 Odyssey. No doubt it's safe but the structure doesn't look rock solid.