A Disappointing Year - 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

A Disappointing Year - 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Long-Term Road Test

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 has completed its year in the Edmunds.com garage. At least one editor has found it to be a disappointing year.

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emajor

Ouch, that's a rather thorough and honest evisceration of this car. I would also add that it is shamefully ugly and has none of the road presence I would expect from a car wearing that badge. Those wanting a Jetta VR6 reboot will likely be better served by the A3 if they need a premium badge, GTI if they don't and would like several thousand dollars left over to buy something nice.

throwback

Well, the badge is still shiny. And that is what will matter to most buyers.

ek900

emajor...I disagree with your "shamefully ugly" opinion, and so does the marketplace. These things have sold well, and I'm confident styling is a big reason. The CLA is good-looking and to me is a car that has stayed good-looking after a year. And I'm guessing you never drove a Jetta VR6. I did, and frankly it wasn't a car that drove perfectly. It lagged far behind entry-level BMWs (and other cars) in terms of ride and handling in its own time. Good power, but many shortcomings. I would guess the CLA would outdo a VR6 it in most honest measurements.

That doesn't mean the CLA is the best car in this class. But the criticism seems overwrought.

emajor

ek900
Opinions on styling are subjective, and marketplace success only means that a significant minority are in love with the sheet metal. The very conservative A3 is selling well too. As for the Jetta VR6, James referenced it for being a "small, German-made car with a torque-rich engine", not because it had similar handling and suspension tuning and "drove perfectly". As for me, brilliant handling or not, these reviews on the poor ride quality and transmission behavior would knock the CLA out of contention regardless of the styling.

fordson1

The one plus that stood out for me with this car was the excellent fuel economy for something this heavy and with this power.

mrryte

Not surprised about this assessment. This is a half-baked econobox at best. As for it selling well; it has NOTHING to do with the car. Remove the MB logo and barely anyone would even notice this car.

allthingshonda

The CLA is selling well not because it's a good car but because there are a lot of people who value a badge more than a quality automobile. For less money they could drive numerous other cars from Ford, Honda, VW etc. that have more features, higher quality, ride better, and perform as well or better. But what they don't have is the 3 pointed star on the grill, and for CLA buyers this is more important than anything else.

kshankar

@allthingshonda, you nailed it. Also the cheap looking interior with the tacked on Tom Tom doesn't help either.

legacygt

The CLA is selling on styling, brand and price. That's fine...for now. The question is what will it do to the brand long term to have a car that fails to impress someone (like Riswik) who was happy with a Jetta? There are a million reasons why the CLA is what it is. But there are potential drawbacks to a premium automaker offering what is essentially a compact FWD car with a stiff ride (GTI? Mazda3 anyone?).

quadricycle

I don't think that there will be any serious long-term implications to the CLA, especially if MB keeps improving upon the design. Small MB cars (A&B Class) have been on sale in Europe for a while now, and that doesn't detract any potential E, S, or SL buyers.