Clearly it does as it is prominently displayed on the CLA-Class’ front grille, and it’s huge. But does Mercedes’ compact four-door coupe deserve to sport such a storied, historical, and highly sought-after symbol?
My answer: Barely.
Perhaps I’ve become far too accustomed to driving what I would consider real Mercs over the last 15 years, but then again I’ve never had a problem with the B-Class, if one was to consider it “an untrue Mercedes.” In fact, I’ve always thought that it was a brilliant product, as a 2nd or 3rd car in the family fleet. And that may be why I’m far from enamored with the CLA.
Pedigree or lack thereof
The CLA-Class is all-new for the 2014 model year and thus has no actual history. Its closest ties to anything of the sort come from the CLS-Class, which is a true three-pointed Star automobile.
The CLA is meant to attract new, young buyers with an entry point into the vast Mercedes family in the hopes that they will move up in the lineup as their careers and incomes climb. My guess is that it will work, as the CLA is the lowest echelon (along with the "B") and it only gets seriously better from there.
I might be feeling a little bitchy, but that’s only because I know how great Mercedes is and I felt like I would have been shortchanged had I purchased the car.
All about style on the outside
Thankfully, unless you read this review, you’ll never know about the car’s real shortcomings, which I will get to in a bit. The 2014 Mercedes CLA 250 is all about looks. The attention to detail, the styling cues such as the massive grille, frameless doors into which masterful and powerful creases are sculpted, are all very enticing. From afar, the car is mind-blowingly beautiful.
Throw in the optional Sport Package that includes an AMG-style front bumper and 18" AMG 5-Twin Spoke Wheels, and the 2014 CLA-Class looks positively racy. Sexy, even.
And a missed opportunity for style inside
It is with such a high that one climbs aboard the CLA only to be disappointed with what comes across as being a dashboard that belongs in an old man’s car.
The vents are cool, functional and well framed by metallic accents, but then it all crumbles. The protruding display/nav/HMI screen looks like an afterthought, as though it was thrown in for good measure because the car had to have one. The audio control pod is standard Merc so it’s fine and I accept the simple HVAC cluster but I am heartbroken by the lazy presentation, and the small storage bins.
I’m a sucker for column shifters but they belong in a Ford F-350 SuperDuty XLT 4x4 crew cab Power Stroke with the 8” box or my beloved 1988 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, not in a hip new sporty compact Mercedes.
Thankfully, fit and finish are good but some of the materials look and feel cheap. The seats are very comfortable and supportive and the white contrast stitching spruces up the generally mundane cabin.
Suspension tuning?
Once more, I’m used to a well-honed ride and driving experience when I get the privilege to drive a Mercedes. The 2014 Mercedes CLA-Class suffers from a few shortcomings that severely mar what should be a pleasurable time behind its wheel.
Where handling and steering are concerned, the CLA 250 is an ace. The front wheels respond gleefully to driver inputs and the suspension, once compressed, holds true to the tarmac. In fact, the car grips and controls its chassis movements with gusto.
Where it doesn’t is over short or sharp amplitude changes. The ride falls apart, becomes crashy and downright unpleasant. Compliancy from the dampers fails in the first milliseconds of travel, but they do steady themselves afterwards. This car, and its occupants, will always prefer the highway to city streets.
2.0L glory
I’ve not yet met a boosted 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that I don’t like. The 2014 Mercedes CLA 250’s is no different. Pushing out 218 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, it propels the 1,480 kg (3,256 lb) car to 100km/h in a brisk 6.7 seconds.
Passing maneuvers are quickly dealt with. The 2.0T suffers no discernable lag as full torque hangs on from 1,200 to 4,000 rpm and max hp comes on tap at 5,500 rpm. The CLA 250 actually feels faster than its stats indicate.
Slotted between the front wheels and the mill is Merc’s 7G-DCT transmission, a 7-speed automated dual-clutch manual gearbox. Underway, the box glides from one cog to another briskly and without hesitation. Unfortunately, the transmission is not a fan of smooth or progressive takeoffs from a standstill.
I’m not referring to launching the car, but simply leaving a stop sign. Whether in Economy, Sport or Manual mode, throttle input is delayed and hesitant. Light, medium or strong pressure on the go-pedal is not met with an increase in forward momentum, but with a gap and interruption. It is quite annoying.
A real Mercedes because of the logo?
No, sadly it is not. At $34,300, the base CLA 250 offers a fair amount of bang-for-the-buck, but with the aforementioned faults. Take the BMW 2 Series (the 228i) and its entry price of $36,000. The Bimmer is RWD and thus truer to the brand’s credo as a driving machine. The cabin is also built in the brand’s image and more importantly, so is the drive.
Strangely, I really enjoyed the GLA-Class, which shares a large number of components with the CLA. Perhaps I did not pick up on everything at the launch of the GLA, and perhaps I need to spend an entire week with one and relive the experience.
My answer: Barely.
Perhaps I’ve become far too accustomed to driving what I would consider real Mercs over the last 15 years, but then again I’ve never had a problem with the B-Class, if one was to consider it “an untrue Mercedes.” In fact, I’ve always thought that it was a brilliant product, as a 2nd or 3rd car in the family fleet. And that may be why I’m far from enamored with the CLA.
Pedigree or lack thereof
The CLA-Class is all-new for the 2014 model year and thus has no actual history. Its closest ties to anything of the sort come from the CLS-Class, which is a true three-pointed Star automobile.
The CLA is meant to attract new, young buyers with an entry point into the vast Mercedes family in the hopes that they will move up in the lineup as their careers and incomes climb. My guess is that it will work, as the CLA is the lowest echelon (along with the "B") and it only gets seriously better from there.
I might be feeling a little bitchy, but that’s only because I know how great Mercedes is and I felt like I would have been shortchanged had I purchased the car.
All about style on the outside
Thankfully, unless you read this review, you’ll never know about the car’s real shortcomings, which I will get to in a bit. The 2014 Mercedes CLA 250 is all about looks. The attention to detail, the styling cues such as the massive grille, frameless doors into which masterful and powerful creases are sculpted, are all very enticing. From afar, the car is mind-blowingly beautiful.
Throw in the optional Sport Package that includes an AMG-style front bumper and 18" AMG 5-Twin Spoke Wheels, and the 2014 CLA-Class looks positively racy. Sexy, even.
And a missed opportunity for style inside
It is with such a high that one climbs aboard the CLA only to be disappointed with what comes across as being a dashboard that belongs in an old man’s car.
The vents are cool, functional and well framed by metallic accents, but then it all crumbles. The protruding display/nav/HMI screen looks like an afterthought, as though it was thrown in for good measure because the car had to have one. The audio control pod is standard Merc so it’s fine and I accept the simple HVAC cluster but I am heartbroken by the lazy presentation, and the small storage bins.
I’m a sucker for column shifters but they belong in a Ford F-350 SuperDuty XLT 4x4 crew cab Power Stroke with the 8” box or my beloved 1988 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, not in a hip new sporty compact Mercedes.
Thankfully, fit and finish are good but some of the materials look and feel cheap. The seats are very comfortable and supportive and the white contrast stitching spruces up the generally mundane cabin.
Suspension tuning?
Once more, I’m used to a well-honed ride and driving experience when I get the privilege to drive a Mercedes. The 2014 Mercedes CLA-Class suffers from a few shortcomings that severely mar what should be a pleasurable time behind its wheel.
Where handling and steering are concerned, the CLA 250 is an ace. The front wheels respond gleefully to driver inputs and the suspension, once compressed, holds true to the tarmac. In fact, the car grips and controls its chassis movements with gusto.
Where it doesn’t is over short or sharp amplitude changes. The ride falls apart, becomes crashy and downright unpleasant. Compliancy from the dampers fails in the first milliseconds of travel, but they do steady themselves afterwards. This car, and its occupants, will always prefer the highway to city streets.
2.0L glory
I’ve not yet met a boosted 2.0L 4-cylinder engine that I don’t like. The 2014 Mercedes CLA 250’s is no different. Pushing out 218 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, it propels the 1,480 kg (3,256 lb) car to 100km/h in a brisk 6.7 seconds.
Passing maneuvers are quickly dealt with. The 2.0T suffers no discernable lag as full torque hangs on from 1,200 to 4,000 rpm and max hp comes on tap at 5,500 rpm. The CLA 250 actually feels faster than its stats indicate.
Slotted between the front wheels and the mill is Merc’s 7G-DCT transmission, a 7-speed automated dual-clutch manual gearbox. Underway, the box glides from one cog to another briskly and without hesitation. Unfortunately, the transmission is not a fan of smooth or progressive takeoffs from a standstill.
I’m not referring to launching the car, but simply leaving a stop sign. Whether in Economy, Sport or Manual mode, throttle input is delayed and hesitant. Light, medium or strong pressure on the go-pedal is not met with an increase in forward momentum, but with a gap and interruption. It is quite annoying.
A real Mercedes because of the logo?
No, sadly it is not. At $34,300, the base CLA 250 offers a fair amount of bang-for-the-buck, but with the aforementioned faults. Take the BMW 2 Series (the 228i) and its entry price of $36,000. The Bimmer is RWD and thus truer to the brand’s credo as a driving machine. The cabin is also built in the brand’s image and more importantly, so is the drive.
Strangely, I really enjoyed the GLA-Class, which shares a large number of components with the CLA. Perhaps I did not pick up on everything at the launch of the GLA, and perhaps I need to spend an entire week with one and relive the experience.
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