2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Coupe

 
 

For this week’s review we’ve gotten our hands on the brand new 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, the 2nd generation. It is a 4 door coupe. With the introduction of the new A-class in North America last year it is no longer the cheapest Mercedes-Benz that you can buy. To differentiate itself from the A-Class, the CLA gets sportier and more upscale. Now it comes equipped with their new infotainment system, MBUX.

Disclosure: Mercedes Benz Canada provided me with the 2020 CLA250 for a week to test drive, and photograph. All photos in this blog post was taken by me. #MercedesBenzCLA250

ACCELERATION: 9/10

  • 2.0L I4 Turbo - 221HP @ 5500 / 258 lb-ft @ 1800-4000

  • 7G-DCT - 7-speed dual-clutch automatic

  • 6.3 second 0-100 km/hr

BRAKING: 8.25/10

  • Great stopping ability!

HANDLING: 8.5/10

  • Feels agile and rides like a small car

RIDE: 8/10

  • Good balance of sport and luxury. It can hold the road well but doesn’t give you a beating.

ECONOMY: 8.25/10

  • 25/35/28 MPG (City/Highway/Combined)

CABIN NOISE: 9/10

  • Peaceful cabin, very good noise control!

EXTERIOR: 8.5/10

  • They’ve done a good job with getting a sporty look with the AMG appearance package.

  • Being a longer and wider body that’s low to the ground gives it a street presence

INTERIOR FOR DRIVER: 8.5/10

  • Interior gives off a premium vibe which is a big step up from the 1st gen

  • Feels very engaging and interactive to drive

  • Its tech focus cabin makes you feel like you got a much more expensive car

INTERIOR FOR PASSENGERS: 7/10

  • Rear seats get this sporty look with the alcantera material and red stitching

  • The sexy curved roofline compromises rear headroom

  • It might work for small children but you’ll probably want to upgrade vehicle when they get bigger.

INTERIOR STORAGE: 8/10

  • 16.25 Cu Ft with the seats up

  • The rear logo is a latch to open the trunk

  • Although the rear seats are quite small, the trunk capacity was surprisingly large! Lots of usable space

INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM: 9/10

  • Equipped with their new MBUX system with a voice command personal assistant

  • I liked the feature that projects the directions in real time to let drivers clearly see where to go.

  • Other than with voice commands, you can use the touchpad with haptic feedback or touchscreen. Having all these options to interact intuitively is a plus for me.

  • Supports Android Auto and Apple Car Play

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE 2020 mercedes-BENZ CLA250:

The new CLA250 is no longer a budget feeling Mercedes Benz and feels a lot more expensive than it is. All aspects of it are more polished from the handling, ride quality, low cabin noise and tech.

Due to the small rear passenger space, this car would be more suited for someone who doesn’t have kids coming anytime soon or empty nesters. For me, who also doesn’t have kids yet, the A250 Hatchback is a bit more attractive. When I’m ready to grow my family I’d upgrade to the C300 or C43 Wagon.

While the A250 hatch has a cheaper starting price, the CLA250 comes with AMG styling as standard. When you add the the option for AMG styling to the A250 Hatch the price is very similiar to the CLA250. I think at the end of the day it depends if you want a coupe or hatchback style vehicle. Either way, both of these entry level cars are a solid option if you want to experience a luxury car on a budget.

 
 
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