2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Price Range: $44,400 - $65,400

There's a lot to like about the Mercedes-Benz CLA. It drives as sharp as it looks and it comes with plenty of features to keep you interested. However, even at its base price, it's considerably more expensive than its direct competitors, and adding options causes that price to skyrocket. We like the CLA, but not for the price.Read full review

Rank #3

3 X-Small luxury sedans

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Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for Sale

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National Market Price

$41,024

Prices based on sales in ND thru 6/16/25

Final assembly in Hungary

2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

Luxury badging at a reasonable price
Striking, tech-rich interior
Enjoyable performance from AMG CLA 35 and 45 models

Cons

Less rear seat space than many rivals
Poor value relative to competitors
Touch-sensitive controls can be distracting to use

What's new

No significant changes for 2025
Part of the second CLA generation introduced for 2020

Overview

The CLA is the least expensive car you can buy with a three-pointed star on its grille. Yes, the GLA is slightly less expensive to start, but it's an SUV. So if you're committed to both a car and a Mercedes and on a modest budget, the CLA may be your car. Mercedes calls the sloping-roof CLA a coupe, but it has four doors like the other contenders in this diminutive segment. And it's loaded with tech, both standard and optional. Unfortunately, its starting price is thousands more than its small German rivals.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

$163/mo

$165/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Edmunds spotlight: Brand cachet but questionable value

With a straight face, Mercedes asks nearly $45,000 for the base-level CLA 250. And that's pretty absurd considering it doesn't even have standard heated seats. Despite a midcycle refresh last year, the CLA lineup still lags far behind the value proposition made by competitive rivals from BMW and Audi, which both have starting prices that begin with a 3. Still, we can't help but like certain character traits of the CLA. Its interior is inspired by bigger and more costly Benz siblings and features large (10.25-inch) high-resolution screens for its infotainment and instrument cluster. And with the exception of some transmission sluggishness, control responses in this little Benz are all pretty good, which makes it fun to drive.

Competitors to consider

If you want a compact luxury car, you owe it to yourself to look at the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and the Audi A3, which both offer a similar luxury experience for considerably less cash. And if you're willing to spend the money Mercedes asks for the CLA and can cope with an electric car, the future-forward Tesla Model 3 might be worth a look.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict

Average

7.6

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

8/10

How does the CLA-Class drive? We tested a CLA 250 fitted with the available all-wheel-drive system. The CLA's small size and zippy engine make it fun to squirt through traffic holes or just accelerate up to freeway speeds. Around corners, the CLA is reasonably entertaining to drive. Its tires don't provide a whole lot of grip, but there's always the AMG CLA 45 S if you really want a sport sedan.

One potential problem area is the transmission. It shifts quickly and responsively during routine driving or when you put it in manual mode. But sometimes the car stumbles when coming to a stop or accelerating away from one. There's also a pause when shifting from park to drive or reverse before the transmission engages. If you aren't paying attention, the car can roll, so be sure to keep your foot firmly on the brake.

Comfort

7.5/10

How comfortable is the CLA-Class? If you think every Benz is as cushy as an S-Class, you'll be disappointed. The CLA 250 rides firmly on city streets. If you want to help minimize the impact harshness we experienced, skip the optional 19-inch wheels and stick with the stock 18-inch wheels. Even if you're OK with the ride quality, the seat is on the narrow side and won't comfortably fit all body types. As for the rear seats? They're for short adults for brief journeys.

The air conditioning gets credit for using intuitive physical controls, and we like how the vents will glow red or blue when you increase or decrease the temperature. Unfortunately, it just doesn't blow very much cold air, and it struggled to cool the car on a moderately warm day. Ventilated seats would probably help but, alas, they weren't on our otherwise loaded test car.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? The CLA's cabin is pretty small. The doors open wide and make it easy to get inside, but you'll have to duck a little lower than you expect to avoid bonking your head, especially in the rear. Once inside, the driver and front passenger have good legroom and OK headroom, but not a lot of space between the seats. Be ready for airline-coach-style armrest fights. The rear seats are short on legroom and headroom.

You have good views out the front and to the sides in the CLA, but thick rear roof pillars and headrests compromise the rear view. A 360-degree camera is available and is very useful for parking. Most of the CLA's interior features are controlled through the touchscreen. Luckily, getting up to speed with the basics is straightforward. The downside is that a chunk of the left side of the screen is blocked by the steering wheel. Also, the wheel is covered in touch-sensitive buttons that are far too easy to activate accidentally.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

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Technology

8/10

How’s the tech? If you like a high-tech feel to your car, the CLA delivers. It comes standard with two 10.25-inch screens, one for the infotainment touchscreen and the other for the instruments. There are also programmable LED ambient lights, adding a cool custom touch to the interior.

Our test car had the full suite of driver assist features. The adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking all worked well without intruding in our daily drive. Considering the pinched rear view, the available 360-degree camera system was handy, although the head-up display is so sensitive to polarized sunglasses that one driver didn't even realize the car had it until it was nighttime.

Our car also had the optional Burmester audio system, and it's worth considering. There's excellent separation of highs, mids and lows, although we think the bass could stand to be more powerful. We also like the easy integration of wireless smartphone integration and charging, which makes it easy to set up your phone once and then just toss it into the tray under the dash to keep it charged.

Storage

7.5/10

How’s the storage? Open the trunk and you're greeted with a deep and usable cargo area with 11.6 cubic feet of space, and the rear seats fold down if you need more space. There's a surprisingly high liftover to load stuff in the trunk, but overall the car is low enough to the ground that it's not much of an issue.

Interior storage is another matter. The center console is deep but narrow, and the split lid means you have to open it twice to get inside. The decently sized cupholders are complemented by good-size door-mounted bottle holders. The charging tray for smartphones is conveniently placed, but the shallow tray behind the cupholders is functionally useless.

Installing car seats isn't easy. The lower anchors are simple to find, with exposed Isofix loops, but the top tethers are hard to reach. Plus, there just isn't a lot of room there. A booster might work, but if you're using a rear-facing seat, front passengers are going to be short on legroom.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

Fuel Economy

7.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the CLA 250 with all-wheel drive should get 28 mpg in mixed driving, the same as the Audi A3 and slightly better than the BMW 228i xDrive Gran Coupe. But we never quite saw that. Instead it hovered around the 26 mpg mark during its time with us.

Value

6.5/10

Is the CLA-Class a good value? In a word, no. It's an expensive entry in a class of car that already has trouble justifying its price. Not only is it considerably more expensive than its competitors, that disadvantage gets worse as you add options, with even fully loaded competitors like the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe coming in thousands less than a similarly equipped CLA 250. It's a nifty car, and in a vacuum we like it, but it is not special enough to justify its price premium. Warranty coverage is average for the class, and there is no free ride when it comes to maintenance either.

Wildcard

8/10

There's a lot to like about the CLA. It's fun and sporty to drive, and it feels lively even if you're just bumping around town. The interior feels high-tech and fun thanks to the interior ambient lighting, and the exterior styling is distinctive without being obnoxious. It's a tiny car with a big personality.

Which CLA-Class does Edmunds recommend?

The CLA 250, though it doesn't have an abundance of features we consider necessary in the class, is available with many packaged and stand-alone features. All-wheel drive is an easy addition to this base model. The AMG models add plenty of spice to the driving experience if that's your thing, and they come standard with all-wheel drive.

Compare 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Owner Reviews

3.7

23 reviews

5(56%)

4(13%)

3(0%)

2(9%)

1(22%)

The overall sentiment for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is mixed. Owners love its stylish design, luxurious interior, and advanced technology features, making it feel fun to drive and offering great comfort. However, there are significant complaints about the car's reliability, with several reports of mechanical issues like rattling noises, tire problems, and glitches with sensors. Some owners are unhappy with the car's jerky transmission and uncomfortable ride, which diminishes their enjoyment and confidence in the vehicle.

This summary is AI-generated from the text of owner reviews

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Most Helpful Owner Review

Styling, Hi-Tech Sold Me

Pete G, 07/16/2021

2021 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

I picked this particular Mercedes because it is a beautiful design and offers the same driver assistance features as the high end MB models: standard brake assist, lane keeping, front and rear cameras and sensors, blind spot and rear side warning. I added the optional full assist package with 360 “cameras” road sign reading and speed adjust, etc. On a well marked highway the car will … drive itself indefinitely with just a finger on the wheel. A tap on the turn signal stalk gets an automatic lane change when it’s clear ….. very convenient and I use the feature often. But styling alone would sell me on the car. The CLA looks especially good from the rear quarter where the curved roofline joins the simple curves of the lower body. The interior is years ahead of mid range MB models and competitors with a continuous multipart screen that covers most of the dash. The infotainment controls are doubly or even triply redundant with touch screen, steering wheel, and a pad controls for most functions. It is so much easier to use while driving than the iDrive system in my BMW that I actually use most of its features. There is a voice activated assist that gets simple commands right, but copes poorly with anything beyond that. For example trying to get the odometer reading bu asking (to avoid changing any of the driver’s three info screens to see the odometer), proved impossible. The promised computer learning curve so far, in over a year, is close to flat. The standard powered front seats are comfortable and roomy for average height people. Good leg room with thigh support extensions, but sexy styling provides minimal head room. Rear seat suffers more and space is very limited but we don’t use the CLA if we have more than two adults in the car. Engine performance is good. Turbo boost comes in smoothly, but the dual clutch 7 speed transmission is often jerky and hesitant while driving in traffic. It has three performance settings with comfort setting the default. I drive in sport setting in traffic because low gears are held longer and there are fewer shifts made. Any good manual driver will shift more smoothly than than this transmission. The CLA comes with more standard features than comparable BMW offerings but doesn’t offer equal performance. It is the “luxury” alternative and has an interior that beats most, if not all of its competitors as well as higher line models. Give this car a traditional torque converter transmission and I would give it 5 Stars.

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, so we've included review for other years of the CLA-Class since its last redesign.

See all 23 reviews of the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

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2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Features & Specs

Type:

Sedan

Trim:

CLA 250

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$44,400
Engine Type	Mild hybrid
Combined MPG	30 MPG
Cost to Drive	$163/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	11.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive

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Safety

Key safety features on the CLA-Class include:

Back-up camera
Blind Spot Monitoring
Alarm
Tire Pressure Warning
Stability Control
Post-collision safety system

FAQ

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good car?

The Edmunds experts tested the 2025 CLA-Class both on the road and at the track, giving it a 7.6 out of 10. Edmunds’ consumer reviews show that the 2025 CLA-Class gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 23 reviews) What about cargo capacity? When you're thinking about carrying stuff in your new car, keep in mind that the CLA-Class has 11.6 cubic feet of trunk space. And then there's safety and reliability. Edmunds has all the latest NHTSA and IIHS crash-test scores, plus industry-leading expert and consumer reviews to help you understand what it's like to own and maintain a Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. Learn more

What's new in the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class:

No significant changes for 2025
Part of the second CLA generation introduced for 2020

Learn more

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class reliable?

To determine whether the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is reliable, read Edmunds' authentic consumer reviews, which come from real owners and reveal what it's like to live with the CLA-Class. Look for specific complaints that keep popping up in the reviews, and be sure to compare the CLA-Class's 4-star average consumer rating to that of competing vehicles. Learn more

Is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good car?

There's a lot to consider if you're wondering whether the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is a good car. Edmunds' expert testing team reviewed the 2025 CLA-Class and gave it a 7.6 out of 10. Our consumer reviews show that the 2025 CLA-Class gets an average rating of 4 stars out of 5 (based on 23 reviews). Safety scores, fuel economy, cargo capacity and feature availability should all be factors in determining whether the 2025 CLA-Class is a good car for you. Learn more

How much should I pay for a 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

The least-expensive 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $44,400.

Other versions include:

CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM) which starts at $44,400
CLA 250 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM) which starts at $46,400
AMG CLA 35 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM) which starts at $56,100
AMG CLA 45 S 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8AM) which starts at $65,400

Learn more

What are the different models of Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

If you're interested in the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, the next question is, which CLA-Class model is right for you? CLA-Class variants include CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM), CLA 250 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM), AMG CLA 35 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM), and AMG CLA 45 S 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8AM). For a full list of CLA-Class models, check out Edmunds’ Features & Specs page. Learn more

2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Pricing

2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to Drive

Edmunds spotlight: Brand cachet but questionable value

Competitors to consider

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Save as much as $3,909 with Edmunds

National Market Price

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which CLA-Class does Edmunds recommend?

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Review

Styling, Hi-Tech Sold Me

Helpful shopping links

2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Features & Specs

Compare the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Check a dealer's price

Safety

Key safety features on the CLA-Class include:

FAQ

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good car?

What's new in the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class reliable?

Is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good car?

How much should I pay for a 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

What are the different models of Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

Related 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class info

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