2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Review

Name: 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Review
Brand: Mercedes-Benz
Rating: 3.5 (8 reviews)

Price Range: $23,990 - $43,995

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 35 Sedan Exterior

+249

Read full review See all features & specs

Price & Payment

12 cars

$30,363 avg. price

Min$

Max$

See listings

Appraise My 2020 Mercedes-Benz

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for sale near you

3 of 12 listings

CLA 250 4MATIC Sedan
MSRP: $20,900
29 mi away
CLA 250 Sedan
MSRP: $28,000
171 mi away
CLA 250 4MATIC Sedan
MSRP: $23,990
95 mi away

See all 12 listings

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class model years

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for Sale

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class types

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Review

byTravis Langness^{Reviews Editor
Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.}

Pros

Generous list of standard features
Luxury badging without the premium price
AMG CLA 45 trim's impressive acceleration and handling
Sharp-looking infotainment system with excellent voice controls

Cons

Less rear headroom than the entry-level A-Class
Mediocre in-cabin storage for small items

What's new

The Mercedes-Benz CLA is redesigned for 2020
New looks, more power and more interior space
Addition of Mercedes' class-leading MBUX infotainment system
Launches the second CLA generation for 2020

Overview

The Mercedes-Benz CLA is a sedan that's styled to look like a coupe and priced to attract new buyers to the brand. As an entry-level luxury sedan, it offers sleek looks and a big three-pointed star on the nose without quite the typical hit to the pocketbook associated with the German automaker. But when it was introduced in 2014, we weren't big fans of the CLA. The stiff seats and poor ride quality, along with the limited cabin space, made it hard to love. But it's been completely redesigned for 2020. It's now more practical and modern, and it's poised to become one of our favorite vehicles in the class.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.71 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$157/mo

$154/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Underneath this new 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA are bones that are shared with the new, even more entry-level A-Class. The CLA also gets the same brilliant infotainment interface and its generally high standard of build quality. It also gains some headroom in the rear seat. The trunk is marginally smaller, but that's the price you pay for sleek styling. What's more, the CLA now offers two high-performance trims (the AMG CLA 35 and the AMG CLA 45) to complement the well-equipped base model. And for buyers who want to customize their car, Mercedes has a long list of available options to choose from.

With this long list of improvements, this new 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA stands a much better chance against rivals from BMW and Audi. If you're shopping entry-level luxury sedans, the CLA should be one of your top considerations.

Which CLA-Class does Edmunds recommend?

With the abundant standard equipment on the base CLA 250 and the long list of available options, we think it's a smart choice. It comes standard with the class-leading MBUX infotainment system and safety features, including forward collision mitigation, but you can tack on all sorts of AMG-styled exterior options and upgrades such as navigation or a surround-view camera system.

Compare 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class trim levels

Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class models

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA sedan is offered in three trim levels: CLA 250, AMG CLA 35 and AMG CLA 45. The base CLA 250 is powered by turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (221 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque) and paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It comes standard with front-wheel drive but is available with all-wheel drive (4Matic). The AMG CLA 35 also uses a more powerful turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (302 hp and 295 lb-ft) and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch as well. The CLA 45 gets the biggest power bump to its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (382 hp and 354 lb-ft), which is connected to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. All-wheel drive is standard with the CLA 45.

Standard feature highlights for the CLA 250 include dual-zone automatic climate control, simulated leather upholstery (MB-Tex), side-by-side 7-inch infotainment screens, the new Mercedes-Benz User Experience interface (also known as MBUX), Bluetooth connectivity, a rearview camera, and forward collision mitigation.

Upgrade to the AMG CLA 35 and you'll get a higher-horsepower engine, a sport suspension, upgraded brakes, and a sport steering wheel. The AMG CLA 45 gets even more power, keyless entry and ignition, auto-dimming and power-folding mirrors, and blind-spot monitoring.

Several option packages are available depending on trim level. They add items such as leather upholstery, upgraded dash and door trim, a navigation system, heated and ventilated seats, a surround-view camera, a head-up display, and a Burmester sound system.

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

See pricing history

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

4/5Above Average

#7 out of 26 among Luxury Compact Cars

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class from 2008-2022.}

$574/yr

vs. $554/yr
for Average Luxury Compact Car

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

1.08x/yr

vs. 1.57x/yr
for Average Luxury Compact Car

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

6.7%

vs. 11.1%
for Average Luxury Compact Car

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.5

8 reviews

5(62%)

4(0%)

3(0%)

2(0%)

1(38%)

Write a vehicle review See all 8 reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Great Car

this is a great car, 07/07/2020

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class CLA 250 4MATIC 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

easy driving, comfortable, good pick up, looks great

A COMPLETELY NEW CLA

TOM, 05/20/2020

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

I recently traded my old 2016 CLA 250 for a new 2020 CLA 250. Although I was happy with my 2016 the new model is totally different and substantially better. The previous negative review must have been out of the USA (and was a 2019 model) since MB doesn't even sell the 220 model in the US. I have had mine for 6 months and love it. It is significantly quieter and quicker and has a …

Awesome Car

Pharoah 2020, 02/07/2020

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

This car is really great so far. Swift acceleration, loaded with technology, and beautiful looking body

Worst car I have ever owned

Peter , 04/19/2020

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class CLA 250 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 7AM)

I have always been a fan of Mercedes brand. In 2016 I had a first chance to spent some time with Mercedes GLA, which I leased for one year. I was very disappointed by the car in most aspects. The build quality was poor, but by far the worst part was the extremely noisy diesel engine (its impressive how Mercedes managed to develop 2,2 diesel with all the modern common rail technology … that sounded like the tractor from the 60´s). The dual clutch transmission was also not far from tragic. In 2019 I got an interesting offer for the new CLA 220 petrol- I liked the way it look and even the unpleasant experience with GLA did not ruin my love for the Mercedes brand so I bought it I have about 6k miles (10k km) on it now and I unfortunately have to say I really hate the car. Let me start with positives: • the car looks really good, especially from the front (the back is more controversial, the car still has the same problem as the previous generations – thin tires makes it look like its a cheap sedan version intended for the developing markets). • The new MBUX infotainment system is quite good, I really love those large displays and its also a one of the “wow” factors. • I paid extra for the multibeam headlighs, which in most cases work as they should and the amount of light it provides is just amazing. • The engine is really good - Im very surprised – the car is very dynamic and I enjoy driving it fast. The negatives: I know that a lot of people will say - “you bought a cheapest Mercedes, so what do you expect?” but I paid double the price of well equipped VW Golf so I would expect to get at least the quality of the Golf. Unfortunately I don't. Things I hate • double clouch transmission is a joke-I have never in my life had such a bad transmission in a car and my cars included cheapest budget brands. Unfortunately I realized that it is the same transmission I had the experience with in GLA. You can feel each and every downshift and up-shift. Traffic jams are hell on earth with it-it shifts up and down so roughly that I feel like Its having its first driving lesson. When you slowly arrive to the red light and want to accelerate again, you get kicked so badly that I´m some times almost worried that the engine will stall. • Interior rattling – the interior rattles as on 15 years old car. The rattles in the driver side B-pillar started during the first miles. Then the rattling from the passenger back door appeared, then the rattling from the sunglasses compartment, from the passengers B pillar, from the passenger doors.It appears under different temperatures and under different humidity. And of course as it appears randomly and I am not able to replicate it to the dealer. • I got window airbag warning light on twice already. First it was on passenger side, got it fixed by the dealer. A week later the same thing appeared on the drivers side. When I had a test drive in B-class before I bought this car, It had the exact same error on the screen, so apparently this is some kind of whole small platform issue • The rain sensor is very poor. Mercedes has only 2 levels of sensitivity – 1) does not work almost at all, 2) works randomly and usually very bad. Especially at night I end up pushing the manual wipers button all the time • One of the frame-less windows stucked and ended up not going down when opening the doors. The next day from some reason it worked again. • I got already about 5 warnings that the “service A” is due (which is not true and the dealer did not know why the warnings are popping up) • Line assistant in new Mercedes cars (not only a CLA case) is insane – every time you approach the solid line, the car rapidly engages the breakes on the opposite side . This is so rapid that it can cause a heart attack as it feels like you hit some one. As I´m driving in the city, I simply sometimes have to cross the solid line meaning at least 3 times per week I got this shock from the car. • I paid extra for the improved audio system which is still mediocre at best. The subwoofer in the trunk is covered by plastic made out of yogurt caps and every time you play something with a bit of a bass in it, it rattles. • Got plenty of false positive warnings from the parking sensors when arriving to the junctions. • Keyless locking mechanism does not work from time to time • I expected the to be safety benchmark, but its far from that – try to find moose test on YouTube – far bellow average. • the car sits so low you have to almost stop in front of every speed bump • the key is designed in the way that I accidentally open the trunk every time when having it in my pocket and just bent (ok this may be my fault) My passion for Mercedes is definitely gone now. I will never in my life buy another product from this brand, even though I believe that the rest of their portfolio may better.

See all 8 reviews of the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Write a vehicle review

2020 CLA-Class Highlights

Type:

Sedan

Trim:

CLA 250

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$36,650
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	28 MPG
Cost to Drive	$157/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	11.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Our experts like the CLA-Class models:

Active Brake Assist: Warns of an impending front collision and applies the brakes if the driver doesn't react.
Blind-Spot Assist: Displays a warning triangle in the mirror if a car is in your blind spot and beeps if you activate a turn signal.
Attention Assist: Uses many sensors and other data to tell if a driver is getting fatigued and suggests a rest stop.

People who viewed this also viewed

Mercedes-Benz C-Class
4.0 average Rating out of 3 reviews.
Starting at $48,450

See Mercedes-Benz C-Class Inventory

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
5.0 average Rating out of 2 reviews.
Starting at $43,000

See Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class Inventory

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
1.0 average Rating out of 1 reviews.
Starting at $49,250

See Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Inventory

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Review

Price & Payment

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Review

Pros