2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 45 S

Price Range: $65,400

Keith Buglewicz | Edmunds

Average

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

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Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for Sale

Pricing

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Edmunds suggests you pay

$55,906

Prices based on sales in VA thru 3/30/26

Final assembly in Hungary

Pros

Generous list of standard features
Luxury badging at a reasonable price
Enjoyable performance from AMG CLA 35 and 45 models

Cons

Less rear seat space than many rivals
Options quickly escalate price
Touch-sensitive controls can be distracting to use

What's new

Refreshed front and rear styling
Base and top trims get more power
New standard features include heated seats, larger displays and automated parking
Part of the second CLA generation introduced for 2020

Overview

Written by automotive expert Dan Frio

3/24/2026

The second-most affordable car in the Mercedes lineup, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA is a small four-door sedan with a sleek coupe-style look. A fastback roofline signals sporty intentions, and with more than 400 horsepower, the CLA can indeed get sporty. Inside, the CLA delivers the features, tech and classy feel that buyers expect from Mercedes. A budget Benz, this is not. For 2024, the CLA does some catching up, adding new standard features and more power to boost its appeal alongside capable rivals. The vibrant new Hyper Blue color is also a welcome splash in an otherwise monochromatic palette.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$260/mo

$221/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Edmunds spotlight: Closing the gap

The race for supremacy in a tight group of small sport sedans finds the (mostly) European brands often leap-frogging one another with new designs and features. Four years after substantial second-generation improvements, the CLA shows new style up front (mesh grille, subtle lower fascia tweaks) with a new rear diffuser out back. But power and feature upgrades really vault the CLA back into the lead. A new electric motor helps the turbo engine generate more power: an extra 13 horsepower in the CLA 250 base trim. The top-trim AMG CLA 45 S also gets a power bump this year, up by 34 hp. The CLA's larger displays, wireless smartphone charging and connections, and additional driver aids also heighten its appeal for 2024.

Competitors to consider

Not surprisingly, Mercedes' European rivals have an answer for the CLA. The Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe both offer joyous, responsive performance and similar features. Despite its smaller size, the BMW offers roughly the same roominess and a larger trunk. The Volvo S60 is slightly longer, roomier and more powerful, with a timeless look, not unlike the A3. The aging Lexus IS 300 still promises fun rear-wheel-drive exploits, while the Tesla Model 3 makes a compelling case to go all-electric.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

Driven, tested, rated by automotive expert Keith Buglewicz

Average

7.6

out of 10

We drove the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

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 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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2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 45 S pricing in Ashburn, VA

Edmunds suggests you pay

Build & Price

Buying Tips for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for April

Here are some tips for buying the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class:

The Edmunds True Market Value for the CLA-Class is about 11% below the MSRP, saving you over $5,800. This is a good point to leverage when negotiating.
The CLA 250 trim offers the highest percentage savings off MSRP at roughly 12%, translating to over $5,300 in savings. This trim might offer the best value.
There are no generally available customer cash rebates for new CLA-Class models. Keep this in mind while budgeting.
If you’re thinking about a used CLA-Class, prices start at around $31,332, but remember these cars spend 18-79 days on lots, providing some negotiation leverage. However, these tend to sell quickly, so act fast!

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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, which is slightly better than BMW, not as good as Audi. 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.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class trim level differences

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA is offered in three trim levels: CLA 250, AMG CLA 35 and AMG CLA 45 S. All three come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at increasing power levels. The CLA 250 is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (Mercedes' 4Matic), while the more powerful and performance-tuned AMG versions come standard with all-wheel drive. Compare the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class trim levels in-depth.

Which CLA-Class trim does Edmunds recommend?

The AMG models are a blast to drive, and if you enjoy stomping the gas and turning fast corners, they're worth consideration. We'd suggest the CLA 35 because its 302-hp engine is plenty fast and the smaller wheels improve ride quality compared to the CLA 45. But if you just want an effective balance of snappy performance and Mercedes class, we like the CLA 250. Plentiful standard features make even a base-level CLA 250 a compelling deal, but dozens of bundled and stand-alone options allow you to equip the car to taste. The Driver Assistance package is a worthy addition for basic self-driving-ish features (a boon for rush-hour commuters). We'd also seriously consider the upgraded Burmester surround-sound system.

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.7

23 reviews

5(56%)

4(13%)

3(0%)

2(9%)

1(22%)

Owners Say

The overall sentiment about the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is mixed. Owners appreciate the car's beautiful design, sporty feel, and advanced tech features inside. However, many have experienced issues like uncomfortable rides, tire problems, and rattling noises, making them feel dissatisfied. Reliability concerns and poor customer service have also been highlighted by several owners.

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

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

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Most Helpful Owner Review

The ladylike charlatan who does it all

Maverick, 11/08/2024

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 45 S 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8AM)

It handles everything from neighborhood city driving to high-speed operation, long distance trips, etc. I guess they want to differentiate it from the C-Class, but it would be nice to have more luxurious features such as an automatic trunk closing device and an electrically adjustable steering wheel position with memory.

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2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Features & Specs

Type:

AMG CLA 45 S

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$65,400
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	23 MPG
Cost to Drive	$260/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	11.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Reliability

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class has a 4 years / 50,000 miles basic warranty and no recalls. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 4 out of 5, ranks it #7 out of 26 among Luxury Compact Cars.

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

4 out of 5 stars4/5Above 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

$574/yr

vs. $554/yr
for Average Luxury Compact Car

Frequency

1.08x/yr

vs. 1.57x/yr
for Average Luxury Compact Car

Severity

6.7%

vs. 11.1%
for Average Luxury Compact Car

Recalls

There are no recalls for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Warranty

4 years / 50,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles

Compare the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

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Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class vs. Audi A3

The A3 is slightly smaller than the CLA, but it's surprisingly roomy inside. The rear seats offer more head- and legroom, although the CLA is more generous with its front passengers. The Audi's extra room also comes at the expense of some trunk space (about 0.5 cubic foot smaller than the Mercedes). Many of the CLA's upgrades this year — larger touchscreen, heated seats — diminish some of the A3's earlier advantages, but the Audi is a bit more fuel-efficient, offers standard real leather upholstery, and remains seriously fun to drive.

Compare Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class & Audi A3 features

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class vs. Lexus IS 300

The IS 300 and CLA cost about the same and offer many similar features. The Lexus adds a few extras, such as adaptive cruise control, but its sporty rear-wheel-drive layout is the real reason to consider it. Compared to the front-wheel-drive CLA, the IS 300 offers more traditional tail-happy sports car fun. If you need all-wheel drive, both cars offer it. The IS 300 hasn't been redesigned in nearly 10 years, though, and it's showing its age. The CLA delivers a more stylish and modern-looking design with superior tech.

Compare Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class & Lexus IS 300 features

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class vs. Tesla Model 3

You could consider the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (more on that above) another alternative to the CLA, but the Model 3 is a left-field consideration if you're curious about going fully electric. Both cars start around the same price, although the Tesla comes with standard features that cost extra on the CLA. The Tesla is also roomier, with twice the trunk space, despite being the same size. The Model 3's 272-mile estimated range should be sufficient for most around-town driving and commuting, and if you travel, you're backed by Tesla's best-in-class charging network.

Compare Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class & Tesla Model 3 features

Safety

Our experts’ favorite CLA-Class safety features:

Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call Service: Complimentary for as long as you own the CLA, this standard feature equips the car with an SOS button that connects you to a live operator if you need assistance.
Pre-Safe Sound: When a collision is unavoidable, this technology emits a special tone through the stereo speakers to protect your hearing.
Active Emergency Stop Assist: When using the adaptive cruise control and lane keeping system, this technology detects an unresponsive driver and brings the CLA to a safe stop.

Research other CLA-Class years

FAQ

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

The Edmunds experts tested the 2024 CLA-Class both on the road and at the track, giving it a 7.6 out of 10. 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 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

According to Edmunds’ car experts, here’s what’s new for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class:

Refreshed front and rear styling
Base and top trims get more power
New standard features include heated seats, larger displays and automated parking
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 average consumer rating to that of competing vehicles. Learn more

Is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good car?

There's a lot to consider if you're wondering whether the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is a good car. Edmunds' expert testing team reviewed the 2024 CLA-Class and gave it a 7.6 out of 10. Safety scores, fuel economy, cargo capacity and feature availability should all be factors in determining whether the 2024 CLA-Class is a good car for you. Learn more

How much should I pay for a 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

The least-expensive 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 45 S 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8AM). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $65,400.

Other versions include:

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 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

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 45 S

Pricing

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to Drive

Edmunds spotlight: Closing the gap

Competitors to consider

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Buying Tips for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for April

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class trim level differences

Which CLA-Class trim does Edmunds recommend?

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Reviews

Owner Reviews

Owners Say

Most Helpful Owner Review

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Features & Specs

Reliability

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

Recalls

Warranty

Compare the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class vs. Audi A3

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class vs. Lexus IS 300

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class vs. Tesla Model 3

Check a dealer's price

Safety

Our experts’ favorite CLA-Class safety features:

FAQ

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

What's new in the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class reliable?

Is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good car?

How much should I pay for a 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?

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