2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 35

Price Range: $56,100

Average

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

23 Owner Reviews

25 mpg

Combined MPG

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Edmunds suggests you pay

$51,320

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Prices based on sales in VA thru 6/1/26

Final assembly in Hungary

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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

Overview

by the Edmunds Experts

Updated: 11/6/2025

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.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Average

6.2

out of 10

We drove the 2025 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.

Driving experience

7/10

How does the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class drive? We tested a CLA 250 with all-wheel drive; its small size and zippy engine made it fun to squirt through holes in traffic or just accelerate to freeway speeds. Around corners, the CLA is also reasonably entertaining. The tires don't offer a ton of grip, but there's always the AMG CLA 45 S if you really want a sport sedan. In our testing, the CLA 250 dashed from 0 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds — fast for the class but not mind-blowing.

We found the transmission inconsistent: quick and responsive during routine driving or while in manual mode, but sometimes stumbling and jerky when coming to a stop or leaving one. And if you think every Benz is as cushy as an S-Class, you'll be disappointed. The CLA 250 rides firmly on city streets, although you can mitigate this somewhat by going with the factory 18-inch wheels instead of the optional 19-inchers.

For driver aids, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking all worked well without being intrusive. There are good views out of the front and to the sides, but thick rear roof pillars and headrests compromise the rear view. A 360-degree camera system is available and is very useful for parking.

Comfort

5.4/10

How comfortable is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class? The CLA's cabin is small. The doors open wide for easy entry and exit, and there's good legroom and decent headroom for both driver and front passenger but not a lot of space between the seats. Be ready for airline-coach-style armrest fights. The seats are also on the narrow side and won't comfortably fit all body types. The rear seats? They're for short adults for brief journeys.

Most of the CLA's features are controlled through the touchscreen. Getting up to speed is straightforward, but the steering wheel blocks a good chunk of the screen's left side. The wheel's also covered in touch-sensitive buttons that are too easy to activate accidentally.

Benz deserves credit for using physical controls for climate functions, and we like how the vents glow red or blue when adjusting the temperature. But the system itself doesn't cool very well and struggled on a hot day. Ventilated seats might help, but our test car didn't have them.

Installing car seats isn't easy. The lower anchors are easy to find, but the top tethers are hard to reach. And there just isn't a lot of room in back. A booster might work, but if you're using a rear-facing seat, front passengers will feel the squeeze.

In-cabin tech

9.1/10

How’s the tech? If you like a high-tech feel, the CLA delivers. It comes with two 10.25-inch screens: one for touchscreen infotainment, the other for gauges. Considering the car's pinched rear visibility, the optional 360-degree camera comes in handy for backing up and parking. Of note, the head-up display is sensitive to polarized sunglasses; one driver didn't even realize the car had it until driving at night. Custom LED ambient lighting adds a cool custom touch to the interior.

The optional Burmester audio system is worth considering. There's excellent separation of highs, mids and lows, but the bass could use more power. Wireless phone integration and charging are easy. Just set up your phone once, then toss it under the dash to charge it.

Storage & cargo

6/10

How’s storage and cargo? Opening the trunk yields a deep and usable cargo area with 11.6 cubic feet of space, and the rear seats fold down if you need more. The liftover is surprisingly high for loading stuff, but overall the car is low enough to the ground that it's not a big 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 cupholders are decently sized and complemented by good-size door-mounted bottle holders. The charging tray for smartphones is conveniently located, but the shallow tray behind the cupholders is functionally useless.

Value

5/10

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

MPG

5/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the CLA 250 with all-wheel drive should get 29 mpg in mixed driving, 1 mpg better than the Audi A3 and 1 mpg worse than the BMW 228 xDrive Gran Coupe. But we never quite saw that. Instead it hovered around the 26 mpg mark in our testing.

X factor

7/10

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.

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2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class AMG CLA 35 pricing in Ashburn, VA

Edmunds suggests you pay

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$42,750
Starting MSRP
2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupe
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Build & Price

2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class trim level differences

The 2025 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 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class trim levels in-depth.

Which CLA-Class trim 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.

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 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.

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Reviews

Owner Reviews

3.7

23 reviews

5(56%)

4(13%)

3(0%)

2(9%)

1(22%)

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2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Features & Specs

Type:

AMG CLA 35

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$56,100
Engine Type	Mild hybrid
Combined MPG	25 MPG
Cost to Drive	$241/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	11.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Reliability

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class has a 4 years / 50,000 miles basic warranty and no recalls.

Recalls

There are no recalls for the 2025 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

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At a Glance:

$42,750starting MSRP

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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 6.2 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

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 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 6.2 out of 10. 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 AMG CLA 35 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM). Including destination charge, it arrives with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of about $56,100.

Other versions include:

AMG CLA 35 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM) which starts at $56,100

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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 35 4dr Sedan AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8AM). For a full list of CLA-Class models, check out Edmunds’ Features & Specs page. Learn more

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$241/mo

$210/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

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