Used 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class SUV Consumer Reviews
A delightful car
I have been driving the GLA250 for about a half year. Absolutely no problems. It was parked outside in last year's Boston extreme winter and drove in the snow and ice like a champion. The car is a delight to drive. Fast with average 26 mpg (90% city, 30-31 mpg on highway at brisk speeds). I find the GLA a beautiful design and I received many compliment for it (often from Europeans who value the practical hatchbacks more than US drivers). What I don't enjoy is the wind noise on the highway, the very little leg room in the back and the low roof line at the front (I am 6'2")....but all those are compensated well by overall joy driving this car. I tested the BMW X1 and Audi Q3. Nothing changed after a year and a half. The car goes to a Mercedes dealer's service once a year. In between only gas and windshield washer tanks need fill up. Not even the tires needed air since I bought the car. (Here I had a line that claimed that the transmission settings were updated but I was wrong. It was wishful thinking. Sadly.) I had no technical problems in the first two years. UPDATE: Two and a half years of driving the GLA250 the car had no problem whatsoever. The single thing I am very unhappy about is the transmission's ECO mode. That is rather bad for a Mercedes. In the city (especially at slow cornering) the downshifting is delayed and abrupt. It shifts from 3 to 2 with a sudden jerk and unpleasant jump in gear2. The other shortcoming is - what many complained about - is the tendency of shifting into gear 7 also in ECO at ~ 35 mph which is annoying. The 2016 model has multiple gear options (e.g. comfort) but Mercedes won't bother to make the 2015 models any better by updating the software. This is such a disappointment in this otherwise great car that I am considering trading it in soon for a different brand. YEAR THREE UPDATE: See that for my initial impressions of the GLA250 above. Now the car turned three years old. Still running beautifully. The engine is superb. The transmission as annoying as ever and it was pointed out by a large number of reviewers. MB still does not bother upgrading the shifting properties. That is poor customer support especially because so many of us requested it. I took the car for the third annual service and they told me I need new tires. The car ran only 17500 miles and the Bridgestone Duellers are worn out on the front wheels (not sure whther they rotated them or not). They wanted to sell me that same junk tires again. What more, the Bridgestones come with NO WARRANTY (except defects). No minimum mileage, nothing. This is MB OEM quality and a $40k car. Last time I encountered this kind of tire "warranty" was my parents Russian Lada in the 1970s. If Mercedes thinks that this is their entry level car and people will buy higher class Benzes they ought to make a better impression. THREE + HALF YEAR UPDATE: I replaced those low quality Bridgestone tires with non-runflat Continentals. I bought a Mercedes donut spare wheel that I keep it in the trunk. Guess what? The trunk became so small (with the wheel in it) that a Porsche 911 may have more storage space. No technical issues. MB recalled it for an airbag grounding that was done on 30 minutes as promised. Herb Chambers' MB service is great. I can not say the same about Herb Chambers' sales. They can not confirm that I purchased an extended warranty for the car in 2015 and want me to buy that again. I asked them to check the warranty but they did not bother to respond. The 2019 facelift looks attractive. Since the BMW X2 is a massively ugly version of the double-boring X1 I may stick to the GLA and consider trading mine for the 2019 model. But first I check out the transmission :-)
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its a beauty and quite a great price
I got the sea blue and boy does it turn heads. Its my first automatic in years, which is a bit of a bummer because off the starting line it can be less than exciting. The Sport mode changes everything quickly- i love it. Gas mileage on highways is superb, gas mileage through the town is just ok. I really like the car a lot, and I adore it's looks. I wish the nav didn't misunderstand every single thing I say- it makes it easy less convenient than just talking to Siri on my iPhone through bluetooth. I wouldn't pay for that next time. Back seat isn't perfect, but you don't buy a car this size hoping for a giant backseat. I really find myself paddle shifting more than I expected, and I really like the sunroof and stereo quality. The climate is almost too cold. Great color. My first Benz and I significantly like it more than my husbands new c250 coupe.
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- GLA 250 4dr SUVMSRP: $11,995175 mi away
- GLA 250 4MATIC 4dr SUVMSRP: $14,871193 mi away
- GLA 250 4MATIC 4dr SUVMSRP: $16,998183 mi away
This car is amazing but visibility is poor
We no longer own this car because we couldn't out of the rear window and changing lanes was a nightmare. But most of the comments below still applied. Since taking delivery of my GLA in November 2014 I have grown to love this car. Although it my wife's car I can't get over how fun it is to drive. The smooth quite power is amazing the first time I really appreciate this car I was cruising on the FWY at 70 in 7th gear, I needed to accelerate quickly, pressed the gas pedal and the car just took off and never changed a gear. It's big enough for my golf clubs and luggage for 2 and that's all that matters to us. we did buy the GLA for cargo space just wanted a fun economical car for weekend getaways!
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Pull the trigger
My wife and I looked at a lot of suv's and cars before buying our gla. It wasn't the cheapest or the most spacious but what it's defidtly not, is the same boring car or gas guzzling monster suv you see everywhere . It's a head turner and it shares the same heritage as the most exspensive Mercedes. If you listen to all the rhetoric from every critic on the net you'll never feel secure buying anything. You won't be disappointed if you buy one.
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A Zippy Little Dream Car
The only real downside to this car is that it is small. If you're looking for a big SUV or one with lots of interior space, this is not your vehicle. If you're looking for a car that can carry a little extra but is super fun to drive, this is your car. For the first few months of owning the car, I would look for excuses to go drive it. After more than a year of owning this car, I still look forward to getting behind the wheel. I purchased the premium package; I love the sound system too. Nothing like flying down the road with my favorite music sounding like I'm in a concert hall. The official review said that it was bumpy off the start. I haven't noticed that. I like the Sport mode that makes for more aggressive shifting. Great when speeding through curvy mountain roads. I've owned the Infiniti FX, Infiniti QX50 and Honda Crosstour (with V6). The GLA isn't as powerful as those cars but it gets better gas milage and the steering/handling is head and shoulders above the others.
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