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.
edmundsTESTEDThe Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.