Item: Used Mercedes CLA 2013-2019
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/saloon/used-review/n801">BMW 3 Series</a> may not look quite as special as the CLA, but it’s no dullard. In fact, the 3 Series is one of the most desirable executive cars around, thanks to its great handling, great engines and well-made interior with excellent infotainment.

Another option would be the excellent <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/saloon/used-review/n883">Audi A3 Saloon</a>, which looks like a shrunken A4 on the outside yet it isn’t that much smaller on the inside. The A3 Saloon's interior is much plusher than the CLA's, and its infotainment system is one of the most intuitive in the class.

<h3><a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a></h3>

<h3>If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mercedes-benz/cla?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used CLA</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.</h3>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Diesel CLAs have been subject to a voluntary recall to alter the software and limit the amount of NOx the car produces, so ask your local Mercedes dealer if you're worried about that. It doesn’t affect the safety of the car, so you don’t have to have the work carried out if you don’t want to.

There have been quite a number of safety recalls on the CLA since it was launched. Four relate to airbags that might not deploy correctly and affect some cars produced between August 2016 and March 2017. There was one for a vacuum line on the brake booster on very early CLAs built up to April 2013 where the connection can fail and cause the driver to have to apply extra pressure to the pedal during braking. The recall that concerns most CLAs involves insufficient grounding of the airbag electrical components in the steering column. In extreme cases, the driver’s airbag may go off and cause injury to the driver. This is applicable to cars from the start of production in 2013 to July 2017.

If you're in any doubt, provide the car’s details to your local <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a> dealer and find out if it's affected by any of these recalls.

The CLA didn’t feature in What Car?'s latest reliability survey, but the contemporary A-Class (a car that the CLA is closely related to) was. It finished in fourth&nbsp;position in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2017-what-car-reliability-survey/n16176">family car</a> class out of 25 cars, while the latest A-Class finished in 19th place.&nbsp;

Mercedes-Benz as a brand finished in 26th&nbsp;place out of 31&nbsp;car manufacturers.

If you'd like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2018-what-car-reliability-survey/n17798">What Car? Reliability Survey</a> pages for more information.

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Coupe

Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.

As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.

Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.

MERCEDES-BENZ

The first-gen Mercedes&nbsp;CLA is good-looking and some versions are cheap, but there are more practical rivals out there

Used Mercedes-Benz CLA 2013-2019

The diesels are the cheapest to run in terms of fuel and road tax costs. The CLA 200d is the best, at 64.2mpg under the older NEDC tests and £30 tax, but the more powerful CLA 220d isn’t that far off at 62.8mpg and £30 tax. Upgrades made in 2016 reduced those figures to 67.3mpg and £20 road tax for both the CLA 200d and CLA 220d.

The petrol models aren’t quite so cheap to run because only the entry-level CLA 180 manages 50.4mpg and costs £130 to tax. The CLA 250 drops down to 42.8mpg and up to £195 per year. That might not sound too bad, but when you consider that the much faster CLA 45 is quite close to the CLA 250 on running costs, at 39.8mpg and £195 tax, you start to wonder why the CLA 250 is so thirsty.

If you purchase a CLA that was registered after 1 April 2017, it will cost you £150 per year to tax, regardless of which engine it has. But be warned. Some top-of-the-range CLA 250s and all of the CLA 45s will attract the additional £325&nbsp;tax that's applied to cars that cost over £40,000 when new and continues to do so until the car reaches six years of age.

Servicing won’t be cheap and Mercedes doesn’t offer fixed price servicing once the car is over three years old. If you want to reduce your costs, head to a respected independent specialist, which will do the same work as a main dealer but for much less money.

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Used Mercedes CLA 2013-2019

The Mercedes CLA is good-looking and some versions of it are cheap, but there are more practical rivals out there 

Prices for the CLA start at around £13,000 for a high-mileage diesel model from 2013/2014. If you increase your budget to between £15,000 and £17,000 you'll have a choice of cars from 2015 and 2016. If you want something a bit newer, a 2017 CLA 220 Sport with roughly 10,000 miles can be found for around £20,000, while £20,000 to £22,000 buys the last 2019 cars. The high-performance Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is pricey – used examples that have a full-service history and reasonable mileage cost around £25,000.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">Check the value of a used Mercedes-Benz CLA with What Car? Valuations</a>

The petrol engines in the CLA aren’t the best (except for that in the CLA 45, but that car is hideously expensive to run), so we’d suggest going for one of the diesel versions, particularly the CLA 220d because it has much more low-down torque than CLA 200d.

We’d stick with the standard Sport specification because it comes with all the equipment you’ll need, and it keeps the comfort suspension settings, as opposed to the rock-hard ride of AMG Sport cars.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes-Benz</a> CLA: 220 CDI Sport

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Effortless long-distance capability</li> <li>Strong standard specification</li> <li>Low running costs</li> <li>Comfortable driving position</li> <li>Comprehensive yet easy-to-use infotainment system</li></ul>

Executive cars are often the choice of company car drivers, so factors such as CO2 emissions (which govern your monthly tax bill) are just as important as cruising refinement for those long motorway journeys, a plush cabin and (whisper it) the image of the badge on the bonnet.

The good news is that there are options for all budgets and tastes. If rear space is crucial and you’re willing to put up with a less-than-premium badge, the Skoda Superb is tough to beat, while if you want a premium badge on the bonnet then the BMW 3 Series is consistently one of our favourites in this class.

And don't think you're limited to just petrol or diesel-powered choices in this class,&nbsp;because at the top end the Tesla Model 3 is well worth considering for its long range and engaging driving style.

Executive

Even though all CLAs come with parking sensors, you should still check for any signs of damage to both the bodywork and alloy wheels. Make sure panel gaps are nice and even and that there aren’t any obvious flaws in the paint. Some of the top-spec CLAs have sizable alloy wheels that stick out and can be prone to striking a kerb if your judgement is off.

Make sure anything electrical works and that the air conditioning still blows out cold air. Also, some owners have complained of rattles from the interior, so take the car along a rough bit of road to try and expose any unwanted noises.

The normal three-box shape applied to most <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/executive">executive cars</a>&nbsp;has been&nbsp;eroded over the years by cars like this&nbsp;2013 Mercedes&nbsp;CLA. Such models adopted a coupé-like silhouette with a swooping roofline to add a bit of glamour to the class.

While the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/coupe/review/n162">second-generation CLA</a> has now taken its place in the showroom, the original makes a popular pre-owned choice, taking&nbsp;the winning formula of the bigger <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cls/coupe/used-review/n807">CLS</a> and shrining&nbsp;it down onto a more affordable <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/a-class/hatchback/review/n88">A-Class</a>-sized car. As a used purchase, the CLA can be considered against the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/saloon/used-review/n883">Audi A3 Saloon</a>, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/3-series/saloon/used-review/n801">BMW 3 Series</a>, and the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/cc/saloon/review/n17189">Volkswagen CC</a>.

The CLA's engine range consists of three petrol and two diesel units. The entry-level CLA 180 uses a 120bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine that’s a bit flat at low revs. If you regularly carry passengers, the more powerful 208bhp CLA 250 with a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine is probably better for your needs. Then there's the bonkers Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 with a 355bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine if you'd like to be able to get from 0-62mph in 4.6sec.

On the more sensible side, there are the diesels, both of which use a 2.1-litre engine. The 134bhp CLA 200d diesel is strangely short of low-down torque, but the 168bhp CLA 220d diesel is much better without sacrificing fuel economy. Both are quite noisy under acceleration and only quieten down on the motorway.

The CLA comes with lots of standard equipment. All models get dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a 7.0in-screen infotainment system, Bluetooth, USB and smartphone connectivity, automatic lights and wipers and 18in alloy wheels. On the safety side, there are seven airbags and Attention Assist, a system that monitors driver fatigue and will warn you when it’s time to take a break.

The CLA has plenty of grip and its steering weights up nicely as you turn in to a corner. The AMG Sport model is slightly sharper to drive than the standard Sport model because it comes with firmer sports suspension. However, this has a dramatic effect on the ride, making it rather choppy. The Sport model comes on comfort suspension, which is better, but it still shimmies over poor road surfaces.

Space is at a premium in the CLA due to its lower roofline. The dashboard design also impacts space for knees. At least there’s lots of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel to allow you to get comfortable. In the back, however, you’d need to be a child or of below-average height to be content.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mercedes-benz/cla?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">used CLA</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Mercedes CLA 2013-2019 review

Every 2021 Electric and Hybrid Car Awards winner

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Mercedes CLA-Class coupe?