New Mercedes CLA review

Like ejection seats in fighter jets, the new Mercedes CLA is a very important development – at least for Mercedes-Benz. In fact, it's one of the biggest for the company in quite some time. 

You see, rather than just being a heavy update of a previous model, this CLA has been redesigned from the ground up and sits on the company's latest platform. It's called the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA), and it's something we’ll see underpinning a number of electric and hybrid Mercedes in the coming years. So, it has a lot to prove.

Mercedes CLA video walkaround

Right now the CLA is available only as an electric car with an 85kWh battery and a 268bhp electric motor, but there's more to come. Soon, there will be a cheaper version with a smaller battery, a pricier model with more poke, and you’ll also be able to buy a mild-hybrid petrol variant.

But for now, the CLA is only going head to head with pure electric vehicles (EVs), including the BMW i4, MG IM5 and Tesla Model 3.

So, does it tick all the boxes needed to beat them? In this review, we’ll look at all the key areas, including performance, efficiency, practicality and interior quality, to find out.

What’s new?

- October 2025 - First UK drive of the electric CLA 250+

- July 2025 - First impressions of the new CLA published, following drive in Copehagen

- May 2025 - Order books for the all-new, fully electric Mercedes CLA open

How fast is it and which motor is best?

As mentioned above, there’s currently only one version of the Mercedes CLA: the 250+. It has an 85kWh (usable capacity) battery and a 268bhp electric motor that drives the rear wheels. 

That’s enough poke to do the 0-62mph sprint in 6.7 seconds. Meanwhile, in real-world situations, it's more than sufficient to get you up to motorway speeds or overtake slower-moving cars easily on A-roads. 

Want something quicker? Then the BMW i4 eDrive35 hits 62mph from rest in 6.0 seconds, while the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD gets to 60mph in 4.9 seconds. For a CLA with Model 3-rivaling pace, you’ll have to wait for the more powerful, four-wheel-drive, CLA 350 4Matic that’s set to arrive early in 2026. With 349bhp it feels much livelier.

But what if you don’t care about speed and want something less expensive? Well, Mercedes has that covered, too. The cheaper CLA 200 is arriving midway though 2026, with around 200bhp and a smaller 58kW battery. 

Like the looks of the CLA, but don’t want an EV? No problem there, either. Just hang on a short while (sometime in late 2025) until the CLA mild hybrid arrives with a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. We’ll let you know what the petrol and the other electric versions are like when we've tried them out.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

There's no option of fancy adaptive damping or air suspension with the CLA, but its conventional suspension set-up still makes for a very comfortable car. In fact, we'd say Mercedes has found a sweet spot when it comes to the CLA's ride. 

It’s soft enough to filter out harsher lumps and bumps – and does so better than the slightly firmer Model 3 – without getting all floaty and nauseating across constantly undulating roads. 

The well-tuned suspension helps with the handling, too. It keeps the CLA stable if you hit a bump in the middle of a bend, and stops it leaning alarmingly when you're cornering at speed. The Model 3 has a little more outright grip, but it doesn't steer as sweetly.

We like the CLA's steering. It's very accurate and light in the default Comfort mode. That lightness is great for town driving, but some may argue it's too light for faster roads. Don't worry, though, you can tweak it by sticking the CLA in Sport mode. That adds a little extra heft as you turn the wheel, so that gauging the front grip levels becomes more intuitive.

Are there better-handling EVs at this price point? Arguably the i4 is more capable, but only if you're pushing to the absolute limit and looking to extract that last tenth of driver engagement. But, by any other metric, the CLA's a genuine pleasure to 'peddle' along a challenging country road.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

At motorway speeds, you'll barely hear any wind noise but there’s a bit of tyre noise on coarser sections of road – more of an issue with the larger 19in wheels fitted to AMG Line Premium Edition trim. On really craggy sections you’ll notice some suspension noise, too, but nothing irksome. The MG IM5 is a more hushed at speed, but not by a huge amount.

It's swings and roundabouts, though, because the IM5's braking action isn't as polished. The CLA’s brakes, on the other hand, are up there with the Model 3's for the kind of feel and progression that makes stopping smoothly a doddle. And that's not something you can take for granted with EVs. 

The reason is complicated but, basically, electric cars have two braking systems: regular brakes (like any other car), and regenerative brakes. The regenerative part is the drive motor swapping to generating electricity (to top up the battery) when you lift off the accelerator or press the brake pedal lightly. The regular brakes come into play if you press the brake pedal harder to stop quicker. The complication for engineers is getting both systems to work together seamlessly, but Mercedes has cracked it. 

Sticking with the braking, you get four modes of regenerative braking with the CLA, starting with no regeneration (essentially freewheeling), then normal and strong. The fourth mode is auto, which varies the amount of regenerative braking automatically depending on how close the car in front is, the speed limit, and upcoming turns or roundabouts.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

We’ve driven both the 250+ and 350 4Matic on a mix of urban streets, country roads and motorways, and it's not unusual to see an impressive average efficiency figure on the trip computer. And when we drove a 250+ (fitted with bigger 19in wheels) on a 500-mile road trip, the trip-computer average ended up at a healthy 4.0mi/kWh.

But then we calculated the actual efficiency, based on the energy used to do the trip, and the average worked out at 3.6mi/kWh. So, the CLA's trip computer is a little optimistic, then, but that's not unique to the CLA. We also had a Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD on that trip, which averaged 3.8mi/kWh – again, that's calculated from the actual energy it used. So, the CLA's efficiency is competitive against, what we know from previous tests is, one of the most efficient electric cars on sale. 

What about range? Well, the CLA's official range figures are excellent. The 250+ will, officially, do up to 484 miles; the 350 4Matic is up to 478 miles; and we've been told (although it's not official, yet) that the cheaper CLA 200's range will be around 400 miles.

Real-world range is a different matter, though, because it's never as good. After our road trip (in temperatures hovering around 10 to 15 degrees), we estimated that the 250+ had a real-world range of 342 miles. On the same trip, the estimated range for the Model 3 Long Range RWD was 335 miles. Conclusion? The CLA's real-world range is also impressive. 

Also impressive is the CLA's 800V architecture that allows it to fast charge at rates up to 320kW – by comparison, the Model 3 charges at up to 250kW. If you can find a charger fast enough, the CLA 250+ and 350 4Matic (with the 85kWh battery) can go from 10-80% in just 22 minutes.

But, impressive as that is, there's a problem. At the moment, there aren’t many 800V chargers in the UK, and early CLAs can’t charge at the more common 400V chargers. Eventually, the hardware for 400V charging will be added to new CLAs, but it won’t be retrofittable to existing ones. So, if you buy a CLA that’s not equipped for 400V charging now, you’ll never be able to use those units.

On the plus side, the CLA’s sat-nav will direct you to any 800V chargers en route if you require a top up, but your choices will be comparatively limited. And way more limited than someone driving a Model 3, who'll have unlimited access to the brilliant Tesla Supercharger network.

If you’re using a home EV charger, the the 250+ and 350 4Matic will need around nine hours to get from 0-100%.

“The CLA's range and efficiency are impressive, as is its potential charging speed on 800v chargers, but I was shocked when Mercedes told me that it won't charge on the 400V chargers that are common in the UK ” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

There’s plenty of wow factor, thanks to two large screens that dominate the dashboard – even more so if you specify the optional 14in passenger touchscreen. Meanwhile, the nice mix of materials used in prominent places also adds visual interest; so, subjectively, you could say the Mercedes CLA looks more appealing inside than the minimalist Tesla Model 3. 

However, for overall finish and actual build quality, we reckon the Model 3 is better. For the most part, the materials in the CLA are okay, but there's a lot of scratchy plastic used lower down, which look and feel less high-end. The Model 3 has very few scratchy plastics, even lower down. Then there are other bits, like the CLA’s air vents, which look cool but feel disappointingly cheap to use. So, overall, the CLA's quality is decent, but the Model 3 and the BMW i4 offer more consistent quality. 

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

After climbing into the CLA, you’ll have no trouble getting comfortable. You get plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment to help you tailor everything to your taste, and the driver's seat is electrically operated on the upper trims. Some of our testers found that the pedal positioning – they're slightly offset to the right – niggled, but nothing more than that. 

And we all agreed that the seat itself offers good side support and long-distance comfort, aided by the fact every version of the CLA comes with electrically adjustable lumbar support. However, it’s slightly annoying that you have to jump into a menu on the infotainment touchscreen to make the adjustments because there's no physical button.

As part of its efficient aerodynamics, the CLA has small door mirrors, but you can see what you need from them. There also an advantage to their smaller size: combined with the slim windscreen pillars, they ensure you get a good view out the front and sides of the CLA. Being able to see more of the car’s periphery when manoeuvring in tight spots is always a boon. 

At the back, relatively large windows and the small cut-outs in the rear pillars ensure you can see a decent amount looking over your shoulder – it's much better the MG IM5, which has a tiny rear window. Parking shouldn’t be an issue, then, but for extra help every CLA comes equipped with front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and even a system that can park the car for you.

Are the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

You won’t find many physical buttons on the CLA’s dashboard, meaning you’ll have to make changes to nearly everything – including the climate control – through the touchscreen. That’s quite fiddly on the move but the same is true of many rival electric cars, including the Model 3.

To help you make changes on the move, the AI voice assistant (run by what Mercedes genuinely terms a supercomputer, because it can process up to 280-million functions per second) uses both Google and ChatGPT, making it very effective at understanding your commands. Sometimes it's too helpful, though, butting in with "How can I help?" even when you haven't asked it anything.

There are buttons on the steering wheel, too, but those are touch sensitive rather than physical, and it’s all too easy to accidentally change settings without meaning to, by simply brushing the steering wheel spokes with your fingers.

The sharp graphics used for the driver's display and the 14in infotainment touchscreen make them really easy to read at a glance. Better still, the touchscreen is responsive and the icons are generally large, making them easier to hit on the move than the Model 3’s. And it's definitely easier to navigate the CLA's infotainment system than the IM5's.

You get plenty of standard features, too, including four 100W USB-Cs (for quick device charging), a DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. There's even a camera on top of the infotainment screen for taking selfies or attending video meetings (when parked up, of course). 

“Having tried the CLA with both the standard-fit stereo and the upgraded Burmester, I can’t help but be impressed by the standard one. It has plenty of punch and will easily keep you alert on a long drive.” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

How much space does it have for people?

If you’re over 6ft tall, we doubt you’ll have any issues fitting in the front of the Mercedes CLA. Indeed, there’s no shortage of leg or shoulder room and, despite the standard-fit panoramic glass roof, plenty of head room, too.

As for front storage, you get loads of that: two cupholders, decent-sized door bins that’ll each take a large bottle of water, a lot of space under the centre console, and a spot for your phone, which doubles as a wireless charger if you go for AMG Line Edition trim or above. That trim also adds a centre armrest with another cubby inside. 

Sadly, rear space isn’t as impressive. Getting in and out via the small-ish door openings is the first issue if you’re tall. And once inside, a six-footer will find things tighter than they would in the back of a BMW i4, BYD Seal or Tesla Model 3.

There’s just about enough room that your knees aren’t jammed into the seat backs in front, but there’s very little foot space underneath the front seats, and even our 5ft 11in road tester’s head was very close to touching the glass roof in the back. The rear seat is also quite low relative to the floor, which means under-thigh support isn’t great. 

Middle-seat passengers will like the CLA’s flat rear floor area (there’s no central hump to straddle) but the raised middle seat makes head room even more of an issue. And sitting three in the back will be tight when it comes to shoulder room.

If you need bigger rear seats and don’t like the idea of the rivals we suggested above, you can always wait for the CLA Shooting Brake to arrive later in 2025. We’ve sat in an early version of this, and rear head and leg room are improved. 

How much room does it have for luggage?

When it comes to boot space, the CLA’s 407-litre main (rear) boot falls short compared with the i4 and Model 3, but it’s slightly more than the Seal offers. And there’s an extra 101-litre ‘frunk’ under the CLA's bonnet, which fitted another carry-on suitcase.

Being a saloon, however, the boot opening is quite narrow; it doesn’t give you the same easy access as the i4’s hatchback-style opening. But as we mentioned above, the CLA Shooting Brake is coming and will improve access. 

On the plus side, the CLA comes with handy 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats to increase the luggage space when needed.

“Thanks to the standard-fit glass roof, the CLA’s interior is light and airy, but I found it tight for space in the back seats and I’m not especially tall.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

Every Mercedes CLA comes well equipped – so much so that we’d recommend the entry-level Sport Edition. This comes with 18in alloy wheels, faux leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, privacy glass, heated front seats and LED headlights. 

Mid-spec AMG Line Edition brings sportier styling and keyless access, while top-spec AMG Line Premium Edition adds 19in alloys, electric front seats with a memory function, adaptive LED headlights, white interior trim and bespoke exterior styling. 

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

With the CLA being so new, we don’t have reliability data for it yet. However, Mercedes as a brand placed 22nd out of the 31 manufacturers included in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, which obviously isn't brilliant. That put it way below BMW (sixth) and Tesla (seventh). 

Every CLA comes with a three‑year unlimited-mileage manufacturer’s warranty, which is the minimum expected; many manufacturers offer superior cover, including BYD, MG, Hyundai Kia, Lexus and Toyota.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The independent experts at Euro NCAP are yet to test the CLA for safety, but it does come with plenty of standard safety equipment. That includes 11 airbags, a sophisticated automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist and an evasive steering function.

As far as security is concerned, you get an alarm (with visual support in the event of attempted break-ins) and immobiliser as standard.

“Although this is a premium offering, and therefore not a cheap electric car, I like that Mercedes has given even the entry-level version of the CLA plenty of standard kit.” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor

Buy it if...

- You’re after an electric car with an impressive range 

- You do a lot of miles and need super-fast charging mid-journey

- You want a sweet balance between ride comfort and tidy handling

Don’t buy it if…

- You regularly carry tall adults in the back of your car

- You often need to put large items in the boot, because the opening is narrow

- You're running out of battery range with only 400V fast chargers nearby

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