Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 review

Introduction

Despite wearing a sharper suit, you’ll be pleased to hear that the CLA 35 is similarly priced to its hatchback Mercedes A35 AMG sibling. However, it’s worth noting that both cars sit towards the expensive end of the compact performance car spectrum – the Honda Civic Type R hatchback is significantly cheaper

Leather seats (heated in the front), climate control, privacy glass and keyless start are all included. However, it’s worth noting that, by the time you’ve added metallic paint and one of the equipment packs, you’ll be looking at a somewhat daunting price list. We’d certainly go for the Premium Pack, though; it gives you the pair of 10.25in screens we mentioned earlier, keyless entry, front and rear parking sensors, an upgraded stereo and a central rear armrest.

Official CO2 emissions are pretty competitive for something this fast and powerful, although fuel economy will take a considerable nosedive if you use the CLA 35's full 302bhp very often

Safety is one of the CLA 35’s strong points, too; the CLA faired extremely well in Euro NCAP's safety tests. To help you to avoid testing its crash-worthiness credentials, though, the CLA 35 comes with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and a driver attention monitor as standard.

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Overview

Point-to-point, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 is a seriously quick car, yet it's not particularly exciting to drive. It’s not the most refined cruiser, either, so it’s not the best choice for long-distance driving.

Pros

• Rapid acceleration
• Reasonably comfortable
• Brilliant traction regardless of conditions

Cons

• Expensive list price
• Too much road noise
• Not very exciting to drive

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 35's 2.0-litre petrol engine is fitted with a mild-hybrid system that bolsters performance and efficiency, resulting in 302bhp and 295lb ft of torque.

Even on cold, wet roads, its official 0-62mph time of just 4.9 seconds never feels in doubt, and matches its closest performance car rival – the BMW M235i Gran Coupé – for pace. When you put your foot down, the CLA 35 simply digs in and goes, transferring all of the power to the road without a hint of wheelspin.

With its neutral, predictable cornering balance and superb body control, this is a car that can cover ground extremely rapidly, regardless of conditions. However, in terms of pure driving thrills, it suffers from a similar problem to the M235i: its ‘safe’ front-biased all-wheel-drive system restricts the amount of fun you can have in the corners.

Put simply, if you want a four-door, five-seat vehicle that feels truly thrilling, we’d recommend the Honda Civic Type R – a car that involves you in the driving process, with its slick manual gearbox, well-weighted steering and nimble chassis.

And while we’re nit-picking, the CLA 35’s engine sounds rather tuneless even when you rev it really hard – although you do get a few cracks and pops from the exhaust when one of the sportier drive modes is engaged.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox isn’t as obedient as we’d like in manual mode, either (there are paddles behind the steering wheel so you can make manual shifts).

More positively, in Comfort driving mode the engine settles into a distant hum while you’re cruising, the gearbox swaps ratios smoothly, and ride comfort is perfectly acceptable for something this sporty. There is an awful lot of tyre roar though, especially on a motorway.

For an even more potent CLA variant, see our Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S review.

Driving overview

Strengths Potent performance; highly competent four-wheel drive system

Weaknesses Lots of road noise; not as much fun as a Honda Civic Type R

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

The regular Mercedes CLA has a spectacular-looking interior already, and AMG's CLA 35 version gets plenty of racy extra touches, including sports front seats, AMG-specific graphics for the digital instrument dials and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with aluminium paddles.

The standard manually adjustable driver’s seat combines with plenty of steering-wheel reach and rake adjustment to enable drivers of all shapes and sizes to find a comfy seating position. If you go for the Premium Plus model, you get electric front seats with adjustable lumbar support and a memory function.

The CLA 35 comes with a 10.3in infotainment screen as standard, and a digital instrument display behind the steering wheel of equal size. Sitting side by side, the two screens give the appearance of one giant widescreen that stretches across more than half of the dashboard. It's quite a sight – especially at night.

Whichever infotainment screen you choose, you can control it by touch or using another, much smaller touchpad on the steering wheel. Overall, it’s a good system, with logical menus that are relatively easy to use, although it can't quite match the iDrive system of the rival BMW M235i Gran Coupé for usability.

Interior overview

Strengths AMG additions make it feel even more special than a standard CLA

Weaknesses Still doesn’t feel as robust as some rivals

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

Put simply, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 is no different to a standard CLA in the practicality stakes. That means plenty of space up front for a couple of 6ft-plus adults, especially if you avoid the head room-stealing optional panoramic sunroof. There's decent oddment storage too.

A pair of 6ft tall mates will find the rear seats a bit of a squeeze in the coupé version, with their heads brushing the roof. Leg room is plentiful though, if not quite as generous as in the BMW M235i Gran Coupé.

If you need to carry adults in the rear regularly, we’d recommend looking at the Mercedes-AMG A35 or indeed the estate-car version of the CLA 35 (based on the Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake), which has a bit more rear head room.

The CLA 35's boot has a useful capacity of 460 litres (similar to the regular CLA's, depending on engine choice), and the rear seats split in a handy 40/20/40 configuration. The M235i has a slightly smaller boot and seats that split 60/40.

The Shooting Brake version has 505 litres of boot space and a hatchback opening.

Practicality overview

Strengths Plenty of storage space; generous boot capacity; more practical Shooting Brake option available

Weaknesses Limited head room

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

With its sharper coupé looks, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 is priced slightly higher than the hatchback Mercedes-AMG A35. However, it’s worth noting that both cars sit towards the expensive end of the compact performance car spectrum – although the Honda Civic Type R is pricier still.

As standard, you get 19in alloy wheels, leather seats (heated in the front), two-zone climate control, privacy glass and keyless start.

You can upgrade to a Premium Plus version that adds a panoramic sunroof, adaptive LED headlights and a 360-degree parking camera.

The official CO2 output is slightly higher than from its rivals, while its 33.2mpg fuel economy figure will take a considerable nosedive if you use the CLA 35's full 302bhp very often.

Safety is one of the CLA 35’s strong points, and it achieved the full five-star rating in Euro NCAP safety tests in 2019. To help you to avoid testing its crash-worthiness credentials, it comes with automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance and a driver attention monitor as standard.

The model did well in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey coming second out of 15 coupés, convertibles and sports cars ranked. Mercedes didn't do so well though, finishing in 24th place out of 32 manufacturers. Audi came in 26th place, BMW came 12th and VW came in 22nd place.

Costs overview

Strengths Well equipped; holds on to its value well

Weaknesses High entry-level price

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