New Mercedes CLA review

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

You see, rather than just being a replacement for a previous model, the new CLA is the first car to sit on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) – something we’ll see underpinning a number of future electric and hybrid cars from the brand. 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 soon there will be a cheaper version with a smaller battery and a pricier option with more poke.

You’ll also be able to buy a mild-hybrid petrol variant in the future. But for now the CLA is purely going head to head with electric vehicles (EVs) such as the BMW i4 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, there’s currently only one version of the Mercedes CLA: the 250+, which 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 and let you overtake slower-moving cars on A-roads with ease. 

Want something quicker? Well, the BMW i4 eDrive35 hits 62mph from rest in 6.0 seconds, while the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD gets there 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, then Mercedes will still have you covered, because a 200 version with around 200bhp and a smaller 58kW battery is coming midway though 2026. 

Like the looks of the CLA, but don’t want an EV? No problem there, either. Just hang on a short while (later in 2025) until the CLA mild hybrid arrives with a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. We’ll let you know what that's like as soon as we’ve tried it.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

You don’t get the option of adaptive damping or air suspension with the CLA, but it's still a comfortable car. Mercedes has found a sweet spot when it comes to the ride, ensuring that it’s soft enough to soak up general lumps and bumps far better than the Model 3 without making the CLA feel floaty over anything but the most extreme undulations. 

That level of control helps with the handling, too, because body lean is largely kept in check through fast corners.

In addition, the steering is accurate – albeit very light in the regular Comfort mode. But stick it in the weightier Sport mode and there’s just enough weight build-up as you add on lock to let you know what the front tyres are up to.

Are there better-handling EVs at this price point? Yes, we’d say the i4 is more capable and fun to drive, with even better body control and more engaging steering. However, in isolation the CLA doesn’t disappoint.

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 if you opt for the larger 19in alloy wheels. On really craggy sections you’ll notice some suspension noise, too, but nothing irksome. 

Arguably, the most impressive part of the CLA’s refinement is the feel of its brakes, which are far less grabby than those in many EV rivals. The upshot is the CLA is an easy car to stop smoothly.

The reason why brake feel can be a problem in EVs is down to their regenerative braking. When you lift off the accelerator it feels very similar to engine braking in a non-electric car, but it’s the drive motor recouping energy as you slow down to top up the battery. Balancing that effect with the regular brakes can be tricky for engineers.  

In the CLA you get four modes of regenerative braking level, starting with no regeneration (essentially freewheeling), then normal and strong. The fourth mode is auto, which varies the amount of regenerative braking 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 tested both the 250+ and 350 4Matic on a route of around 170 miles, which included town driving, country roads and motorways, and saw average consumptions in both of between 4.2mi/kWh and 4.5mi/kWh. Those are really impressive figures considering we spent more time in Normal and Sport mode than the more efficient Eco option, and weren’t trying to be economical.

We doubt range anxiety will be much of an issue, either – the CLA’s official range comfortably whips its current rivals. The 250+ officially manages up to 484 miles on a single charge, while the 350 4Matic goes for up to 478 miles. When it arrives, expect the smaller 58kWh battery in the 200 to be good for around 400 miles on a charge. 

If you’re using a home EV charger the CLA’s 85kWh (usable capacity) battery will need around nine hours to get from 0-100%, but the really impressive feature is the fast charging. The CLA works on 800V architecture, which allows it ti charge at rates up to 320kW (by comparison, a Model 3 charges at up to 250kW). As a result, if you can find a charger fast enough, the CLA can go from 10-80% in just 22 minutes.

There is a big problem, though. 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 ability 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 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 that’s before you consider the fact the Model 3 has unlimited access to the brilliant Tesla Supercharger network.

“Mercedes deserves a lot of praise for the brakes in the CLA, because they’re really easy to use. I find that’s something most car makers get wrong when it comes to electric vehicles.” – 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 which dominate the dashboard – even more so if you specify the optional 14in passenger touchscreen. Meanwhile, the nice mix of materials used throughout also adds interest, so subjectively the Mercedes CLA looks more appealing inside than the minimalist Tesla Model 3. 

For the most part, material quality is okay, too, with scratchy plastics hidden low down and in places you won’t often touch. But the Model 3 has very few scratchy plastics, even lower down, and the CLA’s rather cheap-looking air vents are a disappointment; overall, we’d say both the BMW i4 and the Model 3 offer more consistent material 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. The driver’s seat lines you up well with the pedals and steering wheel, and you get plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment to help you tailor everything to your taste. 

The seat offers good side support and long-distance comfort, too 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 instead of using a physical button.

As part of its efficient aerodynamics, the CLA has small door mirrors, but you can see what you need from them. And there is 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, and being able to see more of the car’s periphery when manoeuvring in tight spots is very useful. 

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. 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.

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 reasonably large, making them easier to hit on the move than the Model 3’s.

You get plenty of standard features with the infotainment system, 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, there’s plenty of head room, too.

As for front storage, you get 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 seatbacks 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 rear boot space, the CLA’s 407 litres falls short of what you get in the i4 and Model 3, but it’s slightly more than the Seal offers. What’s more, it should be enough to swallow a buggy or a good amount of shopping with ease.

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. And there’s an extra 101-litre ‘frunk’ under the CLA's bonnet. For context, that’s around 12-litres more than the Model 3’s offers – and we managed to fit a carry-on suitcase up front in the Model 3.

“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 a massive 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 carry bulky objects

- You don’t know where to find an 800V fast charger

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