The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Svelte shape
- Potent AMG models
- Lovely cabin
- Optional advanced tech
Dislikes
- Petite trunk
- High price tag
- Practicality as an afterthought
- Road noise intrusion
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2024 Mercedes CLA-Class sacrifices practicality in favor of pretty lines, and AMG versions are especially nice.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class? What does it compare to?
The CLA-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s smallest and most affordable sedan, although the brand prefers to call it a “coupe.” It’s a strong competitor to the Audi A3 and BMW 2-Series.
Is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good car?
The 2024 Mercedes CLA-Class is a great pick for a small car, as long as you don’t expect crossover-level practicality. We like its elegant road manners and svelte styling, good for a 6.0 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
Lots. The 2024 CLA gets revised exterior styling with standard high-performance LED front lighting and LED rear lighting, a pair of 10.3-inch screens, the updated MBUX infotainment system, a new mild-hybrid powertrain, and updated wheel designs and upholstery choices. The optional Driver Assistance Package has been upgraded and joined by a new standard Parking Package.
The CLA is available in three forms, all of which combine a coupe silhouette with four doors for personality and practicality. It’s a style statement that helps justify its $40,000-plus price tag, much like a scaled-down interpretation of the automaker’s larger CLS.
There are two flavors of AMG versions—some have AMG-blessed engines and others get AMG styling upgrades—and all look and feel a little tarted up thanks to bigger air intakes and larger wheels, but the overall shape still looks classy.
The CLA’s cabin features simple lines that best complement the pair of 10.3-inch screens behind a single pane of glass. A bevy of upholstery and trims are available, most of which require additional spend or are accessed through various packages. Shop thoughtfully.
The CLA can be fitted with a trio of turbo-4 engines, which vary from a basic 221 to a boisterous 416 hp in output. The base versions are quick, the CLA 35s with the mild-hybrid system are fast, and the ferocious CLA 45 hustles like a supercar with an additional 34 hp this year. All CLAs ride well enough, though you’ll want the optional adaptive dampers, particularly if you dress up the corners with the biggest rolling stock on offer.
The coupe name is appropriate inside, where front passengers have acceptable space but those in the rear will need to be on the shorter side. The back seat is best considered an extension of the roadster-like trunk. The cabin has an upscale, classy look, though the CLA’s spot as the entry to the brand hierarchy is betrayed in some cheaper interior materials.
No crash evaluations have been performed. Blind-spot monitors and automatic emergency braking come standard, but adding more driver-assistance features like adaptive cruise control significantly increase the price.
How much does the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class cost?
We expect pricing to start at about $40,500 and climb quickly from there. Standard features include synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and twin 10.3-inch displays; consider budgeting for the adaptive cruise control and navigation that elevate the CLA to a proper luxury car. You’ll spend another $2,000 for all-wheel drive, so expect an outlay of least $47,000 for a modestly equipped CLA 250. For an AMG, shoot even higher, as a loaded-up version tops $80,000.
Where is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class made?
In Hungary.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class Styling
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA is handsome inside and out.
Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class a good-looking car?
The coupe-like shape hides the four-door configuration enough to earn a couple of points above average. If you ignore a few lower-class touches, the 2024 CLA’s cabin is also delightful. Overall, the 2024 CLA-Class earns an 8 here.
The CLA’s blunt front end has been updated with a slightly resculpted fascia, a new grille design, and a new LED headlight design, providing more visual heft than the sleek proportions otherwise suggest. The sleek roofline isn’t as coupe-like as Mercedes insists, though it’s still attractive, and culminates in a sharp new rear diffuser.
AMG versions also get a new grille and exclusive badging, and include eye-catching sporty elements that lack subtlety but don’t detract from the otherwise clean styling. New wheel designs are available this year, too. Consider adding the new AMG Performance Package to the CLA 45 for a dramatic new fixed rear spoiler.
The cockpit centers tech, especially now that a pair of 10.3-inch screens comes standard, encased behind a single glass pane. This modern look connects the CLA visually to other Benz models, and works well alongside the distinctive round air vents available with a variety of trims such as aluminum and different wood types.
Though cabin materials don’t quite meet the standards of other Mercedes models, the luxury effect is successful overall, especially with the new standard leather-trimmed steering wheel and new upholstery and trim options for 2024.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class Performance
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA is an eager commuter in base configuration and a canyon carver in AMG spec.
A well-engineered chassis combines with potent turbo engines to nudge the 2024 CLA to a 7. If we rated the fire-breathing CLA 45 separately, it would likely earn another point for its impressive all-out performance.
Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class 4WD?
The entry-level CLA 250 comes with front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is optional, and other versions put power at all four corners standard.
In typical driving, the CLA 35 and CLA 45 AMG models shift more power to the rear than the CLA 250 4Matic, resulting in a slightly more balanced feel when pushed into corners. Add winter tires to your budget, though, since most CLA versions get performance-oriented rubber that’s inappropriate for snow or cold weather.
How fast is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
The base CLA 250 is more sprightly than its 221 hp suggests, with a turbo-4 good for a 6.3-second 0-60 sprint. The 7-speed auto gearbox is a good match for both city and highway driving.
For 2024, the CLA 35 gets a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that enhances efficiency and comfort. Performance gets upgraded as well, since the mild-hybrid can add a temporary boost of 13 hp to the regular 305-hp rating. It’s good for a 4.8 second 60-mph run.
If you’re going all in for a CLA-Class, the CLA 45 S AMG gets a different turbo-4 with a 34-hp bump this year, for a generous 416 hp. This model gets a fast 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox capable of a 4.0-second 60 mph sprint. Few vehicles can deliver this kind of acceleration, except for some EVs.
All versions provide a comfortably firm ride and athletic handling, with snappy response and quick-witted steering. AMG versions offer adaptive dampers to handle the inevitable road rumble resulting from shorter sidewalls and stiffer tuning. The CLA 45 AMG gets performance brakes to shave off speed.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class Comfort & Quality
The 2024 CLA-Class acts more like a coupe than a sedan inside.
Families in need of a versatile four-door car should keep looking. The Mercedes CLA has a cramped cabin and tiny trunk that aren’t even remotely practical. We land at a 4 here. The seats are comfortable enough up front, but the rear seats have minimal headroom and the trunk is small, at just 11.2 cubic feet.
The front seats feature standard power adjustment and are able to accommodate a wide range of body shapes and sizes. The optional sport seats are narrower yet not too confining for a performance model.
The back row has limited headroom and legroom, and passengers will need to contort themselves to get seated.
The interior materials are mismatched with the hefty price tags. Most models wear synthetic upholstery, and Mercedes could better hide the cost-saving flimsy plastics.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class Safety
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class has not been crash tested.
How safe is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS have plowed this pretty sedan into a wall, so we can’t say for sure. We’ll update this section if and when that happens.
Mercedes isn't stingy with crash-avoidance features. The CLA includes blind-spot monitors, automatic emergency braking, and, new for 2024, the Parking Package, which offers 360-degree camera views and assists longitudinal parking.
A package that adds automatic lane-change and an especially smart adaptive cruise control system is not available until several thousand dollars in other options are selected.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class Features
Watch those options carefully as it doesn’t take much to build a wildly expensive CLA-Class.
The Mercedes CLA lives up to the brand’s high-end reputation, with a price tag that starts at over $40,000 and quickly skyrockets from there.
The base CLA is pretty well equipped, though, with LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, power front seats, and a pair of 10.3-inch displays for instrumentation and infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. That’s enough for an 8, once we factor in the wide range of options Mercedes also offers.
The 4-year/50,000-mile warranty coverage ticks the typical luxury boxes except most competitors offer complimentary maintenance. Adding all-wheel drive to the base CLA 250 costs $2,000 more.
Which Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class should I buy?
Depends on your budget. We’d spend for metallic exterior paint ($750), real wood trim ($325), heated front seats ($500), the heated steering wheel ($250), and packages for navigation and driver-assistance tech. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is new this year, too. With all-wheel drive, that’s about $47,000.
How much is a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class?
The CLA 35 AMG has a starting price of roughly $49,000, and the CLA 45 AMG starts at $57,000 or thereabouts. The vast options menu quickly pushes the price to about $80,000.
2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class Fuel Economy
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is pretty thrifty for a small luxury car with this kind of performance.
Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class good on gas?
It’s not bad based on 2023 EPA ratings, though we don’t yet know how the power increases will affect fuel economy numbers. The base cars are rated for 25 mpg city, 35 highway, 29 combined, which is enough for a 3 (nearly a 4) on the TCC scale. All-wheel drive is more common, though, and it pushes those figures to 24/33/27 mpg.
Fuel economy models aren’t yet available for the updated AMG models, CLA 35 and CLA 45. The full lineup requires premium fuel.
