The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Pleasant styling updates
- Lots of turbo power…
- … now with mild-hybrid tech
- Brilliant AMG version
- Good infotainment
Dislikes
- Hardly cheap
- Best features require option packages first
- Tight rear seat and cargo area
- Some quirky design choices inside
Buying tip
features & specs
The least-costly vehicle to wear Mercedes-Benz’s badge, the 2024 GLA-Class hardly looks or feels like a base model.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class? What does it compare to?
The 2024 GLA is a small SUV with luxury features, though many will cost extra. Shop it against the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.
Is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class a good car?
It can get expensive, but the 2024 GLA-Class justifies its hefty price with its suave styling and sublime performance. This small SUV is a 6.4 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class?
This year, the GLA range sees tweaked styling front and rear with new LED headlights pointing the way forward. Inside, it gains a standard 10.3-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone mirroring. Additionally, the lineup goes all-hybrid thanks to a 48-volt starter-generator that adds 13 hp for smoother starts and should result in real-world fuel savings, too.
Even with its revised styling, the GLA sticks with its voluptuous small crossover SUV shape. The revised front grille and headlights lend a class-up appearance outside that finally matches its cabin. Dual 10.3-inch displays under a single pane of glass tie it in closely with the rest of the Benz lineup. Chintzy plastics aren’t too hard to find, but that’s the price to pay for three-pointed-star tech in a (relatively) inexpensive package.
The 2.0-liter turbo-4 sticks with its 221-hp rating, but the new starter-generator’s extra dozen or so ponies should help it get going smoother and with less fuel consumption. The 8-speed automatic sticks around, with power going either to the front or, optionally, all four corners.
Nice ride quality and good steering heft make the GLA a pleasant companion on a curvy road, too.
Those looking to turn up the wick considerably will want to consider the AMG GLA 35 AMG. The 35 tosses in a 302-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4. Last year’s 382-hp GLA 45 AMG is gone for 2024. The AMG GLA models exhibit an impressive balance between ride comfort, sharp handling, and thrilling acceleration.
The EPA has yet to rate the latest GLAs, but it’s safe to say they won’t stray too far from last year’s maximum of 28 mpg combined for the GLA 250 with front-wheel drive.
Bite-size outside, the GLA is similarly cramped inside for anyone not up front. The small cargo bay expands from 15 to a fairly decent 50 cubic feet with row two flopped down, though.
All models come with basic crash-avoidance tech. Mercedes-Benz tends to be stingy about any sort of driver-assistance features, though, so plan on adding a few packages before unlocking adaptive cruise control.
How much does the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class cost?
Prices start at about $42,000 plus another $2,000 or so to send power to all four wheels. AMG models can easily reach $60,000 with extras such as real leather and uprated audio.
Where is the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class made?
In Germany.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class Styling
The GLA delivers cute-ute-sized Mercedes-Benz styling cues.
Is the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class a good-looking car?
It may be the entry to the Mercedes-Benz crossover SUV lineup, but the 2024 GLA-Class clearly fits the mold in its details. It’s a 7 out of 10 on our scale for its balanced exterior styling and imaginative cabin.
The GLA’s hunchback shape doesn’t draw from its bigger GLC- or GLE-Class siblings in its profile, but it does in its details. A wide grille with starlight detailing and a huge three-pointed star serve as obvious visual reminders that this model is a Mercedes-Benz. Most versions have unpainted fender flares, which give them a chunky look. AMG versions go for color-matched trim, big wheels, and a lower ride height. They look suitably sporty, in a youthful way.
Tweaks this year make the GLA’s cabin look even zippier. Aircraft-style round vents above toggle switches for climate controls help the GLA stand out against bland rivals. Twin 10.3-inch screens under a single glass pane give a decidedly high-tech look. Mercedes-Benz tweaked some interior materials this year to impart a more upscale look, too, but you’ll need to spend up for leather and dressier bits for the ambience to match the pricetag.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class Performance
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA is a sprightly performer
The broad GLA lineup offers thrills even in its most basic form. The AMG version goes several steps farther. We rate the lineup at 7 out of 10 thanks to good acceleration and reflexes to match.
Is the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class 4WD?
Most are. Front-wheel drive is standard on the GLA 250, with all-wheel drive optional. The GLA 35 AMG version is sold only with all-wheel drive.
How fast is the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class?
The base GLA 250’s 2.0-liter turbo-4 comes paired with a mild-hybrid starter-generator that results in a total output of 221 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. We’ve not driven this latest setup, but previous experience with the hybrid-free turbo-4 impressed us. We can only imagine that the extra power boost—designed to quell any low-end turbo lag—will make things even better.
The GLA 35 AMG uses a souped-up 2.0-liter turbo-4 with a twin-scroll turbo good for 302 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and a 5.1-second 0-60 mph sprint. In practice, this engine felt even more powerful the last time we tested it.
The GLA 45 AMG that was previously offered is off the table for 2024.
A well-behaved 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is standard across the line.
The GLA’s underpinnings consist of a conventional setup with MacPherson front struts and a multi-link rear end. GLA 250 models ride somewhat softly, though bigger wheels stiffen things up. AMG versions can be a bit firm, though they’re still plenty tolerable. Agile steering makes these small SUVs nimble around town but stable at highway speeds.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class Comfort & Quality
The 2024 Mercedes GLA has an imaginative if somewhat cramped interior.
Mercedes-Benz packs a lot into its littlest SUV. This model has bold looks and lots of details. We rate it at 7 out of 10 thanks to comfy and multi-adjustable front seats plus a cargo area that bests similarly sized sedans. It’s not a particularly practical small SUV, but then again it’ll squeeze into just about any parking spot.
Rear-seat passengers have a decent 38 inches of legroom at their disposal, though the bench itself won’t easily accommodate three abreast.
The GLA’s cargo area can lug 15.4 cubic feet of groceries with the rear seatback upright. That’s slightly more than a small sedan, but the GLA’s trick is its ability to haul 50.5 cubic feet of stuff with the rear seatbacks folded.
Materials-wise, the GLA’s cabin bits are in line with prices Mercedes-Benz asks. Leather is an expensive (and likely rare) upcharge, though.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class Safety
The Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class has not been fully crash tested.
How safe is the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class?
We can’t say for certain just yet since neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has smacked one into a wall. Until then, the GLA will remain unrated on our scale.
All models come with the basics: automatic emergency braking, a slew of airbags, automatic high-beam LED headlights, and that’s about it. Mercedes charges extra for blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and a high-speed automatic emergency braking system.
A surround-view camera system is also optional and worthwhile given so-so outward vision.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class Features
The GLA-Class packs in value but prices go sky-high quickly.
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class rates an 8 on the TCC scale, but you’ll want to go easy on options. Its score comes courtesy its decent standard fare, big screens, and a wide range of extras.
The 4-year/50,000-mile warranty is just average for a luxury car.
Base GLAs cost at least $42,000. All-wheel drive costs about $2,000 more.
That base price nets synthetic leather trim with power-adjustable front seats, a power tailgate, and a pair of 10.3-inch screens that were optional last year.
Which Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class should I buy?
If you plan on exercising your GLA on the highway, spend up for the automaker’s optional Driver Assistance Package that includes a particularly good array of driver-assistance tech such as adaptive cruise control and active lane control. Otherwise, we’d stick to the basics since adding those tempting options can nudge the price well into the $50,000 realm. Synthetic leather is just fine, the available sunroof cuts into head room, and the standard audio system isn’t bad, for instance.
How much is a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class?
A GLA 35 AMG will likely start in the mid-$50,000 range, and even then Mercedes tantalizes with extra-cost items such as real leather, a surround-view camera system, and even wood trim.
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLA Class Fuel Economy
Mild-hybrid tech might make the GLA slightly more frugal for 2024.
Is the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class good on gas?
Odds are that this year’s models are even better than last year’s, though we’re waiting for official estimates to be released by the EPA.
Last year, the GLA range scored a 3 on our scale. The GLA 250 was estimated at 24 mpg city, 34 highway, 28 combined with front-wheel drive and 23/32/26 mpg with all-wheel drive. The new mild-hybrid system may net a small improvement for 2024.
The GLA 35 AMG was estimated at 22/30/25 mpg last year.
