Review: Mercedes Benz CLA

Being someone who's a long time Mercedes Fanboy, I was at best pleasantly surprised at the start of the year when I was handed the keys to a Mercedes CLA for a brief drive to understand the car.

In full disclosure, I have been rather skeptical of the CLA in the past, often deeming it an unnecessary inclusion in the brand's line-up, in fact, I sometimes chuckle over the apalling rear seats which are designed to keep anyone over 5'10 out of the car. The engine too was a complaint from my end, a four cylinder turbo is anything but adequate in a car that looks like it packs something a lot meaner, however, my opinion was bound to change over that afternoon.

The first thing you notice upon approaching the car and opening the door is just how low it actually is, Given that I am used to daily driving a Tata Tigor, I was a little taken aback at just how low the car actually is.

But once you are in and nestled into the driver's seat with the three pointed star looking back at you, things feel a little different. For starters, the seats are unlike what you would find in other models, they are sporty bucket seats, they wrap around you well and keep you tucked in well over your drive which in itself is a big plus.

But once you are on the road, certain things do spring up, for starters, the ride quality isn't what you will be raving about, at best it can be rated average unless you are willing to upgrade to more sophisticated (and expensive) air suspension systems in the options list. The car comes with several drive modes depending on how you wish to drive, and despite the car being on comfort mode, the steering provided little feedback and the average ride reared its ugly head.

So if you think spending on the base variant saves you money, by avoiding options, then be prepared to have a hard time in the car's ownership as you deal with a sea of blank switches, average ride and bidding goodbye to a host of creature comforts. So should you invest in a higher variant of the car? Yes you should.

Then comes the engine, although the 4 cylinder unit in low revs is quiet, the modes are what make all the difference. Stick the car in sport and the steering firms up, the turbo spools up, the feedback changes and as you push the throttle to the floor, expect to be swept back as the CLA hauls its weight up the rev range and through its 7-speed gearbox.

The response from an entry level car is staggering and the reaction is intoxicating, you will suddenly find yourself looking for empty stretches in the road to push the pedal to the metal and enjoy the thrills it has to offer.

The car indeed displays a jekyll/hyde characteristic as it's either a comfortable and relaxed cruiser, or an unforgiving autobahn mile muncher, and it plays both the roles perfectly. Now you might be thinking that's all good and everything, but how good is it if someone suddenly decides to cut across three lanes of the highway like people commonly do here? Well the answer to that is simple, the sport mode also beefs up the brake response and the four discs come into play to quickly bring you to a dead stop and preventing you from damaging your handsome front end.

Now the design, sure the car has seen some subtle facelifts and a new one is in the works with a possible debut in 2019, but the CLA is a likeable car. It sure is a head turner with its striking and aggressive looks which its designers worked hard towards to appeal to younger buyers.

And the design works, both aesthetically and functionally, in fact, the car has a very low drag co-efficient which allows it to cut through the wind as it launches itself forward.

If you haven't seen this outstanding commercial by the brand, I strongly urge you to.

And now we get to the part where we have to address a flaw in what is otherwise a great stepping stone into the world of Mercedes Benz, i.e. the rear seats.

Credits to Team-BHP for this image

If you are above 5'11, you are better off in the front seat. The rear seats in the CLA will leave most claustrophobic people in a traumatic state which reflects on the car's pedigree, it is a driver's car and not a family car, in fact, if I was given the option, I would remove both the rear seats (Weight saving bro) and fit a six point harness instead (Because race car).

But despite the nitpicking, the car is fairly premium, of course you will find some hideous plastic in certain parts but it somehow justifies the price if properly optioned, which brings us to our scores which are all out of 10.

1. Comfort- 6 (Without better suspension), 7 (With better suspension)
2. Reliability- 7
3. Handling- 7
4. Practicality- 6
5. Driving feel- 8 (If optioned properly, otherwise 7)

The car scores well across a broad variety of parameters, it is indeed a great entry point into the Mercedes Benz brand and the depreciation in this case also puts out a minimal effect and many 2014 models continue to be driven about daily.

The CLA is a fun car to have and drive and soon, you might even find yourself drawn to the C Class which serves as the next level into Mercedes Benz ownership, but till then, the CLA is a great first Mercedes to have.

I would like to thank Mr. Saurabh and B.U. Bhandari Motors for this opportunity to drive and review the CLA.