See Photos of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250
The second-generation CLA is still a lower-level Benz, but its refinements make it feel like a proper member of the Mercedes family.
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic aims to deliver a credible Benz experience at a price that starts below $40,000. While the driving experience isn't overly sporting, the overall presentation is worthy of a premium product, particularly the interior. Read the full story here.
The new CLA250's turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four now has an extra 13 horsepower, for a total of 221. The power peak is at a sleepy 5800 rpm. The CLA250 prefers to loaf about on its 258 lb-ft of torque.
The MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system includes a sassy voice assistant activated by saying, "Hey, Mercedes." It's clever but still goofs up. When we tried to summon it with a simple "Hi, Mercedes," it showed us the high temperature in Mercedes, Buenos Aires.
The CLA's adaptive dampers, an $850 option, work well. There's a big difference between the cushy ride in the Comfort drive mode and the taut setup in Sport.
For $310, the CLA's ambient lighting system offers 64 colors and will cycle through them if you can't make up your mind.
Our all-wheel-drive test car's 5.6-second 60-mph time is respectable, but its 5-to-60-mph effort of 6.1 seconds reflects the fact that the transmission and turbo can be caught off guard at low speeds.
Feeling bored on a long drive? Activate the CLA's exercise coach to talk you through exercises you can do while driving.
The CLA can also combat road-trip fatigue by slowly changing the seat adjustments to alter your position. It's a simpler version of the fancy Benz seating system that uses air bladders in the cushions to give you a massage.
The $2250 Driver Assistance package offers all manner of electronic helpers, most of which are unobtrusive. But we found one of them, the active lane-keeping assist, hard to ignore, where the CLA would grab a single brake to yank the car away from a lane marking. Turning off the system solved the problem.
The CLA250 is so modern that there are no conventional USB ports, only USB-C ones. And of course, you can opt for a wireless charging pad. It costs $200.
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic
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