2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA

Go on the Mercedes-Benz retail site, and the CLA is listed under Coupes. But this is not a coupe in the usual sense because it has four doors. Perhaps the term “sedan” was considered too mundane for such a stylish car.

Anyway, this is the 2024 CLA, updated and better equipped than before. This is the second generation, having debuted for 2020. It’s the smallest car to wear that famous 3-pointed star, but it’s still most definitely a Mercedes-Benz.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of subcompact luxury sedans, including the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

The 2024 CLA receives styling revisions at both ends, plus LED high-performance headlamps, new colors, and new wheel designs.

The previously optional Parking (help with parallel spaces plus a 360-degree camera system) and Mirror (power-folding/self-dimming) packages become standard across the range.

The optional AMG Line package now offers a heated steering wheel. The basic steering wheel gains fine Nappa leather wrapping. Different trim elements are also available.

On the infotainment front, 10.25-inch driver information displays and touchscreens are now included. The optional Burmester surround-sound system is enhanced with Dolby Atmos, a feature that Mercedes-Benz says “gives music more space, clarity and depth.” We’ve been blown away by the Burmester and Dolby Atmos combination in other Mercedes models.

Part of the optional Driving Assistance package, Lane Keeping Assist and its active steering inputs have been refined.

A mild-hybrid drivetrain goes into the CLA 250/250 4Matic and AMG CLA 35 variants. No extra power, but greater efficiency and smoothness. The AMG CLA 45 S gains an extra letter in its name, plus another 34 horsepower and 15 lb-ft of torque, making its engine the most powerful 4-cylinder unit in production.

For an idea of the competition’s prices, the Audi A3 starts at $35.4K, and the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe comes in at $38.4K. There’s also the Acura Integra (from about $31.5K) and the Cadillac CT4 (from around $39.5K). Should it turn out that something bigger would be better, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class luxury compact sedan begins in the $45K area.

Before buying a new CLA luxury subcompact sedan, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying.

Class-Leading Resale Values

The CLA isn’t just a relatively affordable Mercedes-Benz, it also enjoys exceptional resale values.

There’s no reason why the 2024 CLA subcompact luxury sedan should be any less enjoyable to drive than its 2023 counterpart. We’ve enjoyed that model with its composed yet comfortable ride quality and easy maneuverability.

Changes in the engine bay bring about a smoother stop/restart action in the CLA 250 and AMG CLA 35 variants. Meanwhile, the outgoing AMG CLA 45 becomes the CLA 45 S, boosting output to an amazing 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque.

Every new CLA now comes with a dual display unit that houses a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen. The covering of the steering wheel has also been upgraded to soft and smooth Nappa leather as standard.

There are some new minor trim accent choices, such as wood, carbon and suede-effect fabric. Plus some new colors. Mercedes-Benz tends to offer a wide range of schemes anyway, so there should be something to please every buyer. The quality of materials is worthy of the badge, despite this being a relatively affordable new Mercedes-Benz.

This is a subcompact sedan, so although space up front is fine, rear passengers aren’t so well provided for, neither in terms of legroom nor headroom. That’s to be expected, but the Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe can do better. It’s a similar story with trunk space, but the CLA’s is big enough for a couple of golf bags.

Our main gripe is reserved for the rear pillars. While acknowledging that the sloping roof looks cool from the outside, the wide pillars it creates are not so good for over-the-shoulder glances to check traffic. Fortunately, blind-spot monitoring is standard.

They’re subtle, but some styling tweaks have taken place at both ends of the CLA for 2024. As well as changes to the fascia and grille, the front end gains LED High Performance headlights as standard. These differences apply to the AMG variants as well, although they retain their usual vertical grille slats.

New color choices for the 2024 CLA are Hyper Blue and Starling Blue. There are also three new wheel designs, the largest diameter being 19 inches.

MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience)
This is the CLA’s infotainment system, which can be controlled with voice commands using natural speech. Say something like, “Hey Mercedes, find the nearest gas station” and it will update the navigation system. Apple CarPlay/Android Auto phone integration is also standard.

Parking Assistance package
Now standard, this helps getting into parallel parking spaces and includes a 360-degree camera system.

Navigation with Augmented Video
Driving around unfamiliar places can be tricky even with a navigation system helping out. As part of the optional Multimedia package, this augmented video function superimposes directions and house numbers on images from a forward-facing camera.

Driving Assistance package
An option especially worth selecting, this includes cross-traffic alert, active blind-spot assistance, active lane keeping, and adaptive cruise control.

Burmester audio
An expensive option, but this 12-speaker/590-watt surround-sound system is now enhanced by Dolby Atmos, which provides an even more immersive listening experience.

AMG models
Sure, they’re pricey niche models aimed at enthusiasts, but boy are they fast and fun. Mercedes’ AMG division is like BMW’s M division.

One of the biggest changes to the 2024 CLA is not visible, unless anyone wants to go digging around under the hood. The CLA 250 and AMG CLA 35 models gain a mild-hybrid drivetrain. This kind of idea is already in many larger and more expensive Mercedes-Benz models.

The engine remains a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder unit, but 2024 sees the addition of a belt-driven starter-generator electric motor. This makes the fuel- and emissions-saving stop/restart function much smoother and enables a coasting function to conserve yet more premium gasoline (recommended for every CLA engine). There’s no extra power, but the starter-generator does help the engine reach its peak output quickly and efficiently.

The CLA 250 comes with 221 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, going to either the front wheels (FWD) in the base version or all four (AWD) in the CLA 250 4Matic.

A specially tuned all-wheel-drive system is standard in the AMG variants. The CLA 35 develops 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.

The new model year is an especially happy one for the former CLA 45, which does have its 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine boosted by 34 horses, now making a remarkable 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque (up by 15 lb-ft). This has sparked a change of name — it’s now the 2024 CLA 45 S.

The AMG division has a tradition of hand-assembling its engines, and this is one of them. It’s also the most powerful 4-cylinder unit in production.

The CLA 250 cars have a 7-speed automatic transmission. Both AMGs employ an 8-speed automatic — that’s another upgrade for the CLA 35.

Mercedes-Benz CLA 250
2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
221 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 25/36 mpg (FWD); 24/33 mpg (AWD)

Mercedes-AMG CLA 35
2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
302 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 21/29 mpg

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S
2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
416 horsepower @ 6,750 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000-5,250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 20/28 mpg

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

The Mercedes-Benz new-vehicle warranty lasts for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever happens first. This is typical of the luxury sector.

Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the CLA to its Top Safety Pick list for 2024.