Used Mercedes-Benz CLA cars for sale

Looking to buy a used Mercedes-Benz CLA? Get a full car history check

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Used Mercedes-Benz CLA pros and cons

Stylish looks inside and out
A-Class Saloon is cheaper
Lovely, high-quality interior
Boot can be tricky to load
Quiet and comfortable to drive
Cramped rear seats for adults

Is a used Mercedes-Benz CLA a good car?

The Mercedes CLA is a handsome car, looking very much like the bigger, grander, more expensive CLS especially from the side. The roofline is lower than that of the A-Class Saloon and the door glass is frameless to give it more of a coupe-like feel, which is a nice touch.

Inside, the dashboard is shared with the A-Class too, but that’s fine as you get Mercedes’ impressive MBUX all-digital interior, which looks as if someone has stretched an iPad out across the dash.
The screens — one for instruments and one for infotainment — are pretty easy and straightforward to use, and it really helps that Mercedes kept proper physical buttons for the air conditioning.

In the front, the CLA’s cabin is very comfortable, and you sit low on (standard) leather seats, which are supportive and squashy in just the right places. The back seats are less impressive, as headroom is tight.

At 460 litres, the CLA’s boot is actually pretty big for a car of this size, but it’s quite shallow, and the boot lid doesn’t really open quite far enough, so getting anything big in there can be a struggle.

The CLA might not be the most practical thing around, but it is good to drive, not least because the rear suspension is of a more sophisticated and expensive design than what you get in the humbler A-Class.

What to look for when buying a used Mercedes-Benz CLA

The CLA has been recalled for problems with the air conditioning, faulty gearboxes, radar software, airbag mis-mounting, and turbocharger oil leaks, so make sure that all of those have been carried out. If you’re buying a CLA 250e, make sure it comes with a battery health check.

Brakes and electrics are the most common problem areas. The CLA didn’t feature in the most recent Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own list, but the mechanically-similar A-Class did, and it finished in 31st place, with a poor mark for reliability and quality. Mercedes could only finish in 25th place out of 32 brands in the overall customer satisfaction survey, with 26% of owners reporting problems with their car, and a very poor mark for quality and reliability.

Mercedes-Benz CLA FAQs

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA a reliable car?

Not by the standards of the Mercedes brand it isn’t. Overall reliability is OK, but the CLA has been recalled a lot, and in the Driver Power survey both the mechanically similar A-Class, and the Mercedes brand itself, scored very poorly in reliability terms.

Is it worth buying a Mercedes-Benz CLA?

It is, for the most part. If you’re being truly sensible, most of the CLA experience can be had for slightly less money in the shape of an A-Class Saloon, but the CLA is notably sharper to drive (thanks to more sophisticated rear suspension) and it’s nicer to look at.

Does the Mercedes-Benz CLA hold its value?

The CLA should — depending on the specific model and the mileage — retain around 50 per cent of its original value after three years, which is a solid performance and above the general market average.

How many miles will a Mercedes-Benz CLA last?

That’s a good question — with older Mercedes, we’d say that with regular, careful maintenance, the sky’s the limit for mileage. With the CLA, and its unlovely reliability reputation, the outlook is less rosy. Careful maintenance should get you to at least 150,000 miles, but after that it may struggle.

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA fuel efficient?

Yes, exceptionally so. The basic petrol CLA 180 is easily capable of 50mpg on a long run, while the 200 and 220 diesels can just about touch 60mpg. The CLA 250e plug-in hybrid is excellent too, especially if you keep it charged up properly, and able to easily average 45mpg on long journeys with a flat battery.

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLA a luxury car?

Yes… and then again not quite. Obviously anything with a Mercedes badge qualifies, more or less, as luxury and the CLA’s interior manages to feel a bit more special than that of an Audi A3 Saloon or a BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. That said, there are some cheap bits and pieces around the interior, and it’s hard for a car as overall compact as the CLA to feel truly luxurious.