When you slide into the driver’s seat of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250, the initial impression is undeniably Mercedes-Benz. Despite being positioned as an entry-level luxury model, the CLA 250 greets you with quality materials and a familiar aura of sophistication. The dashboard is topped by a crisp 7-inch LCD screen showcasing Mercedes-Benz’s renowned navigation system, and the cabin is enveloped in the rich sound emanating from the optional Harman Kardon speakers. It’s a promising start, blending technology and luxury in a way that feels distinctly premium.
Delving Deeper into the 2014 CLA 250: The Pros and Cons
To provide a balanced perspective, let’s break down the key aspects of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250, highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses.
The Upsides of the CLA 250
- Exceptional Navigation System: The navigation system in the 2014 CLA 250 is a standout feature. It presents maps that are not only visually appealing but also packed with useful information. Real-time traffic updates are seamlessly integrated, ensuring efficient route planning and helping you navigate around congestion.
- Harmon Kardon Audio Excellence: For audiophiles, the optional Harman Kardon sound system is a worthwhile investment. It delivers music with remarkable clarity, allowing you to appreciate the nuances and details in your favorite tracks.
- Respectable Fuel Economy: In terms of efficiency, the CLA 250 performs admirably. Boasting an average fuel economy of 30 mpg, it strikes a good balance between performance and frugality at the pump.
Areas for Improvement in the CLA 250
- Uncompromising Ride Quality: Perhaps the most significant drawback of the 2014 CLA 250 is its ride quality. It tends to be noticeably harsh, especially for a vehicle bearing the Mercedes-Benz emblem. The ride comfort doesn’t quite live up to the smooth, gliding experience typically associated with the brand.
- Inconsistent Engine Power Delivery: The engine’s power delivery can feel somewhat uneven. This inconsistency can make the driving experience less refined and predictable than one might expect from a luxury car.
- Sluggish Built-in Apps: While the inclusion of built-in apps is a plus, their loading times are frustratingly slow. This sluggishness diminishes their practicality and ease of use in everyday driving scenarios.
The Bottom Line: Style and Tech with a Caveat
The 2014 CLA 250 successfully incorporates appealing technology from the Mercedes-Benz portfolio and presents a stylish and contemporary aesthetic. However, its driving dynamics leave something to be desired. The overall driving character may not fully satisfy those seeking the quintessential Mercedes-Benz driving experience.
On the Road with the CLA 250: A Tale of Two Worlds
While the interior ambiance of the CLA 250 initially evokes the Mercedes-Benz experience, the feeling shifts once you’re on the road. The ride quality, in particular, deviates from the expected Mercedes-Benz norm. It lacks the signature “dreamy glide” found in models like the S550, or even the composed comfort of the GLK250. This distinction is crucial for drivers accustomed to the brand’s renowned ride quality.
Mercedes-Benz CLA 250: Pioneering Compact Luxury Design
The 2014 CLA 250 represents Mercedes-Benz’s foray into the realm of compact luxury in the US market, a segment previously unexplored by the brand in this region. This move was largely influenced by the success of competitors like the Lexus CT 200h and the Audi A3, which demonstrated a growing demand for premium compact vehicles.
Rather than introducing its existing A-Class compact car to the American market, Mercedes-Benz opted for the CLA 250, aiming to maintain its brand identity with a more stylish and distinct offering. Although technically a four-door sedan, Mercedes-Benz cleverly markets it as a coupe, positioning it as the “baby brother” to the elegant CLS-Class. The CLA 250 indeed mirrors the CLS-Class with its gracefully curved roofline, contributing to its coupe-like silhouette.
The exterior design is further accentuated by strong contour lines along the sides and a prominent Mercedes-Benz star logo dominating the unique grille. This oversized badge cleverly conceals the radar technology that enables the car’s adaptive cruise control system. The rear of the CLA 250 features an upward sweep, culminating in dual rectangular exhaust outlets, flanked by purely decorative vents on either side.
Mercedes-Benz effectively applied design cues from the CLS-Class to the more compact CLA 250, creating a visually cohesive brand identity. Measuring just over 15 feet in length, the CLA 250 offers a surprisingly spacious front cabin with ample legroom and adequate headroom throughout. The dashboard design incorporates five circular air vents with Mercedes-Benz’s signature retro-style airflow controls. The instrument gauges are particularly noteworthy, showcasing the classic Mercedes-Benz attention to detail and refinement.
Efficiency and Performance Under the Hood
As Mercedes-Benz’s fuel economy leader at the time of its release, the CLA 250 is equipped with a 2-liter four-cylinder engine, featuring direct injection and a turbocharger. This engine delivers a respectable 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission, the CLA 250 achieves EPA fuel economy ratings of 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. Real-world driving experiences largely validate these figures, with reviewers observing an average of around 29 mpg.
Consistent with Mercedes-Benz’s design philosophy, the CLA 250 positions the gear selector lever on the steering column. This placement frees up the center console area, providing more space for cupholders and the COMAND infotainment system controller. The inclusion of the COMAND system in the test vehicle was attributed to the optional Multimedia package. Additional packages, such as the Sport package, Premium package, and Driver Assistance package, further elevated the total vehicle price significantly beyond the base MSRP of $29,900, reaching over $45,000 as tested.
While the CLA 250 exhibits sporty design elements, some features, like the rear side vents, are purely cosmetic. A button on the center console allows drivers to cycle through different transmission modes: Eco, Sport, and Manual. An additional “Eco” button engages the car’s idle-stop feature, designed to enhance fuel efficiency in stop-and-go driving.
Driving Dynamics: A Mixed Bag
The idle-stop system in the CLA 250 is notably aggressive. At traffic stops, the engine shuts off promptly upon braking. However, the restart is less refined, with a noticeable jolt as the engine cranks back to life. This abruptness contrasts with the smoothness typically expected from Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Accelerator response can also be unpredictable. The engine exhibits a tendency to surge when the turbocharger engages, leading to uneven power delivery. In Eco mode, attempting quick acceleration for passing maneuvers often results in a noticeable delay before the car gathers momentum. The transmission, programmed for higher gears in Eco mode, can feel busy in city driving, frequently shifting gears and making it challenging to maintain a consistent speed.
In stop-and-go traffic, the aggressive nature of the idle-stop feature can become intrusive, prompting some drivers to disable it altogether.
Ride Comfort and Handling: Harshness vs. Agility
Rough road surfaces present a challenge for the CLA 250’s suspension and passenger comfort. Even minor road imperfections can translate into jarring jolts within the cabin, often followed by unsettling secondary motions. On gravelly roads, the ride can feel less like gliding over the surface and more like being dragged across it, accompanied by noticeable road noise.
This ride quality might lead some to consider whether Mercedes-Benz intended the CLA 250 to encourage customers to consider upgrading to higher-priced models with more refined ride characteristics.
Even for a compact Mercedes-Benz, the CLA 250’s tendency to transmit every bump into the cabin is unexpected and deviates from brand norms. An air suspension system is not available for the CLA 250. The base suspension configuration utilizes a wishbone design both front and rear, differing from the multilink setups found in larger Mercedes-Benz models. The Sport package, equipped on the tested vehicle, further stiffens the suspension tuning and includes 18-inch AMG alloy wheels shod with low-profile run-flat tires. Run-flat tires are often cited as contributors to diminished ride quality.
However, the Sport package reveals its merits when the CLA 250 is driven on winding roads. In spirited driving through curves, the car demonstrates commendable composure. The suspension maintains a balanced feel, effectively controlling body roll and limiting understeer. The electric power steering, while somewhat lacking in feedback, is nonetheless easy to manage and provides adequate precision.
In Sport mode, the transmission behavior becomes notably more aggressive during enthusiastic driving. It holds higher engine speeds through corners, maintaining revs around 5,000 rpm, and proactively downshifts under braking. However, using Sport mode for everyday, relaxed driving can become tiresome. While Eco mode can induce engine surging, Sport mode exacerbates this tendency, making smooth, low-speed driving a challenge.
Technology and Driver Assistance Features
The CLA 250 incorporates a range of driver assistance systems, including the Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control. This system effectively maintains a set speed and adjusts to maintain a safe following distance from slower vehicles ahead, even capable of bringing the car to a complete stop if necessary.
The radar technology integrated into the CLA 250 powers features like adaptive cruise control and collision warning systems, enhancing safety and convenience. Additional driver aids include blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning systems. The blind-spot monitor activates above approximately 20 mph, displaying illuminated icons in the side mirrors at lower speeds. The lane-departure warning system provides subtle steering wheel vibrations, effectively simulating the sensation of driving over rumble strips.
Cabin Technology and Infotainment
The CLA 250 inherits the full-featured COMAND cabin technology interface from Mercedes-Benz’s higher-end models. The COMAND system, while comprehensive, requires a familiarization period to master its functions. A primary menu bar at the top of the screen provides access to major functions like navigation, phone, and audio, while a secondary menu bar at the bottom presents options specific to the active function. System navigation and selection are facilitated by a jog-dial controller located on the center console.
Furthermore, nearly every system function can be controlled via the advanced voice command system. This voice control allows for single-string address entry, phone calls by contact name, and music selection from connected USB drives or iOS devices by album, artist, or track.
The navigation system in the CLA 250 boasts detailed and visually appealing maps, including topographic terrain features and 3D rendered buildings in urban areas. Route guidance is clear and intuitive, utilizing both visual graphics and voice prompts. The system also incorporates real-time traffic information, automatically rerouting to avoid congestion and providing audible traffic alerts (which can be disabled if desired).
Destination input options include a shortcut to Mercedes-Benz apps, offering access to Google search and Yelp. While convenient, the app integration could be improved by tighter integration with the navigation system itself, rather than being relegated to a separate app menu. A significant drawback of these apps is their slow loading times, attributed to a potentially non-continuous data connection, making their usability somewhat limited.
Similarly, online music streaming apps are accessible through a separate online services menu rather than being integrated within the primary audio source selection. These music apps also suffer from prolonged loading times, hindering their practicality for typical in-car use.
For local media playback, the CLA 250 includes a standard array of audio sources, such as HD radio and an onboard hard drive. However, the inclusion of a proprietary media port with a Y-adapter cable, splitting into an auxiliary input and a legacy 30-pin iPhone connector, is a curious choice. This proprietary approach seems like a step backward compared to the more universal USB ports, especially considering the lack of a Lightning cable for Apple’s current devices. While a USB port is present in the console, it does not natively support iOS Lightning cables. Using Apple’s Lightning adapter with the 30-pin connector may compromise audio quality.
Bluetooth audio streaming is available for smartphone users, but the CLA 250 lacks the Bluetooth Host Controller Interface stack, limiting music selection to the connected phone itself.
For other onboard audio sources, music selection can be achieved through voice commands or via the music library interface on the CLA 250’s LCD screen. In addition to standard list-based browsing, the system offers an album cover art view, providing a visually appealing and less distracting method for music selection while driving.
A highlight of the CLA 250’s technology offerings is the optional Harman Kardon audio system, part of the Premium package. This nine-speaker system excels in audio reproduction, particularly in the mid and high frequencies, delivering exceptional clarity. Cymbals and vocals are rendered with remarkable detail and nuance. However, the system’s bass response is somewhat lacking, with deeper notes failing to make a significant impact within the cabin.
Final Verdict: Measuring the CLA 250 Against Expectations
Mercedes-Benz equips the 2014 CLA 250 with a generous selection of technology features, particularly in driver assistance systems and cabin technology. The inclusion of adaptive cruise control and the COMAND interface, borrowed from higher-tier models, is commendable.
The native internet connectivity for built-in apps is a positive aspect, but the sluggish connection and loading times need significant improvement. The adoption of a proprietary media connector with a legacy 30-pin iOS adapter also feels like a step in the wrong direction.
While the CLA 250’s drivetrain incorporates modern technologies like direct injection and turbocharging, aligning with industry trends for efficiency and power, the overall driving experience falls short of typical Mercedes-Benz standards. Instead of a composed and refined driving feel, the CLA 250 can feel somewhat unpolished.
The most significant area of concern is the ride quality. It not only fails to meet Mercedes-Benz expectations but also lags behind that of mainstream economy cars like the Chevy Cruze or Mazda3. Opting out of the Sport package and its run-flat tires might improve ride comfort, but based on observations, the CLA 250 in this configuration doesn’t fully uphold Mercedes-Benz’s brand reputation for ride refinement.
Wayne’s Comparable Picks
| Tech specs | |
|---|---|
| Model | 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 |
| Trim | n/a |
| Powertrain | Turbocharged direct-injection 2-liter four-cylinder engine, seven-speed automatic transmission |
| EPA fuel economy | 26 mpg city/38 mpg highway |
| Observed fuel economy | 28.9 mpg |
| Navigation | Optional, with live traffic |
| Bluetooth phone support | Standard |
| Digital audio sources | Internet streaming, Bluetooth streaming, onboard hard drive, iOS integration, USB drive, satellite radio, HD radio |
| Audio system | Harmon Kardon 450-watt system |
| Driver aids | Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, lane-departure warning, rearview camera |
| Base price | $29,900 |
| Price as tested | $45,245 |
