The biggest car news and reviews, no BS
Our free daily newsletter sends the stories that really matter directly to you, every weekday.
I like small cars, and I like small luxury cars. “Entry-level” offerings like the 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA350 4Matic Electric, as we have here, or the BMW 2 Series are routinely dismissed as the lowest rung buyers can grasp to get the badge they covet. But why should only big SUVs get nice materials and pleasant design?
The new CLA doesn’t feel like a product carelessly tossed out to appease those of us at the floor of Merc’s financial demographic. It’s clear many choices were deliberated upon in its making. Unfortunately and with frankly astonishing frequency, Mercedes chose poorly for this little sedan, over and over again.
Now in its third generation, the CLA is currently only available as an EV, with two powertrain options. The CLA250+ starts at $48,500 delivered, with rear-wheel drive, 268 horsepower, and 248 lb-ft of torque. The CLA350 adds a second motor on the front axle for all-wheel drive and appropriately makes 349 hp and 380 lb-ft. Strangely, it’s only $2,550 more expensive than the RWD model, meaning that you could get into one of these for as little as $51,050.
Big fan of the Sky Blue Metallic shade on this test car. It’s a $750 color. Adam Ismail
This one, however, did not cost $51,050. It cost $67,155, which is a lot for a small sedan. That $16K in options includes $2,100 AMG Line and $5,850 Pinnacle Line packages, the latter adding another panel built into the dash called the “Superscreen.” You hear it said a lot, but only because it’s true: I haven’t a clue what anyone is supposed to do with this display that they couldn’t do with their phone.
I’d like to say you don’t need it and can just skip it, but the Pinnacle Line includes some things you might actually want, like a heads-up display, digital key, and park assist. It also includes the Exclusive Line, which adds dual-zone climate control (!) and a center armrest for the admittedly cramped rear bench. And if you want a heated steering wheel—which this example didn’t have, by the way—you need to spring for a separate Winter Package.
Adam Ismail
So, yes, Mercedes is not afraid to nickel-and-dime anyone with their compact sedan. That’s unfortunate, particularly because the CLA is very well sorted from a powertrain standpoint. Both models get an 85-kWh battery pack, and Mercedes quotes a maximum range of 312 miles for the more powerful variant. (The CLA250 can travel up to 374 miles.) This is a very efficient little EV, averaging an impressive 3.94 mi/kWh for the duration of my loan. Of course, the 350 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque shouldn’t necessarily be taken at face value, because the dual-motor CLA weighs 4,700 pounds, but it kinda scoots in a straight line.
Naturally, that heft comes back to bite in the turns. Even if you switch to sport mode, which beefs up the steering weight but doesn’t tweak damping, the CLA rolls and heaves when attempting any corner with a little pace. Normal driving and low-speed maneuvers are fine, with a light touch and a quick-ratio rack delivering pinpoint accuracy. But this sedan is geared for comfort and never feels confident in spirited, dynamic situations. Even the blend of regen and real braking feels mushy, making pressure modulation difficult.
Inside, the CLA’s a mixed bag. From an aesthetic point of view, I think the cabin is excellent. The materials all feel top-notch; the yacht-striped oak trim on my tester plays phenomenally well against the beech-brown leather and brushed aluminum accents, and even as someone who generally hates RGB anything, I have to admit that the red light emanating from the circular, turbine-like HVAC vents looks cool at night.
Ditto for the electrochromic Sky Control panoramic roof—a $1,050 option—that can change from clear to frosted, and even alternate between stripes of both, with a couple of taps of the screen. It’s really nice in there, until it’s time to do something.
Adam Ismail
The infotainment display in the CLA is so large that the right side of the steering wheel completely blocks all of its tiny UI elements along the left edge. There’s no easy return for Apple CarPlay—you can’t say, press home a second time to call up phone projection. You can’t even skip songs or change radio presets from the steering wheel in this fourth generation of Mercedes’ MBUX operating system. I suppose they expect you to use voice commands for that, but do you really want to keep barking “next track” every time Spotify’s algorithm serves up a dud? [Ed. note: personally, I’d love to hear Adam constantly yell, “next track.”]
The weirdness continues when you go to top up the CLA’s battery. Most EVs have one charge port, but the CLA has two: one J1172 port and a NACS port. However, if you go to use a Level 2 AC charger with a NACS plug, it’ll tell you to use the other kind. At least Mercedes has quickly addressed the sedan’s initial incompatibility with 400-volt DC fast chargers, which comprise the vast majority of Tesla’s Supercharger network in the U.S. With an optimal 800-volt fast charger, the CLA can recharge from 10-80% at 320 kW and in as little as 22 minutes.
The new CLA breaks my heart. Aspects of it, like its impressive efficiency and cabin fit and finish, feel a cut above anything else in its segment. If only they weren’t undermined by a stunning lack of standard equipment you’d expect and severe usability quirks. It just doesn’t feel like anyone actually lived with this thing before they put it on the market, so it’s hard to recommend that anyone else do, either.
2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA350 4Matic Electric Specs
Base Price (as tested)$51,050 ($67,155)Powertrain85-kWh lithium-ion battery | dual-motor all-wheel drive | 2-speed transmissionHorsepower349Torque380 lb-ftSeating Capacity5Curb Weight4,700 poundsCargo Volume10.3 cubic feet in trunk | 1.4 cubic feet in front trunk0-60 mph4.8 secondsTop Speed130 mphEPA-Estimated Range312 milesScore5/10
Adam Ismail
Mercedes-Benz provided The Drive with a seven-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.
Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
