Mercedes-Benz CLA250 shows compact style (pictures)
The new model from Mercedes-Benz brings luxury styling into the compact class.
Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Mercedes-Benz bets on American's desire for smaller, luxury cars with the CLA250.
Styling for the CLA250 derives from the Mercedes-Benz CLS-class.
Unlike other Mercedes-Benz offerings, the CLA250 is a front-wheel-drive car.
At 13.1 cubic feet, the trunk space is on the small side.
Even with the rounded roofline, rear seat headroom is adequate.
The Sport package included a more rigidly tuned suspension and run-flat tires, possibly leading to this car's rough ride quality.
The CLA250 uses a 2-liter turbocharged engine.
Power adjustable sport seats in front were reasonably comfortable.
The rear seat is designed to hold three passengers.
The quality cabin materials certainly made the CLA250 feel like a Mercedes-Benz.
An LCD in the instrument cluster shows a variety of vehicle information.
The navigation system shows very detailed maps.
The destination menu includes a shortcut to location-based apps.
While using the CLA250's Internet-connected features, you will spend a lot of time looking at this screen.
Music apps are not listed among the audio sources, but tucked away in this online menu.
The CLA250 includes broadcast and onboard digital audio sources.
Oddly, Mercedes-Benz's iOS integration relies on this 30-pin adapter, which only works with older iOS devices.
The Harman Kardon stereo delivers great audio detail, but falls short on bass.
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