The cargo behind the seat is decently sized (15.4 cubic feet and 50.5 with the rear seats folded), has a couple of netted bins, an elastic strap for smaller items (umbrella?), and also features a rigid cargo cover which I’ve always preferred for some reason, likely for greater sound suppression from back there.
There is no spare tire, the tires are run-flats (Extended Mobility) and Roadside Assistance is included. Under the cargo floor are some audio components, a tow hook, as well as a first-aid kit. I do personally prefer some sort of spare but can understand the reasoning behind not including it (weight and space). The hatch is powered in this case with a button near the driver’s seat, or via the keyfob or a latch on the tailgate itself.
Back in the driver’s seat, starting the engine results in a quiet idle, the camera resolution when backing up is excellent and in short order we are off and surprised by the significant feeling of power from this base powerplant.
A 2.0liter inline four-cylinder with a turbocharger, this engine provides 221 horsepower @ 5,500rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 – 4,000rpm. The transmission is an 8-speed dual clutch automatic (DCT) setup, and in this case the direct nature of the power transmittal results in somewhat significant front wheelspin only partially tempered by the traction control.
This didn’t result in squeal but quite a bit of scrabble as well as some torque steer as it struggled to put the power to the ground. While one can use their right foot to modulate the power, I don’t think I’ve ever asked for traction control to be more intrusive but this car could use a bit more of it.
To be completely transparent, this particular car was equipped with Dunlop SP WinterSport 3D tires which are not the standard factory fitment, but could be chosen by any user that might use this FWD car in a wintery climate as this one has been.
Unfortunately for the car, the weather was good this week, and the winter tires sized at 235/50-19 let a lot of slip through from a stop, especially when turning. In my case I’d never order this car without the 4Matic AWD system, but then again I don’t live in a southern climate.
The upside is that it’s not a weak basic powerplant and should keep most users happy in regard to acceleration and power. When on the freeway, power was plenty, as with many (most?) German cars they seem to get better the harder you press them and the faster you go.
Sometimes feeling a little clumsy around town translates into superlative steadiness and control at higher speeds, this one, while missing out on the feeling of a simply larger car, did demonstrate those traits, although the shortish wheelbase made for a ride that while firm and controlled, did also make bumps and pavement undulations more pronounced than in a larger car. But that’s largely the nature of the beast, barring that, this was a fun car to drive at high speeds. Road noise was perhaps a bit more pronounced than ideal but can also perhaps be laid at the feet of the tires in this instance.
It never lacked for power at any speed, and cornered well, never feeling unsafe or nearing its limits but not really goading you into pushing ever harder either. There are of course also AMG versions of this car available if that’s your bag. Towards the end of a long-ish trip, it started raining while on the freeway, the solidity of the chassis and the car itself were reassuring, with the gentle hiss of the tires and the automatically intermittent swipe of the wipers somehow acting as a calming influence. I like driving in rain, especially in a car that seems made for it and not at all tentative about proceeding.
Being a DCT, it had paddle shifters that work better than on most conventional automatics or CVTs, however it’s not the same thing as having a real stick and no matter how much you try to feel like Lewis Hamilton, it’s still a 64″ tall SUV rather than a remotely racy car and these things generally make me feel a bit foolish using them, it’s easy to forget you’re in a particular gear when cruising steadily and then you find yourself with the rpms way too high or way too low and wondering why before realizing it’s in manual mode.
The transmission itself does a great job of shifting very quickly although as with some DCTs it sometimes struggles a bit with hard stops. In those cases it feels like it tries to downshift through all the gears internally and as a result seems like there’s a bit of a pent-up shove towards the end. Whereas with an actual manual transmission you’d just put it in neutral or hold the clutch and skip everything on the way down before slotting it back into first. It’s subtle and I doubt a passenger could feel it, but seems to be there.
The engine also features stop/start capability, it’s a rougher system than many others out there to be frank but has an interesting feature – when engaged and the engine turns off you can push the brake pedal one step harder and it puts it into hold mode where you can remove your foot from the brake pedal and nothing happens (normally the engine would restart). Here it stays off and car has its brakes applied until you touch either the brake or the accelerator pedal at which time the engine restarts and you either stay put or move forward depending on which pedal was selected. At a longer interval traffic light this is quite nice. The picture below coincidentally shows it engaged.
I drove the GLA 298 miles in total and saw an overall average fuel economy figure of 28.7mpg. Officially it is rated at 25city, 34highway, and 28average. My driving consisted of much around town driving and some highway journeys along with one long trip to the south end of Denver and back via a sort of roundabout loop.
That trip consisted of almost 200 miles in total, of which about 170 were on the freeway and was early on in my time with the car. On the way there the average was as high as 36mpg which bodes well for longer distance travelers. On the downside the car says it requires (not recommends) at least 91 octane gasoline so that additional cost bites into the economy to some degree.
This car also had the Blind Spot Assist system and Active Brake Assist along with automatic low beam headlights and rain sensing wipers but not much else safety/assist-wise. The cruise control was the conventional kind, the high beams were manual, and it didn’t have much else in the way of driver assistance features. On the plus side I suppose having the choice is preferable for some but overall it doesn’t advance the overall road safety status quo by making these items an option (whereas if standard people could turn them off but most would likely leave them on).
Considering it’s built in Rastatt, Germany, this is one of the few ways to get a German-built Mercedes SUV since the GLE and GLS are both built in Alabama, the GLB hails from Mexico and the G is built in Austria. Only the GLC and this GLA are from Germany proper if that matters to anyone, in this case with 73% German content including the engine and transmission according to the Monroney sticker. Assembly quality was perfect, the paint was lustrous and deep, and the doors made the proper thunking noise. It did not feel like an entry-level product in any way.
And as a Mercedes it’s not priced like one either. The starting price here is $36,230 plus a $1,050 destination charge. Everything described above is included except for the various options which in this car specifically included the wood trim at $325, 19″ wheels at $700, SiriusXM for $460, Heated Front Seats for $500, 64-Color Interior Ambient Lighting (you get a color dial to pick the hue you want the interior lighting and various accent strips to be) for $310, as well as the USB-C adapter cable for $25.
But wait, there are still two more bigger items, namely the Multimedia Package, that for $1,295 includes the MB Navigation including map updates (for three years), the MBUX Augmented Reality add-on for same, and Speed Limit Assist. A final $1,750 packs on the Premium Package which includes the 10.25″ Center Display joined with the 10.25″ Digital Instrument Cluster, Keyless-Go Package, Auto-Dimming Rearview and Driver Side Mirrors, as well as Power Fold-In for the Side Mirrors.
This all brings things to a total of $42,645 which is quite a sum to be fair, the vast majority of shoppers will likely be directly comparing it to the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, I doubt many will cross-shop this with a Honda HR-V for example. I can’t put a value on or really explain the intangibles, altogether this vehicle did feel more solid than many of its general segment, sort of what is expected of Mercedes, not that objectively any in the segment are bad vehicles per se.
It also has some flaws that could for the most part be corrected by digging deeper into the options list. However at that point it becomes even more expensive and while there is intrinsic value to not buying more than is needed, a larger Mercedes may start to make more sense as well as the cost difference isn’t necessarily significant as long as the extra space would be of use.
At its root it’s a smaller version of its larger siblings with much of the same technology and build quality that doesn’t get cheaper just because the car is smaller. A door is a door, a plug’s a plug, a program’s a program, and takes the same amount of time to engineer, produce, and assemble as on a larger vehicle.
Personally I would want quite a few more things that are on the options list and wouldn’t forsake much, if anything, that is in this one, unfortunately that makes it even dearer. As a cash out of pocket purchase it might be hard to justify, however as a limited term lease it may be more competitive with other vehicles that may appear similar on the surface but don’t necessarily have the depth on offer. At the end of the day though it surely is a far more compelling package than the vehicle it directly replaced and Mercedes recognizes the important place it holds in their lineup and for their future.
Thank You to Mercedes-Benz for the loan of this 2021 GLA 250 as well as including a full tank of gasoline for us.
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Esthetic judgment only: the HVAC vents clash with the rest of the dash. They look like something a 1959 GM designer would have drawn, and had rejected as too garish. But they do mimic the road wheels.
My similar but different thought was that the dash vents and the row of chrome buttons below wouldn’t look out of place in a ’60s car and I like that.
I usually prefer real names to alphabet soup, but it is hard to argue with a logical, consistent system that actually tells you what the vehicle is.
At last: a Mercedes that looks like a Kia!
At the end of the day though it surely is a far more compelling package than the vehicle it directly replaced and Mercedes recognizes the important place it holds in their lineup and for their future.
It may well not have much of a future in MB’s lineup. The new CEO of MB is making very drastic cuts, and that includes their prolific model lineup. He wants MB to refocus strictly on high-end, high-margin product. The precise implications are not yet clear, but the whole low-end A Series may well be history before long. There’s really little or no meaningful profit in them, and they have rather cheapened their image.
This one certainly seems a lot better package than its predecessor, which rather turned me off.
I too have read that and wonder how they will go about it. There seem to be too many variants within the model lines, I took it to mean that they were less likely to offer a coupe, sedan, sometimes a wagon, convertible and several AMG versions of all of the above for some lines going forward and then often several SUV variants in the same/similar size class. I think the A-class (or this SUV A-Class) may still be a viable entry point, it certainly felt no less roomy than a 190E or even a W124 inside. Perhaps the prices need to increase somehow (the market will show what it will bear), my understanding is the dealers simply don’t want to stock examples of all of the variants within the existing lines.
If nothing else, it doesn’t seem that an even lower line is viable, as the A,B, and C tags are all taken. There’s still room for a D, and then a vast gulf between E and S and above that well, the sky’s the limit. Or rather, it’s called Maybach now!
My comment was a bit lacking in nuance. Yes, the primary focus is reduction of various models; seven nameplates will be cut in the US alone. That undoubtedly means the slow-selling sedan and coupe versions first. And yes, the A Class in at least this form will undoubtedly be around yet for some time.
It really gets complicated as MB rolls out more EVs. Eventually they’re likely going to settle on a flexible EV platform that can underpin all their passenger cars except maybe the S class (EQS). Maybe it too.
I wonder if that is a good business decision. The lower level German cars (M-B A-Class, Audi A3, BMW 2-series, et al) appear to be doing spectacularly well in SoCal, in part for the obvious reason that Jim mentioned – they are right-sized for urban living. Why would M-B want to give up this market? I guess I don’t really understand the company’s business model and how it works. I certainly do see the need for the company to cut down on the model offerings.
As for cheapening the image, I don’t think the young urban professionals who are the primary audience for these cars here care very much about the old, upper class M-B image. Besides, the “cheapening” of it began with 190E over thirty years ago and appeared to work as intended. My friends who bought the 190E moved on up the 300E as soon as possible. Finally, Jim makes a good case for this new model being quite nice (I still hate the cheap looking gear stalk but need to let go of that ☺). I agree that the previous GLA250 was not up to the task.
If you could recommend a seminal piece on or interview with the new CEO I would be happy to read it.
I have mixed feelings about a vehicle like this. On its own merits, it seems appealing. I’m not a huge fan of the general shape, but it is not offputing either. I like the interior styling a lot.
And I like the idea of being able to choose an expensive, well-done small vehicle. But I am not they customer they have in mind for one of these, as I am still of the mindset that a smaller vehicle contains tradeoffs I am willing to make for a lower price – but if I am going to pay this kind of money, a Kia Telluride starts to look pretty appealing.
PN’s comment above makes good sense to me – when you have lots of “regular people” driving Mercedes, the snob factor that still sells a lot of these starts to dissipate. I pass a pretty new M-B dealer every day going to and from my office, and I am amazed by the size of the place. It is larger than many Ford dealers were in the 70s or 80s.
I understand the mindset of pounds per dollar, of course where does that end? A large part of the target market likely lives in space-constrained areas of the country or world and don’t necessarily want to “settle” for the traditional small car makers’ offerings and something like a Telluride is simply too large. Looked at another way, since you have the driveway space and the roads are large where you are, why would you limit yourself to something so puny as a Telluride when surely it might be possible to dicker on a dually longbed pickup truck with even better longterm resale value…:-) You can tell I’m being a little facetious but that does exist. The example Telluride is some urban Vancouver condo-owner’s GargantuanXLCanyonero that simply isn’t as practical for them.
” jump into the Macchiato Beige interior”
If ever there was a target gender in mind for a car!
I have exactly nothing positive to say about this car, or the entire class of either subcompact crossovers or the hunched over “dog taking a poo” class of Luxury Sports Activity Vehicles or whatever they’re called. They sell like crazy around here though, I’ll tell you what. Between that, the Teslas, and the legion of Yukon Denalis/Tahoe Platinums, my low slung beige 1991 Park Avenue on whitewalls is punk rock, relatively speaking.
I suppose some people just want to be in what they consider to be a nice environment, and if they can sit a little higher up in a vehicle that isn’t as hugely tall as some others but still have a bit of a visibility advantage, then I suppose that’s alright. Perhaps at least some buyers of these took a long hard look at what they need as far as size goes and decided to pass on the best possible pounds per dollar ratio option. After all, as is often argued here, many of the drivers or occupants of the huge vehicles you mentioned probably could just as well make do with something much smaller, not that I begrudge anyone their choice or need.
Oh I totally get the appeal these things have to their target audience, in that regard I think Mercedes probably did a fantastic job (see: Macchiato interior). To offer a cheaper/smaller version of this very successful and popular type of vehicle is a no brainer, I suppose at some point you start to risk diluting the prestige of the brand, but when you’re surrounded by F-Paces and Stelvios, Macans, etc, etc, why would Merdeces balk at brand dilution and miss out on the money to be made?
The motors in these things clack like a diesel. I don’t see much of a future for these things.
Not this one, but I do know exactly of what you speak, I notice it far more in the V6 in the GLE (and recent ML badged) offerings.
Another great review. That very nice bright interior isn’t what I expected.
My BIL has one of these, though it’s the previous generation (I think). He rarely drives anymore due to advancing Alzheimer’s but he resists changes of any kind around the house, including the sale of ” his ” car (his wife has a Prius). This was their 3rd or 4th Mercedes purchase, having owned 1 or 2 E-Class sedans, an S-Class (won by my sister in a contest M-B held to introduce the new for 2000 S-Class), and now this.
My BIL seemed to think that the best feature of this vehicle was it’s price, as he seemed quite proud to be the owner of the cheapest car M-B sells.
And I must admit that I was surprised to discover that this is the cheapest vehicle Mercedes sells here.
BTW, 75% of the GLAs I see are driven by young women.
The A-class sedan is actually the least expensive by a few thousand dollars but this is the least of the SUV genre. Winning an S-Class would make it difficult to select a different car the next time around on one’s own budget!
People tend to criticize the interior of this due to the two screens, but I actually really like it, and it is one of the thngs that are making me consider buying a new A-Class once i get done with studies.
And this is coming from a W203 owner who swears by old school cars
This sounds to have everything you really need – decent space, road ability, showroom appeal (in spades), economy, comfort, equipment, but somehow it still leaves me cold, albeit, preferable to a BMW 2 series or Jaguar E Pace.
I’m not sure why but I sense it is down to the question of being taller than it needs to be, because it can….
Maybe I’m being unfair…..