Author:
B.Keeler
Janice
Joplin coined the famous phrase “Oh lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz…” and
up until this past fall that was a particularly tall order to fill when you
considered that the cheapest brand-new Mercedes-Benz you could buy was close to
$40,000.
Mercedes
is seeking to remedy this situation by bringing us the all-new CLA luxury
compact car. With a starting price of just $29,900, it does create the
possibility of owning a Mercedes for those fresh into the work force, without
having to wait for that big promotion.
The
Style
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| Front View of The Mercedes-Benz CLA Photo courtesy of mbusa.com |
"The response to the Concept Style Coupe was overwhelming. The most frequent comment by far was 'Please put this car into series production.' That's precisely what we are doing now," said Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management for Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Although the CLA has four-doors for marketing purposes, Mercedes is calling the CLA a coupe. The design is as Mercedes said, “Is the evolution of the classic Mercedes styling.”
When
viewed from the sides the design of the CLA centers around three character
lines, which flow through the entire body of the vehicle. These lines help to
create a striking side profile that is undeniable as a Mercedes coupe.
At the
front a power domed hood with a diamond-look grille, help to create a striking
and aggressive stance. What makes the front of this car seem very aggressive is
the front bumper that makes the lower portion of the car look a bit swollen,
like your grandmothers ankles.
 |
| Rearview of the Mercedes Benz CLA Photo courtesy of mbusa.com |
Further
lending itself to creating an aggressive feel to the front of the car is the
arrangement of the headlights. Behind the actual headlight are LEDs, which
creates a “flame effect” for the optional daytime running lights and turn
signals.
The
Safety
The most
notable standard safety feature of the Mercedes-Benz CLA is the collision
prevention assist.
The
system uses a radar-based braking system, which is able to warn the driver of
obstacles, and figure out how much braking force it needs to avoid an accident.
The system also takes into account the distance between the vehicles and
obstacle as well how much space anything that maybe following to avoid
accidents all around.
Optional
is the Driver Assistance Package, which comes with systems as the Distronic
radar guided cruise control system as well as the usual Blind Spot and Lane
Keeping assist features.
A
standalone option is the Parktronic system, which helps drivers in both
parallel and perpendicular parking situations.
The
Power
The
CLA250 produces 208horse-power from a 2.0-liter four-cyclinder engine. Not your
typical Mercedes fire-breathing eight or twelve cylinder found in the bigger
Mercedes sedans. The CLA puts its power the ground again in non-typical
Mercedes fashion with all the power going to the front wheels. This is a first
for the US market.
For
those of you living in the Snow Belt the CLA can be equipped with Mercedes’
latest 4matic all-wheel drive system. The new system is a permanent system
capable of transferring the majority of the CLA’s power to any of its wheels.
To help
to save fuel the CLA will feature a stop start engine. Which mean when you come
to a full stop the engine will shut down and then when you press the
accelerator to move away it will start back up.
The Toys
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| Interior of the CLA Photo courtesy of mbusa.com |
Standard
is a 5.8-inch graphic display with Bluetooth. This display is the backbone of
the car and is used to control most of the entertainment features. The system
can be up-graded to a 7-inch if you opt for the multimedia package which adds
features such as hard-disk navigation, and music storage.
The
Verdict
I do like the CLA it is a fabulous looking car, and the perfect size for a daily commute to the city. The only thing that I have an issue with is that it costs a lot of money. Sure, that $29,900 base price seems like a deal but that is until you find out that things like heated leather seats and HID headlamps are all optional extras.
Even the paint colors cost extra money except for white, black or red. If fact the pricing of the CLA is so out-laddish that it was named as one of the worst new cars you could buy in 2013 by AOL.
To see
how much it would be to get one decked out as a typical second hand C-Class or
E-class would be I went to the on-line configurator and my dream CLA would cost
a little over $45,000 that’s a lot of money for a compact car, no matter what
company makes it.
