Our view: 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Source: Our view: 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Editor’s note: This review was written in October 2014 for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. In terms of content, little has changed in this year’s model. To see what’s new for 2016, click here or see a side-by-side comparison of the two model years.

While luxury brands are waging a battle royale for mini SUV buyers, Mercedes-Benz is offering a featherweight fighter in the new GLA class. It’s more practical than its profile suggests – a beefy hatchback – and the supercharged GLA45 AMG version offers rowdy, happy performance. Unfortunately, this SUV, if you want to call it that, loses its luster as a daily driver.

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class combines practicality and premium value with performance that ranges from capable to superlative, but you’ll want to weigh that against its unforgiving ride quality and poor sight lines.

All-wheel-drive GLA250s and GLA45 AMGs began deliveries to dealers last week; the front-wheel drive GLA250 is coming Spring 2015. (Compare the group here.) I spent two days in Vermont at a media preview of the new GLA, driving the all-wheel drive GLA250 and GLA45 on freeways and hilly switchbacks.

As the fifth model in Mercedes’ SUV lineup (which now stretches from the $32,225 GLA250 to the $138,075 G63 AMG), the GLA doesn’t just blur the lines between SUVs and hatchbacks — it stretches the boundaries definition of an SUV. It’s just big enough to avoid the gumdrop profile of Mercedes’ CLA-class sedan, whose platform the GLA shares. But the overall effect makes for a beefier looking hatchback, complete with side panel cutouts and a faux front skid plate.

Consider the dimensions of the GLA. Length and width throw a similar footprint to other premium mini-SUVs — the Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Volkswagen Tiguan — but overall height falls within hatchback territory. That’s especially true of the GLA45 AMG, which sits almost 2 inches lower than its GLA250 sibling and, at 58.2 inches, is just an inch taller than a Volkswagen Golf.

The all-wheel-drive GLA250 has plenty of power to zoom past slower traffic thanks to a 208hp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder; Its 258 pound-feet of torque provide a smooth plateau of power as soon as you step on the gas. The GLA’s standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission shifts smoothly at speed, although you’ll want to leave it in Sport mode for a decent kickdown. The standard Eco mode introduces early upshifts and restrained downshifts.

Unfortunately, the whole experience is neither silent nor cosy. My journalist co-driver and I observed excessive wind noise in front of the B-pillars at highway speeds, and that’s just the beginning. The suspension gives way in potholes and the tires rumble mightily over broken pavement. The chassis cushions individual bumps well enough, but the overall isolation is poor. Rapid dips and climbs on the pavement bring an unsettling sense of lateral movement, and the numb, slack steering offers little help in reining things in. When you pull over, the GLA250’s rattling idle could fool onlookers into thinking it’s a diesel – the encapsulating snapshot of a driving experience that needs polishing, especially compared to the well-sorted ride quality found in rivals like the Audi Q3 and Lincoln MKC.

At least there is a handling payout. The GLA250’s suspension keeps body roll under control on twisty roads, and steering feedback improves when you put the nose into sharp corners. The 19-inch wheels and P235/45ZR19 tires on our GLA250 test vehicle gave up some grip at the front through hairpin turns. We didn’t experience that with the ground-hugging GLA45 AMG with optional 20-inchers and P235/40ZR20. Both of our test cars had the same high-performance Continental summer tires, but the AMG’s all-wheel drive sends power to the rear axle depending on driving conditions; The GLA250’s all-wheel drive only sends power to the rear when the front tires lose traction. The result? You can get the rear of the GLA45 AMG into modest drifts in sweeping corners – much harder on the GLA250.

Speaking of AMG: The supercharged four-cylinder of the 355 hp GLA45 really picks up speed at around 3,000 rpm and from then on shoots out with an urgency that is unparalleled in this segment. It’s a top-of-the-line experience than the GLA250, whose torque feels more evenly distributed across the rev counter; Here comes the amazing acceleration after a moment of initial deceleration. Our tester’s AMG Performance exhaust ($450) improved the sound for loud exhaust bangs on hard upshifts; it’s either badass or dumb, depending on how you want tailpipes to sound.

Ride quality feels similarly stiff in the GLA45 AMG. There’s optional AMG Performance suspension that comes with a $1,100 AMG driver’s package, but Mercedes didn’t have examples for journalists to drive.

As with its CLA sibling, the predominant take-away from the GLA’s cabin is poor visibility. The rear window is larger than the CLA’s glorified porthole, but other similarities persist. The sweeping roofline arches over short windows and a dramatically raked windshield. Thick A-pillars merge into small side mirrors. Some buyers will find it an instant deal-breaker; I am not blaming you.

Cabin materials are competitive for the class, with consistent finishes along the doors and upper fascia. Optional dashboard seams look like cast-in threads up close; Lexus does a better job with its faux leather stitching. GLA45 AMG models have standard sports seats with MB-Tex leatherette (vinyl) and fabric upholstery. Real leather seats are optional, as are Recaro Performance shells in synthetic leather and fabric or real leather. Stick to the base or sport seats; The Recaros are as comfortable as meeting your ex.

Taller drivers may feel that their legs are trapped between the door and the center console. The cockpit layout doesn’t offer much room to stretch. However, the rear seat offers a surprising amount of legroom and headroom, even with the optional panoramic sunroof installed in one of our test cars. Leggy adults might wish the seat was another inch off the ground, and I’d like to see reclining seatbacks versus the GLA’s fixed ones. But given the car’s small external dimensions, this is a good setting – especially for parents with small children. For these individuals, the exposed latch anchors are a welcome aid when installing car seats.

Standard features include power front seats with memory, a power tailgate and rain-sensing wipers. The standard MB-Tex makes a decent imitation of real cowhide that comes with sport seats, stitching and a few other items for $1,700.

The standard multimedia equipment of the GLA includes HD radio and Bluetooth telephone as well as audio streaming. A premium Harman Kardon stereo is optional, but unobtrusive — both for the mediocre sound quality and because it struggles against a cacophony of road and wind noise.

A central multimedia display measures 5.8 inches, or 7 inches if you purchase a multimedia package ($2,480). The package includes a reversing camera, which should be standard in every luxury car. Regardless of size, the display works through Mercedes’ familiar Comand interface – a simple button version, not the next-generation touchpad and button combo seen in the new C-Class.

The GLA’s 60/40 split folding rear seat folds down easily, expanding the small 17.2 cubic feet of cargo space to a more competitive 43.6 cubic feet of maximum volume.

The GLA hasn’t been crash tested, but its generous list of standard safety features includes forward collision warning with automatic braking, drowsy driver detection and eight airbags. Optional rear seat torso side airbags bring the total to 10 (head protection side curtains are standard). Blind-spot and lane-departure warnings and full-speed adaptive cruise control are optional. Click here for a full list of security features.

All-wheel drive GLA250s start at around $34,000, and the front-wheel drive GLA250 will start at around $32,000 when it hits dealerships next spring. Mercedes officials told reporters that typically equipped GLA250s will cost between $35,000 and $37,000, depending on the powertrain. That’s in line with the median listing price of new Q3s on Cars.com and a bit below the median listing for four-cylinder X1s. It also matches the NX 200t’s starting price of $35,405. Mercedes has an edge on value, though: The GLA’s generous safety features include standard forward collision warning with automatic braking, and the base engine makes an EPA-estimated 24/32/27 mpg city/highway/combined with all-wheel drive. That’s 1 to 4 mpg better in combined ratings than the all-wheel drive competition.

The $49,225 GLA45 AMG, meanwhile, has similar features to the GLA250, so the extra $15,000 is paid for cosmetic upgrades and a fair amount of performance. This puts the AMG in a league of its own; the X1 xDrive35i is slower and the more expensive Audi SQ5 is significantly larger. It should have no trouble finding its niche with dedicated buyers.

The mainstream GLA250 is also worth a look, but you’ll want to weigh the good and the bad. Luxury cars are often a choice born out of a lack of necessity, and it’s nice to see Mercedes bringing a few left-brain sensibilities to the table. But be sure to note the practical handicaps of the GLA.

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