CLA (C117) [Official] Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupé (C117)

[DexterMorgan]

And they're selling too....can't wait to see the numbers this month. I just love it when a new Mercedes model goes on sale! Those are really good prices she has there for those in stock. A smattering of options and still around 35K. They're going to sell a shiteload of these.

M

They sure are. We started getting our first ones Friday last week (9 days ago) and we're down to just one left! That's about 24 CLA's sold by one dealer in the span of a week! BMW better watch out, the CLA is going to add some serious #s to MB's sales the rest of the year.

A few pics I took of our earliest arrivals:



















For those wondering, these pictures are of a base US market CLA. Base as in no options (except the wheels on the white car). This is a lot of car for $ 30K.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

What are you impressions Dexter?

 

[DexterMorgan]

What are you impressions Dexter?

It is a very impressive car, especially for the price. But there are noticeable areas where MB has cut costs. The center console is poorly executed. Many clients have mentioned they're not a fan of the HUGE bezel around the COMAND screen and I share their views. No rear seat armrest is a bummer, too. And I was taken aback by the lack of KEYLESS-GO and power tilt/telescoping steering as an option for the US.

But these are small gripes about an otherwise, fantastic car for the brand.

 

[deity]

The bezel around the screen is indeed horrendous. Forget the plastics- though they are glaringly disturbing- the screen alone destroys any chance of it feeling up-market.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

It is a very impressive car, especially for the price. But there are noticeable areas where MB has cut costs. The center console is poorly executed. Many clients have mentioned they're not a fan of the HUGE bezel around the COMAND screen and I share their views. No rear seat armrest is a bummer, too. And I was taken aback by the lack of KEYLESS-GO and power tilt/telescoping steering as an option for the US.

But these are small gripes about an otherwise, fantastic car for the brand.

My sentiments exactly. The center console around the transmission is definitely low rent and the standard screen's bezel is ridiculous. They should have reduced the size rather than having such a huge bezel.

Interestingly our CLA's are very well equipped but we also don't even get the option of power tilt for the steering or Keyless Go, even though it is available in Europe.

 

[Serpens]

It is a very impressive car, especially for the price. But there are noticeable areas where MB has cut costs. The center console is poorly executed. Many clients have mentioned they're not a fan of the HUGE bezel around the COMAND screen and I share their views. No rear seat armrest is a bummer, too. And I was taken aback by the lack of KEYLESS-GO and power tilt/telescoping steering as an option for the US.

But these are small gripes about an otherwise, fantastic car for the brand.

See my reply below about the bezel. You shouldn't be taken aback by the lack of power tilt/telescoping, that's not even available a class above this one. The lack of keyless go is silly, agreed. The trim for non-wood cars was nothing special in the model I test drove too. These are all things I was expecting given the price point though, as the interiors of the A4/C-class/3-series aren't impressive for the price either.

The bezel around the screen is indeed horrendous. Forget the plastics- though they are glaringly disturbing- the screen alone destroys any chance of it feeling up-market.

Luckily the bezel isn't as big on nav-equipped cars. Clearly Mercedes uses the same casing for both, and adjusts the bezel size depending on if you got nav or not.

 

[deity]

@Serpens
Do you know if MB purposely includes a larger bezel as a means of 'forcing' people to get the nav? Or is there a functional reason as to why there's this discrepancy?

 

[DexterMorgan]

@Serpens In the US all MB's are offered with power tilt/telescoping steering either as standard or optional equipment. Hence my gripe with this feature missing in the CLA.

 

[Serpens]

@Serpens
Do you know if MB purposely includes a larger bezel as a means of 'forcing' people to get the nav? Or is there a functional reason as to why there's this discrepancy?

It's definitely cheaper for Mercedes to make one dash design (the hole where the screen attaches to the car) and to build one type of outer casing for the screen itself. The same concept is applied to the C-class and GLK-class, for example. They both have the same dash design whether nav is included or not, but there's more plastic in the screen area if you don't have nav. The CLA's setup is just more noticeable because of its free standing nature.

@Serpens In the US all MB's are offered with power tilt/telescoping steering either as standard or optional equipment. Hence my gripe with this feature missing in the CLA.

I understand, but I was evaluating it from the perspective of its competitive set and not its fellow MB peers. I see the point you're making, but I wouldn't call it a glaring omission given its market position.

 

[Merc1]

They sure are. We started getting our first ones Friday last week (9 days ago) and we're down to just one left! That's about 24 CLA's sold by one dealer in the span of a week! BMW better watch out, the CLA is going to add some serious #s to MB's sales the rest of the year.

A few pics I took of our earliest arrivals:



















For those wondering, these pictures are of a base US market CLA. Base as in no options (except the wheels on the white car). This is a lot of car for $ 30K.

Never seen a Mercedes sell this fast. That base price has lured people as MBUSA wanted. People are telling similar stories on MBWorld at their local dealers also. Seemingly all across the U.S. Two things: How long will MB keep up this sales pace, and what will this brisk pace of CLA sales do to the C-Class?

M

 

[941benz]

US September sales.
CLA 2310 cars in 10 days
C class 6389 cars down 18.8% from September 2012 was 7872.

 

[Merc1]

I was just about to post that in the other thread. Looks like it took a chunk out of the C-Class. The CLA will probably do so for a few more months until the hype dies down. C-Class re-design should put thinks back to normal.

M

 

[Merc1]

A friend of mine took a test drive tonight. Honestly it is just a name on an average car (for a Benz) really. Sure it looks better in person and the interior looks good until you really start to examine it. Old school Benz owners won't go near it, but for someone new to Mercedes (and if they stay with the brand) will be shocked when they move up to the next C, E and S/SL etc because the cost cutting in the CLA will be obvious then. No power tilt wheel even as an option, no Keyless go, no rear seat armrest (someone mentioned that here I think), and the road noise in the back is loud. Mercedes needs to tweak this car some over the next few model years and improve it as they inevitably raise that magical base price. A few more features would be nice and some more sound deadening in the rear seat/under carriage would be nice. The ride is a little hard too. Overall I give it 7/10!

I must say I've never seen so many people test driving a Benz on a Tues evening. Mercedes, BMW and Lexus dealerships are running full tilt in the North Dallas area.

Consider me curious about the CLA45 AMG.


M

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I FINALLY saw this in the flesh today. They were in the dealers holding yard because there is still an 'embargo' on the release until next week Tuesday. I saw 2 black ones and 1 mountain grey all from a distance. I was not really enamoured with it as the car appears to sit quite high on it's suspension and I felt it appeared a bit droopy and oddly proportioned. The front end without the silver diamond grill and the huge headlights also looked awkward. Without the AMG package the A class is certainly better proportioned and more sport and perky in it's appearance. I trust however that the AMG package will improve things considerably.

 

[Wolfgang]

A Shooting Brake update.

Mercedes-Benz CLA Will Spin-Off Shooting Brake, But No Other Variants

Only one more model will be produced of Mercedes-Benz’s new compact car generation (NCCG), we’ve learned—and it’s not the long-rumored SLA roadster. Instead, the company will build a CLA Shooting Brake, a low-roofed wagon that will complement the four-door CLA in the same way the CLS and CLS Shooting Brake form a duo at the higher end of the market. Unfortunately, this model won’t be offered in the U.S., as our car-buying comrades see shooting brakes as wagons, and wagons as old-fashioned and dull.

Rather than develop an all-new SLA roadster, Benz execs have told us, it makes far more sense to put the investment and effort into something with thick profit margins and a glamorous image. Without saying so directly, the car they’re talking about is the upcoming S-class convertible—spy photos of the topless S here—which, if the Concept S-class Coupé is any indication, will be a head-turner. That may be out of reach for us plebes, but there’s always the 10-year-old used market. At least the S-class convertible—probably unlike the CLA Shooting Brake—will fit an American-size suitcase in the trunk.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/mercedes-benz-cla-will-spin-off-shooting-brake-but-no-other-variants/
http://www.autoevolution.com/merced...a-shooting-brake-arrives-next-year-68117.html

 

[DexterMorgan]

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/02/mercedes-benz-cla-strong-sales/


Mercedes widens luxury sales gap on strong early CLA demand

 

[Merc1]

One of my favorite dealers just got an Edition 1 in:

http://www.benzblogger.com/


M

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Change my mind! LOL. I saw 2 at the dealership this weekend and I even got to drive a base CLA200. For the money, it's a good car. In standard trim its good looking, with the AMG package it's great looking. I'm not sure what was wrong with the vehicles the other day, perhaps they still had their suspension blocks in them, but the two I saw yesterday sat taught and pretty.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Why do stupid iPhones always upload upside down!!!

 

[Giannis]

Get Android.