There is excitement in driving a fast car, whether gas or electric. Likewise, there is joy in driving a car that handles well and surrounds its driver with luxury, in looks, feel, and technical niceties.
But up until now if a driver wanted both excitement and joy in a vehicle that one could drive cross-country, he or she had best shop for a gas-powered sedan or coupe.
Surprisingly Mercedes-Benz, once primarily the purveyor of luxury gas-drinking sedans, has electrified joy and excitement with its 2027 CLA 250+, that plus signifying electric power.
CLA is a rare sedan with coupe-like sloping rear roof profile, so already a bit of an outlier. But in its new all-electric format the 250+ offers enough torque and sporty handling to lift one’s spirits, plus enough battery range to truly be a long-distance cruiser.
Get this, with a full charge my dull Alpine Gray ($1,750 extra) tester registered 360 miles of range. Top that with quick charging that Mercedes claims will take its batteries from 10% to 80% power in 22 minutes on a fast charger. There’s also a NACS charger adaptor for use at Tesla superchargers.
Even overnight on my puny 110-volt outlet I gained 20%, enough for roughly 65 miles. That’s the best I’ve seen among EVs I’ve tested.
That makes this the first EV I’ve driven that I’d consider a workable family car, no need to keep a gas-only or hybrid in the garage for family trips.
As one might expect with that giant Mercedes-Benz logo on the grille, the CLA is a luxury sedan, but entry-level by pricing in today’s marketplace. It fully lives up to the interior luxury and technology one would expect, despite its reasonable $49,300 starting price, including delivery. Remember $50 grand is the average new car price.
Ignore, for a moment, that this tester added enough high-tech and luxury options to push this unit’s cost to $63,880.
For its base price, the CLA boasts 268 horsepower and a satisfying 247 pound-feet of torque from its electric rear-drive motor. One can go gangbusters with that, despite this model not touting numbers that will make your country club buddies gasp with envy.
For that one must spend a bit more ($51,850) on the CLA 350+ 4Matic. It packs AWD along with 349 horses and 380 pound-feet of torque. Impressive, but what you lose is range, just 312 miles. But acceleration goes from roughly 5.8 seconds say our friends at Car and Driver, to 4.8 seconds in a 0 to 60 mph run.
Pish-Posh!
The 250’s power will do just fine, snapping a driver back in the seat and planting the seeds of wonder among other drivers as you disappear from a stoplight.
Handling is fairly precise making the Mercedes easy to move around on the highway or through winding country roads where this low-slung rocket enjoys stretching its electron-powered legs. BMW-bred buyers will argue there’s not a racer’s edge quality to the steering, but it’s so easy, almost silky, to zip through corners most drivers will be sufficiently entertained.
Despite its four drive modes though I still found Comfort to be solidly on the firm side. I expect that in Sport mode, plus a firmer steering feel, but car makers as a group need to reconsider how they tune Comfort mode and match suspension damping to what would “comfort” most drivers on our less-than-perfect streets. A little less feedback from every tar strip and expansion joint would be appreciated.
Braking? Solid of course with vented front and solid rear discs.
Just because Mercedes offers the CLA 250+ at a reasonable starting price, don’t expect a blah interior. This is sharp.
The tested CLA featured red fake leather seats and door panels with black dash and door uppers. Fake or not, your friends won’t know as this feels and looks like the real deal. Besides, the door trim is both satin chrome and textured chrome with the large round dash air vents a textured chrome that looks absolutely aeronautic.
Add to that jewel-like chrome speaker covers on the doors. Sharp!
Speaking of speakers, those are hooked up to an optional ($880) Burmester 3D Surround Sound system, so music seems to explode from the speakers in this quiet EV’s interior.
Two other interior add-ons garner a lot of attention, but one can debate their necessity.
Overhead is a solid sunroof, but not just any sunroof. This is a SKY Control sunroof ($1,050), the Mercedes name for a sunroof that can be changed from opaque to clear or half and half. Say what? This sunroof is made up of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) glass meaning those crystals are sandwiched between glass bathed in UV blocking film.
So, press the Car icon on the giant 14-inch info screen and then press another icon that sort of looks like a sunroof, but points to the sunroof and you get three choices, opaque, open, or motif. Open is clear, opaque is cloudy so opaque, and motif divides the sunroof into make-believe panels that alternate between opaque and clear. Not sure its purpose, but it’s certainly fun to watch the roof change. Magical!
As if that’s not enough, this car added the pricey Pinnacle Line option package ($5,850) that adds the likes of LED lighting, a HUD, power trunk (totally unnecessary) and digital key. But it’s the MBUX Superscreen 14-in. passenger display that may influence a buyer’s decision, especially if the buyer’s significant other feels he or she deserves their own screen blended into the dash.
This screen allows the passenger to call up any number of functions, including gaming, TikTok, Zoom, web browsing, and IMAX movies. Plus, it’s both voice and touch controlled. What? Talk with your passenger? Forget about it!
Another option is more practical, the AMG Line ($2,100) that upgrades to sport seats and a flat-bottom steering wheel, brushed stainless steel pedals and special interior lighting along with black headliner and AMG floor mats.
Seats were well shaped here and powered, with a mild massaging feature. Comfy and supportive. Plus, front seats were heated, but not cooled, and the steering wheel wasn’t heated. To get that one must add the $450 Winter Package that also includes heated wiper blades. In Wisconsin, a definite yes.
Front seat space is fine while the rear has somewhat limited foot space as the front seats sit fairly snug to the floor, so not much space for a rear seat rider to slip their feet under the front seats. The console includes a phone charger and is open below for storage, such as a purse.
Trunk space is decent for a sporty sedan and the tester’s power trunk lid was welcome, but also problematic. I was winding the charge cable to put in the trunk-based carrying case and the trunk sensed my movements so attempted to close as I was leaning into it. Not cool!
Love the sleek profile CLA strikes, but its low sloping windshield necessitates giant A-pillars, never good for side visibility. Of course there are cameras all around, but still.
A couple other bugaboos, I could not hear any turn signal clicks or chimes, so kept checking that I’d turned on the signals each time I deployed them. Odd! Also, the sun visors do not slide, so flip them to the side and they don’t always block side sun. Seems like an easy fix.
Like most of today’s vehicles, most functions are handled through the large info screen. Some, like finding the heated seats, isn’t terribly convenient as the small touchscreen buttons mostly need to be a bit larger, more visible.
Minor disappointments, mostly, but CLA is a winner in all serious regards. It also is available as a gas-only or hybrid, but word on the street is that the EV is a more refined drive. Certainly, it’s a blast to drive, luxurious inside and out (but please, not gray), and has the range to make it a viable EV for family road trips.
Fast Stats: 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+
Hits: Excellent power and EV range, sporty handling, sleek profile. Beautiful quiet 2-tone leather interior with comfy heated/massaging seats, flat-bottom wheel, Burmester surround sound, opaque panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger, HUD, passenger screen, and quick charging.
Misses: Firm ride even in Comfort mode, no heated steering wheel or cooled seats, giant A-pillar, no turn signal sound, sun visors don’t slide, too many features controlled via info screen.
Made in: Rastatt, Germany
Engine: Electric motor, 268 hp/247 torque
Transmission: 2-speed rear-drive automatic
Weight: 4,553 lbs.
Wheelbase: 109.8 in.
Length: 185.9 in.
Cargo: 10.5 cu.ft., 3 cu.ft. frunk
Range: 360 mi.
Base Price: $49,300 (includes delivery)
Invoice: N.A.
Major Options:
Pinnacle Line (LED lighting, MBUX Superscreen, 14-in. passenger display, HUD, power trunk, digital key), $5,850
AMG 19-in. 5-twin spoke matte black wheels, $900
SKY Control sunroof, $1,050
Burmester 3D surround sound system, $880
Digital extra, MB.Drive Assist (semi-autonomous drive mode), $1,950
AMG Line (upgraded sport seats and lighting, sport pedals, flat-bottom sport wheel), $2,100
Alpine Gray paint, $1,750
Test vehicle: $63,880
Sources: Mercedes-Benz, www.kbb.com
