Even though the recently-launched Audi A3 Sedan is not exactly a direct competitor for the Mercedes-Benz CLA, it does share more than just a couple of similarities with the three-pointed star model and it competes in the same price range.
Exactly like the CLA, the A3 sedan is a four-door, three-box version of its brand's compact hatchback, it is also front-wheel drive-based with optional all-wheel drive, uses four-cylinder engines exclusively and is available in just about the same price range.
All these points make a comparison between the two models seem fair, especially since both the CLA and the A3 sedan are targeted at luring in younger people to the Mercedes-Benz and Audi brand, respectively.
As far as the way in which the peeps in Stuttgart and Ingolstadt decided to appeal to their customers, each decided to do it in an entirely different way, starting from the exterior and interior design and continuing with the practicality of each car.
In the rear headroom area, the Mercedes-Benz was clearly not designed with people over 1.75 m (5.9 ft) tall in mind, as the swooping and rather stylish roofline cuts from the interior space quite dramatically.
The somewhat unpractical opening of its luggage compartment isn't in the way of its volume on the other hand, with the comparison video below clearly showing the Mercedes-Benz CLA's advantage in this area.
Fitted with the optional AMG sports suspension, the Mercedes-Benz is quite a bit firmer on the road, which some people may enjoy while others may not like so much, but its sportier ride is more inline with what the coupe-like exterior (and interior) is trying to suggest.
All in all, the choice between either of the models is left to personal preferences, with the A3 Sedan appealing to the more practical customers other there, while the CLA is going for the ones who desire something more stylish and sportier. If you stick around tomorrow, we will be publishing a first drive review of the Mercedes-Benz CLA as well, so stay tuned!
Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project. Full profile
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