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New Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Priced In the U.S., It's Not Cheap

Based on the W177 hatchback and V177 sedan, the C118 is arguably the best-looking Mercedes-Benz in this segment. For the United States, the CLA 250 leads the lineup with either front- or all-wheel drive. Pricing starts at $36,650 and $38,650, translating to quite a premium over two competing models.
Mercedes-Benz CLA 59 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
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The three-pointed star single-handedly picked the BMW 2 Series and Acura ILX, which retail at $35,300 for the 230i Coupe and $25,900, respectively. This weird choice of rivals gets even weirder if you remember the Bavarian option is rear-wheel drive and comes with a 248-horsepower turbocharged engine.

CLA 250 models make do with 221 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque between 1,800 and 4,000 rpm, coming courtesy from a 2.0-liter plant connected to a seven-speed DCT. Electronically limited to 130 miles per hour, the C118 is 184.6 inches long and 56.7 inches tall. And yes, the sloping roofline makes it a worse choice for the rear passengers than the A-Class Sedan.

Mercedes-Benz hasn’t published the curb weight and fuel economy of the 250 and 250 4Matic, nor did the German automaker mention when the CLA will go on sale. All we know is “late 2019” according to the three-pointed star, which is bad timing for a coupe (with four doors) based on the market’s tendencies.

On the upside, there’s no denying the CLA is the most tech-savvy compact car in the segment thanks to digital instrumentation, HD infotainment, MBUX with voice control and AI assistant, more or less the whole nine yards. However, the full-color HUD and Augmented Video for Navigation are optional extras.

Mercedes-Benz has never been about value for money, but what you get for the premium you pay is the most sought-after badge in the premium segment. As much as we like BMW and Audi, the three-pointed star still is cooler.

On that note, care to guess which is the more aerodynamic between the CLA and A-Class Sedan? The cheaper option would be it thanks to a Cd value of 0.22 as opposed to 0.23 for the better-looking model.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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