2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz CLA

In recent years, first-time luxury shoppers have had plenty of choices, but those choices haven't always been great. In the past decade, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi have offered “fun-size” subcompact luxury cars and crossovers. But “subcompact” is typically synonymous with “budget,” and the German Big Three have had a hard time rectifying “small” with “upscale.” Look no further than the woeful Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class or the underwhelming BMW X1. These cars might have luxury badges on their hoods, but they hardly live up to them.

As subcompact luxury cars go, a “4-door coupe” like the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class makes a lot more sense than I initially expected. For commuters and first-time luxury buyers who simply want a comfortable place to sit on their way to work, and who occasionally need a backseat for guests or kids, the CLA makes more sense than paying a premium for a crossover or larger sedan. It has the lines of a coupe but is more sensible than one.

The CLA has been redesigned for 2020, and as Mercedes has unveiled a more affordable A-Class sedan, the CLA is no longer the most affordable vehicle in the German luxury brand’s US lineup. This allows the CLA to grow in new and interesting ways, becoming a more dramatic performance luxury car. Read on to learn if the CLA-Class is the right choice for your first luxury car as well as which specific trim CarGurus recommends.

The entry-level luxury car market has come a long way in the past decade. When upscale automakers first went downmarket, they tended to miss the mark and fail to reach the level of quality that buyers associate with their badges. But they have often come around and finally started producing compact cars with legitimate luxury credentials. One such comeback story is the 2021 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class.

When the CLA was first introduced as a 2014 model, it did not live up to the Mercedez-Benz reputation for luxury. It was underpowered, had a harsh ride, and had a low-grade interior. That all changed with the arrival of its replacement for the 2020 model year. The coupe-like sedan was a significant improvement and it carries over to the 2021 model year. The current CLA has sharp styling, energetic performance, and a high-class interior that’s outfitted with an advanced user interface.