Mercedes CLA review - Reliability and safety

The CLA is closely related to the A-Class hatchback and as such comes fully loaded with safety kit. All cars get autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, a driver attention monitor and cruise control as standard, with traffic sign recognition, parking assistance and blind spot assistance added as you climb the range.

The optional Driving Assistance pack can be added to AMG Line Premium Plus cars and costs around £1,500, adding a full suite of up-to-date active safety and driver assistance systems, adding features like adaptive cruise, lane-change assist and evasive steering assistance.

Euro NCAP awarded the CLA a top five-star rating in 2019, with an outstanding 96 per cent score for occupant protection and 91 per cent achieved for child safety.

Although the CLA model didn't feature in our 2021 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, its A-Class sibling finished a credible 23rd out of 75 cars in the Best cars to own poll. Mercedes itself improved on a disappointing 28th-place out of 30 manufacturers in 2020, to a more solid 13th spot in 2021. High running costs across the range have been a particular cause of concern for customers.

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Warranty

As with every new Mercedes, the CLA comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and roadside assistance that’s valid across Europe. This matches those offered by Audi and BMW.

Servicing

Mercedes offers flexible servicing payment options on all its cars under the ServiceCare banner. As with many other manufacturer schemes, this allows you to spread the cost of servicing over monthly payments, or pay for all your car’s servicing requirements in one go. Mercedes’ scheme is comprehensive and can be customised depending on your car’s use and mileage.