Skip advert
Advertisement

Used Mercedes GLA (Mk1, 2013-2020) review - What do owners think?

Owners are fairly pleased Mercedes GLA's reliability and build quality

After a dip in quality in the nineties and early noughties, Mercedes once again produces some of the more reliable cars you can buy.

That being said, in our 2021 Driver Power satisfaction survey, Mercedes ranked 13th out of 29 brands in our manufacturer poll, which isn't particularly indicative of a highly reliable marque. Indeed, Mercedes finished lower than premium rivals such as Jaguar, Lexus, Porsche and Volvo. However, owners reported more issues with cars built by Audi and BMW.

Reliability

Although the GLA didn’t get into the 2017 or 2018 Driver Power satisfaction surveys, the third-generation A-Class did. It finished 69th in 2017, beaten by the Audi Q3 (13th), Kia Sportage (12th) and Volvo XC60 (ninth). Owners rated the A-Class’s running costs and reliability, but not its engine, gearbox and safety kit. A year later it finished 56th out of 75 cars, with 11 per cent of owners finding a fault within the first year of owning their A-Class.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £4,636 off RRP*
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £38,030Avg. savings £3,128 off RRP*Used from £25,400
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,417 off RRP*Used from £7,195
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £27,145Avg. savings £2,518 off RRP*Used from £16,200
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

This is it! New Volvo EX60 leaked days before reveal
New Volvo EX60 leaked - front

This is it! New Volvo EX60 leaked days before reveal

Volvo’s new midsize electric SUV has been leaked ahead of its official reveal on Jan 21st
News
19 Jan 2026
Car Deal of the Day: Comfy Citroen C5 Aircross for a cool £188 a month
Citroen C5 Aircross - full front

Car Deal of the Day: Comfy Citroen C5 Aircross for a cool £188 a month

It may be brand new, but the Citroen C5 Aircross is currently the cheapest mid-sized family SUV on our marketplace. It’s our Deal of the Day for 20 J…
News
20 Jan 2026
New Hyundai Ioniq 3 to take the electric hatchback fight to the VW ID.3
Hyundai Ioniq 3 teaser

New Hyundai Ioniq 3 to take the electric hatchback fight to the VW ID.3

Hyundai previewed its forthcoming electric hatchback with the striking Concept Three at the 2025 Munich Motor Show
News
20 Jan 2026