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

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £39,390Avg. savings £9,673 off RRP*Used from £24,750
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £12,490Avg. savings £2,429 off RRP*Used from £10,695
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £11,180Avg. savings £4,250 off RRP*Used from £11,116
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £9,750Avg. savings £4,806 off RRP*Used from £8,440
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New BMW 3 Series 2026 review: too good for Audi and Mercedes
BMW 3 Series - front

New BMW 3 Series 2026 review: too good for Audi and Mercedes

The new BMW 3 Series is everything we hoped it would be, with superb driving dynamics and a premium feel throughout
Road tests
29 Oct 2026
New BMW i3 2026 review: drives just like an electric 3 Series should
BMW i3 - front

New BMW i3 2026 review: drives just like an electric 3 Series should

We get behind the wheel of the new BMW i3 to see if it's as good as it looks on paper
Road tests
30 Oct 2026
New Toyota hybrid engine on its way, and it could return over 85mpg
Next-gen Toyota hybrid engine

New Toyota hybrid engine on its way, and it could return over 85mpg

Japanese giant has put all of its engineering might behind new 1.5-litre engine, and is now teasing us with what to expect
News
28 Oct 2026