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

Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,435Avg. savings £6,350 off RRP*Used from £10,450
Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,270Avg. savings £3,278 off RRP*Used from £7,500
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £24,040Avg. savings £1,761 off RRP*Used from £17,995
Toyota Yaris Cross
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Audi A2 e-tron: urban efficiency icon is reborn for the EV age
Audi A2 e-tron - Phil McNamara front

New Audi A2 e-tron: urban efficiency icon is reborn for the EV age

Audi has revealed the new A2 e-tron EV, which is set to offer incredible efficiency and a tempting £32k price tag
News
7 Sep 2026
New Volkswagen ID. Polo 2026 review: a seriously impressive small EV
Volkswagen ID. Polo - front

New Volkswagen ID. Polo 2026 review: a seriously impressive small EV

The new all-electric Volkswagen ID. Polo is stylish, has plenty of space and is great to drive
Road tests
9 Sep 2026
New Dacia Spring revealed: small EV gets 50% price hike, but a big jump in quality
Dacia Spring 2026 - Jordan Katsianis

New Dacia Spring revealed: small EV gets 50% price hike, but a big jump in quality

The new Spring will be based on the adorable Renault Twingo and built here in Europe
News
8 Sep 2026