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 £5,987 off RRP*Used from £11,447
Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke

RRP £19,805Avg. savings £4,614 off RRP*Used from £9,295
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £19,870Avg. savings £6,086 off RRP*Used from £9,649
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,310Avg. savings £2,657 off RRP*Used from £9,495
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Morris JE mixes ultra-retro style with EV power and carbon fibre
New Morris JE electric van - front

New Morris JE mixes ultra-retro style with EV power and carbon fibre

Morris Commercial reveals the pilot production of the JE van will commence in 2027 with a 300-mile electric range
News
12 Jun 2026
New Mitsubishi L200 2026 review: promising return for pick-up favourite
Mitsubishi L200 - front

New Mitsubishi L200 2026 review: promising return for pick-up favourite

The Mitsubishi L200 is back and is arguably better than ever
Road tests
11 Jun 2026
Electric car charging costs review launched by government
Electric car charging mega test - charging overhead

Electric car charging costs review launched by government

Government report to address concerns over long-term cost of EV charging
News
10 Jun 2026