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

MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £27,005Avg. savings £3,637 off RRP*Used from £10,895
Toyota Yaris Cross
Omoda 5

Omoda 5

RRP £24,040Avg. savings £1,539 off RRP*Used from £18,249
Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £30,210Used from £9,995
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Every new EV ranked 161 to 1: the complete guide to UK electric cars
161 best & worst UK EVs rated - header image

Every new EV ranked 161 to 1: the complete guide to UK electric cars

There are 161 different electric cars on sale in the UK and here’s the complete guide to every one of them…
Features
28 Aug 2026
New Mercedes-AMG CLA 45: faster and more powerful than a BMW M3, but £25k less
Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 - front

New Mercedes-AMG CLA 45: faster and more powerful than a BMW M3, but £25k less

The 671bhp CLA 45 is hypercar-quick, while sounding and shaking like its got an angry four-cylinder under the bonnet
News
28 Aug 2026
New Volkswagen ID. California Cruise is the retro electric campervan we’ve been waiting for
New Volkswagen ID. California Cruise

New Volkswagen ID. California Cruise is the retro electric campervan we’ve been waiting for

Off-grid camping in style and comfort is one step closer with VW’s new ID. California Cruise
News
28 Aug 2026