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

Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,085Avg. savings £3,409 off RRP*Used from £10,995
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,640Avg. savings £2,419 off RRP*Used from £8,995
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,840Avg. savings £6,088 off RRP*Used from £11,891
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £11,990Avg. savings £586 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

Dacia Duster and Dacia Bigster Hybrid 150 4x4: step-up from 2WD costs just £1k more
Dacia Bigster AWD - front

Dacia Duster and Dacia Bigster Hybrid 150 4x4: step-up from 2WD costs just £1k more

All-wheel drive hybrid power extends the appeal of the popular Dacia Duster and Dacia Bigster even further
News
3 Aug 2026
Dacia Duster and Bigster hybrids get a hefty price cut
Dacia Duster - cornering

Dacia Duster and Bigster hybrids get a hefty price cut

The Dacia Duster and Bigster hybrid models now start from £23,345 and £26,715 respectively
News
4 Aug 2026
New Audi A2 e-tron prototype review: radical-looking EV shows promise
Ellis Hyde with the Audi A2 e-tron prototype

New Audi A2 e-tron prototype review: radical-looking EV shows promise

We get an early taste of the all-new Audi A2 e-tron hatchback ahead of its official arrival
Road tests
3 Aug 2026