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

Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £25,250Avg. savings £2,502 off RRP*Used from £8,995
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £27,005Avg. savings £6,250 off RRP*Used from £8,672
Dacia Spring

Dacia Spring

RRP £14,995Avg. savings £2,765 off RRP*
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,085Avg. savings £3,144 off RRP*Used from £12,790
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Citroen 2CV: £13k electric city car to lean on brand nostalgia
Citroen 2CV exclusive image 2026

New Citroen 2CV: £13k electric city car to lean on brand nostalgia

A 2CV-inspired small car is in the works, designed to bridge the gap between the Ami quadricycle and e-C3 supermini
News
24 Apr 2026
New Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid 2026 review: supermini rises to the next level with hybrid power
Richard Ingram with the Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid

New Fiat Grande Panda Hybrid 2026 review: supermini rises to the next level with hybrid power

Fiat is on to a winner with the mild-hybrid version of the impressive Grande Panda supermini
Road tests
21 Apr 2026
Electric car charging stations in the UK: public EV charging prices, networks and top tips
EV charging hacks - front of R5 in front of Gridserve

Electric car charging stations in the UK: public EV charging prices, networks and top tips

Our guide to saving hundreds of pounds on public EV charging covers all the bases
Tips & advice
20 Apr 2026