In the market for a newer vehicle

[3drian]

Hi there Beyond, I would like to get some advice / feedback regarding my next vehicle.

I am by no means in a rush to get a new vehicle, but I have been contemplating getting a new one for a few months now. Ideally I would like to get a MB, and my budget is anywhere from 30-35k. Last weekend I was in Calgary and almost pulled the trigger on a 2012 c250 coupe, loved the car but thought I was making a rush decision.

I love the looks of the c250 coupe, but not a big fan of the sedan, same goes with the c300 and c350. The wife however hates the idea of a coupe vehicle since we might be having kids in a year or so, so I have started looking at the used GLKs and CLAs.

Can anyone tell me how the CLA250 compares to the c250? am I crazy for just looking at MB and ignoring the rest of the vehicles in that price range? and is there a big difference between the MB dealerships in Calgary?

Thanks in advance for all your input.

[01RedDX]

.

[rage2]

You're not fitting any newborns in the back of a CLA unless you have the front seats way forward. So unless you're a midget...

C Coupe works, it's a tight fit for newborns. I drove kids + newborn in my Black Series coupe for 2 years without issues.

[3drian]

Originally posted by rage2

C Coupe works, it's a tight fit for newborns. I drove kids + newborn in my Black Series coupe for 2 years without issues.

So are the C coupe roomier than the GLA? and I was told the exact same thing by a salesman this past weekend, he said he drove a C coupe with a child seat in the back for a few years, glad this is true and not just a sales technique.

[shakalaka]

Since the GLA is a technically a 'SUV' I would assume that it would be roomier than C coupe. CLA not so much.

[3drian]

Ok my bad I misread Rage's post, such an idiot..

Crazy the CLA being a 4 door is not that roomier thanks for the comments so far

[shakalaka]

The shape of CLA is weird from the back, that's probably why. It slants down quite substantially like the CLS series.

[BoS_DC2]

Honestly, I'd stay away from any CLA/GLA.

They're Mercedes-Benz entry into the affordable sedan/small suv market and there's barely any resemblance of M-B heritage built into these vehicles.

I would prefer the 204 C Class over any new CLA/GLA.

Not to mention the 2012-2014 C250+ you're getting a V6 engine which is more reliable than the 4cyl turbo off a CLA/GLA (fuel mileage is meh...)

[guessboi]

Rage will agree with me but you are looking at a B Class if you are going to have kids with a Benz unless you are getting a Benz SUV. (Even a GLA is tight IMO)

C Class is ok but you better get a Diono car seat in the future due to the tight fit.

[3drian]

Thanks to everyone for all the comments, really helpful, Not a big fan of the B class, might as well look into a GLK instead.

[rage2]

Originally posted by BoS_DC2
Honestly, I'd stay away from any CLA/GLA.

They're Mercedes-Benz entry into the affordable sedan/small suv market and there's barely any resemblance of M-B heritage built into these vehicles.

I would prefer the 204 C Class over any new CLA/GLA.

Not to mention the 2012-2014 C250+ you're getting a V6 engine which is more reliable than the 4cyl turbo off a CLA/GLA (fuel mileage is meh...)

So much misinformation here. Yes, the CLA/GLA are entry level, but the heritage argument is kinda silly since MB has been building these for European markets for a long time now. The interior and infotainment is very familiar if you're switching between a W204 C-Class and these 2 cars.

I've mentioned in other threads before, if you're buying this class of MB vehicles, get it in black. The GLA/CLA doesn't have moldings around the doors, so you see the actual paint of the door frame. Black hides it nicely. That's really the only "cheap" complaint I have for these cars.

As for reliability, again, MB has been building 4 cylinder engines since forever, it makes no sense that a "V6" is more reliable. We've owned 2 B classes and the GLA45, the only problem I've had is a CEL in the GLA45 (prob due to bad gas) that didn't affect performance or anything. These cars are really good on gas, I average a tad under 10L/100km in the GLA45 in city driving, and 7L/100km in the B250 4Matic.

Originally posted by guessboi
Rage will agree with me but you are looking at a B Class if you are going to have kids with a Benz unless you are getting a Benz SUV. (Even a GLA is tight IMO)

C Class is ok but you better get a Diono car seat in the future due to the tight fit.

The GLA and B have similar rear room for kids. The GLA has slightly more legroom but less trunk room, while the B has a little more lateral room (roughly 3 inches) and fits 3 kids a little bit better. The B also has a flip up tray table w/cupholder attached to the back of the front seats which is a hit with kids.

The C sedan and coupe has way less room in the back. The GLK sits somewhere in between the C and GLA/B, but the GLK offers more lateral room. The leg room in the B/GLA is ridiculous, I'd say only the GL class has similar rear legroom.

[shakalaka]

I would personally look at a C Class, W205 or W204 for the matter. I have owned two of those (C350 and C63AMG) and both of them were awesome as far as daily driving was concerned. The C350 was 4MATIC so perfect in winter too and tons of room in the back. I had sedans and I have always been a coupe guy and I didn't mind the sedans. In that segment Audi A4, or BMW 3 Series sedan, I liked the look of the C350 the best.

[3drian]

Originally posted by rage2


The C sedan and coupe has way less room in the back. The GLK sits somewhere in between the C and GLA/B, but the GLK offers more lateral room. The leg room in the B/GLA is ridiculous, I'd say only the GL class has similar rear legroom.

I was surprised to see that most reviews claim that the GLK have not much room in the back, always though of it as a roomier vehicle guess I was wrong. I do like the looks of the GLK better than the GLA though. and I like the looks of the CLA better than any C class sedan, which makes everything more complicated.

As of last night I was inclining towards a 2012 GLK but im not sure anymore, might have to take another trip to Calgary and check them out.

as a side note I felt that the customer service at Lone star was a bit better than downtown MB. is this the usual case? or am I crazy?

[guessboi]

I bought my cars at Lone Star. My salesman is great!

[heavyD]

When it comes to the German cars isn't is better to simply lease new than buy used? A 2012 MB sounds like something that's going to cost you more in maintenance down the road than simply leasing a new one.