2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class: A Compact Luxury SUV That has it All

With the world waiting for Mercedes-Benz to answer the call that was present when BMW revealed the X1, the GLA-Class came about through patience and persistence to offer a highly enjoyable compact SUV that offers plenty for owners to enjoy. For anyone who doesn’t find appeal in a wagon the GLA-Class is the right choice and offers the size that gives them ease of maneuverability in parking lots as well as a great deal of road manners to take on any road the vehicle encounters to come out on the other side with confidence and precision of driving.

Sharing underpinnings with the CLA-Class and engines with some of their strong selling sedans the GLA-Class offers a mix of the best of both worlds to give a fun little luxury SUV for owners to fully enjoy. Either model of this SUV offers excellent driving enjoyment with the GLA45 AMG being the better performer. This class of SUV allows owners to keep with a lower-priced SUV without having to move to a large and looming full sized model.

With a very low center of gravity and smaller ground clearance the GLA- Class offers a great deal of driving pleasure on any road. To go along with the center of control is a highly engineered suspension that handles any and all road imperfections easily while the ultra-responsive steering and braking handles the rest. All of this together will have anyone fighting to get into the driver’s seat and see where they can find roads with the most twists and turns available in their area. Keep in mind, this vehicle is made to find those roads on its own so if getting directly to a destination is in mind, another vehicle might be a better choice, but for those who enjoy the road and some cruising this is a great car to drive.

Both engines that can be chosen for the GLA-Class are partnered with a sieve-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that offers outstanding shifting and control capabilities. Both can also be had with either front-wheel drive or the all-wheel drive 4Matic equipment to give this exquisite SUV much more capability and control on any surface, but that is where the similarities end.

For the GLA250 the engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that gives up 208 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. This allows for a very enjoyable fuel efficiency to be achieved and gives owners the knowledge they can drive for long times without having to refuel. For the GLA45 AMG the engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that gives a massive 355 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque. This massive increase in power only affects the fuel mileage a small amount and for anyone who can afford this model the price is well worth the increase in power.

From the front seats the GLA- Class feels like a sedan and drives like one. With all the high-end Mercedes-Benz features installed and beautiful leather and metal throughout the space the GLA-Class baths its occupants in excellent luxury. In the rear seat, passengers get to take advantage of the extra headroom offered by this being a high-end SUV rather than a sedan. The cargo space is plentiful and when the seats are folded down the increase in cargo room is exceptional. All controls are intuitively placed and give any owner the ability to fully enjoy all of Mercedes-Benz’ technology and alert features that can be found on the GLA-Class.

On the outside this small SUV appears sophisticated as well as sporty and stylish, a hard combination to pull off, but the GLA-Class does so masterfully. With the front carrying the signature emblem and a two bar chrome plated grill the front appears sporty and upscale at the same time. Add the swept back LED headlights and any onlooker can see this is a high end luxury model that offers plentiful enjoyment and ride comfort. The wheels are ten-spoked versions that can be had in black and white paint to give an even sportier look, or they can be aluminum-alloy with a brushed metal look that adds sophistication to the vehicle, depending on the owner’s selection of wheel styles.

The normally expected list of standard features are present on the GLA-Class for anyone riding or driving in the vehicle to enjoy. Other standard features that might not be as expected include collision prevention with autonomous braking and attention assistance, an off road mode with hill-decent control, a graphical look at the suspension and steering settings with the 4Matic models, engine start/stop features and a power liftgate are all features that might not be included on other models of at this price point. With so many awesome features already aboard the GLA-Class the price seems almost like a steal at the range this SUV comes with.

For those who would love to have the AMG model but just can’t afford the added price the GLA- Class offers an optional Sport Package that adds meaner bodywork and 19-inch five-spoke AMG wheels to give the look of the AMG even without the inclusion of the added engine and performance equipment. Other optional features include blind spot assistance, a rearview camera, adaptive cruise control and parking assistance that finds a spot and takes control of the vehicle to park it perfectly in the spot for any driver.

To start the pricing of this very affordable luxury SUV the GLA250 compact crossover SUV shows up with a price just over $32,000 and adds about $2,000 to the price for the all-wheel drive models. This gives any owner a reasonable price to pay for a great SUV. The AMG model will start around $49,000 and adds a ton of sporty features and equipment as well as the more capable engine. With either model an owner can’t go wrong as this little SUV really packs a punch and gives plenty of driving excitement on any road surface.