Post by johnc on Dec 20, 2023 10:17:09 GMT
We had to go through to Edinburgh last night to pick up our daughter flew back from Madrid and it gave me an opportunity to drive the CLA in wet, dark and windy conditions.
It's amazing how you get used to adaptive headlights and driving the Merc which doesn't have them, made me realise just how useful and safe they are. Along country roads where my car would be lighting up the verges on either side of the car in front, giving much better visibility for overtaking, the Merc just lit up the road immediately in front - again one of those things you didn't know you needed until you no longer have it. I tried one overtake and decided enough was enough or should I say the power was nowhere near enough! The car drives nicely on the motorway and 70mph is around 2,000rpm but don't expect very much apart from a bit of noise if you ask it to accelerate. The engine sound is well muted and it eats mile comfortably, averaging 46mpg. It's just not an entertaining drive although the steering is remarkably direct. The brakes on the other hand have to do all the work of slowing down because there is precious little engine braking and they have a tendency to be a bit grabby. It's a bit like an on/off switch and tricky to modulate smoothly.
The car also feels very light and although it has lots of grip, that light feeling doesn't communicate exactly what each corner is doing. It's a slightly strange feeling, almost like feeling your way on a snowy or icy surface, not quite sure what the limit is. It's not a feeling I enjoy.
The interior is surprisingly roomy and the boot is more than adequate. Most of the controls and plastic you touch feels reasonably well made but the lower dash and the plastic around the seats is a bit on the cheap side. I think the biggest disappointment with the interior was that it had several rattles, one of which was coming from the glove compartment. After getting Susan to open and close it and move it about, I think the rattle was coming from the retaining strap which prevents it opening too far which was made of hard scratchy plastic and was vibrating off something behind the dash. When the car warmed up the problem want away! The suspension also felt and sounded as if it had done 115,000 miles instead of the 15,000 it showed. It was OK on the smooth surfaces but not a quality item when the roads we a bit bumpier.
I think from the outside these cars look like quality items but the reality is that they are built down to a price and are none the better for it. I certainly wouldn't pay a Mercedes premium to have one of these and I reckon many of the Japanese and Korean competitors would provide a higher quality feel as an ownership prospect.
It's amazing how you get used to adaptive headlights and driving the Merc which doesn't have them, made me realise just how useful and safe they are. Along country roads where my car would be lighting up the verges on either side of the car in front, giving much better visibility for overtaking, the Merc just lit up the road immediately in front - again one of those things you didn't know you needed until you no longer have it. I tried one overtake and decided enough was enough or should I say the power was nowhere near enough! The car drives nicely on the motorway and 70mph is around 2,000rpm but don't expect very much apart from a bit of noise if you ask it to accelerate. The engine sound is well muted and it eats mile comfortably, averaging 46mpg. It's just not an entertaining drive although the steering is remarkably direct. The brakes on the other hand have to do all the work of slowing down because there is precious little engine braking and they have a tendency to be a bit grabby. It's a bit like an on/off switch and tricky to modulate smoothly.
The car also feels very light and although it has lots of grip, that light feeling doesn't communicate exactly what each corner is doing. It's a slightly strange feeling, almost like feeling your way on a snowy or icy surface, not quite sure what the limit is. It's not a feeling I enjoy.
The interior is surprisingly roomy and the boot is more than adequate. Most of the controls and plastic you touch feels reasonably well made but the lower dash and the plastic around the seats is a bit on the cheap side. I think the biggest disappointment with the interior was that it had several rattles, one of which was coming from the glove compartment. After getting Susan to open and close it and move it about, I think the rattle was coming from the retaining strap which prevents it opening too far which was made of hard scratchy plastic and was vibrating off something behind the dash. When the car warmed up the problem want away! The suspension also felt and sounded as if it had done 115,000 miles instead of the 15,000 it showed. It was OK on the smooth surfaces but not a quality item when the roads we a bit bumpier.
I think from the outside these cars look like quality items but the reality is that they are built down to a price and are none the better for it. I certainly wouldn't pay a Mercedes premium to have one of these and I reckon many of the Japanese and Korean competitors would provide a higher quality feel as an ownership prospect.
