2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250+ EV Is Entry-Level Luxury Done Really, Really Well

Though Mercedes-Benz has built smaller models in the past, like the globally successful 190E that became the C-Class and the controversial A-Class hatchback, it wasn't until the first-generation CLA that the automaker offered a truly entry-level model in the U.S., both in terms of price and positioning. When the car launched in 2013, Mercedes ran a Super Bowl ad in which a man sees a CLA billboard being put up, imagining all the things he could do with the tiniest Benz yet as Willem Dafoe, who is presumably playing the devil, sits across from the man, trying to get him to sign a deal in exchange for the car.

At the last minute, the guy snaps out of it when he sees the CLA's starting price get revealed on the billboard: $29,900. "Thanks, but I think I got this," he says as Dafoe gives him a dirty look and vanishes. That price really was a big deal when the 'lil CLA was new, as the average price of new cars was more than $31,000 at the time, and the thought of a Benz for that cheap was a novelty. Well, the original CLA definitely felt its price in many ways, with it and its GLA sibling not giving customers that classic Mercedes luxury experience. (The price was quickly raised, too.) The second-gen models were big improvements, but they've gotten long in the tooth and still felt a little too cheap even when new.

Enter the third-generation CLA, which introduced Mercedes' electric-forward MMA platform and MB.OS operating system earlier this year. Following a global launch earlier this year, after which Jalopnik's own Erin Marquis raved about the car, I've now gotten to drive U.S.-spec CLAs in and around San Francisco, and I'm ready to rave as well. Not only is the 2026 CLA EV a legitimately great luxury offering, you still won't have to sell your soul to the devil to get one. OK, yes, its $48,500 base price might be nearly $20,000 more than the original's, but just like back then, that means it's also a few grand cheaper than the current new-car average.

Full disclosure: Mercedes-Benz flew me to chilly San Francisco and put me up in a nice hotel for a couple days so I could drive the CLA EV and experience its new Level 2 automated driving system, which will be covered in a separate story next month. I'm also the owner of a first-gen CLS and a lover of four-door coupes, so I'm predisposed to like the CLA.

At the event Mercedes only has the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive CLA250+ for us to drive, which is the one I'm more interested in, anyway. It's the range king, offering up to 374 miles of range per the EPA, though Edmunds recently eked out 434 miles in its range test. The Mercedes PR team say they normally have to put more thought into planning press drive routes when the car is an EV, to make sure us sometimes bird-brained journalists have enough range just in case we have lead feet, make wrong turns or take deliberate detours. But this time, they didn't have to worry about that. I jump into a CLA with its battery at 95%, showing 377 miles of available range.

Following the lead of companies like Tesla and Rivian, you don't have to press a button to start the CLA — just get in, press the brake pedal, shift into drive and you're ready to go. The single motor in the CLA250+ sends 268 horsepower and 247 pound-feet to the rear wheels, enough grunt to send it from 0 to 60 mph in a respectable 6.6 seconds. Even in Sport mode the initial acceleration doesn't give you the same instant shove in the gut like other EVs, but it's a good surge of torque nonetheless and the car feels more than quick enough even when passing on the freeway. The electric drive unit has an integrated two-speed transmission that usually shifts at around 60-70 mph, aiding in both acceleration and efficiency at city and highway speeds. Its shifts aren't as noticeable as in a Porsche Taycan, but you still feel a slight pause as the car kicks into high gear, which is a fun sensation in an EV.

Mercedes has finally fixed the weird braking problems that plagued its earlier EV efforts. The brake pedal no longer moves under regenerative braking, so it's always where you expect, and the regen itself is also improved. The CLA can recuperate up to 200 kW of energy, and in the strongest of the three settings it can come to a complete stop. Mercedes' automatic regen mode is also better than it used to be, using the car's various sensors to decelerate itself according to traffic around you, though I prefer to just keep the regen in the strong mode and manage one-pedal driving myself. You pull or push on the column shifter to adjust the regen, and the car remembers the last setting you used — it's always annoying when an EV doesn't.

To get the longest range you'll want to stick with the CLA's standard 17-inch wheels, but both cars I drive are fitted with 19s, the largest size you can get. Ride quality is pretty fantastic, with the MMA platform using a three-link front axle and a multi-link rear axle, the latter typically reserved for higher-end cars. It's also mega quiet inside even at over 80 mph, which you can partially chalk up to its 0.21 drag coefficient (an improvement of 0.02 Cd over the outgoing model).

Sport mode does liven things up, making the powertrain more responsive and tightening up the steering. It's certainly not a performance car, but the CLA is quite fun to toss around on the wonderful twisty roads north of San Francisco. Though it doesn't offer a ton of feedback, the CLA's light steering rack is precise. It doesn't seem prone to understeer, the nose turns in nicely and the rear end rotates well enough to feel lively and clearly rear-wheel drive. Mercedes says the CLA250+ weighs 4,553 pounds, but it feels lighter than that. It's a smile-inducing drive in the city as well, where the pretty tight turning circle comes in handy and it feels zippy and nimble.

Extended periods of hooning around doesn't seem to adversely affect my range or efficiency that noticeably, especially with nearly all of my braking being done through regen, and when returning back to the hotel with a 70% charge, the CLA says it still has nearly 300 miles of range. When the 85-kWh battery pack does finally run out of juice, there is both a J1772 port for AC charging of up to 9.6 kW, and an NACS port for DC fast-charging. At 800-volt stations the CLA can be charged at up to 320 kW, which will take it from 10% to 80% in 22 minutes and can add 200 miles in 10 minutes. But on 400-volt stations like Tesla Superchargers, it'll only be able to take 100 kW. Mercedes will provide owners with a CCS adapter, as well.

Mercedes has been deservedly criticized for its interior quality in recent years, particularly on the electric EQ models, but the CLA seems to right a lot of those wrongs. There are nicer materials, more padding in areas like the door panels and dashboard, and no untoward creak or squeaks. The air vents feel great to adjust, as do the redesigned seat controls (that actually move when adjusted, unlike the last five-ish years of Benz seat controls). Across the four different CLAs I get into, everything seems to be much more tightly and precisely built, with none of the squeaks or rattles that the EQ cars were fraught with. Sure, there are still some hard plastics in areas that aren't frequently touched, but as a whole it feels much more premium than the model it replaces.

Partially thanks to a larger back window and new quarter windows aft of the rear doors, visibility is better than in the old CLA, and the driving position is fairly sporty. The front seats on AMG Line cars have integrated headrests and plenty of support, and every CLA's front seats come with 8-way power adjustment, 4-way lumbar, heating and memory. For just $50 you can add a massage function. My 5-foot-9 self doesn't feel cramped at all in the back seat when sitting behind my own driver's seat; the standard panoramic sunroof stretches nearly past the rear headrests, and there's plenty of headroom. The trunk holds almost two cubic feet more stuff than an E-Class, accessible through the 40/20/40-split rear seat, and under the hood is a 2.5-cubic-foot frunk with removable dividers.

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Another minor thing that has made a big difference are the door handles. Base CLAs get traditional pull door handles, while upper trims have flush door handles that pop out, like nearly every other new Mercedes of the past few years. But instead of an electronic latch, Mercedes went with a mechanical one, so the feeling of pulling on the handle is much improved — and the sound and heft of the door is also a lot better than before, both when opening and closing them.

And importantly for such a style-focused car like the CLA, there are some great color and materials options. On the outside you can get a deep red, the bright Sky Blue you see here or a lovely minty shade called Liquid Crystal Green, in addition to the boring greyscale paints. Inside there's a range of MB-Tex, microsuede and leather to choose from, in colors like bright Power Red, Crystal White and black, peanut buttery Beech Brown, and black with Lime Green accents. Trim elements on the door panels and center console can be had in brushed aluminum, two different natural-grain woods (one with yacht-style aluminum lines), and my favorite, Natural Fiber Zen, a new material made from recycled paper.

In 2019 the outgoing CLA debuted the first iteration of the MBUX infotainment system, which was excellent when it first launched but quickly paled in comparison to newer Benzes with Hyperscreens and Superscreens. Now the new CLA once again gets to be the herald of a next-gen system, this time MB.OS, a ground-up creation powered by a powerful supercomputer that can handle over-the-air updates for all vehicle functions, automated driving included. With a cleaner look and operation but vastly more capability, it further solidifies Mercedes as one of the best companies in the infotainment game.

All new CLAs have a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14-inch touchscreen housed under the same dashboard-spanning panel, with the front passenger either looking at a trim panel with illuminated stars, or their own touchscreen if equipped with the Superscreen. The upright panel is mounted pretty low, so it doesn't obscure the driver's view out the windshield while still being right in your line of sight. The center home screen has always-present climate controls and widgets for media and recently opened apps overlaid on the crisp map view. Easy-to-navigate settings and function menus are a single tap away, and it takes just one tap to go from any one app or menu back to the home screen. Despite the simpler look, you're still able to customize basically everything about the car to your heart's content, and it's extremely easy to get used to.

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but I think they're wholly unnecessary. In addition to Mercedes' system just looking better, the native navigation in MB.OS is vastly better overall than anything you'd get through phone mirroring. Google Maps data powers things like real-time traffic, route guidance and points of interest, but the look and functionality is designed by Mercedes, with the automaker also adding on integrated charging stop routing, range estimates and other EV-specific features. The 3D map view looks really great, and there's no lag or performance issues in my day with the cars. CLA customers get 7 years of the navigation and other related services included.

Perhaps my favorite feature is the $880 Burmester surround sound system, which has 16 speakers and 850 watts of power, as well as Dolby Atmos integration and highly customizable sound modes. The Burmester system's round speaker grilles made from real metal look superb, and sound quality is fantastic, punching way above the CLA's price. Near the end of the day I take a different CLA out for a drive, partially because I want to take some better photos but mainly because I want more time to blast Zara Larsson.

Unlike the first-gen CLA, which was pretty bare-bones at its base price, the CLA250+'s starting price of $48,500 (including $1,250 destination) gets you a lot of stuff. Rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic climate control with pre-conditioning, a heat pump, LED lights with a star motif, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, automated emergency braking, blind-spot assist with safe exit warning, lane-keeping assist and evasive steering assist are all included. There's also a selfie camera that, in addition to taking selfies, is used for facial recognition when switching between driver profiles. The grille panel with 142 animated illuminated stars, an illuminated surround and an illuminated central Mercedes logo is standard, too.

The $2,250 Exclusive trim feels like a no-brainer, adding the pop-out door handles with keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, parking assist, 64-color ambient interior lighting, a wireless charging pad up front, and a fold-down rear center armrest with a pair of cupholders. Adding the $5,850 Pinnacle trim gets you all of that plus a power trunk with hands-free opening, a surround-view camera system, digital key compatibility and the Superscreen that adds the passenger display. Pinnacle also gives you a head-up display, which is a $1,100 standalone option, and fancier adaptive LED headlights that are a $750 standalone option. If you want a heated steering wheel and heated wiper blades, you'll have to spend $450 for the Winter package.

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

Some of the CLA's options are called Digital Extras, meaning they can be paid for and activated after purchase, such as the aforementioned massaging seats and a dashcam for $200. For $1,950 you can get the MB.Drive Assist system that adds steering assist and automatic lane changes to the adaptive cruise control, while $3,950 gets you three years of MB.Drive Assist Pro, a hands-on Level 2++ system that can accomplish point-to-point driving in cities, with further functionality to come with OTA updates.

Spend an extra $2,550 more than the base rear-wheel-drive CLA250 and you can take home the all-wheel-drive CLA350 4Matic, which adds a second motor up front for a 4.8-second 0-to-60 time and a 312-mile EPA range. Unless you really need four driven wheels, just stick with the rear-drive car. For you speed demons, hold out for the electric AMG that will likely come out next year. And even though it should be cheaper than both of the EVs, you certainly don't want to get the hybrid CLA, which feels like an afterthought according to my esteemed colleague Andy Kalmowitz.

Helping bolster the CLA's value proposition is the near-total lack of competitors. Hyundai's facelifted Ioniq 6, which would be the CLA's closest analogue in terms of design and range, won't be coming to the U.S. in non-N form, and the Polestar 2 is also dead. The new cheap version of the Tesla Model 3 isn't even worth talking about, and while the rear-drive Model 3 Premium is about five grand cheaper than the CLA, its range, charging, and styling are worse, and it's definitely not a luxury car. You can't get into a BMW i4 for less than $59,075, and that car is larger and also has a lot less range.

From its impressive powertrain and driving refinement to its world-class infotainment and technology features, the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA is a standout by any regard, not just in terms of EVs or entry-level luxury models. Buyers of the third-gen CLA needn't be embarrassed that they're rolling in the cheapest Benz, as this time it really does feel worthy of the badge. In fact, it feels more worthy of the three-pointed star than the C-Class, which starts at over $50,000 in four-cylinder C300 guise. 

If the CLA's coupe styling is still just a bridge too far for you, though, that's alright. We've already seen the next-gen GLB that shares the CLA's platform, powertrains and tech but with a boxy three-row wrapper, and soon they'll be joined by a new GLA as well. It's just too bad we won't get the CLA Shooting Brake.