Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 Sport 2014 Review

The CLA 250 Sport is imbued with many of the characteristics that make Benz's larger and more established luxury cars desirable, for example interesting interior and exterior design, luxuriousness, refinement and a haughty air that only a premium brand can offer.

That it's had input from famed Affalterbach tuner AMG adds a little spice to the recipe.

But unlike its large-car siblings, such as the CLS- and E-Classes, it's also considerably more affordable, which will see customers who may not have considered such a vehicle before, take an interest. And as I discovered, as a city-dweller, its smaller size also makes it easier to handle in tight situations.

It's significantly easier to park than an E-Class or even a C-Class, for instance.

However, as the first CLA-Class the author has driven for more than half a day, the first thing I noticed was the car's look. It has presence, it turns heads, and looks stylish to these bespectacled eyes. The classic 18-inch AMG-inspired five-spoke alloy rims give the car a bit of old-school German muscle and the car hugs the ground nicely, without being so low you'll brace yourself every time you approach a speed hump.

With its sports body kit and curvaceous exterior, the CLA 250 Sport looks more like a $90,000 car, not a $65,000 car, and that's not unintentional.

Stylised LED brake lights match the sporty headlights and red pinstripes on the front and rear bumpers are nice touches too. Twin exhaust outlets imbue a certain confidence to the design and a curved roofline and slim windows contribute to its status as a style meister – though it's certainly a look that has polarised opinion.

Furthermore, form before function rarely results in ergonomic perfection and in the CLA's case there's a great big blind spot created by the thick rear roof pillar, and the wing mirrors are a bit small to compensate. The issue of vision is somewhat offset via a sensor suite – including lane departure and blind-spot warnings – but when you perform an old-fashioned head-check out of habit when cruising at 100km/h on the freeway, it's frustrating because you can't see much of the road.

The car has a primo image upon first inspection, but look a little closer and the differences between bigger Benzes and this CLA-Class become apparent. The instrument panel, speedo and rev counter look like an afterthought and as cool as the red stitching on the dash is, it reflects on the windscreen on sunny days.

The rotary controls for heating/cooling feel low-rent and plasticky; it's clear where cost cutting has taken place. Not a prudent move in our view because these controls are touched often and it’s a reminder that this car is not as elegant as it could be.

Whatever the case, the general ambience inside the car is pretty swish. The red seat belts may not be to everyone's liking but instantly draw the eye and remind occupants that this is no ambling CLA. It's powered by a gutsy 2.0-litre turbo-petrol that generates similar power to the Golf GTI, 155kW, but more on that soon.

For the most part, interior trim is neat and tidy. There's a leather-covered dash with red stitching, stylish circular air vents and concise controls, all of which look good and function as expected. A highlight are the electrically adjustable front leather seats, controlled via an iconogram of a chair on the inside of the doors. It's trademark Mercedes subtlety and mimics models like the E-Class; big car luxury in a small car package is always welcome.

The car is not as whisper quiet as the new C-Class when cruising, but then again, few cars are, and general conversation is never drowned out by wind, engine or tyre noise.

Occupant space is not too bad considering the CLA's small footprint, with plenty of room for front occupants and average room in the rear seat. There's a deep boot too, which is handy in the relatively short (4.6 metre) car.

Headroom is a little tight for taller rear-seat passengers and legroom is not vast but by and large the back seat is not a bad place to spend time. Indeed, the car can function as a comfortable mode of transport for four adults.

On that subject, the car can be entertaining to drive in certain situations and straddles a line between sportscar and luxury saloon. The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is a smooth, diligent performer and combined with the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox gives the car plenty of flexibility, particularly in hum-drum situations. For instance, in heavy traffic it’s a good operator, the gearbox switching up gears seamlessly to match the pace and the engine stop-start function reducing fuel consumption slightly.

Acceleration from the 155kW force-fed petrol engine is ample, reaching 100km/h from rest in around 6.5 seconds. Once the engine is on the boil and the revs above 2500rpm, the car is speedy, but at low revs it's a touch laggy, taking perhaps half a second to really come on song. It also has three drive modes, ECO, normal and sport, the former ensuring a relaxed, smooth ride that uses less fuel, the latter sharpening up the steering, throttle and gear changes.

Shifts are plenty snappy in sports mode, and the engine barks between shifts which is a cool feature. The steering is perfectly suited to commuter and a freeway driving, not to mention parking but it's not the most communicative when you start attacking corners with passion.

The baby Benz sedan grips impressively through corners thanks to its chubby tyres and 4MATIC drivetrain, yet there is more body roll than one expects from a car carrying a 'Sport' badge. It doesn't inspire confidence when rapidly changing of direction through esses but it is appreciably firmer than most garden-variety Mercs.

Not as balanced as the Audi S3 sedan through corners nor as settled, the CLA 250 Sport is nevertheless very quick point to point with impressive propulsion when gunning out of corners.

The stability control is overly cautious too, reigning things in a smidge early. Considering the car was tweaked by AMG, this was a bit of a surprise.

Then again, that could be a good thing, depending on one's disposition.

Although the CLA-Class is meant to appeal to a younger generation of buyers, it feels conservative in a lot of ways, exemplified with steering column gear shift lever. The latter looks outdated but is instinctive to operate. That said, I wonder how many people accidentally knock it out of gear (considering it's right where an Aussie car’s indicator stalk would live).

A funky alternative would have been push button gear changes or a dial like some Jaguar and Land Rover models.

The baby Benz saloon doesn't match the Audi A3 sedan in some areas, such as affordability, handling, steering response or instinctive infotainment interface. But that doesn't mean it's not as good.

It scores more strongly in terms of comfort and convenience features, things which many luxury buyers rate more highly. Another important factor is retained value, something that's still not crystal clear as the car is relatively fresh in the market.

On paper, the A3 sedan – and especially the S3 sedan – may appear a better buy, but there's an unquantifiable quality about the Benz. It's simply a very nice vehicle to drive. Perhaps that's partly the tri-star badge on the bonnet or the swoopy lines or some other subjective attribute, but whatever it is – and in spite its flaws – it's a charming vehicle.