Drive Notes: 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA35 4Matic

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

Today I bring you a honey of a car that has very few flaws and an expensive yet reasonable price.

Let's get into the pros and cons of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA35 4Matic.


Pros

  • The engine makes sweet sounds that are rarely heard these days -- roars that remind you of the power on tap. Yet the car is quiet and docile unless you summon the revs with your right foot.
  • The power numbers seem pedestrian for performance cars with 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, but there's plenty of punch here. Make a pass and you'll be thrown back in your seat -- and the soundtrack will be nice and pleasing.
  • You don't really feel the hybrid assist kick on, it does its job quietly. Same with the stop/start system.
  • The handling is sharp, and the ride is stiff but acceptable -- at least on smooth pavement.
  • Mercedes infotainment remains easy to use. It could be complicated, given the amount of info available and the presence of a voice assistant, but it works.
  • The haptic-touch controls mostly work well.
  • It's easy to flick into the Sport and Sport+ modes
  • The interior materials are high class.
  • This feels like it should cost at least $75K yet the base price was $54K and the as-tested about $62K.

Cons

  • The rear seat is useless for tall adults, especially if the front passengers are tall.
  • There's not much rear headroom, either.
  • The ride gets stiff and the noise gets loud if the pavement is broken.
  • There was no easy way to skip music tracks save for reaching for the touch screen -- at least that I could find.
  • If you don't use a plastic extender, you may find a coffee mug flying if you corner a little too hard. Ask me how I know.
  • The shifter occasionally lagged to find reverse/drive when parking.


That's all for today.

[Images © 2024 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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6 of 18 comments
  • Tassos Tassos on Feb 13, 2024

    IN FIFTEEN YEARS I WILL OWN TWo of THESE AND ILL brag about it anyone who will listen.

    • See 3 previous
    • 28-Cars-Later 28-Cars-Later on Feb 15, 2024

      No you won't, they will all be recycled by then.


  • Legacygt Legacygt on Feb 15, 2024

    I'll take issue with the comment that this car could be $75K. In what world? I know there are people who get excited by the badge and then AMG but people who read and write sites like this should know better. How does this car compare if you just got out of an Integra Type S. Or a Mazda3 Turbo? Sure, I'll grant something for the badge and maybe there's more refinement. But how much more do you pay for that?

  • Tassos the grille is more ridiculous than even most.. pickup trucks!The numbers for HP and TOrque are so low, they look like TYPOS.
  • Chris P Bacon Personally I still prefer a sedan (Volvo S60 is my daily). I spent a lot of times in National rentals. Looks wise, the Bu was interesting when it came out. Immediately lost me with the 1.5 four and CVT. I've driven it, but only the first time was by choice. Its just meh. If I see it on the Emerald Aisle I'll look for just about anything else.
  • 1995 SC Cadillac's traditional core customers for the most part purchased their last new car 20 years ago and they haven't been able to figure out where to go next since then. They were flailing before EV's. No surprise they are still flailing.
  • Tassos no. I sure as hell will never miss it. It was a good car, but the Accord and the Camry were so much better. GM has not made any money on it in years, so the decision to kill it was right.
  • FreedMike The automatics in this generation of Focus were legendarily bad, but with the manual, these were legit little cars. So...what's this "Tom's Tune"? Apparently this is the answer: https://focus-power.com/our-company/
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