Buying review of the Mercedes-Benz CLA (C117) 2013-2019 Common Issues Engines Inspection

Hello everybody,

Today we take a look at the Mercedes Benz CLA. This Benz was first available in 2013 and is technically similar with the A-class.

The car has the internal code C117.

The C-class is a rear-wheel drive car, but the CLA is a front-wheel drive or 4 wheel drive as an option. The CLA45 AMG has a 381 HP four cylinder engine and is the fastest CLA at the market at this moment.

Today we will inspect this car for its quality, the available engines and it is worth looking at for either a second hand or new car.

A quick search online shows me that there are about 300 cars available, two third available with a petrol engine, more than treequater of the cars have an automatic gearbox. The shooting brake was introduced later on this is the estate version of the CLA. One third of all CLA’s are shooting brakes.

Prices start at about 23.000 euro, compared to the A-class, the CLA is more expensive. 

Strong points of these cars 

• Image
• Built quality is quite good
• Driving experience
• Quite a desirable car

Let’s focus on the interior and the body of the car

• There is not a lot of space in the car for luggage or people
• The interior and its quality is not the same as with the bigger Benzes. 
• Squeaks and rattles are common, mainly coming from the seats, display of the navigation system, armrest and the door panels
• The safety belts can cause wear and tear on the seats of the car

Chassis

• The ride is quite firm, not really a Mercedes-Benz is that respect. Bigger rims will make the ride more harsh. Be sure to make a test drive before buying to see if you can live with it
• If the car pulls to the right or left when driving straight, this could be fixed with a software update

Drive train

• Vibrations at highway speeds can be caused by the differential on the rear-axle on the 4matic equipped cars. Tires, rims and alignment are critical for a vibration free CLA.
• The A160 and A180 CDI with the 1.5 diesel are not quick enough if you like a bit of speed

Electronics

• The first CLA’s from the early production years had some electrical gremlins. So just be sure to check all buttons in your car
• The keyless-entry will sometimes not work properly, if so, first replace the battery and see if this makes a difference.

Thanks for watching the buying review of the Mercedes-Benz CLA, we hope you find these reviews useful. If so, subscribe to my channel to receive more of these videos.

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