2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 Road Test and Review

2020 Mercedes AMG CLA35 ・ Photo by Mercedes-AMG

The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 combines the elegance and status of a luxury brand with the performance of a sports car. While this might not seem like a big deal, it’s a tricky thing to accomplish. Luxury cars are known for being passenger-centric with cushy seats, rich trim, and impeccably smooth rides. Performance cars focus on power and handling, often at the expense of passenger comfort.

The compact AMG CLA 35 balances both, and it does so at a surprisingly low price point considering this is a luxury car. Mercedes calls it a coupe, and while it looks like one with its low, sweeping roofline, this is a four-door sedan. In a world gone crossover-crazy, even a good sedan is a tough sell. Let’s see if the 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 has what it takes to find its way to your driveway.

Three Levels of Performance

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 sits in the middle of the CLA-Class lineup with a starting price of $46,900. The base trim is the CLA 250 at $36,650 while the top trim is the AMG CLA 45 at $54,800. As expected, standard features increase as you move through the trim range, but this is a luxury car at every level so there’s no such thing as a bare-bones CLA-Class. Standard features on the AMG CLA 35 include a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power driver and front passenger seats, and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen.

The biggest difference between trims is performance. The CLA 250 has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 221 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, while the AMG CLA 35 increases those numbers to 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The top AMG CLA 45 takes a final jump to 382 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque.

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Comfortable Interior, Limited Rear-Seat Room

There’s room for five passengers in the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35, but the rear seats are on the snug side. The coupe-styling that gives this vehicle such an appealing look means sacrificing rear-seat room. Taller adults will find low headroom, and even those of average height will find their knees barely clearing the backs of the front seats. The rear seats are best used only for the shortest of trips.

The front, however, is another story. Here, passengers will find plenty of room with heavily bolstered seats to keep you in place on the corners should you go for more spirited driving. Heavy bolstering can squish those with a larger frame, but these are still substantial seats, so they don’t feel confining. Rich leather is beautiful and adds a luxury feel, while wood trims finish the look.

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A Performance Car With a Smooth Ride

The downside to a performance car is ride quality. With so much attention focused on power, passengers are often forgotten. That can create a car that’s a joy to drive but uncomfortable over longer trips or rough pavement. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 stays true to its luxury reputation by remembering there are people inside who very much want to be comfortable.

The standard AMG sport suspension soaks up enough bumps to prevent poor roads from jarring passengers. A minimal amount of road and wind noise further enhances the passenger experience by keeping the interior quiet and relaxing. The powerful engine under the hood makes itself known, but not in an annoying or intrusive way. You know it’s there and you know it’s working, but you won’t find yourself wishing it were quieter. The luxury car aesthetic of Mercedes-Benz ensures passengers enjoy the ride.

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Cargo is not its strong suit.

On the long list of reasons why crossovers and SUVs are so popular is their versatility to carry cargo. Not everyone needs or wants that in a vehicle, which is where coupes and sedans come into play. Still, even those who don’t plan on carrying supplies from the local home-improvement store or a family’s worth of stuff still need a little room for cargo.

The key word there is little, as the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 offers a compact 11.6 cubic feet of cargo room in the trunk. A few pieces of luggage for a weekend trip, groceries, or a day’s retail therapy are fine, but that’s where its cargo versatility ends. The rear seats do fold down to allow for a bit more cargo in a pinch, but that’s not this car’s mission. It’s ideally suited to the commuter set rather than family life.

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Impressive Power

If you’re looking for a performance sedan, then the Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 checks that box. Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, there’s no shortage of get-up-and-go in this vehicle. It accelerates without hesitation and posts a 0-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds. Top speed is an electronically limited 155 mph, so if you’re laser-focused on driving that will set your heart racing, this will do the trick and then some.

That engine is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that delivers power seamlessly whether easing into traffic or making a sprint to merge during the evening commute. Those who want a little more control can have it with standard steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 is every bit the performance luxury car.

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Handling Befitting a True Performance Car

Power is only one part of the performance car equation. The second part is handling. It does no good to have tons of power in a car that feels like it’s trying to get away from you every time you press the gas. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 has standard all-wheel drive, making it a worthy contender if you live where the weather is uncooperative much of the year. The redesigned power steering responds to the slightest input, and three-mode stability control helps maintain composure in varied driving conditions.

There’s also an expanded series of drive modes. The standard Eco, Normal, and Sport see the addition of Sport+ and Individual. This lets you choose a drive mode on the fly depending on current conditions or create a unique profile that fits your personal driving preferences. There’s a lot of power under the hood, but it’s well-managed and controlled.

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Large Touchscreen and Advanced Voice Control

The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 includes a standard 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen display. It features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and multiple ways of controlling the system. Choose to use the touchscreen, touchpad, buttons on the steering wheel, or an advanced voice control system. This recognizes natural language, so you don’t have to say an exact string of words for the system to figure out what you’re saying. It’s activated by saying, “Hey, Mercedes,” and responds just as easily to commands spoken by the driver or front passenger.

There are five USB-C ports for charging devices, which may require getting some adapters for your existing cables. Optional features include Qi wireless charging and navigation with three years of map updates and speed limit assist. There’s also an available Burmester surround-sound audio system.

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Numerous Advanced Safety Features

Standard safety on the 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 includes adaptive braking with hill start assist and brake hold, active brake assist, crosswind assist, and Attention Assist. There is also a wide range of additional safety features available through several packages. The driver assistance package adds numerous features including active brake assist with cross-traffic protection, active distance assist, active steering assist, active blind-spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, active lane-change assist, speed limit assist, and automatic emergency braking.

There’s also a parking assist package that includes a surround-view camera, while an available head-up display shows key information just below your line of sight to help keep your eyes focused on the road. There’s no shortage of safety features on the AMG CLA 35.

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Final Thoughts

The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 is an attractive package. Its coupe-like styling gives it a sleek and aggressive exterior with four doors and room for up to five passengers. It has a luxurious interior with high-quality materials and muted accents that give it plenty of appeal without becoming garish. It also has a smooth ride that puts a priority on passenger comfort.

It combines those elements with a powerful engine that makes this a true performance vehicle. It’s responsive and aggressive, but never harsh, with handling that makes it easy for the driver to manage all that power no matter the road conditions. The 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA 35 is a solid combination of performance and luxury in one attractive package.

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