The original Mercedes CLA and GLA cars were not the most well received in their “regular” versions. While they were inexpensive for something with a Benz badge, you definitely noticed the cost on the inside. Of course, a healthy dose of horsepower from the AMG division fixed all that, and now the CLA/GLA 45 AMG cars can be found cheaper than you might expect.
The Mercedes CLA has had an interesting evolution. It went from a frumpy, compact version of the CLS four-door “coupe” to it’s most recent downright sharp looking version. There is even a shooting brake that sadly will not make it to America along with a bonkers 416 HP CLA 45 sometime down the road that should be available at your local dealership.
Back in 2014, Consumer Reports called the CLA “a really nice Civic” and even our own Jason Torchinsky put it in the “meh” car category recently. It’s not bad, but not great either. The Mercedes-AMG crew couldn’t do much about the interior, but they did crank up the juice to 355 horsepower and sent it to the ground via a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which improve the little Benz and an absolute hoot to drive, though not cheap with a starting price at the time of around $50,000.
However, if you are currently in the market for a new Civic, or something similar, and are feeling adventurous perhaps take a look at some used AMG CLA 45s, which can be had with reasonable miles and for less than $30,000.
The GLA 45 AMG hatchbacks are a bit harder to come by and most tick over $30,000 mark.
Now, your average Civic shopper isn’t likely going to go for a five-year-old AMG Mercedes with an obscene amount of horsepower for such a little car, but for the right buyer, these German pocket rockets could be a solid opportunity for a little fun before life takes a more responsible turn.