2021 Mercedes Benz GLA | Review & Road Test

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The second-generation GLA from Mercedes-Benz is here. And we’re going to take a look at this baby Benz.


The GLA is the smallest crossover from Mercedes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s lacking stature. Especially now.

The exterior’s been completely reimagined and this little nugget looks sportier and generally more badass than it did before.The overall shape of the GLA takes on more of a sport coupe shape with its sloping roof and short greenhouse.


The sum of all those parts makes for a powerful and aggressive looking silhouette that shares much of the Mercedes design language in the rest of the lineup.

In a word, the GLA looks all grown up.


The only thing that might be a downside to those changes, is I feel like it’s lost the unique personality that was instantly recognizable as the first-gen GLA.


Without going down a rabbit hole, the GLA looks great, but it also looks like some other stuff out there.


Speaking of, if you are in the market for a small luxury SUV then you’ve got a lot to chose from including the Audi Q3, Volvo XC40, or the BMW X1.


Thanks to its increased exterior dimensions the interior gets a lot bigger. There’s more headroom. And even though it’s shorter great legroom.


The back seat gets a whopping 4.5-inch more legroom.

This second row features seven-position recline and the second-row slides but we don’t have that $360 option here.


As for cargo space, it’s ample, and because of the placement of the taillights, the power liftgate, which comes standard, opens nice and wide for easy load-in.


There’s something that’s really intuitive about the cockpit in a Mercedes-Benz. And the GLA is no different. There’s good storage and the interior materials used definitely live up to the badge. Even this airplane inspired air vents look great.


The Mercedes MBUX system shows up in the GLA, now too.

There are tons of ways you get to interact with it depending on your preference. There’s the touchpad, steering wheel buttons, the touchscreen, or your voice.

A 7-inch dual-screen comes standard, but this awesome looking 10.25-inch monster is optional.

Other standard features in this baby Benz include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, paddle shifters, keyless start and LED headlights and taillights.


For the options, it’s a Mercedes worthy list, parking assist with surround-view cameras, a suspension with adaptive damping, and heated and ventilated front seats.

Two new options for this model, first a color head-up display which this example doesn’t have and second…

The navigation can use video from the front camera instead of graphic maps, which should make finding where you’re going even easier.


The GLA 250 gets a 2-liter inline 4-cylinder turbo engine (221 hp; 258 lb-ft torque) that gets 13 more horses than the previous gen.

The engine feels plenty powerful enough for the car’s diminutive size. Acceleration is good, lots of fun to be had here. But it is pretty loud in the cabin. I’d prefer a little bit more sound dampening in here.


Mercedes claims 0-60 times on the GLA at 6.8 seconds and 6.6 on the all-wheel-drive 4matic models. I sure love it when we talk 0-60 times on an SUV.


There’s also going to be two AMG iterations, both the 35 and 45. The latter crushes out 382 hp.


However your 2-liter gets tuned, it will be mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. It makes shifts smoothly and at least on our front-wheel-drive model the ratios work fine. I’ll say I actually prefer them in comfort mode for regular driving.

But Sport mode is great for shooting car to car because it holds those gears a long time and I don’t have to use these paddles for an extra goose of power.


The ride doesn’t feel as primo as say, the sophisticated air suspension in the GLE, but it is their entry-level car.


As for the handling, the steering is my biggest nitpick. It absolutely does the job, but with zero feedback from the road.

And when I accelerate out of a turn quickly, I definitely feel some torque steer that I could do without.


4Matic gets an offroad driving mode. That adapts engine power and ABS to help navigate off-road situations. I think it’s generally understood that offroad in this scenario means some dirt and gravel maybe a bit of sand. But leave rock crawling to the G-Wagen.


Gas mileage numbers won’t break the bank, and you won’t take much of a hit opting for all-wheel drive. (25 city/34 hwy 4Matic: 24 city/33 hwy)




Pricing on the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 starts at $37,280 including destination fees. The 250 4MATIC starts from about $39,300.


So, is the second-gen Mercedes-Benz GLA worth second look? I’d say it’s a yes from where I’m sitting.

[michaelsmith]

This is an EXCELLENT GLA 2021 wait two years after someone else spent $50, 000plus and buy it used for $24, 000, thats how my co worker did it! Mercedes drop heavier than a BRICK on holding its value FAST! STill a nice vehicle!

[CalvinHikes]

You called it a "nugget", I can no longer purchase this vehicle. 0:22

[kkp]

i love lyn's voice.
I need her to read an entire e-book for me.

[nicolesandberg]

Thank you for this review. I know nothing about cars so I rely on experts reviews like yours.

[johnnadeau]

“They are nice. I like seeing them through my rear view mirror” 😂😂

[robloxiandino]

Unpopular opinion I liked the first gen exterior better

[jean-bernardjoly]

Actually the outside look is very much in line with MB overall look, especially if you compare other mb cross over. Not as Russian doll as other brands, but consistent clues that make it instantly recognizable. It’s like she wants to have an opinion and she doesn’t know which one to pick.

[jackchen]

This one is made in Germany, @ Scotty Kilmer approved German made one is the best one!

[amithsunilkumar]

Mann, you are one hell of a reviewer.

[slowgoat]

Should i get this or keep my 99 Corolla?

[tkfg]

I wonder when the plug-in model is coming to the USA market?

[davevans]

I've had two GLA's in a five year period. The view from the rear showed shoulders housing the rear lights. This one doesn't seem to have shoulders at all. It could be any SUV; distinctive design seems to have been put to one side, in favour of a car that looks like many others from around the world.

[skits]

It’s very cute and European (obviously) I’m glad we get iy

[ryanfrisby]

Awesome video! The BMW comment was hilarious!😸😻😸

[ron]

It appears that Mercedes might have the BMW X2 in mind when designing the GLA as much as the X1.

[disneyfan]

Definitely not a bad car. I am looking at one to replace my QX30 lease.

[Sacto]

I'll still take the GLB 250, though. It's not much more expensive and has way more interior storage capability.

[hastensavoir]

Looks more Legit in its body form and the Brand that is Mercedes-Benz.

[ShafinRehman]

Looks like a Buick at the front.... and kinda from the rear side view

[isnotold]

3:39 😂 that’s funny. I’ll try that this morning. This gla is a super nice little car.