2015 Mercedes-Benz
GLA250

Ten Things to Know About the 2015 Mercedes Benz GLA

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 is a right-sized compact crossover that doesn’t skimp on style or utility. Small enough to park in tight urban parking lots, large enough for a raucous road trip. And all the while, pretty to look at.

Built for the gal who pays attention to designer fashions, cares about decor in her home, and wants her look to carry over into her daily commute. The Mercedes-Benz GLA250 looks chic but is serious technology. It has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that shifts so smoothly and quickly, it’s nearly imperceptible. And the GLA is turbo-charged, for more oomph off the line. Sport and Economy setting allow the driver to choose when the car needs more power, or is fine doing light duty and getting better fuel economy.

Inside, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 is a bastion of high fashion. Cocooned in soft-touch materials and cool-to-the-touch metals, we felt pampered and fussed over. The contemporary design is clean and uncluttered.

The Mercedes GLA is safe with eight airbags standard, and a variety of optional tech like Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, both of which flash lights and beep if there’s something in your blind spot or if you accidentally veer outside your lane. The optional Autonomous Braking and Collision Prevention Assist Plus go a step further and intervene with braking and prepping the car for an accident, should one be imminent.

Maybe you live where the weather is less than ideal. The 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 has great standard front-wheel drive for good traction in any weather, and for light off-roading. But there’s also an all-wheel drive version for improved traction in foul weather. The GLA rides on 18″ wheels standard, with beefy 19″ wheels as an option.

Perfect for utility, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 has super comfy rear seats that fold flat for easy hauling of long and large items. The seats split 60/40, allowing one or two people to sit in back and still have flat cargo space for long skinny items. Up front, the driver can find the ideal position, thanks to 14-way power seats and a 3-position memory setting. And there’s loads of headroom and legroom for front and rear seat passengers.

We tested the GLA on a variety of road conditions: twisty mountains, long stretches of highway, and stop-and-go city traffic. We loved its road handling prowess and acceleration. Tight ride, great handling and traction, comfortable for driver and passengers. Wonderful all around. We also noticed an excellent built quality, which gave a solid feel to fit and finish, with no rattling going over potholes and bumps.

The 2015 GLA treats our Vroomies like the divas we are. We adore the styling, including the coolest looking air vents we’ve seen, and a Euro sleek vibe throughout that puts function side-by-side with fashion. The perforated leather seats and steering wheel on our test car felt great and added to the posh environment. Premium soft-touch buttons and switches are standard. And brushed matte aluminum on trim and dash is Euro luxe.

The 2015 Mercedes Benz GLA comes in two flavors: the GLA250, with a fuel-efficient small engine and tons of style; and a GLA45 AMG, which slams on the power, has a tighter suspension for even better handling, and is more of a driver’s car than the GLA 250. The GLA45 AMG has a 2.0L turbocharged engine that has 355 hp and a quick 332 lb/ft of torque – meaning, step on the gas and go baby go. It gets a less fantastic 23 mpg city and 29 mpg hwy, and goes from 0-60 mph in a delightful 4.8 seconds.

We thrilled to the GLA45’s throaty exhaust note, and AMG sport handling. To be sure, this AMG version of the 2015 GLA is designed by the sport tuning division of Mercedes Benz, so expect “sport” to be a major part of its DNA. The 2015 GLA 45 starts at $49,225.

Though Mercedes Benz has position the GLA as the entry to its extensive SUV model line up, it is hardly a bottom-of-the-line vehicle. For the money, it’s quite a nice package.