MB CLA-250

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Originally Posted By: joegreen
I would buy a used higher end mercedes.



Yep.


Looks to me like its the Mercedes version of a Chevy cruise. Built for the masses with less than top shelf parts.
Just a sign of the times over there at Mercedes.

I'd rather have a good Mercedes personally b
 
They want to make money, you can't blame them. Should they stay a niche company for niche products or go mainstream and reap the profits?
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Mercedes builds an Accord!
A six speed Accord V-6 coupe would eat a CLA for lunch.
It also pains me to think of the cost cutting that must have gone into all of the little bits that will haunt owners of these things as they age.
There are good Mercedes and there are cheap Mercedes.
Which would you rather own?


The answer will be given by the sales figures. If cla sells more than any single Mercedes, then it is conclusive.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Seems like a cheap Mercedes-Benz for people who want to look like they have MB to show off.


Thats to lure people away from buying a loaded Accord, Maxima, Avalon,.... etc...



That's probably true.

But if I were shopping in that price range ... I'd get the Accord , Avalon any day of the week. Not a fake-benz.
 
Daimler has offered cheaper Mercedes cars in the US in the past.
What they found then was that the cheap Mercedes cars canibalized the sales of the more expensive and profitable models.
Let's say the Daimler sells a big bunch of these cars to buyers who'd otherwise have bought V-6 Accords, Camrys and Maximas.
They've then only cheapened the brand.
Let's say that this volume output of CLAs can't match the reliability and durability of upper mid-market Japanese nameplates, a pretty safe bet.
This would be real trouble for the Mercedes brand.
Certain recent C-class models were bad enough.
This car is not a Mercedes that most of us who've owned them would recognize as one.
 
Originally Posted By: kozanoglu
If cla sells more than any single Mercedes, then it is conclusive.

Just as long as it doesn't come at the expense of C-Class sales.
 
My impression of the CLA is that from a marketing perspective, they've executed well.

Previous attempts at a lower price point ie the C compact (and the 3 series compact) clearly looked like cut price versions for people who couldn't afford the regular version.

The CLA design is different enough from the C class to attract younger buyers without (imo) cannibalizing C class sales and without the target buyers feeling they have purchased a cheaper C class. It looks like a different Mercedes and has a more youthful look to it.

Mainstream young buyers do not think like many here do. History means little, but brand names do. And they don't care what the previous generation think about them, they want to be different. After all, they buy Scions in their droves.
 
Its marketed towards late 20's and early 30's demograpgic, who don't make enough money to pay the $900 a month on a CLS lease.
 
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Likely has superior residual value compared to the other overpriced(IMHO) MB's.....
 
Originally Posted By: aa1986
My impression of the CLA is that from a marketing perspective, they've executed well.

Previous attempts at a lower price point ie the C compact (and the 3 series compact) clearly looked like cut price versions for people who couldn't afford the regular version.

The CLA design is different enough from the C class to attract younger buyers without (imo) cannibalizing C class sales and without the target buyers feeling they have purchased a cheaper C class. It looks like a different Mercedes and has a more youthful look to it.

Mainstream young buyers do not think like many here do. History means little, but brand names do. And they don't care what the previous generation think about them, they want to be different. After all, they buy Scions in their droves.

Well said on all points, IMO.

I can't imagine anything that'd make me buy a CLA, but... I feel that way about almost all cars, honestly. All told, I think the CLA makes a lot of sense for what it is. Anyone buying it either wouldn't notice or wouldn't care about its shortcomings compared to its siblings in the lineup.
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Likely has superior residual value compared to the other overpriced(IMHO) MB's.....

Actually, I think MB is one of the brands that really does give you value for your money...
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Likely has superior residual value compared to the other overpriced(IMHO) MB's.....

Actually, I think MB is one of the brands that really does give you value for your money...


Not if you decide to sell one in the first 5 years of ownership or total one.
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Likely has superior residual value compared to the other overpriced(IMHO) MB's.....


No, the new ones all drop like rocks. AMG's take the depreciation prize though!


The only modern Mercedes that does hold its value is the G wagon, simply because Mercedes restricts imports to 500 units a year.

Now if you want to talk vintage their are some great buys on the used market, IMHO the R107 and R129 SL's are fantastic buys right now. I think they have a lot of potential to move up in value 10-30 years from now.
 
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Originally Posted By: aa1986
Mainstream young buyers do not think like many here do. History means little, but brand names do.

Agreed. For someone who just wants that 3-pointed star logo and full warranty, the CLA is the cheapest way to obtain it.
 
And that's the entire point - getting younger people into the brand, then hopefully retaining them as customers for life. And is there really anything wrong with a "cheap" Merc? It makes sense for a company to broaden their market. BMW have done the same thing with their bikes, but it doesn't mean their lower priced offerings are rubbish, right Quattro Pete?
 
Originally Posted By: hpb
And that's the entire point - getting younger people into the brand, then hopefully retaining them as customers for life. And is there really anything wrong with a "cheap" Merc?

Kind of, sort of. The whole FWD Merc concept just doesn't jive with me, but again, this car wasn't targeted at me. I'm sure most of the target audience for CLA doesn't know the difference between FWD and RWD or just doesn't care.

The other thing is that Merc has traditionally been all about luxury. But I guess now that this luxury category has become crowded and both Lexus and Acura took away Daimler's lunch, Daimler is trying to fight in Toyota and Honda's own mass market territory.

Quote:

BMW have done the same thing with their bikes, but it doesn't mean their lower priced offerings are rubbish, right Quattro Pete?

Except my reason for buying it wasn't for the logo. I bought it because it was the only new bike that had the right seating position and that was offered with a factory lowered suspension.

As for it being rubbish... well, only within the first year of ownership it needed a new tank (due to cracks), as well as new water pump (due to leaks). Both well known problems that BMW Motorrad refuses to fix at the source. Go figure...

BTW, you live in a very interesting place. Would love to visit some day.
 
Pete, I hear what you're saying, and I get that it probably dilutes the whole Benz experience for the older generation, but I also think it's great if they expand their customer base. I guess sales results will ultimately tell the tale.

By my only-ever-owned-Japanese-bikes standards, I'd be very disappointed with the GS experience you've had. Never had a failure of any kind on my bikes over tens of thousands of kilometers, but perhaps that's just luck. Still, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Beemer, Triumph, KTM or Ducati. Perhaps even a HD or Victory!

As for little ol' Tasmania, yeah, it's a well kept secret alright. Beautiful place to live, with some great roads to really test the handling of a FWD Merc!
smile.gif
Google Targa Tasmania and you'll get the idea.
 
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