The 2014 CLA will be the new entry-level Mercedes-Benz, but it won't be alone at its expected $30,000 price point for long.
The BMW 1-Series has been on sale in the U.S.
for a few years, but it's been offered in two-door coupe and convertible body styles only--and has been revamped into a new 2-Series.
That's due to change, as soon as 2015--by which time, the new Audi A3 sedan will have also found its way into American showrooms.
Meanwhile, the early arrivals in the compact-luxury class are already settled in, but both are more near-luxury sedans, at least in prestige per pound.
The Acura ILX has awkward features and packaging issues to go with lackluster performance, while the Buick Verano's gotten much smarter with a new turbo edition, while sticking with a softer handling setup.
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 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA ClassBrowse Used Listings |  2015 Audi A3Browse Used Listings |  2014 Acura ILXBrowse Used Listings |  2014 BMW 2-SeriesBrowse Used Listings |  2014 Buick VeranoBrowse Used Listings |
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| Quick Specs | ||||
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A scaled-down CLS with turbocharged performance, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA proves the car world is shrinking--even at the luxury level. |
The 2015 Audi A3 and S3 put more pressure on "premium" small sedans, with real prestige in their badges and real potential in their spec sheets. |
The 2014 Acura ILX is a nice, balanced compact luxury sedan for those who put the emphasis on comfort and feature, not true sport-sedan reflexes. | The 2014 BMW 2-Series takes the former 1-Series Coupe into more mature, well-equipped, design-forward territory. |
Mild or slightly spicy--in either flavor, the 2014 Buick Verano delivers long on comfort, without bowing to sport-sedan cliches. |
| MSRP From | ||||
| $29,900 | $29,900 | $26,900 | $32,100 | $23,700 |
| Gas Mileage | ||||
| 23 MPG City / 38 MPG Hwy | 23 MPG City / 43 MPG Hwy | 22 MPG City / 38 MPG Hwy | 22 MPG City / 36 MPG Hwy | 21 MPG City / 32 MPG Hwy |
| Engine | ||||
| Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 | Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 | Premium Unleaded I-4 | Intercooled Turbo Premium Unleaded I-4 | Gas/4-cyl |
| EPA Class | ||||
| Subcompact Cars | Subcompact Cars | Compact Cars | Subcompact Cars | Compact |
| Style Name | ||||
| 4-Door Sedan CLA 250 FWD | 4-Door Sedan FWD 1.8T Premium | 4-Door Sedan 2.0L | 2-Door Coupe 228i RWD | 4-Door Sedan |
| Drivetrain | ||||
| Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Passenger Capacity | ||||
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Passenger Doors | ||||
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 |
| Body Style | ||||
| Sedan | Sedan | Sedan | Coupe | Sedan |
| Transmission | ||||
| Auto-Shift Manual w/OD | Auto-Shift Manual w/OD | Automatic w/OD | Automatic w/OD | Automatic w/Manual Shift |
| Detailed Spec Comparison | ||||
| 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class vs. 2015 Audi A3 | 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class vs. 2014 Acura ILX | 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class vs. 2014 BMW 2-Series | 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA Class vs. 2014 Buick Verano | |
