2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Carvana (opens in a new tab) says the 2016 lineup centers on the CLA 250, a compact luxury sedan with coupe-like styling, a 208-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder, a seven-speed automatic and a central display, and that the main change is Dynamic Select drive modes becoming standard, along with front seats with adjustable cushion length, a wider 8-inch display and a standard rearview camera. It keeps the same engines, transmissions and body shape and is the final year before the 2017 styling and technology update. Arrowhead Mercedes-Benz (opens in a new tab), a dealer, adds that new packages and a Welcome Light Show option arrive on the 2016 CLA.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) lists EPA fuel economy of 26/38 mpg city and highway with front-wheel drive and 24/33 with all-wheel drive, and EPA rates the 2016 CLA at 26 to 30 mpg combined and $2,600 to $3,000 a year in fuel.

NHTSA lists nine recall campaigns for the 2016 CLA, filed under the trim name CLA250. 17V627000 covers a driver's air bag that may deploy unexpectedly if an electrostatic discharge breaks the clockspring, fixed by adding grounding to the steering components, 17V177000 control units updated with incorrect software that could affect air-bag deployment, 19V892000 an occupant classification system that may prevent the front passenger air bag from deploying properly, and 17V114000 a starting current limiter that may overheat when the starter repeatedly tries to turn the engine. The others are 21V197000 and 23V854000, a front roof panel that may not have been bonded correctly to the body during a prior repair, and two software campaigns for the emergency-call system. A ninth, 16V335000, covers one CLA45 AMG whose dual clutch transmission may have a defective weld between the clutch disk and hub.

Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA: unknown or other with 20, engine with 15, air bags with 13, structure and electrical system with 8 each and steering with 7. ProblemsByVin (opens in a new tab) scores the year 8.0 out of 10, above the segment average, with no systemic severe-failure pattern. Autojunket (opens in a new tab) lists the electrical system, the 7G-DCT transmission and M270 engine oil leaks as the top failure points.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) lists the cheapest 2016 CLA, the CLA 250 coupe, at a Fair Purchase Price of $12,400, and used prices up to $13,500 for the CLA 250 4MATIC at a dealership, with trade-in values of about $6,400 to $7,650 and private-party values of about $11,050 to $11,800.

EPA rates the 2016 CLA at 26 to 30 mpg combined and $2,600 to $3,000 a year in fuel. The 2016 Audi A3 rates 26 to 39 at $2,000 to $2,400, the BMW 2 Series 22 to 27 at $2,850 to $3,500 and the Lexus IS 21 to 26 at $3,000 to $3,700. On EPA figures the A3 is the most efficient of the four, helped by its diesel and plug-in versions, and the CLA sits between it and the 2 Series and IS.