Deep Dive
The EV sedan graveyard and why the CLA matters
Auto Focus kicks off by mapping the landscape of affordable electric sedans under $70k and finding it barren. The Tesla Model 3 sits alone at the budget end, while the Lucid Air jumps to $90k and above. The BMW i4 is being discontinued at year's end. The Model S got axed. That leaves the Polestar 2 and this Mercedes CLA 350e as your only real options if you want a new, competent EV sedan in this price range. Auto Focus calls the CLA underrated and invisible on roads despite its compelling package. He's spent a week with the test unit and emerged impressed by the details and equipment, though not without reservations. The base price anchors at $50k, while his specific unit lands around $65k fully optioned.
The specs and exterior: clean, efficient, forgettable
The CLA 350e arrives as a fully electric sedan with dual motors, all-wheel drive, 312 miles of range, 350 horsepower, and a 4.8-second 0-60 time. On the outside, Auto Focus finds it attractive but generic—it looks like other Mercedes models with a few modern touches like the arrow accent at the front grille and light-up headlight bars. The Mercedes logo glows at night. The real standout is the rear tail light bar with its vertical accent pieces. The car rides on efficient 19-inch wheels and includes a power-opening trunk. Surprisingly, the front trunk offers usable space despite the manual hatch design—enough for a carry-on bag in a pinch. The rear trunk is generously proportioned with a normal shallow opening. The charging port is a genuinely thoughtful detail: motorized opening with both NACS and AC ports integrated so you need no adapters at either Tesla Superchargers or Level 2 chargers in the US. The catch: the cover doesn't close electronically, which feels like an oversight for a $65k car.
Interior: premium materials battle frustrating software choices
Step inside and Mercedes' luxury DNA shows immediately. The materials are excellent—leather, wood inlay, metal knurling, stitching—all precisely executed. Seats are comfortable with strong bolstering and heating. The new MBUX 4.0 software is responsive and handles car settings well, including an electrochromic sunroof you can tint section by section. Burmeister speakers ($800 option) sound excellent. But Auto Focus flags several bewildering decisions. The window controls inexplicably switch from front to rear instead of having rear buttons up front, a cost-saving move that feels Volkswagen-cheap. A window glitched mid-drive, opening and closing erratically while his finger was engaged. The steering wheel lacks next/previous song buttons despite having volume control—you must use the touchscreen or phone to skip tracks, an omission at this price point. The back seat is B-minus at best: decent materials but tight legroom due to a high floor, and the sloping roof cuts headroom. Storage is scattered across a wireless phone charger, two cup holders, and a center bin that's partially blocked by a large top piece. Physical buttons for climate and media are mostly absent, pushing everything to software. These feel like nickels and dimes Mercedes shouldn't be pinching.
Driving dynamics: smooth, quiet, and unapologetically soft
This is where the CLA shines. The suspension is butter-smooth and light, absorbing potholes and speed bumps with impressive grace. The steering feels lighter than the car's weight suggests, and it glides over pavement rather than attacking it. There are no adaptive dampers, so it can't firm up for sporty driving, which Auto Focus doesn't think you'd want anyway. Even without double-glazed windows or active noise cancellation, the car rides remarkably quietly on those 19-inch wheels. The 312-mile range is honest—not inflated. The rear axle's two-speed gearbox is clever engineering: it decouples the front motor for efficiency during cruising, but when you accelerate hard, the front engages and you feel it pull forward. Around 60-70 mph, you actually feel a gear shift as it moves to second gear for highway efficiency. You can adjust regenerative braking via paddle shifters, allowing strong regen, though Auto Focus wishes for full one-pedal driving. The car prioritizes relaxation over sport, even with a Sport mode available that sharpens throttle response and steering weight. It's not the quickest (4.8 seconds 0-60), but it's composed and capable.
Verdict: A solid choice in a dying category
Auto Focus concludes the CLA 350e deserves consideration because the alternative is nothing. For buyers wanting a new electric sedan with premium materials and soft luxury, it's better than a Model 3 and far cheaper than a Lucid. The materials are genuinely nice, the driving experience is refined, and it's well-equipped. The small software quirks and button placement oddities are frustrating at this price, but they don't torpedo the car. Auto Focus hopes Mercedes doesn't discontinue it like the i4 and Model S have been, because this is actually a really solid, underrated EV. The bigger story is the market itself—affordable electric sedans are vanishing, making the CLA one of the last options standing.