Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Small, advanced and pricey
The 2021 GLA250 4Matic is a good small-size SUV, but is that good enough to compete?
There may be no vehicle more perfectly poised at the intersection of Mercedes-Benz’s past and future than the 2021 GLA250 4Matic small SUV.
Small, advanced and pricey, the GLA250 embodies luxury brands’ late
20th century strategy of stretching down market into smaller, less expensive classes to boost sales amid this decade’s shift to SUVs.
Mercedes’ future lies in electric and self-driving vehicles though.
That may spell the GLA’s doom.
The second-gen 2021 GLA, while far better than its predecessor, has inherent challenges competing with mass-market small SUVs that deliver comparable features and performance for $10K-15K less.
The ’21 GLA is roomier and taller than its predecessor, which looked and felt a lot like a compact car.
Despite losing 0.3 inch of length, the new SUV’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer and its roof 3.4 inches higher. Those key dimensions improve passenger space and give the GLA a more SUV-like presence.
Compared with the previous GLA, the new model also has 13 more horsepower and an additional gear, changes that improve performance.
Zero to 60 mph time falls a half second to 6.6. The new dual-clutch gearbox is smooth and quick, satisfying both in automatic mode and with its paddle shifters.
Mercedes’ 4Matic AWD system transfers power smoothly for neutral handling and confident acceleration.
The steering is quick and responsive, with a good on-center feel. The whole chassis feels solid and tight, a chip off the block of Mercedes’ bank-vault large vehicles.
The engine’s power is typical of mainstream 2.0L four-cylinder turbos, but it revs quickly.
The GLA’s suspension holds the little SUV flat and stable in quick maneuvers.
Bump absorption is good, though road noise was quite noticeable.
The passenger compartment is roomy, particularly the rear head and leg room. Cargo space is 15.4 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 50.5 with it folded flat, typical figures for subcompact SUVs.
Black exposed grain wood trim, real aluminum and soft materials please the eye and hand.
The new MBUX controls — Mercedes-Benz User Experience — include a large touch screen for easy controls of most systems.
Its always-listening spoken controls did a fine job with addresses and other common commands but had a problem with false positives, interrupting conversations when it hadn’t been summoned. Similarly, the navigation system’s route-based speed adaptation stepped in when it wasn’t needed, braking unexpectedly in heavy highway traffic for what appeared to be a nonexistent construction zone.
GLA prices start at $36,230 for a front-drive model.