You can see Mercedes as the founder of the modern 4-door coupé, with their first generation CLS.
Logically, they wanted to repeat that trick in a lower segment. Or rather, two segments lower, and that's how the first CLA came to be.
Clearly, it was pretty successful, because BMW saw enough reasons to build their own 4-door coupé in the C-segment: this new 2-series Gran Coupé.
They're pretty late to the party though. This is the first generation of the 2-series Gran Coupé, whilst Mercedes presented their second...
generation CLA last year. Maybe BMW will be able to profit from the technological advancements.
When it comes to the interior space however, it's not really advanced. This is the closest impression of a straight jacket I've seen in a long time.
It's incredibly tight in here. I'm 1.80 m. myself and I barely squeeze in here, so if you need to ferry tall people about, you won't do them a favor with this car.
It's not very spacious in the back either. Only 430 litres. Not too shabby for the C-segment, but because it's a coupé instead of a liftback, the opening...
is relatively small.
If you take a look at the Mercedes, the differences aren't that big. The boot is a tad smaller with 460 litres, but it does come with a...
higher boot threshold, so the practicality isn't great either. It's the same story with the rear seat, it's not spacious at all.
My hair touches the ceiling and I don't have much space to work with. Despite all that though, this wins the points for the interior.
That's because you're able to sit slumped a bit more, so you won't feel stuck.
They've done that because Mercedes has learned from the first generation of CLA. 4-door coupé-lines work better on a long car.
For the C-segment, this is a pretty long car. 4.69 m. to be exact, which is over 16 centimetres longer than the BMW.
That means there's more space to move around, but don't mistake it for an S-Class.
If we look at the front seats, it stands out that the Mercedes is more spacious than the BMW. Especially when it comes to headroom.
I'm 1.80 m. myself, I've got a nice Corona-haircut. That means a lot of hair. And in the BMW, my hair constantly touches the ceiling because of...
the electric seats. I don't have that in the Mercedes. On the other hand, the Mercedes doesn't have electric seats. Maybe that's the difference.
Anyway, the Mercedes just feels more spacious than the BMW.
If we take a look at the finishing and ergonomics, we can clearly see what BMW and Mercedes do best.
What Mercedes does looks incredibly good. The digital world is incredibly comprehensive with VR-satnav and augmented reality instructions.
It's great, but it's so comprehensive, you can get lost in the system. Having said that, when it comes to ergonomics, nothing beats BMW's iDrive.
The drive usually is the part where BMW scores lots of points. And this won't be an exception, however it is in a different way.
It's not built on the platform used by the regular 2-series Coupé. Instead it's based on the 1-series, so it has front-wheel drive.
On one hand, that's unfortunate because the balance the front steering, rear-wheel driven 'old' BMW's has gone.
On the other hand, it's still incredibly dynamic. The moment you steer, it positions itself immediately. Almost no nervosity in the chassis.
Even when you encounter imperfections, you still have lots of grip. Having said that, it's still a car which satisfies dynamic drivers.
The engine range consists of the modular BMW engine-family, in which every cylinder stands for 500cc.
That means you've got a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder, a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder and a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder for the bigger cars.
The latter won't be available for this car, because it just doesn't fit. That means you'll have to do it with the 3- and 4-cylinder-engines.
In the case of this 218i, it's powered by the 1.5-litre 3-cylinder. And it kind of feels like a small diesel-engine.
It has 220 Nm of torque, available from 1.400 RPM or something. So it feels very potent in lower revs. Like it's got lots of reserves.
However, when you put your foot down, it stops trying after 4.500 or 5.000 RPM. So it's not a super sprinter, but it produces its power quite easily.
Also, when you're driving, it won't be very annoying to have a big 3-cylinder buzzing in the front. It's nice and quiet.
However, when it needs turning on and off, with the start-stop system at a traffic light or something, it's not refined at all.
And that's not the first time I've noticed that in a BMW 3-cylinder. It starts shaking, there's a big bump coming from the engine bay...
It's almost like the middle cylinder will fly out of the engine in a moment. Not very refined, not very premium.
The engine is connected to a 7-speed double clutch automatic gearbox. And it's the familiar story with transmissions like this.
Coupling isn't always just as refined, getting it in reverse can prove to be a bit of a hassle, but when you're underway the gear changes are...
fast and smooth.
In the Mercedes, we've got a double clutch 7-speed automatic gearbox as well.
And it's incredibly similar to the one in the BMW. 99 percent of the time everything goes seemlessly, silent, and only when you surprise it,
it becomes a little less refined. Setting off quickly from the lights for example, or getting it in reverse. Just like in the BMW, it's not as smooth.
Other than that, the drivetrain is good enough. Also, its engine makes a better impression than the one in the BMW.
It's smaller, a 1.3-litre instead of a 1.5-litre, but it's a 4-cylinder. That means it doesn't vibrate as much and firing up the engine...
goes much smoother. You won't be shaken through the car. The performance then. Well, it's nearly identical.
This car has a tad less power, 4 horsepower and 20 Nm of torque less than the BMW. But again, just like the BMW, it's a car which mostly uses torque...
instead of the power it produces in higher revs. And because this Mercedes is a tad lighter, the performance figures are very similar.
What does make a difference however, is the chassis. Mercedes has always aimed at comfort, and this CLA is no exception.
It's a car which feels a tad more pleasant than the BMW. It takes a little more time to position itself, the steering is lighter,
less direct as well. So it's a car which has a much more relaxing drive. That's not a bad thing, because it's nice and quiet and it practically...
floats across the motorway. However, when you start driving faster and you're looking to corner sharply, you'll reach the limit quicker...
than you would in the BMW. But that's all your choice really.
So, they're pretty similar when it comes to the used technology, but both manufacturers also keep their eyes on each other when it comes to price.
You can go lots of ways with these cars, all kinds of option packs, lots of customization, and the prices won't lie to you.
This Mercedes costs €46.000. The BMW comes with a little more trim like a heated steering wheel, electric seats, more safety systems, and thus it costs...
€52.000. That's a lot of money. So who wants to drive a nice car, should dig deep in their pockets.
So, my conclusion. Where the CLA was the clear front runner in the past, it now has a very close competitor.