Mercedes-Benz CLA

You can feel the desire when Janis Joplin pleads, "Oh, Lord, won't you buy me a Mer-ce-des-BENZ?" But if the Mercedes had been the entry-level CLA four-door coupe, she might have reconsidered. The CLA looks like the real thing, with the proud three-pointed star on the grille and the sexy styling of the posh and costly CLS. But that's where the resemblance ends. Once you're behind the wheel, the CLA doesn't deliver the driving experience its image leads you to expect.

Rather than a comfortable, quiet, and sporty rear-wheel drive sedan, the CLA is a cramped, noisy, front-wheel drive compact with a stiff ride, impaired visibility and exceptionally difficult access. It also lacks the handling finesse and refinement we expect in this category.

That said, the CLA is pretty agile in corners. Turn-in response is quick and the body stays nice and flat. Steering is well-weighted, although it falls short on feedback. When pushed to its handling limits, the CLA proved secure and forgiving. It also posted a high speed in our avoidance maneuver. But it tends to run wide when pushed and lacks the balance and sporty character of other Mercedes sedans.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is mated to a seven-speed automated manual transmission. All-wheel drive is optional. We recorded an impressive 28 mpg overall on the required premium fuel.

If you really hammer it, the CLA accelerates pretty quickly, but many of us complained it felt sluggish off the line in normal driving. That's partly because the car defaults to Eco mode at every restart, which reduces throttle response and adjusts shifting to eke out better fuel economy. A start/stop system shuts off the engine to save fuel at traffic lights. But restarts aren't always smooth. You can disable the system at a modest penalty to fuel economy.

Inside, the CLA is well-crafted, although several staffers thought the center screen, perched atop the dash, looked like an afterthought. Drivers have ample knee- and footroom, but taller drivers might find headroom tight. The aggressively contoured 14-way adjustable sports seats are great, if your body fits within the bolsters. Cushioning is firm and supportive. But several drivers complained the fixed head restraint sat too close to the backs of their heads. Save the rear seats for young kids; the rear cushions offer decent comfort, but an average adult's head will brush the ceiling. You'll need to be plenty limber to fold yourself in through the small and low doors.

The sleek coupelike styling hinders outward visibility. The glass area is too short to the sides and the high rear deck, combined with the thick roof pillars limit rear visibility. A backup camera is optional, which is a bit galling because it's standard on far less expensive cars.

Controls take some getting used to, but they aren't as complicated as in other German models. The climate controls are mounted low on the dash and the audio controls are a bit spread out. A smartphone is easy to pair. Voice-command capability for the audio system is optional. Because our car came with run-flat tires, no jack, spare tire or inflator kit was included.

Standard features include power front seats with memory, Bluetooth, forward-collision warning and a folding rear seat. The optional Premium 1 package adds heated seats and satellite radio, but we think those items should be standard too. We like optional Panorama roof and without it, the low-roofed interior can feel claustrophobic.

We'd skip the Interior package's leather upholstery, because the standard MB-Tex leatherette feels a lot like the real thing. Though frankly, leather ought to be standard too.

Given the lousy visibility, it's worthwhile getting any available technology to help out. Blind-spot monitoring is an easy choice, as is the backup camera.

Choosing an exterior color beyond basic black, white or red makes the price go up. You also pay more for the walnut interior trim.

2016 models got an upgraded infotainment system with a larger standard screen and media interface capability, as well as standard dual-zone automatic climate control and keyless start.