Compare the2024 Mercedes CLAVS 2024 Toyota Corolla

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes CLA have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Toyota Corolla doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The CLA’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Corolla doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes CLA has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Corolla doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The CLA offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Corolla doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The CLA offers an optional Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Corolla only offers a rear monitor.

The CLA has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Corolla’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CLA has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Toyota charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Alert on the Corolla and the Corolla’s Rear Cross-Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the CLA and the Corolla have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.

The CLA comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Corolla’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the CLA second among small premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Corolla isn’t in the top three in its category.

The CLA’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 52 more horsepower (221 vs. 169) and 107 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 151) than the Corolla’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes CLA is faster than the Toyota Corolla:

	CLA	Corolla
Zero to 60 MPH	5.6 sec	8.2 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	15 sec	22.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.1 sec	8.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.2 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	87 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	118 MPH

Regenerative brakes improve the CLA’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Corolla doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CLA’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Corolla doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

For better stopping power the CLA’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla:

	CLA	Corolla
Front Rotors	13 inches	10.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	10.2 inches

The CLA stops much shorter than the Corolla:

	CLA	Corolla
70 to 0 MPH	166 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the CLA has larger tires than the Corolla (225/45R18 vs. 205/55R16).

The CLA’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Corolla LE’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CLA has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Corolla LE. The CLA’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Corolla SE/Nightshade/XSE.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the CLA can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Corolla doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Mercedes CLA has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Corolla LE has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The CLA has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CLA flat and controlled during cornering. The Corolla’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The CLA offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Corolla’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The CLA has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Corolla doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The CLA’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Corolla doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the CLA’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Corolla (107.4 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CLA is 3.2 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Corolla.

The CLA 250 4MATIC handles at .86 G’s, while the Corolla XSE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CLA 250 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Corolla XSE (26.5 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

The design of the Mercedes CLA amounts to more than styling. The CLA has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Corolla (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the CLA get better fuel mileage.

The CLA has .2 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Corolla.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the CLA’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Corolla’s useful trunk space.

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the CLA. The Corolla doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CLA’s trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Corolla doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The CLA uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Corolla uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

When three different drivers share the CLA, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions and outside mirror angle. The Corolla doesn’t offer a memory system.

The CLA’s standard easy entry and exit feature glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Corolla doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The CLA offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Corolla doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CLA’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Corolla’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent. The Corolla SE/Nightshade/XSE’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the CLA to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Corolla doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the CLA offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Corolla doesn’t offer cornering lights. The CLA also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The CLA’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Toyota charges extra for heated mirrors on the Corolla.

When the CLA is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Corolla’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The CLA’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Corolla doesn’t offer the luxury of automatic dimming mirrors.

On extremely cold winter days, the CLA’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Corolla doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The CLA’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Corolla doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the CLA and the Corolla offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CLA has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Corolla doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes CLA has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Corolla and isn’t available on the Corolla LE/Nightshade.

The CLA’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Corolla doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the CLA first among small premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Corolla isn’t in the top three in its category.