Compare the2026 Mercedes CLAVS 2026 Toyota Prius

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 Prius 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 help 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 Prius doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The CLA’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Prius doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CLA has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert with Active Brake Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the Prius.

Both the CLA and the Prius have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

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 Prius’ 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The CLA 250’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 27 more horsepower (221 vs. 194) than the Prius’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The CLA 250’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 25 more horsepower (221 vs. 196) and 106 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 152) than the Prius’ optional 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes CLA is faster than the Toyota Prius:

	CLA	Prius	Prius
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	7.5 sec	7.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	15.8 sec	15.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	87.5 MPH	92.1 MPH

Both the CLA and Prius have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The CLA has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The CLA has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius AWD’s standard fuel tank (13.5 vs. 10.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The CLA has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Prius FWD’s standard fuel tank (13.5 vs. 11.3 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes CLA higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota Prius (6). This means the CLA produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Prius every 15,000 miles.

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

	CLA	Prius	Prius AWD-e
Front Rotors	13 inches	11.1 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	11 inches	11 inches

The CLA stops shorter than the Prius:

	CLA	Prius
70 to 0 MPH	166 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	143 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

For better traction, the CLA has larger tires than the Prius (225/45R18 vs. 195/60R17).

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 Prius LE’s standard 60 series tires. The CLA’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Prius XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the CLA has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Prius LE.

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 Prius doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

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 Prius’ suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

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 Prius doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CLA is 2 inches wider in the front and .9 inches wider in the rear than on the Prius.

The CLA 250 4MATIC handles at .87 G’s, while the Prius Limited pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CLA 250 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Prius Limited (26.5 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.5 seconds @ .61 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 lower than the Prius (.27 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the CLA get better fuel mileage.

The CLA has .5 inches more front headroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Prius.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the CLA. The Prius doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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

Unlike the driver-only memory seat in the Prius Limited, the CLA has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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 Prius 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 Prius LE’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Prius doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The CLA has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Prius has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the XLE/Nightshade/Limited.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the CLA offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Prius 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.

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 Prius’ 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 Prius offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Mercedes CLA and Toyota Prius offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The CLA features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Prius’ foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

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 Prius doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the CLA and the Prius 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 Prius doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.