Mercedes CLA 200 vs Audi A3 Sedan

On the surface, the entry-level CLA’s price tag looks steep compared to the A3. You get a decent amount of cool kit as standard, including satnav, reversing camera and automatic parking system for starters. Then you’ve got a 5.8-inch screen, sports seats and 18-inch alloy wheels.

A3 sedans start at $39,800, topping out with the all-wheel CLA 200 and undercuts the Merc by a good $5K. Standard in Ambition spec are 5.8-inch screen, eight-speaker media, parking sensors, 17-inch alloys, sports front seats, paddle-shifters, fog lights and drive mode selector.

The 1.6-litre direction injection turbo four (115kW/250Nm) that propels the CLA 200 can’t match the A3’s power figure but it has equivalent torque. It drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Benz claims a very decent fuel figure of 5.7L/100km; takes longer to get from 0-100km/h at 8.5secs.

Audi’s excellent 1.8-litre direct injection turbo four (132kW/250Nm) sends power to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. In common with the Merc, it needs at least 95 RON but uses as little as 5.6L/100km. Performance is sharp-ish with 100km/h coming up in 7.3secs.

The story goes that Benz’s sexy big $150K CLS four-door coupe was so popular that Mercedes decided to create a scaled-down replica. At 4.6m, it’s 174mm longer than the A3 and, at 1.8m, it’s 19mm narrower. The cabin is beautifully designed, although rear head and legroom are limited - it’s effectively a 2+2.

Previously the A3 has been a hatch or cabriolet. The sedan, too, is built on the clever modular MQB platform used by the A3 Sportback stablemate and Volkswagen Golf. At 4.4m by 1.8m, the sedan is almost the size of the previous generation A4. A great-looking premium compact, it has a snug, well-appointed interior that reflects Audi’s trademark quality.

The CLA has a five-star ANCAP rating and the suite of standard safety features is impressive. Apart from the expected ABS and ESP there are nine airbags, radar collision warning system to aid braking, blind spot warning and pre-accident preparation. Rear vision is an issue.

The A3 Sedan has a five-star ANCAP rating. Seven airbags along with stability control and ABS work to protect you but a reversing camera is not standard. The $1800 Assistance package adds, among other features, radar to detect slowing vehicles ahead and engage the brakes, lane departure and blind-spot warning.

The CLA 200 is 135kg heavier than the A3 sedan. In tandem with less grunt, this puts the Benz more than a second behind the A3 to 100km/h. Pushed through the corners, the 200 handles well though the ride could be much better. In manual mode it’s responsive and the strong torque is on tap to 4000rpm.

Combining a lightweight car with this turbo four is a good start. The weight balance is 52-48 front to rear - near-perfect. Ride and handling are excellent with front MacPherson struts and multi-link rear suspension. The Audi Drive Select function switches the engine and transmission between sporty and relaxed modes. The electric steering is accurate yet feels artificial.