Honda Accord vs Mercedes-Benz CLA

What's the difference?

The Honda Accord is now in its 11th generation and there was a time when the Accord, and rivals like the Skoda Superb and Toyota Camry were the perfect family cars.

But if you head to a car park, it's obvious they're no longer the choice when it comes to family hauling.

We’re family testing the new Accord, now offered in one highly-specified variant, to see if its new hybrid powertrain and design are worth a look in a world where the SUV is king.

Mercedes has long been the leader in niche filling, and we’d argue that no other model encapsulates that more than the CLA four-door coupe.

Now in its second-generation form, the CLA is based on Mercedes’ MFA2 small car platform that also underpins the A-Class small car range, B-Class tallboy hatchback and GLA crossover, but is actually dimensionally longer than the one-size up C-Class.

However, while the C-Class might offer more conventional styling, Mercedes says the CLA is targeted towards a younger demographic that puts more weight on design and aesthetics.

The previous generation CLA was topped by a hardcore 45 version, which makes a return here, but new this time around is the less-potent, but still AMG-badged, 35 variant to plug the gap between mainstream grades and the range-topper.

After living with the car for a week, here are our thoughts on the new baby AMG CLA.