Lexus IS vs Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
What's the difference?

Lexus IS

$39,990 - $65,990

2021 price

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Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

$66,500 - $91,300

2026 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 2

Mazda 6

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz C43

Mercedes-Benz C63

Mercedes-Benz CLA

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2021 Lexus IS

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

By Tom White

By James Cleary

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 2.5L

Turbo 4, 1.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

4.9L/100km (combined)

5.4L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Sleek and efficient hybrid drive
Graceful ride
Spec improvements

Refinement
Efficiency
Safety

Dislikes

Slow
Busy interior design
Fiddly and over-complicated software

Pricey servicing
Modest road feel
No physical spare tyre

2021 Lexus IS Summary

One question frequently discussed in the skunkworks of the CarsGuide office is: What exactly does Lexus stand for?

When the brand debuted its original export-market IS sedan in 1999 the messaging was more or less clear: Toyota’s premium sub-brand was here to be a Japanese BMW.

The brand even employed Nobuaki Katayama – chief engineer on the iconic Corolla AE86 program – to again take the reins of its small rear-wheel drive sedan program.

As the years went on though, Lexus changed. Fundamentally geared toward the US market, the second-generation (wild IS F aside) became a bit more sedate and softer around the edges, while the third generation strayed even further from the sedan’s performance-inspired roots, leaning into a plush interior, hybrid drive, and even CVT transmissions.

This brings us to today’s Lexus IS. Essentially a heavy facelift of the third generation (which arrived back in 2013), the brand has “reimagined” its core sedan with a tweaked design and updated technology for 2021.

Is it enough to keep it relevant against its ever-present European rivals and the newly arrived threat from Hyundai’s Genesis G70? I took a signature IS300h hybrid for a week to find out.

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2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class Summary

Mercedes-Benz has shifted its CLA compact coupe-style sedan from support player to headline act with the introduction of this all-new, third-generation version.

It exemplifies the German giant’s multi-powertrain approach with an expansion of the local line-up from two pure-combustion variants to a five-model range comprising three hybrid and two pure-electric options.

CarsGuide was invited to sample the hybrid version of the newcomer (the EVs arrive in July), so stay with us to see if this sleek four-door is your kind of premium European compact sedan.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Lexus IS 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Verdict

Smooth, cosy, quiet, the IS looks and feels better than ever, but without a doubt this hybrid version is a car best suited to cruising the dense metropolis of Chiba at midnight more than it is carving up a bunch of S-bends in the Australian countryside on the weekend.

While that might still limit its appeal for fans of German sports luxury sedans and place it further from the original IS’s ambitions, it does offer an intriguing efficiency and luxury focused alternative, without the compromises brought by rivals with more sporting intent. In a way then, the IS 300h perhaps inadvertently best embodies what Lexus is as a brand.

Verdict

The broadening of the CLA’s scope in this third-gen version puts it a step ahead of key rivals and raises the compact sedan’s prominence in the three-pointed star’s local line-up. Its combination of quality design, performance and efficiency is compelling. And we’ll drive the battery-electric version as soon as it lands.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Lexus IS vs Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Lexus IS vs Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
What's the difference?