Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class vs BMW I3

What's the difference?

With Mercedes-Benz’s vast number of SUVs, there is room for an urban luxury crossover niche, and the GLA delivers in spades.

Indeed, in 250 4Matic guise, it is that rare thing – a high-riding hatch with dynamics to shame most dedicated pocket-rockets. It really is a hoot if you find the right road, regardless of weather conditions. The Benz has towering talent.

However, even without desirable options like adaptive dampers and a full suite of driver-assist safety technology, the GLA is expensive, does not quite carry off the price tag from an interior quality point of view, and struggles to maintain the degree of comfort and refinement expected from a Mercedes – with or without the $3K necessary to score adaptive dampers.

Still, especially because of the way the GLA looks, goes, stops and steers, if you can afford it, you’ll be rewarded. There’s never been a more rounded GLA.

Yes, it’s pricey for a small hatch, but this little BMW is a city car like no other. The i3s is tailor made for the urban environment, and six years on retains the quirkiness and charisma that stood it apart at launch, and it can still hold its head high among the current EV crop. 

Looking like a mini-me GLC, today's GLA trades some of its predecessor’s edgier design elements like the slammed roof and exaggerated broad-shouldered stance for a more amorphous if elegant appearance. Even with the cliché plastic cladding around the squared-off wheel arches, it’s still a looker.

The net result is arguably the most attractive of all the MFA2 A-Class offshoots. It sits well within the Mercedes hierarchy of SUVs, bringing a swoopy coupe-like silhouette compared to the ultra-upright GLB.

Along with being 30mm wider, it’s also visibly taller than before, with a handy 213mm of ground clearance compared to just 157mm last time around. And the wheelbase has been stretched to the benefit of rear-passenger room – a bugbear of the old GLA. That's progress.

Built around a carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) tub, the i3s is ultra-light (for a battery-electric vehicle), super strong, and unlike anything else on the road.

At just over 4.0m long, close to 1.8m wide, and a fraction under 1.6m tall, the i3s is compact, upright, and boxy. A classically polarising design, with some crossing the street to avoid it, and others (like me) loving its unique proportions and stand-out styling.

The nose is tall, short and upright, with the distance from the base of the front windscreen to the front axle (car designers call it the ‘dash-to-axle ratio’) unusually short.

That’s because the electric motor sits in the back of the car driving the rear wheels, with only a small front boot compartment required to house charging cables and other bits and pieces.

Despite the lack of anything of substance behind it, BMW’s signature ‘kidney grille’ is present and accounted for, with swoopy LED headlights (and DRLs) either side. Our test car’s ‘Fluid Black’ finish with ‘i Blue’ highlights dialed up the little car’s charismatic personality.  

One of the i3’s most impressive party tricks is its counter-opening ‘clamshell’ doors, and the engineering trickery used to create a B-pillar free side opening (including the strength of the carbon body structure) means the high window line follows a jagged path from front to back, the rearmost hatch windows shrinking the rear glass area appreciably.

The i3s’s standard 20-inch (dual) five-spoke alloy rims, although slightly wider in this performance model, are alarmingly skinny. But taking the car’s relatively light weight (1245kg) and urban-centric purpose into consideration, the narrow, low-rolling resistance rubber makes sense.

With the roofline and sides of the car tapering distinctly towards the back, the rear view is suitably idiosyncratic, highlighted by flush-fit, vaguely U-shaped LED tail-lights. 

The hatch window is small, and the bumper sits high to marry with the load space floor sitting on top of the motor and transmission.

And when it comes to moving inside, BMW offers a choice of three ‘interior worlds - ‘Loft’, ‘Lodge’, and ‘Suite’ - featuring renewable natural fibres, recycled plastics, naturally tanned leather, and open-pore wood (sourced from 100 per cent Forest Stewardship Council-certified forestry).

But irrespective of where everything comes from, the end result is inviting, comfortable and sub-zero cool. Our car’s ‘Suite’ interior was combined with ‘Oak dark matt’ wood, and ‘Vernasca’ brown leather to stunning effect.

A tunnel-free floor, gently curved dash and digital screens for instruments and media let you know you’re in something different and special. It might be six years old, but the i3 still feels contemporary and distinctive. 

Compared to before, the 2021 GLA is some 122mm taller, so ushers in a higher hip point for loftier seating – reducing that jumped-up hatch feel. Headroom improves obviously, as does rear legroom, a corollary of a 30mm wheelbase stretch (to 2729mm).

Wide apertures also make entry into and out of the German-built GLA child's play, though the solid heft of their doors is serious business at this end of the segment, very satisfyingly Teutonic and totally on-brand. This is something you won’t enjoy in a Subaru XV.

Then you s-c-r-a-p-e the underside of the front doors on the pavement literally every time you swing it to get out, and wonder whether Mercedes engineers have ever been to Australia. This fail drove us spare. Heaven help the GLAs in towns and cities with bluestone sidewalks. Maybe all that extra AMG packaging is the culprit.

Still, most of the other basics are spot-on and can’t really be faulted; cosy yet spacious for four adults – especially up front, ample vision, an excellent driving position aided by heaps of seat and steering wheel adjustability, cosseting front sports buckets that you just sink into, torrents of ventilation from those delectable turbine vents and stacks of storage. Collectively they make the GLA a welcoming, opulent place to travel in. Only the hapless fifth occupant squished between the outboard rear-seat passengers might think otherwise. But nobody buys this Benz for carting people around. That's the GLB's job.

Several years ago, Daimler poached a senior Audi designer and since then Mercedes’ dashboards have morphed into a multi-coloured multimedia diorama of touchscreen technology that threatens to completely take over the universe. Choose the right combination of colours and lighting and it's like your very own White Night on wheels. Starting with 2018’s A-Class, the striking, spangly MBUX system that underpins all this has come to be widely admired and imitated. For aesthetics anyway, with its vivid hues, panoramic displays and simple, tiled applications, it’s been a real trip.

Anyway, back to reality. From a tactility and functionality point of view, there’s still work to be done.

Access to the multimedia (including our GLA's banging optional audio system) and car settings areas is possible via a mildly fiddly finger-pad arrangement down forward in the centre console, or smaller yet much more annoying thumb sensor tabs on the wheel spokes. These are not easy to modulate on the move. Additionally, their menus can be confusing to navigate through and sometimes counterintuitive in operation. Mercedes obviously realises this as a quick-guide pamphlet is provided on old-fashioned cardboard paper. How quaint.

Eventually all areas can be mastered over time, but the functionality is complicated and may overwhelm the not-so-tech savvy. Additionally, the ‘Hey, Mercedes!’ voice control is impressive for getting MBUX to perform basic multimedia and vehicle settings-related changes, but it too-often erratic, unreliable and ultimately frustrating for more complicated commands. Perhaps elocution lessons on behalf of the operator may help.

But not as much as the profound disappointment we endure from the cheapness of some of the materials, the wincing cellophane-like sounds when pressing on some of the surfaces such as the door cards, or that emanate after a particularly bumpy section of bad roads. Sheeny reflections and hard textures in a car optioned with extras that total up to nearly $82,500 just don’t cut it.  

At least in this latest-gen GLA, the rear seat area seems much improved over the previous models, with more space, comfy and supportive seating (remember ours featured the $607 sliding function that ought to be standard) and a reclining backrest. All amenities are present, with deep pockets, fresh air from twin vent outlets, reading lights and thoughtfully placed armrests – but, again, the latter’s extendable cupholders feel brittle and cheap.

Further back, the 435-litre cargo area is sufficiently sized and practical for smaller family use (at last), aided by a 40/20/40 backrest fold and that slide-able cushion to extend capacity further. There is no spare wheel, but a tyre inflation kit is fitted in lieu.

Overall, then, better than before, with that fundamental rock-solid heft, luxurious aura and alluring premium-car aroma. The dazzling MBUX screen-related visuals, too, are endlessly entertaining to explore when the vehicle is not moving, but the GLA’s cabin is still not quite up to Mercedes’ reputation for exacting over-engineered excellence.

Or even to the standards of some mainstream alternatives.

Wide-opening clamshell doors make getting in and out of the i3s a breeze. But bear in mind you have to open the front door to get to the latch for the back one, which can be a pain.

The driver and front passenger enjoy heaps of room, in an open environment, but there’s only a single cupholder in the centre console, so let the coffee cup wars begin.

Aside from that there are seriously big bins in the front doors, a modest glove box, and a handy elasticised pocket near the floor at the base of the bulkhead.  

Outlets for 12-volt and USB are provided, and there’s a small oddments tray at the rear of the centre console.

Slip around to the rear and you’re in anything but limousine territory. Sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm height, head and legroom are modest but do-able. And remember it’s two seats only back there.

In terms of storage, there are two cupholders between the seats but no storage pockets or bottle holders in the doors. You won’t find adjustable ventilation outlets either, but that’s not a huge factor in car of this stature.

The boot’s volume is quoted at 260 litres with the 50/50 split-fold rear seatback upright, which is enough to easily swallow the largest 124-litre suitcase in the CarsGuide three-piece set. The smaller 95- and 36-litre cases will sit side-by-side without a problem.

Fold the rear seat down and you have 1100 litres of space at your disposal, with tie-down anchors, an elasticised pocket and 12-volt power provided.

Don’t bother looking for a spare of any description, a repair/inflator kit is your only option. And not surprisingly, the i3 is a no-tow zone. 

For a compact, four-seat hatch the BMW i3s is all the money at $70,900, before on-road costs. Close to $20K more than even the top-spec ‘Premium’ version of Hyundai’s Ioniq electric hatch ($52,490), and even further away from Renault’s cute little Zoe ($49,490).

But a carbon monocoque body and high-tech powertrain don’t come cheap, and that’s where BMW’s ‘i’ model program has seemingly run out of juice.

Getting into the EV market early, BMW took a punt on niche vehicles using exotic materials, appealing to a relatively small group of premium buyers. And in glorious hindsight, that path has proved something of a dead end.

But putting all that to one side, it’s fair to expect a generous standard equipment list in a $70K-plus BMW, and the i3s comes to the party with a solid, if not spectacular batch of features. 

Aside from the safety tech detailed later, Included is a 10.25-inch media touchscreen, managing audio, built-in nav (with real time traffic alerts), phone connectivity and more.

Other features include, wireless phone charging (for compatible devices), a rear-view camera, automated parking assist, active cruise control (with stop-go function), climate control air, driver’s digital display, ambient interior lighting, 20-inch alloy wheels, auto LED headlights, LED DRLs, indicators and tail-lights, keyless start, rain-sensing wipers, plus heated and folding power mirrors.

But there are a few surprises. It might be an electric car, but forget power adjustment of either front seat. And despite inclusion of Apple CarPlay (BMW says Android Auto will be available later in 2020) and digital radio, the audio system only has four speakers, all in the front doors (because of the clamshell arrangement detailed later). 

Our test car featured the ‘Suite’ interior package ($2308) which brings ‘Vernasca Dark Truffle’ leather on the seats, instrument panel, doors and side trim, as well as ‘Oak dark matt’ wood trim, the steering wheel in black with a ‘Satin Silver’ contrast ring, floor mats (and general interior fabrics) in ‘Anthracite’, the roofliner in ‘Carum Spice Grey’, plus orange/white LED lighting for the door pull handles and front map pocket. A dual porthole-style glass sunroof adds another $2246, for an as-tested price of $74,454.

Mounted transversely, Mercedes’ M260 1991cc 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine features a twin-cam, 16-valve design, a twin-scroll turbocharger and variable-valve timing, to help deliver 165kW of power at 5500rpm and 350Nm of torque at a low 1800rpm. With an impressive 97.2kW per tonne, it can hit 100km/h in 6.7 seconds, on the way to a 240km/h top speed.

All four wheels are driven by an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), though most of the torque at lower speeds or during reduced throttle loads is delivered to the front wheels until extra traction is required out back. The gearbox is one of the very best of its type we’ve experienced – seamless, strong and largely lag-free.

The i3s is powered by BMW’s ‘eDrive’ hybrid synchronous electric motor, producing 135kW at 7000rpm, and 270Nm from 0-4500rpm. Yep, that’s right, maximum torque is delivered the instant you depress the right-hand pedal, and we’ll get to what that brings to the driving experience a little later.

The unit incorporates a charging and generator function for braking energy recuperation, the latter delivering up to 50kW.

Drive goes to the rear wheels via a single-speed (fixed-ratio) automatic transmission.

The battery powering the whole show is a 352-volt/120 amp-hour (Ah) Lithium-ion unit with a (gross) energy rating of 42.2kWh.

Weighing in at 1668kg (kerb), and with a bluff nose and high ground clearance also not helping, we didn’t expect great fuel economy, particularly given how hard and fast the GLA 250’s performance bandwidth is. It’s tempting to just blast your way from point A to point B.

However, at the pump we averaged 9.8 litres per 100km, which isn’t too bad at all considering the available muscle. The official figure is 7.5L/100km, for a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 170 grams per kilometre. With a 51-litre fuel tank, the theoretical range is around 680km.

Note that the GLA 250 requires 95 RON premium unleaded petrol as a minimum.

When it comes to an electric car’s energy use and projected range, there are two main things to consider - the motor’s power consumption and the battery’s capacity.

And according to BMW, the i3s’s power consumption for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 14.6–14.0kWh/100km.

Over a week, and roughly 250km of urban driving (with some brief freeway runs thrown in) we saw 19.3kWh/100km staring back at us from the on-board computer.

When BMW launched the i3 in Australia in 2014, the pure EV version came with a 60Ah battery pack delivering a claimed 130 kilometre range (a range extender model featuring the addition of a two-cylinder petrol motorcycle engine was also offered). 

In 2016 a 94Ah version arrived to boost range up to 183km, and the i3s launched in 2018, with its 120Ah battery pushing range out to BMW’s current, real-world estimate of 260km.

Then, there’s charging time, which is like asking how long is an electric piece of string.

According to BMW, for a 0–80 per cent charge from a (50 kW DC) fast-charging station, you’re looking at 45min.

From a (11kW/16A/380V) high-output home/office wall unit, that pushes out to 3.10h, and using a (3.7kW/16A/240V) low-output home/office unit stretches the wait time to 9.40h.

BMW offers the ‘WallBox plus’ charging suite as a dealer accessory priced from $1990 (not including GST or install costs).

Plug into a domestic (2.4kW/10A/240V) socket, and you’re staring down the barrel of 15.00h. But at least you can use low-cost, off-peak energy overnight, right? Nah, I don’t buy that line either.

A soaring 2.0-litre turbo engine application, this is a slick, stirring and robust performer that can also do efficiency as effortlessly as launch the GLA 250 4Matic towards the horizon. Let’s not mince our words. This is a fast and fiery mover.

Three drive modes – Eco, Comfort and Sport – provide a wide spectrum of acceleration and throttle responses, and all deliver precisely what you’d expect. Eco’s fine for pottering around town smoothly and serenely; Sport morphs into a searing and seamless speed demon; and the default Comfort sits somewhere in the middle as the best of both worlds. There really is no faulting Mercedes’ M260 masterpiece.

The DCT also happens to be one of the better dual clutch autos, avoiding the lag and clunkiness pitfalls usually associated with this sort of gearbox. It’s even comparatively smooth off the line on hills. Ours came with the optional handy set of manual-mode paddle shifters, adding a welcome level of interactivity autos tend to overlook. Too bad Mercedes persists with that fiddly column lever that is forever prone to knocking the car out of drive. Even after 15 years, it's still so annoying.

What all this means for the urban driver is strong acceleration for flitting in and out of traffic gaps, as well as incredibly instantaneous point-to-point responses for commanding manoeuvrability, thanks to ultra-eager steering and assisted by outstanding brakes.

With struts up front and a multi-link rear end as standard, the GLA 250’s chassis, too, is a transformative for what is essentially a high-riding hatchback – but only if your pockets are deep enough.

Fitted with that near-$3K AMG Exclusive Package that includes adaptive dampers, our Benz displayed a definite hot-hatch attitude that really would make it the darling of Golf GTI owners who’ve outgrown their rides but not their girl/boyracer desires. Superb handling and hunkered-down roadholding really do make this the driver’s premium compact crossover. You can pretty much point and shoot this Merc as you might a Golf R, and likewise in most weather conditions thanks to all that reassuring tenacious grip.

Plus, if you’re put off by the hard ride in Sport, the Individual mode allows the driver to engage the soft damper mode while the engine and steering retain the hardcore settings. It’s a win-win situation – as long as you can stretch to that AMG Exclusive pack. We strongly recommend it, given the balance between ultimate high-speed control and comfort.

However, while this is all good news for rural and country folk seeking hot crossover fun, back around town, poor urban road conditions can reveal a flaw in the chassis’ ability to properly smother bumps and ruts. It’s the small frequency stuff that seems to transmit through, never really settling down.

The result is a jittery ride, that may somewhat undermine the GLA’s upmarket sheen. There’s also a fair degree of road noise coming through. Perhaps sticking with the 19-inch alloys instead of those lovely 20-inch rims is the solution here.

It might not look like a conventional sports car, but the BMW i3s certainly accelerates like one, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.9sec. The i3s is a smile-inducing hoot to drive.

Every one of this little hatch’s 270 newton metres of torque is available from the minute you hit the accelerator pedal, and remain in service until 4500rpm, at which point torque delivery drops off a cliff.

But peak power steps in at exactly 7000rpm, so if you’re determined to make that overtaking move you won’t be left in the lurch. In fact, BMW says it only takes the i3s 4.3 seconds to surge from 80km/h to 120km/h.

However, the i3’s forte is 100 per cent the city, rather than the open road. Its ‘point and squirt’ ability making it the perfect partner for the cut and thrust of the urban jungle.

The i3s features an upgraded ‘Sports Suspension’ incorporating firmer dampers, re-tuned springs and revised anti-roll bars. It’s also lowered 10mm, the track is widened (+21mm front / +2.0mm rear) and the wheels go plus one inch to 20-inch alloys.

The standard i3 (no longer offered in Australia) rolls on 19-inch rims shod with 155/70 rubber all around. And while the i3s’s 175/55 front and 190/50 rear tyres are still exceptionally narrow, from the side the low-profile Bridgestone Ecopias look like fan belts wrapped around pulleys rather than tyres around wheels..

No surprise then that ride comfort isn’t exactly cushy, and in signing on for the i3s experience you’ll need to be ready for more than occasional bumps and thumps.

But the pay-off is super-sharp dynamics, Suspension is by alloy struts at the front, and a five-link alloy set-up at the rear..The steering responds to inputs quickly yet smoothly, and with 48/52 front to rear weight distribution, the car always feels balanced, eager, and taut.

And if you really want to dial things up the ‘driving experience control’ allows a switch to Sport mode for a further tweak of the suspension, steering, and traction control set-ups.

A tight 10.3m turning circle makes for easy parking and stress-free U-turns. But if things get too tight, rapid three-point turns are assisted by the gear shift controller bring mounted on a chunky stalk on the right-hand side of the steering column. Too easy.   

Braking is by vented discs front and rear, but they’re tiny. That’s because the ‘Brake Energy Regeneration’ system does most of the work. 

Effectively turning the motor into a generator, the system not only slows the car dramatically but feeds energy to the battery in the process. It takes a while to get used to the sensation, but soon becomes a fun, and surprisingly easy game to use the brake pedal as little as possible… often not at all, for long periods.

The i3 scored a maximum five ANCAP stars when it was assessed at the time of its local launch in 2014, and the standard safety spec has been boosted since then.

Active tech includes ‘the usual suspects’ such as ABS, EBD, and ESC, as well as city-speed AEB (with 'Forward Collision Warning', and  'Traffic Sign Recognition'). reversing collision avoidance, a reversing camera, and tyre pressure monitoring.

If all that doesn’t prevent an impact, passive safety tech includes, dual front, side chest and side curtain airbags.

There are also top-thether points and ISOFIX anchors to secure child seats/baby capsules in both rear seating positions, as well as a first aid kit and warning triangle..

Unlike many luxury brands that persist with a sub-par three-year warranty, Mercedes-Benz offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Intervals are every year or 25,000km, with a capped price service plan starting at $550 for the first year, $750 for the second year and $1250 for the third year, totalling $2550. Alternatively, buyers can also choose a Service Plan, starting at $2050 for the first three years (saving $500 from the normal capped-price service plan), $2950 for four years and $3500 for five years.

BMW offers a three year/unlimited km warranty, which is off the pace given the majority of mainstream brands have stepped up to five-year cover, with some at seven. And the pressure is on with Mercedes-Benz recently announcing its shift to five years/unlimited km.

That said, the BMW's body is warranted against rust (perforation) for 12 years/unlimited km, and roadside assistance is provided free-of-charge for three years/unlimited km.

Maintenance is 'condition based' with sensors and on-board algorithms (mileage, time since last service, driving style) determining whether an annual vehicle inspection is required.

The 'BMW Service Inclusive' package, offering a single, one-off advance payment to cover selected service and maintenance costs, is available in two levels - 'Basic' ($850) or 'Plus' (dealer quote)