The 2025 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC + Coupe ($75,000 starting in Canada, $67,050 starting in the US) is a four-door, four wheel drive pocket rocket with a monstrous 416 horsepower out of a turbocharged 4 cylinder. It has a claimed 0-100 km/h time of just 4.1 seconds and shares much of the same engine as the new C63 – but with a more palatable curb weight of 3792 lbs. Unfortunately its price puts it up against some beastly competition. How well does the CLA 45 S drive and how does it compare to its rivals?
Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S Review // Pocket Rocket
Is speed everything in an AMG? Or does the CLA 45 S need to deliver on experience to earn its badge?
Entry level performance cars are proliferating the market today. You’d almost say the market is saturated. We have plenty. Audi RS3, Cadillac CT4 Blackwing, BMW M2, and now the CLA 45 S AMG.
Competition keeps things healthy though, so we – and AMG – welcome it. The thing is though, Throttle House found out the competition is very good. The cars mentioned above provide speed, experience and good style. So how does the CLA stack up.
Well, let’s start with the M139 motor. With 420 horsepower and 369 lb/ft of torque, speed is there. Especially coupled with 4Matic+ all wheel drive. The sprint to 60 will take 4 seconds. But Throttle house hosts note that – like many modern cars – the sound is just a bit synthetic. Gone is the experience of stomping the throttle on a big V8 motor.
But still, the car’s tech allows it to be driven quite briskly and with rewards. The FWD bias of the AWD system is different from other AMG models, but still is biased towards grip and performance. But it comes at a cost. We know AMG’s are not cheap, but nearly $85,000 as-tested is kinda tough to swallow for a baby Benz. Well, technically with the A-class dropped, the baby Benz no longer exists. The CLA is just the new entry point into Mercedes – and now AMG ownership.
Still the CLA 45 S is very good. Hosts Thomas and James claim the CLA is “great in a vacuum” if you don’t consider other options, specifically those of German origin. “It’s a really fun little car, I just wish that it was $15,000 dollars cheaper,” one host noted. That would put the price at about $70,000, and seems much more reasonable. Strip out options and you can get there, too.
But, the CLA is now due for a refresh anyway. The C118 chassis has been with us since 2019. That’s quite a run for today’s market. Lets also not forget that Mercedes wants to move in a very deliberate up-scale place in the market, and the CLA, while small, will always be loaded with MB’s best tech.
