Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes-Benz GLA review - not just a ramped up A-class - Ride and Handling

Merc's GLA is a mildly SUV-like take on the A-class.

Evo rating
RRP
from £25,260
  • Comfortable, spacious, well-made, looks interesting
  • Limited manual options, none-too generous specification

Ride and handling

Leaving the 45 AMG models out of the equation for the moment, and assuming that few others buying the GLA will care how it handles on track, the little SUV could be the pick of the Mercedes small cars in terms of chassis set-up.

At first it's obviously softer than either the A-class or the CLA, helping it feel more grown up and less susceptible to jiggling about on its springs. There's a good long-legged sensation to how it deals with large undulations too, underlining its comfortable remit. Yet push on and it doesn't all fall apart in an understeering mess.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Even the front-wheel drive GLA 200 d is competent - especially in the dry, where its modest performance is well contained by the chassis. Clearly the 4Matic four-wheel drive versions are much more surefooted when the road turns wet and greasy and - running costs aside - they're the ones to go for. Predominantly, power is sent to the front wheels - even in the GLA 45 AMG - but it quickly moves to the back axle when you overload the front tyres, notably on exit from tighter corners. It never feels as rear-lead as say a BMW X1, but it's pleasantly neutral all the same, and the softer suspension settings mean there's enough movement in the chassis for you to sense where the limits of grip are. 

You certainly won't be relying on the steering for such information, as it's a largely communication-free zone, if not as lifeless as some electric power assisted steering set-ups. At least the weighting is good and it's modestly direct. The brakes, as ever from Mercedes, are powerful and easy to modulate, with well-judged intervention from the stability control system. It's saying something though when you realise there's little to gain from turning this off, even in the GLA 45 AMG, which soon overheats its tyres if pushed to its limits for too long in the environs of a race track.

'[On the GLA 45 AMG:] That this is going to be a pretty damn good day after all is confirmed by five minutes in the Mercedes GLA 45 AMG. Like the Audi, the Mercedes balances speed with adjustability in a completely unexpected and entertaining way. Okay, so the surface is damp right now, but the car’s keenness to react to throttle and brake inputs from corner entry to exit is in stark contrast to that deathly dull A45 we drove on track in Anglesey (evo 194), which was all grip and zero fun.' Jethro Bovingdon, contributing editor, evo 205.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

BMW M4 v Porsche 911 – six-cylinder sports coupe titans do battle
BMW M4 v Porsche 911
Group tests

BMW M4 v Porsche 911 – six-cylinder sports coupe titans do battle

Lighter and more focused, can the new Porsche 911 beat the more powerful, less expensive BMW M4?
6 Apr 2025
Used Porsche Cayman GT4 (981, 2015 – 2016): review, price and specs of a sports car great
Porsche Cayman GT4
In-depth reviews

Used Porsche Cayman GT4 (981, 2015 – 2016): review, price and specs of a sports car great

The Porsche Cayman GT4 answered ten years of cries for a proper Porsche Motorsport-prepared version of the marque’s junior sports car in spectacular s…
4 Apr 2025
2030 petrol ban cancelled for low-volume car manufacturers like Ferrari
2030 petrol ban cancelled for low-volume manufacturers like Ferrari
News

2030 petrol ban cancelled for low-volume car manufacturers like Ferrari

Pure petrol cars will be allowed to be sold until 2035 by low-volume manufacturers, and hybrids are back on the menu too
7 Apr 2025