[X54TH]

My son was rear-ended Wednesday morning resulting only in an Upper and Lower bumper replacement. My son took a pretty big jolt to the point he still hit his head on the steering wheel with the seatbelt on. I would have thought it was a lot more damage but Budd's BMW had it thoroughly checked and beyond the bumper replacement there was no further damage whatsoever under the skin. The lady that hit him was supposed to follow him to the Collision Reporting Centre but took off after he had gotten her info (good thing) and never bothered to report it. I guess she'll be getting a phone call from the police and her insurance company.

Anyways, I got him a CLA250 with an AMG Pkg to get him by until the M235 is repaired. Took the CLA out for a ride this evening and it's very obvious as to why we love our BMW's and it also reinforces what a good bang we get for our buck with the M235. Our M235 xDrive in comparison to the CLA250 with AMG Pkg is superior in all aspects which include handling, performance, interior and technology. To be honest I couldn't find one thing about the CLA that I liked. I guess our family is stuck on the brand.

[nike001]

How old is your son?

[X54TH]

Originally Posted by nike001

How old is your son?

He's 24. I helped him out with his car. He was very unhappy. Our intent was to buy it after the lease. We've put in a Dinan Chip, CAI, clear 3M the entire hood, fenders, bumper and bunch of other stuff. I don't think the damage will be much over $1,000. It sucks especially when it's relatively new. The main thing is that he is OK. The M235 is a great safe vehicle.

[Poochie]

Sorry to hear about your accident; not much you could do but chuck it up to 's*it happens..' Also, I got into a minor rear end accident (my fault) on 07/2016 and I'm still waiting for a replacement bumper that I am being told (every month) that is on national backorder. Can you please keep us updated with the progress of your repair, so I could gauge if the dealer is being truthful about the bumper. Thanks.

[bimmerfile]

Originally Posted by X54TH

.................................................. ........................

Anyways, I got him a CLA250 with an AMG Pkg to get him by until the M235 is repaired. Took the CLA out for a ride this evening and it's very obvious as to why we love our BMW's and it also reinforces what a good bang we get for our buck with the M235. ........................................

Agreed. As I reported several months ago here, on a recent trip to California to visit my son, we had a 'stang ragtop reserved at Dollar Rental. When we got there, they had overbooked ragtops and we were offered a CLA250. I thought it a good opportunity to make a comparo to the 2er. What a disappointment the CLA was at virtually every level. Other than the MB 3 pt star badge, I might have been in an entry level Chevy Cruze... I can't figure out how MB is selling so many. Don't these buyers do any test driving before purchase?

[Maynard]

That is the kind of hit that can give you a pretty good concussion (or cervical neck injuries). If he's having any symptoms, get it checked out; if still w/i 48hrs, and symptomatic, get a CT scan just to rule out something more serious. Check for balance/vestibular issues too (e.g. dizzy or off balance, especially with turning or repositioning the head; double vision or focusing problems). By the sound of this you are days out from the accident, so out of the woods for the really serious stuff, but still good to document this - most concussions resolve fully, but if they don't they can be a long term issue and it is hell to try to go back and document it for liability purposes w/o med records.

[Maynard]

And on a lighter note, I also thought the CLA was a POS when I cross shopped it against the 2. The interior had me hearing Bee Gees music, but the driving feel was what killed it - I've driven livelier trucks. Sort of a relief, because I was really having a problem with the ambiance/demographic, not quite ready to become 'a Mercedes driver'. Did get a kick out of the fact that it was the only high end dealership that had posted info sheets about the federal regulations for reporting cash-equivalent transactions ("sorry dude, you can't pay for that with a sack full of loose hundreds" has now become "no sir, a stack of bearer bonds won't do either...").

[Sportstick]

It helps to understand the strategic role the CLA plays in the MB showroom. A local MB dealer (with whom we used to do business) told me when a 40-50 year old man and his teenage daughter walk in the showroom, he already knows they are headed to the CLA for what may be her first car. The car was developed with clear cost targets to try to entice a young generation which MB research showed they were not attracting. And, they are not targeting the young "driving enthusiast", but rather hoping to evolve an image of "youthful, sporty, contemporary" for their entry vehicles. "Sporty" in this context means swoopy sheetmetal and red seat belts. As a prior MB owner, I cannot relate how many surveys and online chats MB conducted on the issue of being "youthful" versus all the adjectives relating to old/traditional. The CLA focus was on a combination of exterior design, the nameplate, and being able to have a "Mercedes Benz" for the price of a Honda Accord. Remember the launch headlines? UNDER $30,000!! The resulting buyer profile does not include high levels of discrimination for vehicle dynamics...they are busy thinking about the nameplate.

BTW, a very fortunate 24 y/o in this thread! Not a bad way to "get him by" while your BMW is repaired, notwithstanding my above comments.

[chattanooga240]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

It helps to understand the strategic role the CLA plays in the MB showroom. A local MB dealer (with whom we used to do business) told me when a 40-50 year old man and his teenage daughter walk in the showroom, he already knows they are headed to the CLA for what may be her first car. The car was developed with clear cost targets to try to entice a young generation which MB research showed they were not attracting. And, they are not targeting the young "driving enthusiast", but rather hoping to evolve an image of "youthful, sporty, contemporary" for their entry vehicles. "Sporty" in this context means swoopy sheetmetal and red seat belts. As a prior MB owner, I cannot relate how many surveys and online chats MB conducted on the issue of being "youthful" versus all the adjectives relating to old/traditional. The CLA focus was on a combination of exterior design, the nameplate, and being able to have a "Mercedes Benz" for the price of a Honda Accord. Remember the launch headlines? UNDER $30,000!! The resulting buyer profile does not include high levels of discrimination for vehicle dynamics...they are busy thinking about the nameplate.

Extremely on point and well articulated. In my opinion they still have not fully recovered from their pairing with Chrysler and it has affected their brand recognition as well.

Originally Posted by Sportstick

BTW, a very fortunate 24 y/o in this thread! Not a bad way to "get him by" while your BMW is repaired, notwithstanding my above comments.

This is exactly what I was thinking.

[BentZero]

Took a cla for a spin before buying my M235i. it felt lifeless.

[Pparana]

The Mercedes CLA is an Infiniti derivative built by Nissan in Mexico. I think that sums it up.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Pparana

The Mercedes CLA is an Infiniti derivative built by Nissan in Mexico. I think that sums it up.

The CLA is built in a plant in Hungary (and also India, but not for US export) on the MB designed W176 platform used for the A Class. It was not created as an Infiniti derivative nor joint engineering program, although Daimler and Renault/Nissan have a joint venture plant under way in Mexico for 2018 production. They currently also have a joint engine plant in Tennessee for 4 cylinder engines for the MB C Class, now built in Alabama.

You may be thinking of the Infiniti Q30, a small crossover built in the U.K. on the underpinnings of the MB GLA, subsequently derived from the CLA platform.

[mike@x-ph.com]

What packages did the CLA have? The basic package is not that great.... My gf has a CLA AMG fuly loaded and its an amazing car ... That being said i would still pick the M240

[X54TH]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

It helps to understand the strategic role the CLA plays in the MB showroom. A local MB dealer (with whom we used to do business) told me when a 40-50 year old man and his teenage daughter walk in the showroom, he already knows they are headed to the CLA for what may be her first car. The car was developed with clear cost targets to try to entice a young generation which MB research showed they were not attracting. And, they are not targeting the young "driving enthusiast", but rather hoping to evolve an image of "youthful, sporty, contemporary" for their entry vehicles. "Sporty" in this context means swoopy sheetmetal and red seat belts. As a prior MB owner, I cannot relate how many surveys and online chats MB conducted on the issue of being "youthful" versus all the adjectives relating to old/traditional. The CLA focus was on a combination of exterior design, the nameplate, and being able to have a "Mercedes Benz" for the price of a Honda Accord. Remember the launch headlines? UNDER $30,000!! The resulting buyer profile does not include high levels of discrimination for vehicle dynamics...they are busy thinking about the nameplate.

BTW, a very fortunate 24 y/o in this thread! Not a bad way to "get him by" while your BMW is repaired, notwithstanding my above comments.

I would agree as well that they were trying to target a low price point with a younger driver in mind. The CLA250 AMG we rented seemed well appointed. I recognize the engines are not comparable (CLA250 vs M235) but what I recall from the 228 it had a lot more get up and go versus the CLA250. If you look at the handling the M235 is well planted and dominates the CLA250 AMG pkg. I dislike the interior of the CLA250 very much. Everything "felt" inexpensive and the dash and instruments reminded me of a traditional Chrysler / GM North American brand. I also hated the technology. I couldn't even connect my phone to Bluetooth and I was irritated by the Navigation. The experience left me frustrated.

I may have been a bit harsh with my experience and maybe another model in the MB line up would have been a better comparison. There is one thing my son pointed out that he really liked in the CLA250 which was the Apple CarPlay which he wished he had in his M235. I can see where this is going to go...we'll probably pass down his M235 to his sister who has an older 3 series convertible as he convinces me to get an M240 for the Apple CarPlay.

Just so everyone knows I am the only one in our entire family who doesn't drive a BMW. Not sure why that is because I think its a great brand and loved every one that we've owned. I guess it gives me something to look forward to when I am told to fill them up.

My son is suppose to get his M235 back on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll let everyone know how the repair went as well as the cost. I have a funny feeling the rental may cost more than the repair.

Oh, BTW, he went to the doctor to be on the safe side and he's ok. It's been documented anyway.

[X54TH]

Car was picked up this evening. All is good I think as it was too dark to really notice but these guys at Budds do a great job and stand by their work with a lifetime warranty. Total cost including interior detailing was $2,300.

After driving the car for a minute both my son and I appreciated even more how well the M235 performs as well as the interior design. We both felt that the GLA 250 and the M235 are very different vehicles.