VERDICT · SAME TIMING CHAIN CHECK AS THE C250
Mercedes-Benz CLA250 2.0L Turbo
is it a safe used buy?
Mercedes's compact four-door coupe, sharing its M274 turbo four with the C250 covered in detail elsewhere on this site.
GENERATIONC117 (2014–2019)
ENGINE2.0L Turbo
POWER208 hp
USED PRICE$12,000–19,500
How the engine fits this car
Mercedes's compact four-door coupe, sharing its M274 turbo four with the C250 covered in detail elsewhere on this site.
A genuinely distinctive, lower-cost entry point into the Mercedes badge, with an identical engine risk profile to the C-Class.
Mercedes-Benz CLA250-specific pros and cons
This is about the car itself — for engine-specific failure points, see the dedicated engine page below.
WHAT HOLDS UP WELL
- Genuinely distinctive styling at a lower price point than the C-Class
- Shares its engine profile with the well-documented C250
- Good efficiency and performance for the displacement
- Front-wheel-drive-based layout keeps running costs reasonable
WHAT TO WATCH
- Timing chain tensioner wear, covered on the engine page, is a documented concern on a subset of examples
- Rear seat headroom is limited, a known trade-off of the coupe-like roofline
- Carbon buildup on intake valves, the usual direct-injection trade-off
- Specialist servicing is advisable given this engine's documented sensitivity
Pricing on the used market
Mileage band
Typical price
What to expect
Under 50,000 mi
$16,500–19,500
Lower-mileage, well-kept examples
50,000–90,000 mi
$14,000–16,500
Sweet spot, verify timing chain history
90,000+ mi
$12,000–14,000
Listen closely for chain rattle before buying
Pre-purchase checklist for this generation
Listen for a rattle on cold start, the clearest warning sign of timing chain tensioner wear.
Ask for documented oil change history.
A specialist diagnostic scan can catch early chain-related codes.