Sorry to hear about your problems The Don. I would take your time with your decision. A decision made in haste can be regretted at leisure! First of all I would ask yourself how important was the SUV / higher driving position to your original decision. The CLA is the other extreme (very low), so a different beast altogether. Having had several black cars, personally I wouldn’t get another. They look fantastic when they are cleaned, but stay like that for a few hours only and then they look filthy, showing every mark. I found them to be a constant headache in that regard. IMO, the majority of Mercedes cars look best in silver, so if you do go for the CLA that’s probably the best colour for not showing all the dirt and looking smart. Finally, are you wedded to having a Merc? I was very tempted by the GLA Premium Plus as it’s very well equipped (other than no full leather option) and I loved the dash etc, but in addition to the production issues I was deterred by the small engines. Personally, I didn’t see the sense in getting a 1.3 litre 2WD when you can get 2.0 litre 4WD SUV’s on the scheme for less, even from other premium manufacturers. They do have less kit as standard, but you can add options with the difference in AP. The only problem with starting again is that 5 month lead times seem to be becoming the norm with the semiconductor and other shortages taking their toll, so that CLA could be a good compromise, but only if it ticks all your boxes, especially re access and space etc. As I say, I wouldn’t feel rushed into making a decision that you might regret.
Thanks GG. You make some very valid points!
Regarding 2wd/bigger engine size, that’s not really an issue for me. My current car (Jeep Compass) has the same setup and I was quite happy with it.
As for lead times, I’d rather wait longer for the GLA than wait (potentially) 5 months for another car. If I decide SUV style is a must-have, then I will only be considering the GLA. My heart was set on it, right from the start and it took me months of reviewing other SUVs before I finally pulled the trigger on it.
Tbh, the only other car I did consider was the CLA coupé but driving position will be a major factor in the decision.
Basically it has really only been between those two cars. If they were both available today, I’d go for the GLA but with the uncertainty over times, the CLA would be a beautiful compromise!