The Car Guide’s 2020 Best Buys: Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Published on February 4, 2020 in News by Guillaume Rivard

Every year, The Car Guide publishes its Best Buys in nearly 30 different vehicle categories. Today we continue our review of the 2020 winners with a look at subcompact luxury cars, a market segment once again dominated by German automakers.

In fact, there are no changes to last year’s rankings, which means that the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (MSRP from $37,300) retains its Best Buy award in 2020. Given their many similarities, we decided to put the new Mercedes-Benz CLA (MSRP from 43 000 $) in first place, too.

Exterior styling, driving dynamics and interior fit and finish are all areas where the A-Class scores a lot of points. It also has the excellent MBUX infotainment system. There’s the 188-horsepower A 220 sedan and the 221-horsepower A 250 hatchback, both with standard all-wheel drive. New this year is an AMG variant (A 35) delivering 302 horsepower and big-time thrills.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Meanwhile, the second-generation CLA essentially follows the same recipe in its traditional four-door coupe body style. It’s a nice evolution from its predecessor, for sure. In addition to the CLA 250 and CLA 35, the lineup includes the 382-horsepower CLA 45—a fantastic little missile. Mercedes has even announced an S variant with as much as 421 ponies under the hood. How incredible is that?

The second-place finisher in the subcompact luxury car segment is the Audi A3 (MSRP from $34,500). While nearing the end of its cycle (the next one is due later this year), the A3 continues to impress with sharp styling and a refined interior. You can choose from four different output levels: 184, 288, 288 or 394 horsepower. And don’t forget about the cabriolet!

Finally, the third place goes to the BMW 2 Series (MSRP from $39,950), an amazingly fun car whether in two-door coupe, four-door Gran Coupe or two-door cabriolet configuration. Of course, nothing can top the exhilarating M2, whose Competition and CS variants crank out 405 and 444 horsepower, respectively.

The Car Guide’s 2020 Scores

  1. Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 81%
  2. Audi A3 – 79%
  3. BMW 2 Series – 77%
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare by emailShare on redditShare on Pinterest
Share

ℹ️ By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to the use of cookies as described in our Privacy Policy. ×