Mercedes-Benz GLA250 vs Mercedes-Benz GLC200

What's the difference?

My wonderful wife, who is not really into this kind of car, admitted to me in a quiet voice that she really liked the GLA45 as long as it was in Sport + mode. And I have to agree. While I'm very fond of the ridiculous Audi RSQ3 (that turbo five-cylinder sounds amazing), I think I'd stump up the extra for the GLA.

Importantly, it can be comfortable, it can be quiet and it's a better fit for most humans than the A or CLA. It is getting on a bit and could do with a further clean-out of the poor ergonomics, but in what is likely its final year on sale, it's still a belter.

The GLC200 is an accomplished family SUV and not a bad start to the range. I guess some folks will be upgrading from high-end Japanese and Korean SUVs, or defecting from another German,  and it's unlikely you'll be disappointed unless you have a particular aversion to the brand.

It's well-equipped, safe and, without options at least, competitively priced (for a Mercedes), if not especially cheap to service. 

The GLA45 isn't a looker, but then, none of the GLAs are. There's a certain blobbiness to it. A bit of Teletubby mixed with...um, another Teletubby. It's not ugly, it's just not particularly attractive. The 20-inch wheels do much to lift the appearance and negate the effect of the raised ride height compared to the A45/CLA45.

The body kit stops just short of lairy, which is heartening. So if you want to stand out, venture out into the aftermarket world.

Inside was a mild surprise. The last time I drove a CLA 45 I used the word "gaudy". While the GLA isn't amazingly better, the texture of the Alcantara replacing the brushed metal-look plastic, or the carbon of the option pack, was much more pleasant. The brightwork in the cabin is still a bit odd looking, and it's still overcooked with its red detailing, but it is an otherwise beautifully built and well-detailed interior.

While probably unintended, the sheer honesty of the GLC wagon's design is almost refreshing. Bonnet, doors, tailgate, it's obvious what this car is for. Simple surfacing, excellent build quality, the GLC says, "Here I am, fill me with people and stuff. I won't let you down." Nothing in this sector is particuarly out there (more's the pity), but compared to the Audi Q5's subtle prettiness and the BMW X3's creases and snarling front end, the Merc is a study in restraint. Apart from the pizza-dish-sized, grille-mounted logo. Ooh. I almost forgot the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, which is definitely a looker. But that kind of proves my point.

As part of last year's mild in-and-out update, the cabin scored a new touchscreen and control pad and little else. It's pretty much the C-Class's cabin, in vibe if not design. There is some nice wood - one of the few times you'll read me say that - with Merc's trademark texturing rather than nasty, over-polished (or obviously plastic) slabs of the stuff. I still don't like those cheap-looking Burmester speaker covers.

The front seats are utterly brilliant and feel as good as they look. On first acquaintance they may feel under-padded, but once you've adjusted them to your liking, you never want to leave. The AMG cars also feature one vast improvement over a normal GLA - the ergonomic disaster of a column-mounted shifter is removed, with a console-mounted shifter added where a small cubby once lived. It's so much better, although the Park button is oddly difficult to press.

When luxuriating in those snug front seats, you'll have access to two cupholders and door-mounted bottle holders, as well as a console bin (where the USB ports are) and a tray under the climate controls. Rear seat passengers will find legroom tight but headroom good, even with the huge sunroof.

The GLA's boot holds an entirely reasonable 421 litres, rising to 1235 when you drop both rear seats.

If you need all the space you can get in your GLC, the wagon is the one to go for. You start with 550 litres and with the rear seats out of the way, that expands to 1600 litres. 

Rear leg, knee and headroom are generous, but your third passenger won't be very happy straddling the transmission tunnel, or the miserly space left available for their backsides. Three small folks, sure, three teenagers, nope. Not for lengthy trips, anyway. There are air-con vents back there, though, and the armrest has somewhere to stow phones and slim things.

Front and rear rows get a pair of cupholders each for a total of four and each door will take a decent-sized water bottle. The centre console houses two USB-C ports and the port in with the cupholder is also USB-C.

The GLC200 kicks off at $67400, the entry-level, rear-wheel drive four-cylinder version. The starter spec comes with 19-inch alloy, a mere five speakers in your stereo, dual-zone climate control, around-view cameras, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, sat nav, auto LED headlights, auto wipers, fake leather interior (not that there's anything wrong with that), auto parking, powered tailgate and run-flat tyres.

The new touchscreen hosts the modern MBUX media platform which is so much better than COMAND. That system's wacky controller was getting there, but it seems Mercedes wisely diverted attention to this new get-up. The sat nav is much easier to use, as is the whole interface, and it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for good measure. The new control pad is miles better, too, and the DAB+ interface is a vast improvement.

This car had just about everything loaded in, bringing the total cost to $83,900. Starting with the rather lovely (but expensive) Iridium Silver Metallic pain ($1600), Mercedes loaded on the Driving Assistance Package ($2600 - active lane assist, blind spot monitoring with active assist, active cruise), AMG Line (20-inch alloys, various mats and tints, sports wheel and pedals and side skirts), Vision Package ($5200 - head up display, sunroof and 13-speaker upgrade), Night Package ($700 - gloss finish window surround, body colour mirror caps, painted wheels) and Seat Comfort Package ($1300 - electric and heated front seats, power door mirrors, powered steering column adjustment).

AMG's fabled 2.0-litre turbo four lurks under that higher bonnet, still kicking out an improbable 280kW and 475Nm. Drive reaches the road via Merc's own seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and all four of its wheels.

All that power and grip translates to a 4.4-second dash to 100km/h for the slightly tubby (over 1600kg) GLA, but just between you and me, anything under five seconds feels scorchingly quick.

The GLC200 carries a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder called M264. Sending power through all four wheels, you'll have 145kW and a healthy 340Nm at your disposal. Which is just as well, given it weighs 1800-odd kilos before options.

The GLC comes with a nine-speed automatic transmission, which you'd think would be better than seven or eight but isn't. In the 200, only the rear wheels are driven, you need to step up to the 250d or 300 to get all-wheel drive.

The official combined-cycle figure suggests the GLA45 will consume 7.5L/100km. Obviously that figure is largely irrelevant, and not just for the usual reasons, but because you don't buy a GLA45 to potter about in. I got, uh, 12.5L/100km, so you can imagine how much I was enjoying it.

As you might expect, you'll need to feed it 98RON.

On the ADR-approved combined cycle, Mercedes extracted 7.8L/100km. My week with the GLC didn't include any long stretches of consistent running, but I still managed 9.2L/100km, which is pretty decent going, except that it does demand 98 RON fuel.

When the 45-badged cars first launched, they were something of a revelation. BMW's turbo six-cylinder fans sniffed at the 2.0-litre's staggering outputs and all-wheel-drive chassis, but this car really captured the imagination. The GLA45 might be slightly unexpected, but it's better in almost every way as a daily driver than the A or CLA.

For a start, its higher ride height seems to translate to a much better ride quality. Anything on 20-inch wheels should have an appalling ride, but the GLA45 manages to be firm yet comfortable. Put the other two in Race mode and you'll need to up your private health insurance extras to include osteo, physio and whatever "o"-ending specialist fixes your back.

The improved ride quality meant I was far happier to chuck this car around. While it doesn't have the same ultimate overall performance of the lower cars, it's far more comfortable whether you're on it or just driving around. The front seats are supportive and comfortable, and the steering is excellent.

As for the engine...well, it still farts like toddler during a moment of silence at a funeral, but you can't deny its technical brilliance and huge power outputs. I remember the CLA45's engine as being a bit highly strung. Perhaps I couldn't separate the overall high-strung nature of the car from the engine, but I felt the same engine in this car wasn't as jumpy.

The way it propels this car into triple figures is tremendous fun. It's not as charismatic as the Audi five-cylinder, perhaps, but that doesn't matter in the end - it's properly fast, attached to a better chassis and offers a cabin with a driving position fit for humans.

I was pleasantly surprised at how sprightly this car is - the 2.0-litre spins up very nicely and is pretty smooth most of the time. The nine-speed transmission could probably be a bit more decisive, which is why I spent more time in Sport mode than perhaps was necessary. It certainly sharpened the transmission up a bit, but I think nine gears is probably too many, especially given Audi's and BMW's expertise with "just" eight.

For most drivers this won't be a problem - a less probing examination of the transmission's performance will find it quite capable, if occasionally clunky.

The last non-AMG GLC I drove was not a comfortable rider and I'm pleased to say that things have improved. They just haven't improved as much as you might want. Where the BMW X3 in particular is quite comfortable in its basic form, the GLC is firm to start with, then when you throw in the 20-inch wheels from either the Night or AMG packages, things get a bit bumpy on the suburban bash.

Apart from that, it's a very pleasant place to spend time. It's very quiet and composed and if the surface is right, will float along in traffic, helping to keep you calm. All the controls are nicely weighted and for the vast majority of owners, a well-specced GLC200 will do just fine, with no need for bigger engines or a loftier badge.

I would, however, like to see the end of those silly side steps. They'll get grotty in winter or the rain, which means when you slide out, your calves get grotty, too. Unpleasant and unnecessary.

All GLCs have nine airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, traffic-sign recognition, around-view cameras, reversing camera, reverse cross traffic alert, blind-spot monitor, forward AEB, forward-collision warning and tyre-pressure monitoring.

As Mercedes did on this car, you can boost the safety gear with packages.

There are also three top-tether mounts and two ISOFIX points.

The GLC scored a maximum five ANCAP stars in January 2016.

The Mercedes standard warranty is three years/unlimited kilometres with roadside assist to match. Service intervals are a very reasonable 12 months/20,000km.

The company also offers capped-price servicing - first service is $576 but the second and third are a whopping $1152 each. Three years will set you back $2880.

Like the other Germans, Mercedes needs to up its game. Three years/unlimited kilometres is fine, but really, when you're paying decent money and you've stepped up to a big-league brand you should expect big-league support.

If you pay upfront for a service plan, you'll cough up $2150. but if you pay as you go, it's a further $550, or $900 per service. That is quite stiff. You can go for a four-year package, which comes out at $2950, but then a five year package is $4950. Pay-as-you-go pricing does not apply for the fourth or fifth year, so if you plan on long-term ownership, might I suggest locking everything in with the upfront package?

An X3 will cost you $1850 over three years and a Q5 will cost $1710 for three years and $2720 over five, which is substantially cheaper than the GLC.