Editorial: Entry Level Luxury Cars Just Don't Seem Worth It

In the last couple of months, I have been looking to a adding a third vehicle to my garage. Being a young professional, I started by looking at the new crop of entry level luxury cars as they are mostly marketed towards the young professional crowd. After getting the chance to look at three entries in the entry level luxury segment (the Acura ILX, the Audi A3, and the Mercedes Benz CLA250), I am starting to feel like this segment of cars does not seem worth it.

Allow me to explain.

Test Drive: 2014 Mercedes Benz CLA250

A few years ago, I had the good fortune to spend a weekend with the Mercedes Benz CLS55. This black bomber was a fist in a velvet glove. The sleek exterior combined with a comfortable interior, all on top of a chassis that delivered responsive handling and a motor with locomotive like pull. It was one of those amazingly fun experiences that you never want to come to an end. When the new CLA-class first made its appearance, I was hopeful that in copying the swoopy shape of the CLS, Mercedes had also deigned to deliver unto us a truly fun driving experience at a more affordable price point. There was some hope with the seemingly endless stream of accolades that Mercedes had garnered from the automotive press for the CLA45 that this new 4-door coupe would finally be more than just a well-groomed, but utterly soulless creature. Sadly, it appears that the AMG magic does not trickle down to the more pedestrian brethren.