Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class (2014 - 2020) GLA 220d 4Matic AMG Line 5d Auto Owner Review

I first saw one of these on the work car park, some 12 months before I changed my car, and I liked its looks. The owner, who also ran an F-type Jag, said he liked it and I made it my second choice SUV, shortly trailing the Evoque. It got promoted on my list when I tried out 3 Evoques at my local Motorpoint showrooms and realised how little room you had once inside, despite their rather stunning looks. Hence I switched to my first automatic and my first Merc. We are now a one driver family though as my other half refuses to drive it because it 'has a mind of its own'; wife-speak for automatic gears, lights, wipers, 4x4 etc. A problem cropped up almost immediately when I discovered that the 'full service history', which I had been told Mercedes store online nowadays rather than use a service booklet, didn't actually exist because the vehicle hadn't been serviced in 14k miles. That effectively invalidated the warranty and was not the best start to my ownership experience. The Mercedes people were excellent though and restored my full warranty conditions in return for a £500 big service, which Motorpoint, in fairness, agreed to pay for without quibble. My local Merc dealer in Ulverston has been excellent throughout and their standards of service are second to none, although they are a bit dearer than average. Once it cleared 3 years old though, it made more economic sense to hand its care over to a Mercedes-trained one man garage, who are equally good and half the price. Although it has hardly been off the drive in the last 12 covid-ridden months, the previous year it was mostly cruising up and down the motorway to Manchester each week, plus a trip around France, when such treats were still permissible. Although fairly unexciting, it is nevertheless extremely good to drive and, as the higher bhp AMG Line, it packs a fair bit of power when pushed, while still possessing the versatility that first drew me towards SUVs. It has proved reliable and, apart from a few reservations about the extra expenditure involved in Merc ownership, I wouldn't rule out buying another.