Compare the2022 Honda Accord HybridVS 2021 Mercedes CLA

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Accord Hybrid are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Mercedes CLA doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Accord Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CLA doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Accord Hybrid deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Accord Hybrid’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The CLA’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Accord Hybrid Touring has standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The CLA doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Accord Hybrid’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the CLA.

Both the Accord Hybrid and the CLA have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Accord Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The CLA has not been tested, yet.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Accord Hybrid 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the CLA. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the CLA ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Accord Hybrid’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Accord Hybrid’s reliability 24 points higher than the CLA.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 17th in initial quality. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 25th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 15 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

On the EPA test cycle the Accord Hybrid gets better mileage than the CLA:

Regenerative brakes improve the Accord Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The CLA doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Accord Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CLA requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Accord Hybrid has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The CLA doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Accord Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Mercedes CLA (5). This means the Accord Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CLA every 15,000 miles.

The Accord Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The CLA doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Accord Hybrid stops shorter than the CLA:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Accord Hybrid’s wheelbase is 4 inches longer than on the CLA (111.4 inches vs. 107.4 inches).

The front grille of the Accord Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The CLA doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Accord Hybrid uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CLA doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Accord Hybrid a Large car, while the CLA is rated a Compact.

The Accord Hybrid has 16.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CLA (105.6 vs. 89).

The Accord Hybrid has 1 inch more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 3.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 6.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the CLA.

The Accord Hybrid has a much larger trunk than the CLA (16.7 vs. 11.6 cubic feet).

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Accord Hybrid offers cargo security. The CLA’s non-lockable remote release defeats cargo security.

Consumer Reports rated the Accord Hybrid’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the CLA’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Accord Hybrid has standard extendable sun visors. The CLA doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the Accord Hybrid and the CLA offer available heated front seats. The Accord Hybrid Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CLA.

Insurance will cost less for the Accord Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Accord Hybrid will cost $4350 to $6470 less than the CLA over a five-year period.

The Accord Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Accord Hybrid will retain 48.24% to 49.8% of its original price after five years, while the CLA only retains 47.43% to 47.45%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Accord Hybrid will be $14073 to $18941 less than for the Mercedes CLA.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Accord Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes CLA isn't recommended.

The Accord was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 25 of the last 27 years. The CLA has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Honda Accord outsold the Mercedes CLA by over 27 to one during the 2021 model year.