Compare the2022 Mercedes CLAVS 2022 BMW 2 Series

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes CLA have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 2 Series doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The CLA’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The 2 Series doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The CLA’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The 2 Series doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The CLA’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The 2 Series doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CLA and the 2 Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

There are over 9 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are BMW dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the CLA’s warranty.

The CLA offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The 2 Series doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The CLA’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The 2 Series doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CLA is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 2 Series.

For better maneuverability, the CLA’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the 230i’s (36.1 feet vs. 36.4 feet). The CLA’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the M240i’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.2 feet).

The design of the Mercedes CLA amounts to more than styling. The CLA has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the 2 Series (.28 to .3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the CLA get better fuel mileage.

The CLA has .7 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the 2 Series.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Mercedes service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 1% lower rating, BMW is ranked 8th.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the 2 Series, the CLA has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The CLA’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 2 Series doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The CLA’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The 2 Series has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The CLA’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. BMW does not offer a locking feature on the 2 Series’ standard power windows.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the CLA keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 2 Series doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The CLA offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 2 Series.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes CLA offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 2 Series doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The CLA will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CLA will retain 47.43% to 47.45% of its original price after five years, while the 2 Series only retains 45.59% to 47.38%.