Compare the2024 Mercedes CLAVS 2023 Genesis G70

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 Genesis G70 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its 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 G70 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes CLA has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The G70 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 G70 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the CLA and the G70 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

There are over 25 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Genesis dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the CLA’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the CLA second among small premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The G70 isn’t in the top three in its category.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes CLA is faster than the G70 2.0T 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the CLA gets better mileage than the G70:

Regenerative brakes improve the CLA’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The G70 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Both the CLA and the G70 2.0T have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All CLAs have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch costs extra on the G70.

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 G70 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the CLA’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the G70:

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The CLA has standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The G70 doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

The CLA stops shorter than the G70:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the CLA can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The G70 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The CLA has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The G70’s suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

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 G70 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the CLA’s turning circle is .2 feet tighter than the G70’s (36.1 feet vs. 36.3 feet). The CLA’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the G70 AWD’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.7 feet).

The CLA has a much larger trunk than the G70 (11.6 vs. 10.5 cubic feet).

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the G70 3.3T/Sport Prestige, 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.

If the windows are left open on the CLA the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the G70 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The CLA’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The G70’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the CLA to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The G70 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes CLA has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the G70 Advance/Sport Prestige offers wireless charging.

The CLA’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The G70 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the CLA first among small premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The G70 isn’t in the top three in its category.