Compare the2024 Mercedes CLAVS 2024 Infiniti Q50

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 Infiniti Q50 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Q50 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Q50 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 Q50 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CLA and the Q50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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 almost 2 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much 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 Q50 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. With 11 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Infiniti.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti With 33 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Infiniti.

On the EPA test cycle the CLA gets better mileage than the Q50:

Regenerative brakes improve the CLA’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Q50 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the CLA’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Q50 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

An eight-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Mercedes CLA, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Q50.

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 Q50 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 Q50:

The CLA’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q50 Luxe’s standard 50 series tires.

The CLA has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Q50’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CLA is 3 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q50.

For better maneuverability, the CLA’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Q50’s (36.1 feet vs. 36.7 feet). The CLA’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Q50 AWD’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Mercedes CLA may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Infiniti Q50.

The CLA is 5 inches shorter than the Q50, making the CLA easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the CLA’s trunk can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Q50 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Q50, 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 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Q50 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CLA’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Q50’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the CLA and the Q50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the CLA is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Q50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The CLA’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Infiniti Intelligent Key standard on the Q50 doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

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 Q50 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. The Q50 doesn’t offer wireless personal 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 Q50 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the CLA owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CLA will cost $575 to $5960 less than the Q50 over a five-year period.

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 51.4% to 51.79% of its original price after five years, while the Q50 only retains 45.32% to 45.77%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes CLA will be $7750 to $23706 less than for the Infiniti Q50.

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 Q50 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Mercedes CLA outsold the Infiniti Q50 by 58% during 2023.