{"id":14795,"date":"2014-05-08T10:26:57","date_gmt":"2014-05-08T14:26:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=14795"},"modified":"2014-05-08T10:26:57","modified_gmt":"2014-05-08T14:26:57","slug":"lux-at-under-30k-buick-regal-gs-vs-mercedes-cla250","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2014\/05\/lux-at-under-30k-buick-regal-gs-vs-mercedes-cla250","title":{"rendered":"Lux at under $30K: Buick Regal GS vs. Mercedes CLA250"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t judge a book by its cover, but we judge cars by the cover all the time. It\u2019s called branding. Consider this week\u2019s comparison between the Mercedes CLA250 and the Buick Regal.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re already snickering, aren\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

The latest entry in the entry-level luxury class, the CLA250 is traffic-stopping, jaw-dropping, mom-I-gotta-have-it-now gorgeous (see, I\u2019m judging). Everyone\u2019s heard of the CLA because everyone remembers the Super Bowl ad that promised that we didn\u2019t have to sell our soul to the devil, aka Willem Dafoe, to afford the unaffordable Mercedes brand. At last, luxury for all. Merc for the masses. The 30 grand Mercedes.<\/p>\n

Buick, meanwhile, is still stuck making I-can\u2019t-believe-it\u2019s-a-Buick ads. \u201cSure doesn\u2019t look like a Buick,\u201d says granny of a\u00a0red Buick Regal GS<\/a>. Such is the penance Buick pays for years of mailed-in designs for the blue-haired set. In a recent survey by Strategic Vision, 48 percent of luxury buyers said they would consider buying a Mercedes (second only to BMW\u2019s 51 percent). Buick? Just 11 percent. Ouch. It\u2019s a long way back from irrelevance.<\/p>\n

But just as Buick seems to be getting its mojo back, Mercedes has decided to poach on Buick\u2019s entry-level luxury territory. Not content to rule first class, the German uber-brand is roaming the aisles of\u00a0business\"\"<\/a>\u00a0class, winking at the customers. A 30 grand Mercedes versus a 30 grand Buick? Not fair, you say. Have the ref call the fight before it starts, you say. You can\u2019t watch, you say.<\/p>\n

Well, don\u2019t judge a book by its cover.<\/p>\n

Look inside and the Buick Regal is the real deal. Comparing a Regal GS with the formidable CL250 is not a slaughter, but evidence of how far Buick has come. On horsepower, interior ergonomics, and drivetrain, the GS is superior. Indeed, the CLA250\u2019s shortcomings show that it can\u2019t just drop into the entry-lux market and expect a coronation.<\/p>\n

Like the midsize sedan segment, entry-lux has suddenly become brutally competitive. Step on the dance floor and you\u2019re engulfed by wannabe dance partners from every corner of the room. You know the traditional players like Buick and Volkswagen. But here come dressed-up Ford Fusions and Chrysler 200s offering all-wheel drive and powerful engines and electronic add-ons. And European luxury makers are no longer content to wait until you\u2019ve been admitted to the country club. They\u2019re putting their iconic logos on CLA250s and BMW 2-series and Audi A3s to lure younger and younger members.<\/p>\n

Mercedes is a looker<\/h3>\n

I invited the fully attired $43,245 CLA250 and $44,975 Regal GS to the ballroom. Let\u2019s dance.<\/p>\n

The Mercedes catches your eye like a model that just stepped off a European runway: Flowing lines, great body, mesmerizing eyes. Your heart melts. The CLA250 is stunning. It should come with its own swimsuit calendar and perfume.<\/p>\n

The CLA\u2019s looks are in the family DNA. A descendent of the stunning S-class and CLS coupes, the CLA is slumming down-market with the cheaper, front-wheel-drive class. But its looks don\u2019t suffer despite a longer snout to accommodate front-wheel drive. Flared, air intake nostrils add drama to a fascia already distinguished by Mercedes\u2019 three-pointed star logo in a bold grille. The grille is further bejeweled with chrome flecks that spread outward from the logo like ripples in a pond. It\u2019s stunning. From there the body is a familiar symphony of sexy curves and racy fastback.<\/p>\n

Wasn\u2019t Mercedes the plump, conservatively dressed, rich aunt of the lux class? Not anymore. Mercedes coupes have made the German dame desirable again. Match Merc up against anything else in the entry lux class and it is a swan among geese.<\/p>\n

The Regal GS does a lot of flapping of wings \u2014 fake hood vents here, chrome-tipped exhaust tips there \u2014 to get your attention, but it\u2019s no swan. The base Regal\u2019s face is indistinctive, a problem the GS addresses with dramatic, vertical intakes on either side of the grille. These T-bone steak-shaped openings add meat to the Regal\u2019s appearance and hint at the toned muscle under the suit.<\/p>\n

If you can get past the CLA\u2019s looks \u2014 did I mention it is achingly gorgeous? \u2014 the Regal is more than a match for its more-pedigreed rival in performance and interior design.<\/p>\n

Both steeds are motivated by direct-injection, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-bangers that provide plenty of torque, though the Mercedes would appear to be overmatched with just 208 horsepower compared with the Buick\u2019s 259 ponies. In practice, however, the compact-size Mercedes is carrying around 600 pounds less than the midsize, all-wheel-drive Regal. So the Regal will get you through Snowmageddon \u2014 while the CLA is less thirsty (30 mpg vs. 22 mpg for the GS) and more speedy (0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds vs. 6.2).<\/p>\n

Both the Merc and Regal will be looking over their shoulders at the Ford Fusion and\u00a0Chevy Malibu sedans\"\"<\/a>\u00a0which also sport 2-liter turbos with comparable acceleration \u2014 and less than comparable sticker prices. Didn\u2019t I say this is a competitive segment?<\/p>\n

Buick’s interior stands out<\/h3>\n

The comparison gets more interesting on the interior. At first blush, the German\u2019s dramatic, aluminum-brushed theme of oval instruments and air vents sets it apart. But the Mercedes interior is maddeningly inconsistent in its attention to detail.<\/p>\n

For example, the Merc\u2019s electronic lane assist is among the best in the business, with a subtle steering wheel tickle notifying the driver of lane drift \u2014 yet the CLA\u2019s small, non-touch nav screen is nailed to the dash like a cheap TV in a barber shop. On the one hand, the car smartly shifts to park when you turn off the key \u2014 on the other the brake and accelerator pedal are so close together I had to take off my size 15 shoes to operate the car.<\/p>\n

In contrast, the Buick is a model of ergonomic competence. From its touchscreen to its sport seats, everything fits like a glove. Neither car gets points for rear seat room thanks to their coupe-like roof lines, but the D-class Regal is much easier on the knees than the C-class CLA.<\/p>\n

Young, upwardly-mobile buyers aren\u2019t buying a lux ticket for the back seat, however. They\u2019ve come for the status. Buick and Mercedes covet them. But no matter what the specs say on paper, they want to be seen dancing with dashing Mercedes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBranding is an emotional connection,\u201d says Stephanie Brinley of IHS Automotive. \u201cAnd Buick doesn\u2019t have that button to push.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buick is making strides. But the boys in Stuttgart aren\u2019t standing still either.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

2014 Mercedes CLA250<\/h3>\n

Vehicle\"\"<\/a>\u00a0type:<\/b>\u00a0Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger coupe
\nPrice:<\/b>\u00a0$29,900 base ($43,245 as tested)
\nPower plant:<\/b>\u00a02.0-liter, direct-injection, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine
\nPower:<\/b>\u00a0208 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque
\nTransmission:<\/b>\u00a0Seven-speed automatic with shift paddles
\nPerformance:<\/b>\u00a00-60 mph, 6.1 seconds (Car & Driver); 133 mph top speed
\nWeight:<\/b>\u00a03,264 pounds
\nFuel economy:<\/b>\u00a0EPA 26 mpg city\/38 mpg highway\/30 mpg combined
\nReport card
\n<\/b>
\nHighs:<\/b>\u00a0Beautiful lines; torque-on-demand turbo
\nLows:<\/b>\u00a0Cheap nav screen; tight pedals
\nOverall:<\/b>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

2014 Buick Regal GS<\/h3>\n

Vehicle type:<\/b>\u00a0Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, four-passenger sedan
\nPrice:<\/b>\u00a0$29,690 base ($44,975 as tested)
\nPower plant:<\/b>\u00a02.0-liter, direct-injection, turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine
\nPower:<\/b>\u00a0259 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque
\nTransmission:<\/b>\u00a0Six-speed automatic
\nPerformance:<\/b>\u00a00-60 mph, 6.2 seconds (Motor Trend); 155 mph top speed
\nWeight:<\/b>\u00a03,710 pounds
\nFuel economy:<\/b>\u00a0EPA 19 mpg city\/27 mpg highway\/22 mpg combined
\nReport card
\n<\/b>
\nHighs:<\/b>\u00a0All-wheel drive stability; turbo-riffic
\nLows:<\/b>\u00a0Porky; vertically challenged back seat
\nOverall:<\/b>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t judge a book by its cover, but we judge cars by the cover all the time. It\u2019s called branding. Consider this week\u2019s comparison between the Mercedes CLA250 and the Buick Regal. You\u2019re already snickering, aren\u2019t you? The latest entry in the entry-level luxury class, the CLA250 is traffic-stopping, jaw-dropping, mom-I-gotta-have-it-now gorgeous (see, I\u2019m judging). […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14795"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14796,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14795\/revisions\/14796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}