Mercedes CLA 2023 plug-in hybrid owner review

Graham drives a Mercedes CLA 250e Shooting Brake 2023 plug-in hybrid.

This is Graham’s second plug-in hybrid/electric car, he’s owned the Mercedes CLA less than a year and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 5,000-10,000 miles and he achieves 40 miles of range from pure electric.

Why did you choose the Mercedes CLA plug-in hybrid?

I wanted to replace my Audi Q4 as after two and a half years EVs have moved on in terms of range, functionality, software and reliability but the cost of replacing it with a new Q4 was prohibitive. As my car was an early model and now discontinued its value was plummeting. So after some test drives, and as much as I really wanted to stay full EV, the Mercedes CLA Plug-in hybrid gave me most of the EV benefits, no worry about range, has features that I could rely on and was backed up by known and well tested technology. Also, the cost of the CLA was less than the Q4, even with the Audi finance contributions on offer. I would suggest if you are unsure about an EV, consider a Mercedes Benz plug-in hybrid. It’s been perfect for me, so far.

Positives

Comfortable ride and spacious
technology is amazing and reliable
good looks.

Negatives

Switching between electric and petrol can be disconcerting
cost of petrol was a shock
paying car tax and the additional fee for being over £40k, both not required for the Q4.

Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?

Yes, but to be honest it’s not old enough to answer the question. I’m well aware of charging to 80% most of the time should extend the life of the battery.

Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?

No faults as yet but will ask the dealer to check the transition between electric and petrol as this feels odd.

What are the standout technological features of the car?

The M-B UX has amazing features, especially the Artificial Intelligence, touch control, Hey Mercedes and options to change the displays. Clarity of the front and rear cameras and the sound system is very good. The Mercedes Me app has a lot more useful features, it’s easy to use and not as bug-ridden as the myAudi app was.

Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car

The money you can save if you purchase an EV, and you still will even if you go down the plug-in hybrid route.

What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?

The car will catch fire and cause havoc on the roads.

What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?

The next generation Audi, Skoda and VW small SUVs planned for launch in 2025.

Home charging unit

Pod Point Solo generation 1 – Setting up charging schedules using the app is easy and getting reports from the app is simple and informative. So far, the support from Pod Point has been good and any issues with the charger have been resolved.

Electricity supplier & tariff

EDF GoElectic – gives me 5 hours of off-peak electric and is fixed for a year. The day rate is slightly more than the standard tariff but not excessive compared with some EV tariffs on the market.

EDF have a separate EV department and the advisors are very knowledgeable so that helped with my decision to select this tariff.

No negatives so far.

What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?

bp pulse is my preferred charging provider as they have been reliable, the cost reasonable and locations have been safe.

Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a Mercedes CLA plug-in hybrid

Since moving to the plug-in hybrid I have calculated the savings in fuel per month to be around £75 per month and with petrol cost increasing, I could see this being £100 per month.