Mercedes-Benz CLA Vs. Buick Regal - Which Is The Lamb Being Led To The Slaughter?

Don’t judge a book by its cover, but we judge cars by the cover all the time. It’s called branding. Consider this week’s comparison between the Mercedes CLA250 and the Buick Regal.

You’re already snickering, aren’t 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’m judging). Everyone’s heard of the CLA because everyone remembers the Super Bowl ad that promised that we didn’t 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.

Buick, meanwhile, is still stuck making I-can’t-believe-it’s-a-Buick ads. “Sure doesn’t look like a Buick,” says granny of a red Buick Regal GS. 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’s 51 percent). Buick? Just 11 percent. Ouch. It’s a long way back from irrelevance.

Car4Life - 5/8/2014 11:15:24 AM

+4 Boost

Wow, the CLA has made more appearances on this thread this week than any other vehicle...job well done Benz

GermanNut - 5/8/2014 1:10:06 PM

+1 Boost

Well done? If you like negative headlines and reviews it might be a job well done.

MattDarringer - 5/8/2014 7:46:20 PM

+4 Boost

I'll take the Buick. It drives better, looks better, and is more comfortable. The CLA sells because it is a Mercedes, but NOT because it's a good car.

dumpsty - 5/12/2014 1:08:19 PM

+1 Boost

Agreed. The only hit against the Regal is the interior center stack. Even with a nav screen, it's not at all indicative of a premium experience. Other than that, the Regal is just out-shined by the CLA b/c the lil Benz is newer & belongs to a German luxury brand.

MrEE - 5/8/2014 7:54:30 PM

+1 Boost

Maybe MB retained Chrysler engineering or platform, then used it on the CLA.

iamdabest1 - 5/8/2014 8:28:19 PM

+2 Boost

im sure the buick is better, but id rather have the benz just because its a benz.
the buick is one of those cars that you get as a rental and think to yourself " wow, this car is pretty damn good" then when you come back from vacation say - "i want a mercedes".

MattDarringer - 5/8/2014 9:14:47 PM

-2 Boost

and you are the buyer MB wants i.e. a buyer who will buy a mediocre product because of the star...the Buick is 50% less likely to need unscheduled warranty service, so Mercedes--again--loses on quality.

Dexter1 - 5/8/2014 10:36:52 PM

+4 Boost

Maintenance schmaintenance -- I don't care many unscheduled visits to the dealership it avoids or how good the product is -- it's a fu*king BUICK! Kill the brand, market it with a new name, and people under 70 might actually consider it.

wcbrown - 5/9/2014 1:32:16 PM

+1 Boost

I"m amazed that the auto press has consistently panned this little Benz as a POS and there are actually people that still believe, because it's a Benz, it's more viable to own.

This is ridiculous at best. The interior is cheap, driving dynamics are not competitive and the it rides rough...what else do you need? Here's proof that perception rules, when clearly you have a better AMERICAN car and some still perceive the import as superior somehow 'because it's a Benz.' If anything, Mercedes is putting itself at risk of diluting their prestige with crap like this...yes, it's really crap!

Sometimes you have to call a spade a spade and in this case, I'm gonna call a POS a POS!

dumpsty - 5/12/2014 1:21:10 PM

+1 Boost

The CLA has been generally panned b/c its a FWD car in basic form - that goes against the stereotypical luxury car formula - though not necessarily required. M-B built a cheaper small car & it's obvious & I guess it should "stack up" to anything that's priced similarly (larger mainstream sedans).

Buick mostly suffers from being named "Buick". The brand name just reminds consumers of old people & younger consumers dont want to even bother looking unless it's maybe a used car alternative which fits their fledgeling budget.

cidflekken - 5/9/2014 2:35:37 PM

+2 Boost

The difference here between Mercedes and Buick is this: Mercedes can make the adjustments to the driving dynamics and to the interior quality if it chooses to do so, if customer feedback dictates and if sales suffer accordingly. And, it may be very likely Mercedes will do it just as a mid-cycle update to maintain its longevity in the market. Buick cannot easily change its reputation and image with the public, no matter what it chooses to do, at least at this point. Outside of offering a car that completely knocks out an S-Class or an R8, it just won't happen. And if Buick does do that, then it jeopardizes the reputation of Cadillac.