Goldilocks Says This One Is Just Right - 2015 Mercedes GLA To Start At Only $31,300

I predict this will be another case of Mercedes-Benz creating "in your face" styling while overlooking other crucial details of the car. This is exactly what Mercedes-Benz did with the CLA and the CLA is now getting outsold by the Audi A3 Sedan by a huge margin.

The Audi Q3 SUV will offer more restrained styling that looks just like its successful Q5 stablemate, more standard equipment and feel like a more complete entry-level SUV than the Mercedes-Benz GLA. Based on this, I believe the Audi Q3 SUV will easily outsell the Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Mercedes-Benz needs to rethink its "in your face" design approach and focus more on the experience of its entry-level products.

Some of what you're saying is true, but the CLA's sales have been stalled due to supply, not the A3. Once the 2015 models arrive in greater numbers the CLA will begin to climb back up. The GLA will easily outsell the Q3 if they can get the dealers stocked. Audis are just looking duller and duller every time they come out. Luckily there is room for both in the market.

Yep, The CLA's launched dwarfed that of the A3's, selling nearly 5k in one month, and over 2k in one wk.

The A3 has yet to move 3,000 per month, right now it's doing about the same volume as an S Class in the states...as for the A8...let's just say it's embarrassing

Nuttie, let's face reality. Mercedes isn't stupid and you know that. They made a niche product that wasn't expected to sell in large volumes. It was designed to be a stylish, cost-effective entry-point for the brand. It wasn't intended to be what the A3 was intended to be.
So, Mercedes ISN'T losing sleep over losing sales to the A3, as that is to be expected. As much as you love to pleasure yourself by pointing fingers at Mercedes' missed projections, face it, other companies would LOVE to have the same problem of not enough product to meet the tremendous demand.

No, cidflekken having not enough supply to meet the market's demand is NOT ALWAYS a good thing. The CLA is a prime example of this. Since Mercedes-Benz can't produce enough CLA's to keep up with demand, prospective buyers are heading over to their local Audi dealer and purchasing an A3 Sedan instead, which they can drive out of the dealer with instead of waiting 3-4 months for a custom-built CLA.

Mercedes-Benz made two crucial errors with the CLA:

1) Mercedes-Benz designed a compromised car in the CLA. The CLA's backseat is very small, the standard equipment list is anything but luxurious and the ride is awful.

2) Mercedes-Benz can't meet the market's demand. This gives prospective buyers the chance to get an Audi A3 Sedan instead. If Mercedes-Benz were able to have an adequate supply of CLAs, buyers wouldn't even think about looking elsewhere. Even giving buyers the smallest thought of looking elsewhere in order to get a car immediately is bad enough. It's even worse when those buyers buy an Audi A3 Sedan instead, which they definitely are doing considering the CLA's sales tanked as soon as the A3 Sedan came to market and the A3 Sedan can be had immediately and with less compromises.

Unless you're old and decrepit, ride comfort isn't much of an excuse for writing a vehicle off these days. Having owned a CSRT4 (which is like riding on a rock) and some other pretty stiff rides, I'm sure the CLA's ride is like silk on a baby's bottom.

Why does the mbusa site have it starting out at $33,300?

I wish they would rethink the screen looking like an afterthought on the dash. They've integrated them into the dash for years. I don't care for this new look.

For each of the past two months the Audi A3 Sedan has outsold the Mercedes-Benz CLA by 1,000 units.

,,,uh, GermanNut...so what?