Which Mercedes-Benz CLA trim depreciates the fastest?
In its first generation, the Mercedes-Benz CLA was the smallest 4-door vehicle in its maker’s model range. However, the arrival of the very pretty A-Class sedan in the current generation created strong internal competition for the entry-level Mercedes “4-door coupé”. How does this model overlap affect the second-generation CLA’s resale values, and which trim level depreciates the fastest?
Introduced locally in 2019, the second-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA range has been pared down to only four derivatives: two trim levels (Progressive and AMG Line), each with a choice between two engines (a petrol and a diesel). At the same time, the A-Class sedan appeared with a similar selection of trim levels, but with three engine choices (2 petrols and one diesel).
This is most likely to avoid too much overlap between the two ranges, but it’s still strange that, given its more-upmarket positioning, the CLA has to make do with the lower-output powerplants. Meanwhile, the mainstream A-Class sedan can be had with a wider engine selection, but offers only the second-tier AMG variant (A35), instead of the CLA’s choice between AMG “35” and “45 S” high-performance derivatives.
Does this differentiating strategy work in the marketplace, and how does it affect the second-generation CLA’s value retention? To find out, we considered all the 2020-vintage (second-generation) Mercedes-Benz CLA examples listed here on AutoTrader, as this was the first full year of the current model’s availability in South Africa.
We then imposed a mileage limit of 15 000 km per year, before comparing their current market values to what they cost when they were new. Value retention is then expressed as a percentage of their original value, with a higher percentage representing lower depreciation. These cars are still very new, however, so this evaluation will relate only to initial depreciation.
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA200
New Price: R 665 200
Current Market Value: R 719 900
Percentage of value retained: 108.2%
Due to a very small sample size, the entry-level CLA’s 108.2% value retention should be seen as anecdotal – the chances are that the few listings that led to this result are loaded with optional extras, which will skew the numbers upwards.
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA200 AMG Line
New Price: R 695 000
Current Market Value: R 649 900
Percentage of value retained: 93.5%
Once again, a very small sample size precludes the drawing of any firm conclusions, with the sole 2020 CLA200 AMG Line on site (at the time of writing) retailing for 93.5% of its original value. However, 2021-vintage CLA200 AMG Line cars with delivery mileage and some options are listed as high as 116% of the price of a brand-new, base-trim car.
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA220d
New Price: R 713 240
Current Market Value: R 726 283
Percentage of value retained: 101.8%
The lower-trim diesel CLA isn’t exactly in over-supply, either, but the sole 2020 example listed on site still showed a 101.8% value retention after the first year. Going on the photos of this listed vehicle, it would appear to be fairly basic in specification, with the optional panoramic sunroof being the most obvious addition, which could account for its apparent resistance to depreciation.
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA220d AMG Line
New Price: R 742 740
Current Market Value: R 822 449
Percentage of value retained: 110.7%
This derivative is the most populous in our listing pages, although only 2 of the listed cars slip below our mileage cap. The mileage doesn’t appear to affect current market values too much, however, as there’s less than R 40 000 difference between the most- and least-expensive listed CLA220d AMG Lines on site. Either way, a first-year value retention of 110.7% is a very impressive result, and confirms our tentative findings regarding the lower-trim variants’ slow depreciation.
Verdict
The Mercedes-Benz CLA seems to be exceptionally resistant to initial depreciation, with some older examples commanding higher market values than even brand-new ones manage. Of particular interest is the comparative popularity of the AMG Line-equipped CLA220d: it’s been a stronger seller from the outset, gauging by the number in the used market; and it shows the best value retention after the first year.
This makes one wonder how well a CLA250 petrol would perform in the marketplace, though: that engine option is currently only available in the A-Class (in either sedan or hatch form), but it might have been a hit in the CLA body as well...
