In 2014, the third member of the Mercedes-Benz compact car family, the GLA, joined its A-Class and CLA siblings on local soil. With strong sales across its four-engine line-up which includes two turbodiesel and two turbo petrol derivatives, we aim to see which GLA has lost the most value since its introduction.
For this comparison, we are making use of pre-owned previous-generation pre-facelift GLA models listed on AutoTrader with less than 100 000km on the clock and will compare their average prices. This means that the GLA models used will range in age from 2014 up until 2017 when the product received a mid-cycle enhancement.
At the time of writing, there were nearly 200 GLA models listed for sale on the AutoTrader site, and some 150 of these qualified for our self-imposed mileage restriction while nearly 60 of these were the models that we will use for our comparison today.
Related: Which Mercedes-Benz GLA is better: diesel or petrol?
When it comes to value retention, there isn't too much of an emphasis on how highly specified the vehicle is, making our comparison with the current pre-owned price versus the basic list price from the product launch in 2014 as fair as possible. From this, we can determine the percentage of value that the product has retained since new.
Related: Mercedes-Benz GLA vs BMW X1 vs Volvo XC40: here's our winner.
2014-2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200
New Price: R 398 800
Average Current Price: R 287 846
Value Retained: 72.2 %
Of the 13 models of the GLA 200 petrol listed at the time of creating this comparison, the average value retention of these products, despite being between 4 and 6 years old, is nearly three-quarters of its original list price when the product was launched in 2014. With annual price increases and potential options ticked, this percentage may decrease.
2014-2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4Matic
New Price: R 558 900
Average Current Price: R 408 286
Value Retained: 73 %
There were just 6 GLA 250 4Matic models that qualify for our comparison. This model appears to retain its value the best among the GLA range sampled, however, it was also the smallest sample range which must be taken into consideration.
2014-2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 CDI
New Price: R 422 700
Average Current Price: R 308 190
Value Retained: 72.9%
There were 12 CLA 200 CDI models listed for sale on the AutoTrader site at the time of writing, which provides a better sample of the average value retention versus the top-spec petrol variant, however, by the narrowest of margins, the small capacity diesel misses out on the value retention crown.
2014-2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 220 CDI 4Matic
New Price: R 489 000
Average Current Price: R 340 495
Value Retained: 69.6 %
The GLA 220 CDI is the most ubiquitous GLA models in our comparison, with some 16 variants qualifying for our criteria. The wider variety of this variant on offer has resulted in a lower value retention percentage.
Related: BMW X2 vs Audi Q3 Sportback vs Mercedes-Benz GLA: which one is the best value for money?
Which one depreciates the fastest?
It would appear that of the four Mercedes-Benz GLA derivatives on sale from 2014-2016, the range-topping GLA 250 4Matic retains its value the best, however, it is impressive to note how close all of the engine options are in terms of value retention.
Recommended Next:
New vs used Mercedes-Benz GLA: what are the top 3 differences?
Travel accessories to retrofit to your Mercedes-Benz GLA, GLC, or GLE
