The Mercedes-Benz CLA Just Went Over 400 Miles In A Real-World Test

• The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ is rated for 374 miles of range from its 85 kWh battery. Edmunds achieved 434 miles on a single charge.
• Edmunds says this is the cheapest car it’s ever tested to break the 400-mile real-world barrier in testing. 
• The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ goes on sale early next year starting under $50,000.

Car companies are stepping up their electric vehicle game in 2025 in just about every way. One of latest in this newfangled crop of EVs is the Mercedes-Benz CLA. It’s launching soon in the U.S. with a stunning 374 miles of EPA-estimated range—but that rating might just be understated. Recently, Edmunds got its hands on one before its U.S. launch and put it through its own range test, where it went a stunning 434 miles before conking out. 

Edmunds says it’s now the cheapest car it has ever tested to cross the 400-mile range mark.

Now, it’s worth noting that Edmunds’s test isn’t exactly the same as the EPA’s. And that helps explain the result. Overall, the route is split 60/40, with 60% of the car’s driving being done in the city and 40% at highway speeds. The EPA’s procedure is 55/45, so it’s a bit more forgiving.

Also, Edmunds does its testing in temperate Southern California, with the interior temperature set to 72 degrees. So, there’s no pesky winter weather hurting the range of the CLA.

Still, this is very impressive. Edmunds used the new CLA 250+ EV, which means this car had an 85 kWh battery feeding a 268-horsepower motor turning the rear wheels. The price for this unit would start at around $48,000 before any additional options or upgrade packages. By comparison, Edmunds said the Audi A6 E-Tron is one of the few contemporaries that also crossed the 400-mile mark, but only barely at 402 miles. Also, its base price is quite a bit higher than the CLA. 

The Tesla Model 3 Standard and its 339-mile result is nearly 100 miles behind the CLA.

This information does bode very well for the future of Mercedes-Benz’s electrified vehicle program. Initially, the brand launched with its lozenge-shaped EQ-series crossovers and sedans, but they’ve failed to create the market traction that the brand had hoped. Aside from the controversial styling, the cars are regarded as not being as nice to drive as Mercedes-Benz’s gas cars. 

But the CLA is shaping up to reverse those impressions. Add in Edmunds’s strong charging test results, and it looks like the CLA could end up being one of the most compelling EVs on the market. I, for one, can’t wait to see how well other variants of Mercedes-Benz’s new MMA platform perform in the real world. The recently announced electric GLB will share a lot of under-the-skin details with the CLA, but in a boxier and crossover-shaped body.

Mercedes-Benz GLB (2026)

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

This week, our own Editor-in-Chief Patrick George will be flying out to the Bay Area to get some seat time with the new CLA. Let’s hope the rest of the car is just as good as its impressive range and efficiency figures. 

Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com

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