2016 Mercedes Benz Gla Gla 250 4matic

So, picture this: I’m stuck in rush-hour traffic, staring at the bumper of a minivan, when a tiny silver SUV zips past me on the shoulder—legally, mind you—and vanishes into the next lane. I was annoyed. Then I saw the badge: Mercedes-Benz. And I thought, “That cheeky little thing has some nerve.”

That was my first run-in with the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4MATIC. It’s the baby Benz, the one that proves you don’t need a bank-vault-sized S-Class to get a taste of the three-pointed star. And honestly? It’s a charming little hustler—sometimes too eager, but never boring.

The Baby Benz, All Grown Up

Let’s be real: the GLA isn’t a real SUV. It’s more like a tall hatchback that went to finishing school. Mercedes calls it a “compact SUV,” but you and I know the truth—it’s basically a raised A-Class with attitude. And that’s totally fine.

The 2016 model sits right in the middle of the first generation’s run. It got a mild refresh that year, so you’ll notice a sharper front bumper and LED taillights that look suspiciously like angry cat eyes. Inside, it’s a mix of premium chic and “wait, is that a tablet glued to the dash?” Yes, that’s the optional Comand system. It’s not pretty, but it works.

Under the Hood: The 250 Means Business

Pop the hood, and you’ll find a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that churns out 208 horsepower. That’s not monster truck numbers, but the GLA weighs less than a husky teenager (about 3,400 pounds). So it scoots. Zero to 60 mph happens in around 7.1 seconds—fast enough to make your morning coffee spill a little.

The real star here is the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. It’s not the rugged kind you’d take rock crawling—it’s the “I live in a place with real winters and I’m not about to slide into a ditch” kind. It’s clever, predictive, and totally invisible until you need it. Trust me, you’ll thank it when you’re blasting through a slushy parking lot.

Driving It: The Bad and the Quirky

Here’s where I get real with you. The dual-clutch seven-speed transmission (called the 7G-DCT) is… temperamental. At low speeds, it stutters like it’s trying to remember the lyrics to a song. You’ll be crawling in traffic, and the car will lurch forward like it’s impatient. It’s not broken—it’s just German and dramatic.

But once you get moving—oh, it wakes up. Upshifts are crisp, and if you flick the steering wheel paddles, you feel like a junior rally driver. The steering is light but precise. It’s not a BMW, but it’s fun in a naughty, “I’m late for brunch” kind of way.

The Interior: Small But Mighty… and Weird

Step inside, and you’ll notice the seats are surprisingly comfy. They’re not the plush couches of an E-Class, but they hold you in place during corners. The rear seats? Let’s just say your adult friends will owe you a chiropractor visit if they ride back there for more than an hour. The cargo area fits a stroller or a week’s worth of groceries—barely.

One weird quirk: the infotainment controller (the little knob between the seats) is placed so far back that you’ll develop a new arm muscle just reaching for it. And the center console? It’s a black pit of despair—no cubby, just a deep hole where your phone will slide and disappear. You’ve been warned.

Who Should Buy This?

The 2016 GLA 250 4MATIC is for the person who wants a Mercedes but doesn’t want the flagship price. It’s for the city-dweller who parallel parks like a ninja and occasionally needs to toss a snowboard on the roof. It’s also for the driver who secretly enjoys the dual-clutch’s dramatic pauses—like a little theater every time you stop.

Is it perfect? Absolutely not. The ride is firm (you’ll feel every crack in the pavement), and the infotainment feels dated by today’s standards. But it’s got character. And in a world of anonymous crossovers, that counts for a lot.

The Verdict (Minus the Weird Pauses)

Here’s the bottom line: the 2016 GLA 250 4MATIC is a spirited, slightly quirky, premium hatchback that wears an SUV costume. It’s not for everyone—if you want a soft, whisper-quiet ride, look at the Lexus NX. But if you want a mini star with a turbo heartbeat and a mind of its own, this little Benz will charm your socks off.

Just don’t pop the hood in traffic, or you’ll miss the moment when it zips away again. That cheeky little thing.