Mercedes GLA SUV - Reliability & safety

The Mercedes GLA will need to be in the hands of buyers for a while to establish its reliability but safety is unlikely to disappoint.

Mercedes GLA reliability

There are some promising signs here because the A-Class that forms the GLA's underpinnings came 54th in our 2021 Driver Power results, dropping from 36th in 2020. Mercedes overall came 13th out of 29 manufacturers, which was a big improvement over 2020, when it only managed 28th out of 30 manufacturers. Interiors came in for praise, along with build quality, and owners told us their cars are smooth and enjoyable to drive.

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Safety

Every GLA is fitted with a full roster of safety kit, from multiple airbags and even an active bonnet that raises by 65mm in a pedestrian impact. Standard safety tech across the range includes lane keep assist, attention assist, which monitors if the driver is paying attention, and active brake assist.

Buyers can also opt for the £1,500 Driving Assistance pack that helps take some of the tedium out of long drives and improves safety on the motorway. It adds more advanced safety features such as active steering assist to prevent you drifting out of a lane, as well as blind spot monitoring and the ability to automatically adjust the car’s speed according to corners and roundabouts on a set route.

The GLA hasn't been officially crash-tested by Euro NCAP yet but the A-Class hatch has already scored the full five stars. Considering the GLA shares its safety kit and has chunkier bodywork, it would be a surprise if it fared worse.