BMW i3 vs Mercedes CLA
Biggest differences: Power — BMW i3 469 PS, Mercedes CLA 272 PS · 0–100 km/h — BMW i3 4.7 s, Mercedes CLA 6.7 s · Battery — BMW i3 108.7 kWh, Mercedes CLA 85 kWh.
BMW i3
An electric sedan in the D-segment, offering all-wheel drive and a WLTP range of 906 km.
Mercedes CLA
The electric sedan in the D-segment is offered with four different powertrain options, offering a WLTP range of up to 792 km.
Profile against the market: BMW i3 vs Mercedes CLA
BMW i350 xDrive
Mercedes CLACLA 250+
BMW i3 or Mercedes CLA — who wins where
BMW i3 leads 7 to 3
Click a slice to see only those metrics. Each bar shows where the car stands against the whole catalogue.
- WLTP range kmBMW i3 +114 km
- Battery kWhBMW i3 +23.7 kWh
- Consumption ↓ kWh/100 kmMercedes CLA −1.2 kWh/100 km
- Power PSBMW i3 +197 PS
- 0–100 km/h ↓ sBMW i3 −2 s
- Top speed km/hMercedes CLA +10 km/h
- DC charging kWBMW i3 +80 kW
- AC charging kWNo difference
- Charging ↓ minBMW i3 −1 min
- Weight ↓ kgMercedes CLA −300 kg
- Boot lBMW i3 +15 l
Technical data: BMW i3 vs Mercedes CLA
Bold and underline = better value · ↓ = lower is better · — = no data
| Key parameters | BMW i3 50 xDrive | Mercedes CLA CLA 250+ | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range and energy | |||
| WLTP range | 906 km | 792 km | BMW +114 km |
| Battery | 108.7 kWh | 85 kWh | BMW +23.7 kWh |
| Consumption ↓ | 13.5 kWh/100 km | 12.3 kWh/100 km | Mercedes −1.2 kWh/100 km |
| Charging | |||
| DC charging | 400 kW | 320 kW | BMW +80 kW |
| AC charging | 11 kW | 11 kW | No difference |
| Charging 10–80% ↓ | 21 min | 22 min | BMW −1 min |
| Range per minute of charging | 30.2 km/min | 25.2 km/min | BMW +5 km/min |
| Voltage | 800 V | 800 V | No difference |
| Performance and drivetrain | |||
| Power | 469 PS | 272 PS | BMW +197 PS |
| 0–100 km/h ↓ | 4.7 s | 6.7 s | BMW −2 s |
| Top speed | 200 km/h | 210 km/h | Mercedes +10 km/h |
| Drivetrain | AWD | RWD | different type |
| Practicality | |||
| Weight ↓ | 2280 kg | 1980 kg | Mercedes −300 kg |
| Boot | 420 l | 405 l | BMW +15 l |
| V2L (external power) | Yes | No | only BMW |
| Length | 4760 mm | 4723 mm | BMW +37 mm |
| Width | 1865 mm | 1855 mm | BMW +10 mm |
| Height | 1480 mm | 1468 mm | BMW +12 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2897 mm | 2790 mm | BMW +107 mm |
The better value in each row is bold and underlined in the colour of the car. Metrics marked ↓ — lower is better. Dimensions are shown without picking a winner.
Energy cost calculator
BMW i3
Mercedes CLA
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Video reviews of both models
Mercedes CLA
Other comparisons in this class: Sedan, segment D
Frequently asked questions about this comparison
Which has the longer range — BMW i3 or Mercedes CLA?
The BMW i3 goes further: 906 km WLTP against the 792 km of the Mercedes CLA. That is a difference of 114 km.
How do the drivetrains of the BMW i3 and the Mercedes CLA differ?
The BMW i3 has AWD and 469 PS. The Mercedes CLA has RWD and 272 PS.
Which one can power appliances from a socket (V2L)?
Only the BMW i3 — its 108.7 kWh battery then works as a power source. The Mercedes CLA, with 85 kWh, does not offer it.
Which is more powerful — BMW i3 or Mercedes CLA?
The BMW i3 is stronger: 469 PS against the 272 PS of the Mercedes CLA. The gap is 197 PS.
Technical data comes from official manufacturer materials and we do our best to verify it, but a manufacturer can change a specification without notice and mistakes do happen. Confirm the figures with a dealer before you buy — we accept no liability for decisions made on the basis of this data. Full disclaimer
Range, consumption and weight are given for the base configuration: manufacturers homologate them as a band of values that depends on wheels and equipment (e.g. 533–592 km), and we take the lightest variant, on the smallest wheels — i.e. the most favourable. The same model on larger wheels will travel a shorter distance.