2025 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 Is One Of The Most Entertaining Small Crossovers On Sale

Asking an automotive enthusiast to drive a crossover instead of a car is like asking an alcoholic to drink soda water instead of beer during Oktoberfest. It just ain’t going to happen. We auto geeks see the crossover – a derivative of the SUV that tries to blend all cars into one, often resulting in a mediocre product – as the Antichrist to our love for cars.

Sure, some latest models are actually excellent, mostly because they behave and drive like a large hatchback. The all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5 is a great example of this. So is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, a proper compact crossover that also happens to perform and sound like an expensive Italian sports car. But at the end of the day, what enthusiasts prefer is a good-old car due to its lower center of gravity, sharper handling and nicer looks.

The 2025 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 also breaks crossover convention. It’s a rip-snorting little brat of a premium utility vehicle that never apologizes for its raunchy character. It’ll also give a Golf R a run for its money in a drag race, while carrying about as many humans and gear in the process. It ain’t perfect, but it’s still one of the darn best small sporty crossovers I’ve driven in my career.

2025 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 First Impressions

I’m quite familiar with the GLA35 and the drivetrain that powers it, which I’ll get back to in a bit. This is the second time I have driven this thing. I also drove its twin brother, the arguably more charming GLB, twice. And I experienced this very engine, transmission, platform and all-wheel drive system in the Canada-only A35 hatchback, as well as in the CLA. They’re all fantastic.

But within Mercedes’ family of small cars and utility vehicles, the GLA is actually my least favorite one due to the way it looks. Ever since the boxier GLB has been added to the lineup, this GLA – which was the OG subcompact crossover from Mercedes – now sort of feels like an afterthought. It looks too much like a jelly bean for my taste. It’s too upright and looks like a goofy caricature of a hot hatchback.

I’ll admit that the 2024 facelift has helped spice things up a notch, especially in AMG form. The now ubiquitous AMG grille neatly dresses up the front fascia while creating a presence. Head and taillights now look more purposeful, wheels match the vehicle much better and the overall package now looks more like a running shoe rather than the over-dressed cheap Benz it once was. But I still prefer the looks of the GLB.

Exterior Dimensions

2025 Mercedes-AMG GLA35: Differences Between The U.S. And Canadian Market

Except for minor exceptions to cater to specific market trends, Mercedes has a habit of selling essentially the same cars in the U.S. and Canada. The GLA35 obeys that rule as it offers the same choice of colors and wheels on both sides of the border. The only real difference is that U.S. cars offer a tad more selection in the available optional packages.

U.S. Versus Canada Lineup Breakdown (model tested in bold)

Driving Impressions And Performance

What defines the GLA35’s puppy dog character is its engine. In this case, it’s Mercedes’ well-known M264 unit, a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid system pumping out 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Yes, this engine is installed transversely in the engine bay, meaning it favors a front-wheel drive layout. But the GLA35 comes standard with Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

Launch this egg-shaped baby hauler from a standstill, and the GLA35 will hit 60 MPH in just over five seconds. But that number only tells half the story. The GLA35 has character. Lots of it. Its engine snorts, bangs and pops as the gearbox shuffles through its cogs. This four-cylinder is urgent, eager to be pushed and never stops pulling until it bounces off the rev limiter. It’s this rambunctious character that allows the GLA35 to pull away from the traditional crossover rule book.

But the engine isn’t the only star of the show. The GLA35’s chassis composure is up there with hot hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf R. Steering is quick, brakes bite hard and there’s truly nothing you can’t throw too hard at this little rascal that it won’t take in. The GLA35 will always deliver, providing loads of grip, plenty of grunt and the sort of handling dynamics that’ll allow it to follow most sports cars.

Yet, the GLA35 is also incredibly irritating. The ride is always stiff, even when its adjustable dampers are set to their most comfortable setting. The dual-clutch automatic only seems to work properly when pushing the car to its limits. In normal driving situations, it never seems to know what it wants, shifting abruptly and, at times, refusing to drop a gear altogether. Finally, the GLA35 I was driving was loaded with annoying cabin noises. Squeaks, cracks and thumps were not sounds I expected to hear in a vehicle wearing the three-pointed star.

Performance Specifications

2025 Mercedes-AMG GLA35 Fuel Consumption

The EPA rates the GLA35 at 24 MPG combined, a decent number considering the kind of performance you’ll get out of this thing. Set it to its most economical setting, and the GLA35 won’t burn more fuel than your average compact car. During the full week I had the GLA35, I actually did better than the official EPA numbers.

EPA And As Tested Fuel Consumption

Interior Design And Comfort

The GLA’s interior was only slightly massaged during the facelift, so this is essentially what Mercedes has been serving us since this second generation model arrived in 2020. What Mercedes does better than most in this segment, though, is creating the visual illusion that the GLA is more expensive than it actually is.

Everything looks like a million bucks in there, mostly due to the presence of brushed aluminum around the three circular air vents, the steering wheel and the dashboard. But also, thanks to ambient lighting at night, which truly helps this cabin pop. Sadly, build quality is inconsistent. While the GLA is well put together, signs of cost-cutting through cheap-feeling plastics quickly remind you that you’re driving one of Mercedes-AMG’s cheapest vehicles.

At least, the GLA35 stays true to its mission of comfortably carrying four passengers and their gear. In my case, installing the rear-facing child seat was a breeze, but I did need to move the front passenger seat forward a tad to make it fit. Front seat comfort is excellent thanks to sports bucket seats that aren’t too aggressively bolstered. Rear legroom is a bit of a squeeze due to the GLA’s small size, but its bulbous roof yields more than ample headroom, even for taller people.

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use

Technology in the GLA35 is classic Mercedes stuff. The large tablet display houses the now well-established MBUX infotainment interface. Through over-the-air (OTA) updates, Mercedes was able, over time, to streamline most of this system’s glitches. I’ve personally had a chance to witness its evolution, and it’s honestly at the top of its game now, especially for voice prompts.

These are achieved through the “Hey Mercedes” command. At times, the system still gets confused and doesn’t always understand what you ask from it. But its success rate is at least 50% better than when I first tried it more than four years ago.

Otherwise, the system looks the part, responds quickly and allows you to customize its layout in a slew of different ways. But MBUX does remain complicated at times, like when you’re trying to lower the brightness of its screens, requiring you to dig deep into menus. The GLA35 carries over AMG’s famous knob dials on the steering wheel, allowing you to quickly activate specific features, like the sound of the exhaust, or the firmness of the suspension. They both operate flawlessly.

Cargo And Storage Space

Although the GLA loses about 12 cu-ft of total cargo space (with all seats lowered flat) compared to its GLB twin (22 cu-ft/62 cu-ft), it remains a class-leader in that field. It’s a tad more practical than an Audi Q3 (23.7 cu-ft/48 cu-ft) overall. And while the trunk area when all seats are in place is significantly smaller than in a BMW X1 (25.7 cu-ft/46.9 cu-ft), the little GLA still manages to outcargo its main Bavarian rival in total cargo capacity.

It’s Imperfect, And That’s Why It Rocks

Enthusiasts alike will tell you that the coolest cars are never those that do everything well, but rather cars that come with an imperfect character. This has always been the magic around Italian cars. At the end of the day, what makes the Mercedes-AMG GLA35 so charming is its loud and obnoxious experience, but also its imperfect delivery of performance.

Sure, it’s not as refined as some of the Silver Star’s more mature models. Heck, at times, I wondered why a Hyundai has less cabin rattles than this Benz. But what truly counts is the way the GLA35 makes you feel behind the wheel. In my case, it had me giggling each time I was putting it through its paces. The AMG GLA35 may not be cheap, but it moves the enthusiast needle like few crossovers can.