[sriramv.iyer]

I think all this talk is only till one sees the CLA in flesh. What a drop dead gorgeous car!

I saw one in Orion Mall, Bangalore after a night movie show where there was no one around! Man, I was bowled over. (I am more of a bike person than a car person)

I'll buy helmets for the people sitting at the back, but still pick CLA.

No contest here - Move over A3!

[kkkkkaran]

Between the 2, its an absolute no brainer, the cla is my choice. The A3 looks too much like the A4, which looks like all the other audis again. The cla is one heck of a head turner, and looking at the fully loaded variants, the 2-3 lac rupee difference shouldn't influence someone looking at a 40l car. The space in both the cars is more or less the same, so that shouldn't be a problem either.
The cla bowls u over at first sight.

[rev_rohit]

CLA is too fluidic to my taste and A3 is too old a design, feels outdated now.

My take is definitely an Octavia. Oozes freshness, TSI with dsg is a performer and almost 10 lacs cheaper.
Only lacks the badge and paddle shifts.

[wingsoffires]

This is the CAR that I wanted to buy had this been launched last year. But I don't have much regrets as it seems to be priced a bit too high. The old C class was available for this cars price. In fact I was getting the base variant of c class for 32 lacs on road whereas the base variant of CLA is available in the region of 37 lacs on road Delhi.

But as it stands, I bought the exclusive BMW 320i for a price of 28 lacs Delhi.

Just for the heck of it, am test driving the CLA this week.

The A3 stands nowhere in front of CLA.
A Red Sport CLA would be an absolute dream to own.

[apachelongbow]

Both cars are not pure one single car, kind of a car. If considered that way, the CLA is drop dead gorgeous compared with the A3 which is plain 40 year old uncle boring. Agreed the Merc has got lesser power when compared with the Audi, but for the show and the thee pointed badge I would consider the CLA each time!!!

[Skye1592]

Based on nothing else other than the looks, I would go for the CLA time and time again. What an ethereal beauty. She screams "Buy me even though I'm not practical and you can't afford me!"
And I'm like "YESSS! Baby I love you, marry me. Now."
Wow. Simply breathtaking.

[AtheK]

I voted for CLA, but surely you should have put up a none option too. Both the cars are just no Value for money at all IMO.

[deetjohn]

I really like the A3. I love the way it looks and the quality it exudes from each and every bit on it. But I would choose the CLA. Nothing can win against pillar less doors.

Saw an advt. on Hindu yesterday and I wonder why they don't advertise those gorgeous doors at all. Why not a pic with an open door and the window rolled down? There is no contest beyond that.


Besides, my engine of choice, the petrol looks better in spec in the Merc.

[Axe77]

At the crazy price point of the CLA in particular, I'd buy neither. If I had 40+ big ones to plonk on a car without a 5th wheel, I'd much rather buy a BMW 3 series. Genuine run flat to compensate the annoying missing 5th, kick ass to drive even in diesel mode, more space than the above two options and stunning looks in its own right.

[SankalpDesai]

My vote goes to the CLA. This is a no-brainer. The CLA looks the part, even if it is an entry-level luxury automobile. I believe, even for this segment, the looks matter; and Audi loses out solely on this front. While comparing the specs, I thought the Audi would be a better bet, with higher torque figures, but the Merc is no slouch either. And as mentioned in the official review, this car isn't going to be the only car in a family any day. Hence practicality is out of question.

We will have to give it to Merc for putting in tremendous effort and staying true to their marketing tag line for this vehicle -#UnlikeAnyOther. Now if only this car would be a couple of lacs cheaper...

[avdhesh15]

Voted for CLA purely on looks. However, considering my profile, I don't see myself buying either of these cars. Would opt for a more practical 4-5 seater instead from the same companies!

[zulfi hansi]

For me the CLA is like that trophy / supper model girlfriend you always wanted her to be yours with lust in your eyes, to show off the arm candy and to make other guys jealous and burn seeing you with her, cause every other guy in the town wanted that supper hot girl. You are ready to go bankrupt spending on the high maintenance girl, no matter what. That is what a CLA is. [If only she was great on the bed err road]. Little more power would have been magic.

Considering that the CLA is an import and so expensive, its only matter of time that MB will start assembling it here, then the price will not be one of the distinguishing point of this poll.

I don't know how long this timeless design thing will go on, timelessly? I guess not, for me the A3 is already aged and old, and its not a wine to be happy about. The CLA shows you what a design ought to be. Even with this price difference I am sure many will buy the CLA only because of the design, its worth the premium. Nonetheless once the local assembly starts we will see price wars between these two for sure, that is, if at all MB decides to have one!

But then its a different story if you want a performance car, IMO neither of these are one. You can have a far better performing [tuned & done] car for a fraction of the cost. Its only about the badge value. Practicality was never the concern for many of us enthusiasts serious about buying one of these two, and neither of these are one. And if someone wants a decently practical, decent performance car and also badge value, nothing can beat the 3 series with the discounts thrown in, IFAIK the 320d costs the same as the CLA OTR. For us petroheads, its a difficult choice between gorgeous looks [CLA] verses performance [320d], A3 does not even come in this choice. At this point of time the poll should have been between the CLA Vs 320d [same price].

In this poll its CLA hands down. But for me its always been the 3 series. Or so I thought, the beauty of CLA really corrupts you, ever since I saw the CLA 45 AMG in RED!

[allinbalance]

Its CLA for me too from looks and design. Petrol version looks better positioned.

[sleepyk]

If I had to buy a car based only on the exterior looks, I'd go for the CLA.
The A3 looks good, but it's too small for a 4 door sedan that costs this much. Things might have been different if it was a 2 door coupé.

But then, you open the frameless doors and step inside and it's a whole new story.

One would expect the VW group car to be the one with repetitive interiors and component sharing with Skoda and VW. But instead, you're greeted with a modern, almost Bauhaus dash layout that's nothing like any other VW group car.
The nav screen is elegantly hidden away when not in use, and overall the styling is clean and looks like something that will age gracefully. The A3's MMI is the cutting edge of their ICE system, and it will stay on the leading edge even after the new version gets introduced on the upcoming A4 refresh.
The only thing one misses is the paddle shifters, which are conspicuous by their absence.

Step inside the CLA and the first word to come to mind is "buttons".
It's the same interior as any of the other entry level Benzes, but that's not the problem.
The problem is that it's a busy looking mess that looks like it belongs in a car from 2005, not 2015. There are more buttons on that dash than an average desktop keyboard. The nav screen looks tacked on, like it's an aftermarket Tom-Tom unit, and that COMAND system actually is obsolete, 7 year old software. Moreover, in the pursuit of flashiness, there is no color coherence in this Merc, with the speedo and the rev counter bearing a funky white on silver finish. Maybe Mercedes should also offer the international spec black design in India, at least for design conscious obsessive-compulsives like me.
Then there's the gear shift lever, or rather, the absence of one. There's a gear stalk which some might find retro-futuristic, but I just find it weird.
But at least it comes with paddles. :P

Both cars are absolute rubbish for the rear passengers, and it is my firm belief that they should have been introduced in coupé form even in the Indian market, as they seem to have been designed primarily as coupés and not "mini-executice sedans".

[sleepyk]

Voted for the A3.

The CLA just looks too busy.
There are just too many "character lines" on that body.
It looks great today, but 2-3 years down the line, that thing's gonna look like a saggy face that needs botox injections. Just like the Fluidic Verna. I used to love that thing, but it hasn't really aged well.
Then there's the spare wheel sitting on top of the boot.
The primitive array of buttons on the dashboard.
That primitive Comand system and it's Tom-Tom-esque screen.

The A3 is perfectly styled.
It's going to look classy in a few years, like a 2008 Honda City. Sure, the tail lights could have been styled better, the steering wheel is a huge 4 spoke thing that would look in place on an SUV, and it doesn't have flappy paddles, but those engines and that styling all work out in favor of the A3 in my opinion.