Two cars, two worlds. Can the hyundai i30 station wagon beat the 14-strong compact?.000 euro more expensive Mercedes CLA shooting brake. We have tested both station wagons.
- The shooting brake from mercedes shines with star, chic and charm.
- The i30 station wagon counters with more space and a lower price.
- Which of the two compact station wagons comes out on top in the end??
even if the whole world is talking about suvs*, there’s nothing quite like one station wagon, if you often have a lot to transport. Either as a craftsman or a home builder, as a family dad who has to accommodate both children and skittles, or as a family mom who empties the shelves at the discotheque week after week for her hungry pack. If you don’t want to go all out with the VW passat variant, skoda octavia or audi A 4 avant, you already have a lot to choose from when it comes to station wagons compact car one class below a good choice. In this test, we pit two cars from two very different worlds against each other. Here is the elegant mercedes CLA shooting brake from stuttgart – there the hyundai i30 estate from south korea. The two are separated not only by the entire eurasian continent, but also by just under 14.000 euros in purchase price. Is that justified? A test in five disciplines.
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1:0 for mercedes in design
Even though taste is in the eye of the beholder and design is a subject of great debate: the first point in the first discipline "appearance" clearly goes to the carmaker with the star. Is the CLA already as a sedan an elegant car, which is suitable for every parquet, so the long stretched shooting brake a real shooting star in terms of design. A car for gourmets, because the eye eats with you. The korea station wagon, on the other hand, stands for real home cooking. At 4.59 meters, it is also a full ten centimeters shorter than the fine competition, making the coupe line not quite as elegant as the mercedes. The front and rear sections of the car are also mercedes more character. When you look at it, the hyundai simply has the edge over the others.
points split between i30 and CLA for the interior
Which unfortunately also applies to the interior applies. The big chrome air vents in the CLA reminiscent of small aircraft engines and lend the mercedes an extravagance that is normally hard to find in this class. A difference in class is also apparent in the displays noticeable. The two HD screens of mercedes are framed by a glass frame and look futuristic. Even the graphic looks classy and smart, while it’s all in the i30 looks rather conventional. Two displays strictly separated, the infotainment functions with a simple tile look. But the hyundai in operation. Here everything is logical, the tedious search in submenus is almost completely eliminated. At mercedes, on the other hand, you get a hodgepodge of controls. On the steering wheel, on the display, on the touchpad, on the center console- almost everywhere you can shift, adjust, press or swipe something. To be honest, this was too much for us during the test drives. One wonders why the legislator brutally punishes a quick glance at the cell phone, but you can play around for minutes on the vehicle display to find the right ambient light. When it comes to the interior, the CLA and i30 share the points. A clear 1:1. Mercedes wins in design, hyundai counters in usability.
The truth is out in the open, the hyundai advantage
Let’s move on to the space. On both sides, there is plenty of room for the passengers, especially in the front, of course. But the hyundai is not only shorter, but also a bit narrower, but also a bit taller than the mercedes. That may be the reason why in the daimler as driver and passenger perhaps feel a little more comfortable. When getting into the back of the CLA, you have to pull your head in because of the low coupe line and that already from a body length of 1.70. It’s a little easier with the hyundai because it’s higher up. In both cases, however, you get a slight cramp when you imagine a longer trip. But that is due to the vehicle type, after all, we are moving in the compact segment. No model has a clear advantage here. The game is different when it comes to trunk volume. Here the i30 comes up almost with middle class values. 602 to 1.650 liters (with the rear seat completely folded down) fit in here. With the mercedes it is 495 and 1 centimeter respectively.360 liters.
Easy loading for the hyundai i30
Nevertheless, the ADAC has established a de facto equality in tests. Both station wagons can hold exactly eleven crates of beverages, as measured by the experts. Why then the big difference? Apparently, the colleagues from the Far East take into account every cubic centimeter of storage space available in the cargo hold or in the side panels. Nevertheless, the point for space to hyundai. According to ADAC measurements, the loading lip is only 63 centimeters high, while it is 75 centimeters in the Mercedes. And in addition, it is also impractical in the car with the star, because it drops 22 centimeters inside the vehicle to the load floor, while it is flat in the hyundai. Which makes for a less stressful and easier load in. Point victory for the i30.
The diesel phase-out puts hyundai at a disadvantage
With the engines daimler has slight advantages, at least if you start at diesel units stands. hyundai has removed the diesel engine, at least from the i30, in a cloak-and-dagger operation; only slightly electrified gasoline engines are now available. We still had the old 1.6 liter turbo diesel and were actually quite satisfied with its pulling power and consumption. Six liters were consumed by the engine, but it stands- as I said- at least on the new car market no longer available. In the CLA, we had the pleasure of driving the 190-hp turbodiesel. The accelerates from 0 to 100 in a brisk 7.2 seconds with the powerful torque of 400 newton meters (nm), which is already available at 1.600 revolutions. The fun on the gas pedal, however, you also notice on your wallet. The diesel engine consumed just under seven liters during the test drives. Still another point for the mercedes.
A razor-thin victory for mercedes – by no means!
With a score of 3:2, the comparison ends narrowly in favor of the CLA shooting brake. A razor-thin victory, but one that was virtually won in the 93rd minute of stoppage time. minutes still tipping into a draw. Then, namely, when it comes to the price. The mercedes is naturally hot. Around 14.000 euros more for the premium model.