A Record-Setting Engine for Less Than a New Corolla

Up until 2013, Mercedes-Benz did not have a front-wheel-drive car in the North American market. However, that changed when the German automaker introduced the Mercedes-Benz CLA. It was also one of the most aerodynamic production cars available at the time, rivaling cars like the Tesla Model S.

Of the several variations of the first-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA, it was the AMG derivative that we’re focused on today: the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. This four-door coupe, like many AMG models, was the high-performance offshoot of a specific model range, powered by an engine that was the most powerful production four-cylinder engine at the time. It is now more affordable than a new Toyota Corolla.

A Record-Setting Engine

The core of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 was the 2.0-liter turbocharged M133 inline four-cylinder engine. It was based on the M270 engine, which was a turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that won Ward’s 10 Best Engines and was used in myriad Mercedes-Benz standard models.

The M133 engine was a heavily revised version of the M133, fettled by AMG and featuring hardware like a twin-scroll turbocharger and a BlueDirect direct fuel injection system. It also relied on an iron-carbon alloy on the cylinder walls to reduce friction and zircon in the cylinder heads to improve thermal conductivity, but it also employed a cooling system that was based on the same system used in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 employed the M133 throughout its first generation. From its introduction up until 2015, the CLA 45’s M133 turbocharged four-banger produced 355 hp and 332 lb-ft. However, for the 2016 model year, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45’s output was increased slightly to 375 hp and 350 lb-ft, which reduced the time it took for the first-generation Mercedes-AMG CLA45 to reach 60 mph, dropping its sprint time from 4.4 seconds to 4.1 seconds.

After the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, Mercedes-AMG would introduce the M139 engine, which is currently the most powerful four-cylinder engine employed in a serial production car. However, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is still a name on the list of cars that were powered by the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine, and today, the value of these cars has dropped to a point where the first-generation Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 can be bought for less than the cost of a brand-new Toyota Corolla.

Cheaper Than A Brand-New Corolla

When the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 debuted, it had a suggested retail price of $47,450, and in the final model year of the first-generation Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, its MSRP had increased to $53,100. Today, it’s easy to find an example of the first-generation Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 for less than half of the MSRP of the final model year. The 2025 Toyota Corolla has a starting price of $22,325, so we’ll use that price point as a limit for examples we’re looking at on the used market.

Setting the limit at $22,000, there are many options on the used market. One example of the 2014 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 with roughly 60,000 miles and in stock condition is listed for $21,900, while another example of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 with 100,000 miles is listed for $21,300. Those are examples that border on the more expensive side of the CLA 45’s used market price spectrum. On the opposite end, there are examples of the 2014 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 with approximately 110,000 miles and with noticeable wear listed for $13,995, while another example of the 2015 Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 with 120,000 miles is listed for $14,499.

However, while the first-generation Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 is a bargain on the used market, the cars are not without their faults. Examples of earlier model years have a reputation for having issues with the dual-clutch transmission, which had a tendency to slip under acceleration and are remembered for being clunky. Additionally, some customers reported their engines blowing up, although these were rare. Beyond these, the earlier examples of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 suffer from an uninspiring interior build quality.

The Evolution Of The First-Generation Mercedes-AMG CLA 45

The Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 debuted in 2013 as a fastback four-door coupe that was based on the same platform as the W176 A-Class and W246 B-Class. As the high-performance offshoot of the first-generation Mercedes-AMG CLA, the power derived from its record-setting four-cylinder engine wasn’t sent exclusively to the front axle; instead, it sends the 355 hp sourced from the M133 engine to all four wheels. It was unrivaled when it arrived, prompting other automakers to create a car to rival the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45.

Mercedes-Benz revived the CLA for a second generation in 2019, which included the revival of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. It retained the Modular Front Architecture platform that was shared with the A-Class and the GLB. While its body had changed slightly, its underbody was made nearly flat, its interior was revised, but one of the most notable changes to the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 was its engine.

The M133 was replaced by the M139 turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, which took over the mantle as the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine used in a serial production car. Power from the more potent M139 was directed to all four wheels, and its engine was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine would become nearly omnipresent in Mercedes-Benz’s lineup. Now, we’ve recently seen the introduction of the third-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, which is the first model to utilize the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture platform.

Sources: Mercedes-AMG, Classic.com