Compare the2026 Toyota bZ VS 2026 Mercedes CLA EQ

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the bZ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The CLA EQ doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota bZ has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The CLA EQ doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Toyota bZ achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Mercedes CLA EQ has not been tested.

Both the bZ and the CLA EQ have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the bZ 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the CLA EQ. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the CLA EQ ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the bZ for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the CLA EQ.

There are over 3 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the bZ’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. With 10 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Mercedes.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 81 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Mercedes is ranked 19th.

The bZ has more powerful engines than the CLA EQ:

	Horsepower	Torque
bZ electric motors	338 HP
bZ Woodland electric motors	375 HP	396 lbs.-ft.
CLA 250+ EQ electric motor	268 HP	247 lbs.-ft.
CLA 350 4MATIC EQ electric motors	349 HP	380 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota bZ electric motors is faster than the CLA 250+ EQ electric motor:

	bZ	CLA EQ
Zero to 60 MPH	4.4 sec	5.8 sec
Quarter Mile	13.1 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101.7 MPH	98.2 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the bZ gets better mileage than the CLA EQ:

			MPGe
bZ
	FWD	XLE Plus Electric Motor	143 city/119 hwy
		XLE Electric Motor	144 city/117 hwy
	AWD	XLE Electric Motors	131 city/109 hwy
CLA EQ
	RWD	250+ Electric Motor	127 city/124 hwy
		250+ Electric Motor	112 city/105 hwy
	AWD	350 Electric Motors	120 city/115 hwy

The bZ’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CLA EQ are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the bZ has larger tires than the CLA EQ (235/60R18 vs. 205/55R17). The bZ XLE/Woodland’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the CLA EQ (235/60R18 vs. 225/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the bZ has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the CLA 250+ EQ. The bZ Limited’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the CLA EQ.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the bZ’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the CLA EQ (112.2 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the bZ is 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the CLA EQ.

The Toyota bZ may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 500 pounds less than the Mercedes CLA EQ.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the bZ’s rear seats recline. The CLA EQ’s rear seats don’t recline.

The bZ has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CLA EQ (27.7 vs. 14.3 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the bZ easier. The bZ’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.9 inches, while the CLA EQ’s liftover is 30.1 inches.

The bZ Woodland offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The CLA EQ has no towing capacity.

The bZ’s standard Smart Key System allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Keyless-Start standard on the CLA EQ only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the bZ has a standard rear wiper. The CLA EQ doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Both the bZ and the CLA EQ have standard heated front seats. The bZ Limited/Woodland also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the CLA EQ.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the bZ Limited/Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The CLA EQ doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The bZ has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the CLA EQ.

The bZ has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the CLA EQ.

The Toyota bZ has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Mercedes charges extra for Homelink® on the CLA EQ.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota bZ has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console for two separate devices. Wireless charging costs extra on the CLA EQ, and only charges one device.

The bZ has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The CLA EQ doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota bZ, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota bZ outsold the Mercedes CLA by over two to one during 2025.