2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250: MPG and fuel economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.

Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).

How the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 compares

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 returns 30 combined MPG. Cars in the Compact Cars class for the same model year average 56.7 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 47%.

The most efficient car in the Compact Cars class for the 2026 model year is the Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Plus with EQ Tech (R22) at 126 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Mercedes-Benz CLA250 alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.

For broader context, the average new car of the 2026 model year (across all classes) returns 45.5 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2026 model year is on its own page.

Annual fuel cost across driving patterns

The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for premium gasoline, which is $4.61/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.

The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 500 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).

Year-over-year MPG for the Mercedes-Benz CLA250

The EPA has rated the Mercedes-Benz CLA250 across 13 model years, from 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 through 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.

Combined MPG has stayed in roughly the same range across the run, hovering close to 30 MPG.

Compare against other Compact Cars for 2026

If you are cross-shopping the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Compact Cars class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.

The Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Plus with EQ Tech (R22) leads this group at 126 MPG, 96 MPG ahead of the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250.

Specifications

The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 runs a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine paired with a automatic (am8), sending power through front-wheel drive.

Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.

Vehicle class

Compact Cars

Engine

2L 4-cylinder turbocharged

Transmission

Automatic (AM8)

Drivetrain

Front-Wheel Drive

Fuel type

Premium

Annual petroleum use

9.9 barrels per year

Start-stop system

Yes

Common questions about the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250.

• Is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 fuel efficient?

  Not particularly. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 returns 30 combined MPG, which trails the average car in the Compact Cars class for the same model year by about 47%.
• What MPG does the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 get?

  The EPA rates the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 at 30 combined MPG, 26 MPG in city driving, and 36 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is.
• How much does it cost to fuel a 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 per year?

  The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $2,300 for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade.
• Does the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 require premium gas?

  Yes. The EPA lists the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 as requiring premium gasoline. Running it on regular can reduce performance and may affect engine warranties, so it is not a recommended way to save at the pump.
• Has the Mercedes-Benz CLA250 become more fuel efficient over time?

  Combined MPG has stayed close to flat across the run. Both the earliest (2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, 30 MPG) and most recent (2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, 30 MPG) versions sit in the same range.
• How much CO₂ does the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 emit?

  Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 298 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 4,470 kilograms of CO₂.
• What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250?

  City driving returns 26 MPG and highway driving returns 36 MPG, a gap of 10 MPG. A spread that wide is typical of cars with conventional automatic or manual transmissions, where stop-start city traffic eats more fuel than a steady highway cruise.
• What engine is in the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250?

  The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 has a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine (EPA description: SIDI; Mild Hybrid). Smaller turbocharged engines like this one tend to deliver bigger-engine power on demand while keeping fuel economy closer to a non-turbo version of the same displacement.
• What transmission and drivetrain does the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 have?

  The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 comes with a automatic (am8) transmission and front-wheel drive.
• How does the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 compare to the best car in its class?

  The most efficient car in the Compact Cars class for the 2026 model year is the Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Plus with EQ Tech (R22) at 126 combined MPG. The Mercedes-Benz CLA250 returns 30 MPG, a gap of 96 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.