Maserati Grancabrio vs Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class burns about $600 of fuel annually against $900 for the Maserati Grancabrio. That $300 yearly gap compounds to roughly $1,500 over five years and $2,400 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class leads in both cycles — 127 mpg city and 124 mpg highway against 84 and 82 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Maserati Grancabrio is recorded with 1 distinct engine configuration (SIDI & PFI), the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class with 3 (SIDI; Mild Hybrid, SIDI, SIDI; FFV). Across 9 recorded Maserati Grancabrio configurations and 55 for the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Maserati Grancabrio is offered with All-Wheel Drive, the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class with All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Subcompact Cars and Compact Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class emits 273 g/mile of CO2 versus 430 g/mile for the Maserati Grancabrio. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.