Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2025–) vs Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026): which costs less?
Total cost at 15,000 km/yr: Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2025–) €946/mo · Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026) €896/mo. Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026) stays the cheaper car across all usage profiles (8,000–30,000 km/yr).
The trade-offs
- Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026) costs about €50 less per month at 15,000 km/yr.
- Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2025–) goes 107 km further in real −10 °C conditions.
- Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2025–) spends 21 minutes less at fast chargers over a 600 km trip.
- Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026) has 189 l more boot space.
Side by side
| Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2025–) | Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| List price | €60,285 | €58,490 (better) |
| €/month (15,000 km) | €946 | €896 (better) |
| €/month (25,000 km) | €1,045 | €1,012 (better) |
| Range (WLTP) | 770 km (better) | 571 km |
| Footprint (L×W, excl. mirrors) | 8.76 m² | 8.74 m² |
| Used market (median listing, our own collection) | — | €29,999 · Ø 3.3 yr · n=37 (week 40, 2026) |
| Real range (mild/cold) | 686 km / 506 km (better) | 509 km / 399 km |
| 600 km long trip | 1 charging stop · +7 min (better) | 1 charging stop · +28 min |
| Consumption (WLTP) | 12.7 kWh/100 km (better) | 16.5 kWh/100 km |
| Battery | 85.0 kWh | 79.0 kWh |
| Max DC charge | 320 kW (better) | 250 kW |
| 0–100 km/h | 4.9 s | 3.1 s (better) |
| Boot | 405 L | 594 L (better) |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
Break-even by mileage
| km/yr | Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2025–) | Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 | €896 | €837 |
| 15,000 | €946 | €896 |
| 20,000 | €996 | €954 |
| 25,000 | €1,045 | €1,012 |
| 30,000 | €1,094 | €1,070 |
Compare interactively → · Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2025–): cost deep-dive · Tesla Model 3 Performance (2025–2026): cost deep-dive