After getting to spend time in sports cars, hatchbacks, mid-size sedans, large cars, and a variety of SUVs, I was excited to see a Mercedes-Benz - my first ever - eagerly awaiting my arrival at the CarAdvice Melbourne office. The car in question is the German brand鈥檚 first-ever small SUV, the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. With compact SUVs being the hottest cars to have at the moment, the GLA is one I really like, combining the good looks of a hatchback with the go-anywhere vibe of a high-riding SUV. Loading gear into the roomy 421-litre boot is easy thanks to the power tailgate鈥檚 key-fob release, with additional smarts coming from the adjustable tailgate opening height- an ideal feature for those with a low-roof carport. Even though the car is almost 1.5m tall on the outside, there isn鈥檛 a lot of headroom inside. Luckily I鈥檓 not any taller than six-foot, otherwise we could鈥 檝e had an issue.

After getting to spend time in sports cars, hatchbacks, mid-size sedans, large cars, and a variety of SUVs, I was excited to see a Mercedes-Benz - my first ever - eagerly awaiting my arrival at the CarAdvice Melbourne office. The car in question is the German brand鈥檚 first-ever small SUV, the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class. With compact SUVs being the hottest cars to have at the moment, the GLA is one I really like, combining the good looks of a hatchback with the go-anywhere vibe of a high-riding SUV. Loading gear into the roomy 421-litre boot is easy thanks to the power tailgate鈥檚 key-fob release, with additional smarts coming from the adjustable tailgate opening height- an ideal feature for those with a low-roof carport. Even though the car is almost 1.5m tall on the outside, there isn鈥檛 a lot of headroom inside. Luckily I鈥檓 not any taller than six-foot, otherwise we could鈥檝e had an issue.

That sort of equipment is usually standard in this price range. The Multimedia package then added a navigation system, a rearview camera and a larger COMAND display. The Interior package adds leather upholstery, MB-Tex on the dash and the same sport seats that are standard on the CLA250. Besides the Sport package that helps the GLA stop shorter but ride rougher, our tester also included popular options like a panoramic sunroof, bi-xenon headlamps and a blind-spot warning system. How Much Does It Cost? All together, our GLA250 test car was rather loaded, but not with what we'd call especially superfluous features. 45,935, which is frankly a bit shocking for such a small vehicle with modest utility. By comparison, a similarly equipped Lexus NX 200T or Volvo V60 Cross Country would have similar prices, but are both bigger and have plusher interiors. 31,300 base price is attractive, and the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class or other, bigger German SUVs would be costlier still. What Competing Models Should You Also Consider? BMW X1: BMW's smallest SUV is similarly challenged in terms of utility and offers questionable value, but it also doesn't suffer the GLA's comfort and drivability issues. It's also even more invigorating to drive.

Lexus NX 200T: The new, baby Lexus SUV is smaller than most competitors, but still offers far more utility than the GLA. It has a higher base price, but things even out when the two are comparably equipped. Volvo V60 Cross Country: It's not an SUV, but then neither is the GLA-Class. This Volvo also offers an elevated ride height and all-wheel drive, but has a nicer, more practical cabin. Why Should You Consider This Car? You are searching for a reasonably efficient, fun-to-drive car with more utility than the typical compact luxury vehicle, along with all-wheel drive and extra ground clearance for the occasional adventure off the beaten path. Also, if a premium badge with accompanying premium equipment and style are a must, then it's worth a look. Why Should You Think Twice About This Car? The ride is rough. It's frustrating to drive. Space for passengers and cargo is lacking given its price. It's harder to see out of than an SUV. The interior isn't that special. Competitor SUVs and wagons provide better value. Any of these could give you serious pause.

It was so amazing, it was almost unreal. Zermatt felt so incredibly perfect, it was like the Disney version of the Matterhorn, only 1,000 times better. We definitely need to go back. Oh, and we had a couple great meals at Restaurant Baltschiederbach, which I highly recommend if you are ever fortunate enough to be on the Valis portion of Switzerland! Our third day with the car, we drove from Baltschieder to Innsbruck. My Google maps grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take, even with our two detours to alpine coasters. We spent close to nine hours on the road, the vast majority of it on two-lane, winding mountain roads through impossibly beautiful towns. We spent that night in Innsbruck, Austria. Thursday, our last day with the car and more than 1,100 kilometers later, we drove to Munich airport and dropped it off at Loginout, the designated Mercedes drop-0ff spot I had arranged to leave it.

After about 20 minutes of paperwork (and my son helping himself to the tiny packets of Haribo gummies in the office), we bid adieu and walked about 50 yards to the terminal for our flight back to the UK. According to the tracking website Loginout gave me, our car left Bremerhaven port on Aug. 9 (coincidentally the same day we flew home from the UK). I鈥檓 told that the ship is estimated to arrive in Long Beach Sept. 3. From there, it goes through customs, then MB Escondido picks it up for an inspection and delivery. I just found a website that lets me track the ship it鈥檚 on. It just passed Jacksonville, Fla. My Mini鈥檚 lease ends Sept. 20. Herbert says my new car should be ready to pick up right around Sept. 21. Which also happens to be the same day he gets back from his own trip to Germany.