Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Ashland ex-swim coach gets 40 months after reconnecting with victim Forecast predicts more snow likely on local passes 10 things to know for Monday In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Missing girl's family, friends, want more info from police Education In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready Walker students show creative chops at Invention Convention Teacher's Tips: Second — and third — chances are there for students For a friend: AHS seniors team up to help former fellow student Ashland builds a bridge across the STEM gap Environment New TAP pumps bolster Ashland's options Most residents speak against gas pipeline proposed for Southern Oregon Home Help: Make your new house feel like home ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Silvio Calabi: Infiniti Q50 offers business-class driving Looking for crown's halo Silvio Calabi: GLA250 is a Merc for the masses Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition Politics and elections State certifies recount showing failure of GMO-labeling measure Local rep to testify before U.S. Senate panel Tuesday Kent Bush: First Amendment doesn’t mean what you think it means State News Police officer shoots armed driver near Reedsport In Portland, mindfulness classes ease stress of high school Nation - World Obama makes Maduro’s ‘insolent Yankees’ line harder to sell Obituaries Death Notices Charlene Mae Death Notices Edith J. Winn Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Winston considers Ducks sans Ekpre-Olomu Looking for crown's halo SOU takes over top spot in Directors' Cup standings Lillard clutch again as Blazers stun Thunder in overtime SOU football team No. 1 in final coaches' poll High school Shibley-Styer, Malcolm lead Grizzlies to comeback win over Henley Feinberg scores 17 in Grizz loss Grizzlies tripped up late in tourney loss to Ridgeview Grizzlies' comeback attempt falls short against Mazama Ashland girls win three duals in home swim meet Southern Oregon University Winston considers Ducks sans Ekpre-Olomu Looking for crown's halo SOU takes over top spot in Directors' Cup standings SOU football team No. 1 in final coaches' poll Oregon's Mariota is AP player of year Opinion Latest Stories Granlund cartoon: New Year Late Night Granlund cartoon: New Year's predictions Granlund cartoon: Russian economy Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Our View: Is the Flutie effect real? Editorial Our View: Is the Flutie effect real? Our View: Embracing downtown's future Our View: Good news this week The vaccination deniers Other Views: Hunting helps the economy Letters Letters to the Editor, Dec. 29 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 23 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 17 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 16 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 11 Guest opinions Herb Rothschild Jr.: New Year resolutions Herb Rothschild Jr.: The role of charity Guest Opinion: Vaccination editorial was disrespectful Guest Opinion: Zionism is not the problem Herb Rothschild Jr.: The Christmas spirit Revels Latest Stories 4 Things to do This Week Community blog: Resolutions for writers SugarBeats headline an all-ages dance party 4 Things to do this Weekend Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Theater ACT presents reading of 'The Quality of Life' Putting the music into 'A Christmas Carol' Meet the real Jacob Marley Music Rating old-timers’ albums from 2014 SOU presents all-percussion concert Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Ed Symkus: My top 15 films of 2014 Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Walk this 'Wild' way, and observe Movie review: ‘Into the Woods’ is dark and deep Movie review: This ‘Museum’ entry should be closed to the public Food and Drink Food for Thought: Wintertime wining and dining Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Dave Ramsey: Don’t drop the coverage! Dr. Jeff Hersh: What's a monoclonal antibody? Dr. Murray Feingold: Have a happy and stress-free holiday Marketta Gregory: Remind yourself what really matters Marketta Gregory: Turn to God in your quest to feel healthier Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Forecast predicts more snow likely on local passes ... In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready ... Ashland Calendar ... Forecast predicts more snow likely on local passes ... In the new year, be sure you have your 'ICE' file ready ... Ashland Calendar ... Silvio Calabi: GLA250 is a Merc for the masses Comment By Silvio Calabi More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Dec. 22, 2014 @ 7:04 am By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Dec. 22, 2014 @ 7:04 am » Social News Waiting for me at the airport very late one night was a GLA250, and one of the first features I encountered — after figuring out that it had a genuine ignition key and that the wiper stalk was in fact the gear lever — was a message window that all but ordered me to pull over and take a nap. Attention Assist, standard on the GLA, is the latest safety angel from Mercedes-Benz. In the first few minutes of driving, it analyzes our steering inputs: Is this dude smooth, or is he making too many nervous little corrections? Then it checks things like crosswinds and the condition of the road, and monitors how long we’re at the wheel and how fast we’re traveling. Altogether, Attention Assist keeps an eye on dozens of parameters, and if it ever concludes that the driver is overly challenged, not only does he get the motherly advice, but the satnav will also direct him to the nearest rest area. That wasn’t all. If I drifted toward the next lane, the wheel vibrated in my hands. Had I fallen asleep, Collision Prevention Assist would have kept me from plowing into something. Distronic Plus radar cruise control kept me safely away from other traffic (not that there was any, at that time of night) and would have even brought me to a complete stop if necessary. It hardly needs saying, but yes, I got home in one piece — in comfort and at a good pace. The GLA250, a new-for-2015 model, is Mercedes-Benz’s best attempt yet to wow us with German cachet at more or less Korean prices. Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.0-liter Four sending 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque to the latest version of M-B’s 4Matic part-time all-wheel drive through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Pressed hard, and especially when shifting gears manually with the paddles behind the steering wheel, the GLA250 will pick up its skirts and run. Puttering around town, gear changes are sometimes hesitant or less than perfectly smooth; otherwise, the ride, brakes and steering are what we expect from a non-sporting Mercedes-Benz: invisible, yet ever more nailed-down as speed builds. Just like a $100,000 S550 sedan, the GLA defaults to its E-for-Eco setting whenever the engine is started. This makes the car feel like it’s wading through mud, and we soon learned to select “S” (Sport) automatically, via a three-way button below the radio. (There is no Normal setting; the third option is “M,” for manual shifting.) A different “E” button separately disables the stop-start, another eco feature that returns automatically whenever the engine starts. Every carmaker is playing for fuel efficiency these days, and the GLA250 earned city/highway ratings of 24 and 32 miles per gallon. At a glance, the GLA’s profile might evoke Volvo or even Subaru wagon, which may account for the immodest size of the three-pointed star in the shiny grille. Inside, however, there are no doubts about its identity. Although the back seats are cramped and the cargo bay is smaller than many sedan trunks, the Anthracite/Black trim recalls the slightly frosty cool of an S-Class, and of course the seat controls are on the doors, where Mercedes-Benz has put them since time began. There’s even an available baby version of COMAND, M-B’s joystick function controller; its screen looks like an iPad Mini mounted on the dash, but the system is easy to use and the graphics are sharp and clear. GLA250 4Matic prices start below $35,000, but of course swell rapidly. With its Premium and Multimedia packages (seat heaters, two-zone automatic HVAC, upgraded entertainment system, voice control, GPS, that LCD screen, a rearview camera and more), our car listed for $41,625. A less-expensive FWD-only GLA is due next spring. An AMG-hotrodded GLA45 4Matic, with 355 horsepower, is available now and costs another eight grand. Back in the early days of the SUV boom, the highest praise that could be heaped upon one of those truck-based wagons was that “it drives almost like a car!” The GLA250, on the other hand, is a compact five-door wagon that has some of the attributes of a sport-ute. It’s also fine way to ease into Mercedes-Benz ownership. Likes - Sleek style, especially for a G-series Mercedes - More compact station wagon than sport-cute - Hits the price-value-cachet sweet spot Dislikes - Dual-clutch transmission sometimes hesitates - Radio can’t be switched off without losing COMAND screen - Door lock button is where my elbow wants to be Silvio Calabi reviews the latest from Detroit, Munich, Yokohama, Gothenburg, Crewe, Seoul and wherever else interesting cars are born. Silvio is a member of the International Motor Press Association whose automotive reviews date back to the Reagan administration. He is the former publisher of Speedway Illustrated magazine and an author. Contact him at [email protected]. By Silvio Calabi More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Dec. 22, 2014 @ 7:04 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501