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| Road Test: Mercedes-Benz A-Class (2005-) |
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| Small Family |
by: Gavin Conway |
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Mercedes-Benz A-Class Gallery
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| DRIVING RATING: |
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One of the keys to the A-Class's appeal is that high driving position - about 200mm higher than a saloon - and large glass area, which gives commanding views of the road around you. Handling is much improved over the previous model, too, thanks to the suspension's adaptive damping system. It's a beautifully simple system, where a bypass channel in the shock absorbers stays open when they are subjected to the minor vertical movements that occur in normal driving conditions. This means the shock absorbers offer less resistance for a softer ride. If you press on - pushing hard through a corner, for example - the bypass channel is closed and the shocks stiffen up to control body roll. Pitch the car into a fast corner and you can feel the system at work, tying the car down and limiting roll. Also contributing to a good driving experience is steering that delivers precision, as well as good feedback about available levels of grip. The steering is a speed-sensitive electromechanical set-up, which provides higher levels of assistance at low speeds for ease of manoeuvring and parking around town. The system, which is standard fit on all models, works well at speed but feels a bit over-assisted when pootling around town.
The ride quality varies significantly depending on which engine and tyre combination you go for. The best mix for ride is the smallest petrol engine on the least aggressive 16-inch wheels. On the bigger diesel engine models such as the A200 CDI, the extra weight of the engine demands a stiffer suspension set-up, which detracts from the ride quality. That problem is compounded if you select the larger 17- or 18-inch wheels. Generally, the A-Class's ride quality on the German roads we drove was good. We'll have to wait and see how the A-Class does on our considerably less smooth roads.
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Introduction Seven years after its original launch, Mercedes-Benz has introduced ... |
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