Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £14,290 to £18,645
Economical diesels; stop-start technology; clever parking aid; easy to drive; safe; Mercedes image.
Cabin not very versatile; not really a five-seater; very expensive for what it is.
A ground-breaker in its time, but rivals can now do the job as well - and cheaper.
Mercedes-Benz has sold some 1,700,000 A-Classes since launch of the innovative original A-Class in 1999. The A-Class - somewhere between a compact MPV and a conventional supermini in concept, with a high roof and driving position yet modest exterior dimensions - has proved its worth as a city car for the better-off, as well as serving well on certain low-cost rental fleets.
Updates in 2004 brought a three-door option, much-improved handling and a larger close relation called B-Class, and now 2008's tweaks promise improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.
These made-over models (on sale July 2008) get some minor cosmetic nips and tucks, including reshaped headlights, new bumpers, larger door mirrors, a shorter radio aerial - now carwash-compatible, says Mercedes - and a redesigned grille. The interior has also been freshened up, and new options include Active Park Assist, a clever parking aid.
Most importantly, however, from autumn 2008 the petrol-engined, manual-gearbox A150 and A170 gain stop-start technology to automatically cut the engine when idling and then restart, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by around 9%. This same system will also be fitted in the A160 CDI diesel later in the year, along with further weight-reducing measures and aerodynamic enhancements.
The revised range consists of A150, A170, A160 CDI and A180 CDI models, with trim levels badged Classic SE, Elegance SE and Avantgarde SE. A seven-speed CVT auto gearbox with sequential-shift function, called Autotronic, is optional. Prices start from a hefty £14,365.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes A-Class
wrote on 16 08 2006