Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £14,290 to £18,645
Much better perceived quality in cabin, it's very good to drive, even more spacious inside
Get the wrong tyre/engine combo and the ride quality goes off, still only five seats available
From the standpoint of dynamics and perceived quality the new A-Class is a huge improvement. Adding a three-door model was a masterstroke.
In spite of wearing the most prestigious badge in the industry, the outgoing A-Class was comprehensively outclassed for residual (retained) values by the likes of the Audi A3 and VW Golf. And while the Audi and VW are much newer cars than the aging previous generation A-Class, the Merc's values weren't helped by quality and reliability issues. Add to that its association with the rather plebeian Easycar daily rental firm and it's not hard to understand why this was the heaviest depreciating Merc in the range. The new car should go a long way to redressing that with its increased size and at least the surface perception that quality has come a long way. Insurance costs should be competitive with the likes of VW's Golf, and Mercedes has taken steps to make the new A-Class as repair-friendly as possible, such as the front 'crash boxes' that help absorb energy in impacts up to 10mph, thereby reducing damage to major body panels. Fuel economy is good for the petrol engine range, outstanding for the diesels.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes A-Class
wrote on 16 08 2006