Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £14,290 to £18,645
Low emissions, cheap to run, comfortable, high driving position, quiet cruiser on motorways.
Noisy on start-up, drab interior, slow, no five-door option, pricey.
A serious option if 'green' driving is a priority.
Mercedes knows how to make safe small cars and the A-Class is no exception. The 2005 A-Class achieved an excellent five-star result in the Euro NCAP crash tests, with four stars for child protection though a less impressive two for pedestrian protection. Its so-called 'sandwich' floor has been developed for the engine and transmission to slide underneath, and not into, the cabin in a front-end impact, thus compensating for its short snub nose.
Standard equipment includes hill start assist, brake lights which flash under emergency braking and automatic deployment of interior lighting and hazard flashers in the event of a crash.
All models have front and side airbags, Isofix child seat mounting points and seatbelt pre-tensioners for front and outer rear seats, with rear side airbags and window curtain airbags further options. Electronic stability control with Acceleration Skid Control and Anti-Lock-Braking with Brake Assist are also standard.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes A-Class
wrote on 16 08 2006