My task is simple: to find someone who agrees to pay the stated amount for this car. I don't plan to sell it myself, nor buy it. But I'm curious how many hunters will be willing to shell out 30 thousand euros for a Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Exactly like the one in our test: in the Avantgarde version, with a two-liter engine and a CVT. And with manual rear window regulators. It turns out the Germans can joke too.
The jokes, by the way, don't end with manual window regulators. My A200 had neither climate control nor leather interior — just air conditioning and leatherette inserts in the seats. Plus front-wheel drive, which was quite atypical for Mercedes until recently. Laughable, really.
But seriously, it's much deeper than that. This is a real Mercedes-Benz — without a hint of frivolity. If the previous A-Class (by the way, the first front-wheel-drive Mercedes) was playful and rounded, with a plastic interior and a funny rear pillar, the new one is extremely serious. All smooth lines have been replaced by broken ones — both outside and inside. And after the debut of the new S-Class, it's immediately clear from whom the little one borrowed its "look." However, both the headlights and the new sculpted body of the A-Class appeal to me. The interior is also quite "adult" — without excessive pomp, but solid.
If not for the lack of xenon, at night the A-Class headlights could easily be mistaken for those of the "senior" S-Class.
Whether the car is good — I could answer after the first ten minutes behind the wheel. Yes, it's good. But almost 30 thousand euros for a small car, even with a three-pointed star on the hood, and even in a modest trim? Does anyone even need it? Maybe those who haven't grown up to the S-Class yet but really want a Mercedes? Unlikely — such people would rather take a used but big and "real" E or S-Class. They wouldn't even glance at the A200. However, let's leave this question to the marketers in Stuttgart. And we'd better figure out what this car really is.
In principle, the Mercedes looks good everywhere. But it's best in the appropriate surroundings.
Unlike big Mercedes, the A-Class (and with it the B-Class built on its platform) is front-wheel-drive with a transversely mounted engine. This is what allowed the car to be spacious despite its compact dimensions. Thanks to the short front end, the driver was moved forward, freeing up space for rear passengers and luggage. Safety didn't suffer — the A-Class has an original energy-absorbing "sandwich" floor structure, which earned it the highest 5 stars in the EuroNCAP crash test. I didn't want to test it personally, but evaluating everything else — absolutely.
And here's what I found out. The Mercedes-Benz A200 is not just a small car with a loud name. It's a car with a very high level of engineering. Nowadays almost all manufacturers make decent cars where the technology is up to par. But Mercedes stands out because here literally everything is polished to a shine. It differs in little things that, in sum, give that rare feeling of total quality and thoughtfulness that Mercedes are famous for.
Take the seating position, for example. On tall cars (and not only) there are often problems with it: either the steering wheel is positioned wrong, or the pedals are uncomfortable. Here everything is perfect — because of that very "sandwich" double floor, the seat is positioned high, so you sit like in a regular car with normally extended legs. Just a bit higher. Everything is at hand, ergonomics are excellent. And visibility is good — unlike many tall cars, the A-Class doesn't have additional triangular windows in the front pillars that obstruct the view. In this car, I'd agree to participate in a reverse race — rear visibility is simply wonderful. The side mirrors are positioned unusually low, but it's just unusual, not inconvenient. Moreover, they are excellent, allowing you to see cars even "through a row."
And the interior quality matches. Mercedes makes plastic soft not only in places where journalists will touch it to check quality, but also where the owner touches it while driving. For example, above the knees it's not just soft. It's very, very soft — if you press against it, you won't feel any discomfort. And with what a refined sound the glove box closes! And how well the seats distribute load! And how pleasantly your hands rest on the soft leather steering wheel! And also: despite the fact that the A-Class gets dirty quite quickly, the door handles, mirrors, and sills remain clean. This is no accident — in Stuttgart they meticulously work out "dirty" aerodynamics too. So, despite the bad weather, during the test I saved a bit of money on soap and laundry detergent. Of course, all these are little things. But there are many of them, and all come standard in any Mercedes.
Inside it's spacious, comfortable, and high-quality. As it should be in a Mercedes.
Even from prehistoric times, when the Mercedes-Benz brand didn't exist, the main trait of its cars was already defined — comfort and smoothness of ride. And every time a new model was developed, the creators tried to bring them to perfection. But now sporty suspensions, low-profile tires, and "sharp" handling are in fashion. And Mercedes-Benz follows the trend. The A-Class's reactions to steering input are precise, unambiguous, and without delay. Turn the wheel — and the A200 changes direction without hesitation or body roll. And it takes corners like on rails. And if you "load" the front end a bit by lightly pressing the brake with your left foot before a turn — it will just dart to the side! Very quickly. Moreover, you feel the entire maneuver from start to finish — there's enough feedback on the steering wheel. So the A-Class handles very well and confidently. Even though it's tall and... comfortable. Yes, Mercedes isn't going to betray its ideals. The improved handling didn't come at the expense of comfort — the Germans remain faithful to their idol. The cabin isn't noisy. You don't feel the speed, as usual. The suspension, of course, can't be called outright soft, but it's not stiff either. At the same time, it's very elastic, like a pumped-up ball. With the only exception that the A200 doesn't bounce on bumps but constantly presses tightly to the road.
Don't be fooled by the A-Class's "minivan" appearance — it can drive fast.
There's one more thing — driver comfort. Unlike some (let's not point fingers), the A200 doesn't suffer from nervous or mental disorders. It's not twitchy, doesn't wander at speed, doesn't jump on bumps, and the steering wheel doesn't try to tear itself from your hands. The car does everything calmly, allowing the driver to think less about the quality of the road under the wheels. And it allows a lot. It won't interfere with taking a corner (or even two) quickly and will condescendingly forgive even a rough driving error. Braking in "inappropriate" conditions? No problem, the A-Class will maintain the directional stability of a freight train. The main thing is that it doesn't "derail," but here there seem to be no fears — if you "overdo" the speed in a corner, the car, after squealing its tires for decency (what are you doing, you brute?!), will transition into a very smooth and fully controlled understeer. Reliable, predictable, and safe. In short, the A-Class doesn't try to seem like a sports car, but it can do a lot. And driving it doesn't require any special skills or talents from the driver.
And I almost forgot to tell you about the gearbox. The CVT is a thing! It doesn't "lag," doesn't jerk, but works exactly as it should. Moreover, there's a feeling of almost a rigid connection with the engine, like on a regular manual. You press the gas and get an almost instant response. As a result, at first I drove not smoothly but constantly pressing and releasing the gas pedal — to feel once more how quickly and accurately the A200 accelerates in response to its press. It accelerates, by the way, quite well, although the two-liter engine with 136 hp is clearly not from a sports car. But the main thing in the A-Class isn't dynamics, but how convenient it is to control. And for those who like to race, there's the 190-hp A200 turbo version. Although what "race" — move quickly. After all, it's a Mercedes. The CVT also has a manual mode with 5 fixed "virtual" gears, but why is it here? Everything is fine as is.
