Mercedes A-Class Review

Post by **Gayno** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 6:47 pm

For the last 3 days, I've had this beast in my possession:

Mercedes A220 CDI Engineered by AMG

It's a demonstrator we've got at work as they're thinking of giving us this option alongside the Audi A3 we currently have.

At first I didn't like it. Boot is tiny (smaller than the A3) and as the rear lights cut into the boot opening, can't get anything too big in it, which is a big downside as we carry IT equipment!

Rear visibility is AWFUL!! Rear screen is tiny anyway, but then the rear headrests cut into the side so really only have a small area you can see out of. Rear side windows aren't much better, so blind spots are massive.

Also, being the 7-speed double clutch auto, all the controls are different. The P-N-D for the gearbox is where you'd normally find the wiper stalk. This means the wiper controls are on the indicator stalk. Very confusing!! This model also has the flappy paddles on the steering wheel, but the gear change is slow in comparison to the VAG DSG double clutch box.

In 3 days, I still haven't worked out how to pair my phone to the bluetooth either, so the interface isn't particularly intuitive. Sat nav is rubbish as it only has 2D map view and you can't turn off the voice guidance, and didn't navigate me correctly to my destination.

Ride a little harsh, but you could live with it. I'm sure the 18 inch alloys with low profile tyres didn't help.

I have however, grown to like it. The cockpit feels big and roomy, and the actual drive I began enjoying, once I'd got used to the box. Seats are supportive and comfortable. Panoramic glass sunroof which slides right the way back.

There's plenty enough power, given it's 168BHP with 350Nm of torque, so shifts if you put it in sport mode and put your foot down!

Unfortunately, it has to go back tomorrow, and I'm back in the Audi. Just hope I can remember to put my foot on the clutch when approaching junctions

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 7:40 pm

I have a 280 slk amg edition with the 7 speed flappy paddles, it too has a slow gearchange, not painfully slow but i have driven quicker. The box is verysmooth and its best left to its own devices to be honest with you rather than faff about with the flappy paddles, i rarely use them. The satnav is jobby as you say with this which was very dissapointing and my phone wont pair to the bluetooth without me buying a bloothtooth adapter that clips in the armrest cubby hole. When i was looking for one of these. i had a very long list of toys i wanted and wasn't. Going to settle for less. Among this list was the £2500 harmon kardon logic 7 stereo with the sat nav. If my car had the normal stereo i can buy an android stereo that basically looks identical to the one in the car for £400 that i could have allsorts of nonsense on but because i HAD to have the harmon kardon it is now a pain in theass to change due to the fibre optic cables it runs on. So as much as i love the car merc have a bit to learn in the in car tecnology as far as im concerned. Having said all this i would have still bought the car i did as it has far more other toys that out weigh the jobby sat nav and extra bluetooth expense. The original buyer spent £13,000 on the options list so me spending £130 on a bluetooth adapter is a small price i suppose

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 7:43 pm

love how easily you're sold on a car gayno. Massive list of really valid points why it's not good, but it has lots of power and you like the seats, so it's back in your good books

GOONIESnvrSAYdie · Post by **GOONIESnvrSAYdie** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:35 pm

One of my mates has just ordered one of these. But the Night Edition model. Just pasted him your review. He came back at me with this:

the wipers on the other stalk is one of the plus points, its like a JDM car. Mine has 3d maps etc, not all of them allow you to pair your phone too. The buttons are there but the Bluetooth module isn't. Like on bmws it's an additional option

'92 Si VTEC · Post by **jjmartin349571** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:38 pm

It's kind of cruel fitting the button and not the equipment - just fit a blank switch and stop taunting your customers who couldn't afford all the options

Post by **Donald** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:40 pm

I like it, separates the patricians from the plebes and lets them know about it

Post by **Gayno** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:17 pm

wurlycorner wrote:
love how easily you're sold on a car gayno. Massive list of really valid points why it's not good, but it has lots of power and you like the seats, so it's back in your good books

yeah..........I still stand by it as a company car for us, it's no good. it's impractical and we'd never actually get this spec, we'd get the poverty spec model.

However just driving around in it, it's an OK car if you wanted something flash and to pose around in

Post by **Gayno** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:19 pm

GOONIESnvrSAYdie wrote:the wipers on the other stalk is one of the plus points, its like a JDM car.

Well yeah, but that same stalk also still does the indicators. It was OK once I'd worked it all out in my head, but for the first day I was constantly having to think where each control was, which made driving it quite tiring!

Post by **Gayno** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:21 pm

GOONIESnvrSAYdie wrote:The buttons are there but the Bluetooth module isn't.

The bluetooth is there, my colleague said he managed when he had it. My point was that I could open up the book and find out, but these systems should be relatively intuitive that it's easy to work out.

I've never had to get the manual out for the system in the Audi I've got, the menus are clearly laid out with all the options.