Mercedes A Class - thoughts

SpeedFreak

SpeedFreak

SpeedFreak

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My wife is looking at a small hatchback and is pretty set on an A Class (outgoing model) having also tried the 1 Series and A3. I have a slight preference towards the 1 Series but concede that the A Class interior is a nicer place to be.

Our budget is £20k and must haves are facelift, auto, xenons, premium pack and a reasonable engine, most likely the A200 petrol. So far this is looking like a good candidate:

https://listers.co.uk/used/cars/mercedes-benz/a_class/a200_blueefficiency_amg_sport/260047

With the premium pack and panoramic sunroof I think it makes it a reasonably good buy someone stop me if this is over the odds. My wife likes the colour, wheels etc... so talking her out of this one will be tricky but doable if there is a reasonable alternative.

I am not sure how flexible Listers are on price so was hoping that some here have some experience in dealing with them.
 
We have a GLA... Which is a tall A class.......In a word its ****.... Harsh ride, Squeeky interior, Noisy engine (220d) wind noise... Oh and its about to have its 2nd diff swap in 55k miles....(4matic)

Evertime I reach for the seatbelt you hear the sound of really thin cheap plastic on the B pillar..W'eve had a fault (presafe warning error) since we bought the car that MB haven't been able to fix.....And now the cruise control wont reach the target speed... You do 70mph click the stay at 70 by the time the screen has cleared from saying ok, your doing 68 and thats it... It wont go to 70 even though it says its set at 70...

The factory sealed headlight unit filled with water too, so the DRL starting strobing...Another £700'ish luckily under warranty.......

The wife will be swapping for a BMW as soon as she can...

YMMV but thats the last Merc I think we'll ever buy....Never had a BMW but have had several MB including a 55AMG
 
Hmm, sounds like you've been a bit unlucky. The A Class at leas doest not have a diesel or 4matic so diffs aren't an issue. I compared the pre and post facelift and do think the facelift interior seems better put together.

Any thoughts on main dealer price flexibility? I'm thinking of going in with £19.5k delivered. Alternatively I could ask them to give me 1 year of inclusive servicing, full tank of fuel etc.. and pay asking. Another option would be to try for an additional year of warranty after it expires next October.
 
I didn't much like the 2016 A200d (I think?) hire car I had. The auto gearbox with the underpowered engine was painful. The multimedia system was no where near as good as the in the BMW (or Audi!). It looked good though, and drove alright.

Certainly wouldn't spend anywhere near £20,000 on one.

Have you had a look at the F20 BMW 1 Series? When my car was in for some warranty work, I had a brand new 116i as a courtesy car, which I was dreading, but I was very surprised by it and really really liked it actually. It handled well, the iDrive was great and although the engine didn't have a lot of power it never felt lethargic or strangled.
 
I have an F11 5 Series and my wife has become an even bigger fan of iDrive since we got a new Volvo XC60 with the pain that is a touch screen. But she really has her heart set on the A Class. We test drove the A200 and the engine felt good and well matched to the auto box, the diesel is down on power and also unrefined in comparison. I appreciate the sentiment that 20k is a lot, but looking through the options the next best was a non facelift 15 plate with 49k at £16k from a broker. On that basis buying a newer, lower mileage and better specified example in the colour she prefers seems like it's not a crazy premium to pay. On top of that it will be under warranty with MB.
 
Brand new
MERCEDES-BENZ A CLASS DIESEL HATCHBACK A200D AMG LINE PREMIUM PLUS 5DR AUTO

£25k

It seems paying £20k for a second hand A200 (petrol) is well over priced.
 
Thanks, the best I see is just shy of 26k with the Night pack. I know it sounds silly when spending 20k but I don't think the extra 5-6k is good value with a new shape due out imminently. Personal preference is the a200 vs the a200d, there is no longer s significant diesel premium in the used market.
 
I wasn't recommending buying a new one, just saying that the used ones you were looking at seemed over priced.

How long are you intending on keeping the vehicle? :)
 
Quinnaay said:
Driven the A200 and found it very bland.. that being said might be what your wife is after. Nice looking cars.
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Agree that it is a plain engine but it has enough go for her. If it was my choice I'd have an M135/140 but all I can do is guide a little and negotiate the price lol.
 
Deus Ex said:
Why not a C class? A classes seem desperately common with the young professionals living in our area.
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Logically we wouldn't change the 5 but she feels it is too big. The C Class is also not small enough in her eyes. Her sister has one and she likes it but prefers the look of an A Class.
 
You could also look at the Infiniti (sorry, forget the name). Pretty much the same car, but likely to be cheaper s/h as no one knows what it is.
 
Mr_Sukebe said:
You could also look at the Infiniti (sorry, forget the name). Pretty much the same car, but likely to be cheaper s/h as no one knows what it is.
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We looked at the Q30 but she preferred the look of the a class. I've spoken with the dealer so will see what flexibility the have. Happy to wait around for a while but the above example is pretty good. Premium plus, petrol, night pack and best colour in my wife's eyes.
 
It's in her head that she wants a hatchback so a C Class is off the list, as is a 3 series, either of which are probably better. We've tried all the offerings from Audi, Mercedes and BMW and she doesn't want a Golf. Of the three, personally I think the A Class has the most interesting cabin, BMW the best infotainment, Audi the best overall fit/finish. In terms of engines, I think all three have fine offerings in petrol guise and her mileage doesn't warrant diesel.
 
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