Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant

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Fri 23 May 2014 22:16
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - scot22

Despite some negatives the previous model A class meets more of our motoring needs than most others. This afternoon went to local main dealers to look at a couple.

One was a CVT avantgarde diesel. On a previous post Avant warned of effect over time of excessive noise. I was prepared. Towards the end of the drive I remarked on it and was told that I would get used to it. Although not a lot by Mercedes prices I think when spending £11,000 you deserve more than something you get used to. Avant didn't - so I wasn't going to try and walked away. Thanks for the benefit of your experience Avant.

Also having been told my motoring needs he could have advised that diesel wasn't really suitable. Again, thanks to what I learned here, I knew a diesel would be wrong. I really had the drive to experience CVT - apart from diesel related noise, it seemed fine to me.

An unrelated thought was how much of main dealer prices go to support plush premises and receptionists making coffee for customers - nice but not needed.

A repeat thanks to everyone who has improved my car knowledge.

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Fri 23 May 2014 22:51
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - daveyjp
Thats the way, go in there to gain knowledge and don't be afraid of walking if all isn't right.

What year and mileage was the car? We bought an end of production A160 petrol manual late last year and it will be interesting to compare prices.

They are glass palaces, unfortunately whilst you and I are buying bottom end stuff, some do spend over £100,000 in these places and you would't do that from a back street lock up.

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Fri 23 May 2014 23:28
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - Leif
I always wanted an old style A class Mercedes, but a year back I had one for three days as a loaner. It was awful. I kept banging my head trying to get in and out. It felt cramped due to all the fancy plastics. The performance was poor. Frankly my tiny VW Up is roomier, cheaper, with better fuel consumption and performance. I'm sure other city cars are better too. It seemed like a big car maker tried to make a small car using big car ideas.
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Fri 23 May 2014 23:55
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - bathtub tom

My local MB dealer's Sytner. Enough to prevent me ever going there.

I'm a motor sport fan!

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Sat 24 May 2014 03:47
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - SteveLee

My local MB dealer's Sytner. Enough to prevent me ever going there.

I'm a motor sport fan!

The best dealer I've ever had anything to do with by miles was a motorsport company - TWR near Rugby where I bought a Jag XJR from. They even bought me a motorcycle trackday as a prezzie out the blue noting I was a motorcyclist. Ironically I believe Sytner bought the franchise.

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Sat 24 May 2014 11:34
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - scot22

I'm pleased you like your VW Up. The Which independent car review says it has ' *Underpowered engines *Cramped for rear passengers * Stability control not standard on all models' It says Mercedes A class ' Spacious cabin and good fit and finish' It gives the A class 72% and Up 73% - not a lot between them.

I said at the start it had negatives. I wonder why some people seem to want to rubbish other's preferences and praise what they've bought.

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Sat 24 May 2014 13:21
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - Avant

Happy to have helped, Scot22.

The old-shape A-class has quite a lot going for it, provided you buy a petrol. The new shape costs a lot more than a VW Golf and doesn't offer anything extra.

One good thing about the B-class that I had some years ago was the dealer (Greenoaks in Reading, who are probably called something else now). I didn't feel that I was being treated any worse than if I'd been buying an S-class.

The strange thing is that Mercedes doesn't seem to have responded to the criticism of diesel noise: road tests still say that the 4-cylinder diesels are unrefined, even from inside the car. The 6-cylinders are fine.

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Sat 24 May 2014 13:48
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - Alby Back
My wife had an "old" A Class from new in 1999. It was an A170 diesel semi auto Avantgarde. I thought it was ok but she didn't get on with it. I suppose her main dislike was the gear change arrangement and to an extent I agree. An odd set up where there was no clutch pedal but the gears still had to be changed manually.

It was comfortable enough and surprisingly versatile. I used it for work a few times when my car was in for servicing or whatever. You could remove every seat except the driver's one making a remarkably large loadspace for such a small car.

Very economical on fuel too. Anyway, like I said, she didn't get on with it and we sold it on after only 6 months. Took a fair hit financially but sometimes you just have to accept that you have made a mistake.

It's replacement was a very second hand Corsa which she quite liked, but then she went and got pregnant and found that too small after the baby arrived.

That was fairly quickly replaced by a Mondeo estate which she loved for its versatility. That had the odd effect of putting two of those on our drive. Hers for kiddy transport and mine as a workhorse.

Tangentially, I borrowed an Insignia diesel automatic from our company fleet the other day and found that astonishingly noisy.
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Sat 24 May 2014 14:02
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - scot22

I suppose it you do the mileage then you might be willing to put up with the noise. Although, as Avant said, its surprising that it has not been improved. The salesman also said how good it would be in snow. I'm in the happy position where I choose if I want to go out or not - not, when it is bad weather.

My wife took over a W168 Avantgarde auto which her father had owned. Although it was semi-automatic it could just be left in auto. Manual use could be engaged if required, e.g sharper acceleration.

I like your philiosophy in just accepting it was a mistake ( they happen ) and move on. With some of the informative posts on here I am now in a much better position to make a good choice ( e.g I will never buy a diesel with my motoring ). Although it is a case of balancing pro's/con's - not the perfect car yet.

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Sat 24 May 2014 14:28
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - SteveLee

If you get a bad gen 1 A-Class then it's be a never ending money-pit. The quality was awful - get a good one then well done! IMHO The ride is pretty poor and road noise on concrete is unacceptable. Still - it has a nice shiny pointy star badge to impress the gullible. Can be a good car - but you're talking a risk buying one.

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Sat 24 May 2014 15:00
Mercedes A Class - Thanks Avant - scot22

My wife's was 168 and did cost a fair bit in repairs. The 169 is recognised as being far superior. It is not the pointy star that impresses ( well maybe any gullible buyer ) but the high standard in all aspects of the car. Unlike the aspects of, shall we say, bargain class ! Although I am not knowledgeable about cars I am very experienced in research and quality control.

Edited by scot22 on 24/05/2014 at 15:01

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