Best EV Car – New Electric Car Reviews

New Mercedes A-Class review: Better than a BMW 1 Series?

Satisfy the Mercedes A-Class!

The entry-level vehicles to the whole Mercedes range has actually had a mid-life upgrade, and Mat's about to find out if it has what it needs to compete with competitors like , BMW 1 Series & Volkswagen Golf.

Starting with the style, you can see it looks quite damn comparable to the last A-Class. Starting around the back, there are some somewhat revamped taillights, a phony diffuser, and an updated bumper. Around the side it's almost similar, although the AMG-Line edition we have here comes with some slightly prolonged side skirts. Then around the front there's an updated, bigger bumper, some new headlights (LED as basic no less!) and there's a bigger bumper. The AMG Line cut also looks a little more aggressive than the entry-level and truck.

Step inside, and there's one huge update – the A-Class now features a gorgeous infotainment and digital dial dual-screen! It stretches throughout the dash and looks spectacular. Mercedes has also eliminated the touch pad that was used to control the infotainment system, although there are still bothersome touch delicate buttons on the guiding wheel. Usually the cabin is reasonably well made, although appearance a bit closer and you'll find a reasonable couple of littles scratching plastic.

When it comes to engine options, you have a choice in between two fuels, and one diesel. The diesel is a 2-litre with 150hp, while both fuels are 1.3-litre turbos, one with 150hp, and one with 177hp. All and trucks are readily available as front-wheel drive, and they all come with automated transmissions.

The brand-new Mercedes A-Class begins with ₤ 32,000, but is it actually worth it? And is it much better than hatchback rivals like the BMW 1 Series? You'll need to stick to Mat and see for yourself!

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:51 Design
02:40 Interior
04:56 Back Seats
06:25 Boot
07:41 5 Annoying Things
09:40 5 Advantages
11:29 Engines
12:01 Town Driving
12:38 Motorway Driving
13:09 Country Road Driving
13:51 0-60mph
14:25 Verdict

BMW 1 Series review:

evaluation:

Golf review:

AMG A45S review:

Offer your with :

Posted

in

by

EVCarNew

Tags:

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments

71 responses to “New Mercedes A-Class review: Better than a BMW 1 Series?”

  1. Tomas Habarta Avatar
    Tomas Habarta

    Never thought I will see Mat flying with Spitfire during the A-class review

    Reply
    1. Preston P. Avatar
      Preston P.

      He flew a spitfire quite a while ago. I could link you the video of his review which was a pretty cool one if you want.

      Reply
    2. EVERY one sub me I sub you Avatar
      EVERY one sub me I sub you

      Tanks for 600 sub🎉🎉🎉🎉

      Reply
    3. Evann Music Avatar
      Evann Music

      @EVERY one sub me I sub you???

      Reply
    4. Ibrahim Khan 🅥 Avatar
      Ibrahim Khan 🅥

      ​@Preston P.share the link pls

      Reply
  2. Andrew A Avatar
    Andrew A

    The interior actually looks cheaper than that of a newer Mazda for much less money…

    The chrome “stuck on” vents are giving me Max Power Halfords modification vibes

    Reply
    1. E53 Avatar
      E53

      base spec higher trim gets aluminum not gloss black vents

      Reply
    2. Heinz Ketchup Avatar
      Heinz Ketchup

      I don‘t get why anyone would buy this over a Mazda 3 except for the A45 AMG model.
      The Mazda looks better, comes with better stuff for a lower price for each trim level and is probably more efficient too.

      Reply
    3. Anthony José Avatar
      Anthony José

      @Heinz KetchupMazda…3

      Reply
    4. Lolita Pitpong Avatar
      Lolita Pitpong

      And the a180 has a Renault engine

      Reply
    5. Arvin Ghannad Avatar
      Arvin Ghannad

      ​@Lolita Pitpong So as A200

      Reply
  3. Damian Kirstein Avatar
    Damian Kirstein

    I love how people complain about Hyundai and cheap materials, but can’t see how ,,premium” brands are fitting parts badly. I30N for the win 8)

    Reply
    1. Purwanti Allan Avatar
      Purwanti Allan

      The Hyundai and A Class from Mercedes both also have some cheap materials.

      Reply
    2. Oscar Avatar
      Oscar

      Yes but your comparing hyundai’s best car to Mercedes Worst or cheapest car imo.

      Reply
    3. John Shaw Avatar
      John Shaw

      ​@Oscaryou mean cars that cost a similar amount?

      Reply
    4. Andrei Georgesco Avatar
      Andrei Georgesco

      @Oscar How is the i30 hyundai’s best car? It’s literally in the same class as the A.

      Reply
  4. QuattroCam Avatar
    QuattroCam

    Had one when they first came out and tbh, kind of miss it a little, very nice cabin, nice place to be, cruised well despite only being a 200, would have another in the future for sure!

    Reply
    1. TooTrueSheep Avatar
      TooTrueSheep

      my friend owns one of these (2019 model) and he loves it but we both agree it is a really boring car

      Reply
    2. Max Morris Avatar
      Max Morris

      @TooTrueSheep BMW 128ti is a good option if you want fun handling without too much power

      Reply
    3. QuattroCam Avatar
      QuattroCam

      @Max Morris that is a really good shout!

      Reply
    4. QuattroCam Avatar
      QuattroCam

      @tootruesheep872  yeah, sometimes boring can be good, motorway driving in a modified 8v S3 can be very draining and equally boring, drone from the res delete does not help 😅

      Reply
    5. Row Wilson Avatar
      Row Wilson

      Hated when it bottomed out on any hump though

      Reply
  5. Taylor Avatar
    Taylor

    30K! So if you wanted to own it outright you have to pay £625 over 4 years AS IF. If you have on PCP and live with the anxiety of scratching it for 4 years you’ll pay around £300. It’s a joke how expensive it is

    Reply
    1. Marcin Avatar
      Marcin

      and that price is only for base model so you need to add at least 10k , so will be even more 😱

      Reply
  6. Lars Assinck Avatar
    Lars Assinck

    This review shows exactly why I never really like the a class. A decent car for a premium price. About 70% of it’s price is for the badge on the grill

    Reply
    1. TheSequelsSuck _ Avatar
      TheSequelsSuck _

      As for Most things in life of so called premuim brands….

      Reply
    2. Jezzda2 Avatar
      Jezzda2

      I’d say 70% of the price is the badge AND the MBUX system.

      Reply
  7. Owethu Msomi Avatar
    Owethu Msomi

    Small request from Mat Watson. When you give out the prices you always give out the base price of the car which is good, but I would request that you also give out the prices of the fully speced version of it before it moves on to the performance versions, since anyways very few people find themselves buying the base car.

    Reply
    1. Purwanti Allan Avatar
      Purwanti Allan

      This car in my opinion looked like European Supermini.

      Reply
    2. Scott Z Avatar
      Scott Z

      Take the prices with a pinch of salt, they change all the time.

      Reply
    3. Vo. Thomas Avatar
      Vo. Thomas

      Add 60% 🙂

      Reply
    4. Phila Ngundze Avatar
      Phila Ngundze

      That’s a bit more tricky since it can drastically differ market to market, but I understand what you mean.

      Reply
    5. JusJelly Avatar
      JusJelly

      @Purwanti Allandon’t offend mini’s like that

      Reply
  8. munashe muradzikwa Avatar
    munashe muradzikwa

    Watching the water appear and disappear has made me so curious about how many retakes of the same process Matt and his team do in order to come out with a final clip.

    After he poured water into the center console, there are so many edited scenes where the water is gone, and some were the water is back again, but the voice and actions are smooth.

    A lot of work goes into this.. smh 😢😊

    Reply
    1. Purwanti Allan Avatar
      Purwanti Allan

      The Mercedes A Class with update only has 18bhp increase.

      Reply
    2. Thomas Parkins Avatar
      Thomas Parkins

      It was only the b-roll (different camera angles) where the water was gone as far as I could see. The main interior shot of Matt talking all had water!

      Reply
  9. Compelling Tophat Avatar
    Compelling Tophat

    Overall – I think the facelifted A-class is a step down from the pre-facelift.

    The tweaks to the infotainment is nice – but very minor.
    The lack of the touchpad and the objectively worse functioning steering wheel is a huge setback.

    The touchpad was BRILLIANT.

    Reply
    1. Joseph Tranter Avatar
      Joseph Tranter

      Absolutely spot on, the haptic feedback touchpad and steering wheel buttons is a great combination.

      Also all the shortcut buttons around the touchpad!

      Reply
    2. SDav21 Avatar
      SDav21

      Totally agreed. Removing the touch pad is just cost cutting. So too the suspension.

      Reply
  10. dbagdi1998 Avatar
    dbagdi1998

    To be honest they have just removed stuff for the facelift and made it cheaper. No rear arm rest, removed the metal trim, removed the touch pad, removed the rear draw. They have just jacked the price up and removed features

    Reply
    1. Sean McKlo Avatar
      Sean McKlo

      This car is the AMG line the premium has all those things in it!

      Reply
    2. Purwanti Allan Avatar
      Purwanti Allan

      ​@Sean McKloagree. And also classic silver lining.

      Reply
    3. L15EWT Avatar
      L15EWT

      I’ve seen that in a lot of cars recently. A lot of features in the mk7.5 golf were removed or made cheaper in the mk8 golf for example

      Reply
    4. Gabriele Gugliuzza Avatar
      Gabriele Gugliuzza

      They alle do the same. Less things and more screens: price up and cost down.

      Reply
    5. Santana Avatar
      Santana

      @Sean McKlo have a 2021 cla 250 premium plus

      I considered a standard executive package first but there was only a £700 difference as they were both used with under 6k miles

      Both cars had the same features except for bigger screen, pan roof, electric seats. Everything else was identical

      And I never use the touch screen. Only the stupid trackpad mouse thing. Should have had a rotary controller

      Reply
  11. Connortown96 Avatar
    Connortown96

    Not sure if I’m getting old but 32k for a base spec hatchback!! There’s many cars out there I’d much rather have for 32k!

    Reply
    1. Climber sobaka Avatar
      Climber sobaka

      agree

      Reply
    2. L15EWT Avatar
      L15EWT

      My 2020 leon cupra 290 lux was 32k new. Obviously it’s not a Mercedes but it came with adaptive cruise, adaptive dampers and has independent suspension which this doesn’t. And will probably be a lot more fun to drive. Although 32k for a car that doesn’t have those features seems stupid to me

      Reply
    3. Connortown96 Avatar
      Connortown96

      @L15EWT I’d take a Leon Cupra 290 Lux over this A Class in a heartbeat. The Cupra would be entertaining and fun to drive.

      Reply
    4. L15EWT Avatar
      L15EWT

      @Connortown96 not to mention but can still get over 40mpg on my commute to work

      Reply
    5. Connortown96 Avatar
      Connortown96

      @L15EWT that’s impressive with that performance

      Reply
  12. Sean McKlo Avatar
    Sean McKlo

    The facelift actually has less interior ambient lighting, no touchpad, a prettier but less user friendly steering wheel and a less customisable drivers display. Seems like a step forward and more steps backwards for this update. I’ll stick with my pre facelift I think!

    Reply
    1. SDav21 Avatar
      SDav21

      Really?? I didn’t know that. How sad. Does your model have a passenger grab handle? There’s so much cost cutting here with the face-lift. No touch pad. No passenger grab handle. Torsion beam only rear suspension (Pre face-lift you could option multi link and AMG line came standard with multi link). The movable compartment at the back of the Centre console is now fixed. And now less ambient lighting as well??? What a shitty “upgrade”.

      Reply
    2. matthew goodwin Avatar
      matthew goodwin

      @SDav21 My 2020 A250e has the rear compartment removed, along with the sunglasses holder that the earlier models had.

      Reply
    3. SDav21 Avatar
      SDav21

      @matthew goodwin oh no. I wonder why? Probably all things leading up to the facelift A. I’m so disappointed with this brand to be honest. But at least don’t upgrade to the facelift. Have you had any build and material quality issues?

      Reply
    4. Sean McKlo Avatar
      Sean McKlo

      @matthew goodwinyou don’t even have a sunglasses holder?! That’s ridiculous 🙁

      Reply
    5. Sean McKlo Avatar
      Sean McKlo

      @SDav21I have the rear bench arm rest which was said to be on the premium spec and I also don’t have grab handles except the rear but to be truthful you sit so low down and the door is that high up and narrow I don’t think it would be comfy to use it? But would be nice to have!

      Reply
  13. JulliaStark Avatar
    JulliaStark

    The default hatch to recommend to most buyers used to be the Golf. Now I’d say get a Ceed and forget the rest

    Reply
    1. a b Avatar
      a b

      Who calls it a ceed?

      Reply
    2. Iron bolt Avatar
      Iron bolt

      @a bf you mean that nobody calls mercedes a “ceed”, you are correct. There is onle one “ceed” and thats Kia Ceed. I agree, its a good hatch, pretty affordable as well

      Reply
    3. A Z Avatar
      A Z

      New Kia Ceed is lovely, ngl

      Reply
    4. Purwanti Allan Avatar
      Purwanti Allan

      ​@Iron boltmore like it.

      Reply
    5. a b Avatar
      a b

      @Iron bolt looks like it’s not in the US, so I genuinely had no clue was this comment was trying to say😂

      Reply
  14. Harv The Goat Avatar
    Harv The Goat

    From owning a pre facelift yellow a35 premium plus. I’d say the facelift inside looks abit of a downgrade. Those touch buttons on the steering wheel are awful. And I actually liked the touch pad in the centre console (ocd for fingerprints on my screen). With these A class’s it’s premium plus or nothing for me. However, I do think you get a lot of car for the money tech wise. Nothing on the 540i I’m in now however 👊🏻

    Reply
  15. Addil Avatar
    Addil

    The pre-revised version had multi-link suspension on the A250 till mid 2020, which is what I have. It definetly helps the car feel more planted around bumps and corners.

    Reply
    1. 2702 Avatar
      2702

      It was all a250 from 2018 onwards, not 2020

      Reply
  16. thearabiansheepdog Avatar
    thearabiansheepdog

    For me – you’d be crazy to spend £30k on a small car from Mercedes considering what that could buy you from other manufacturers. Madness.

    Reply
  17. dinckelman Avatar
    dinckelman

    I drive a 2004 S-classe, and this is one of the cars I’m considering for the future. Huge shame that everything is creaky and plasticky, and just doesn’t feel premium. My car has wood and leather everywhere, and it still feels solid some 18 years later

    Reply
  18. wi11lam Avatar
    wi11lam

    I actually liked the touchpad a lot in the pre-facelift version! Use it quite a lot rather than having to reach the screen whilst you’re driving.

    Reply
  19. Mata Avatar
    Mata

    As someone who owns a pre-facelift, I’m constantly using the touchpad. It’s far easier than having to lean forward and use the screen which then leaves fingerprints all over it

    Reply
  20. Robert Baird Avatar
    Robert Baird

    That basic suspension on the rear is historic. Not what I would expect on a modern family hatch1

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *