Mercedes-Benz A-Class Review (2013-2018)
Mercedes-Benz A-Class cars for sale
3.0
Expert review
Pros
Stylish, high-quality interior
Mighty performance from AMG hot hatch
Diesels are very fuel efficient
Cons
Tight rear headroom
Uncomfortable ride
Awkward boot opening
The CarGurus verdict
The third-generation Mercedes A-Class was an immensely popular car thanks to its smart looks and its desirability, and it had plenty more going for it besides. The interior was high in quality, and there was a good amount of luxury and safety kit provided. The car did have some fairly fundamental flaws, though. The ride was firm and uncomfortable for too much of the time, the handling was unremarkable, and many of the engines offered merely reasonable performance. Refinement on the move also wasn’t as strong as in key rivals, and although reasonably spacious, practicality was undermined by clumsy pieces of design.
All things considered, the A-Class isn’t a bad car by any means, and if you have your heart set on one, we wouldn't urge you to reconsider. However, an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series do most things better for similar money, while there are plenty of other more humble family hatchbacks out there that’ll do a better job in most areas for significantly less cash.
Perhaps the biggest problem, though, was the A-Class’s ride comfort, or rather, the shortage of it. The firm suspension caused the car to judder and jitter over craggy urban surfaces, while bigger bumps and potholes really jolted into the cabin. And that’s on the standard suspension: some versions came with a lowered sports suspension, which was even less comfortable. Neither delivered the serene experience you expect from a Merc.
This would’ve been more forgiving if the car delivered pin-sharp handling, but it wasn’t great there, either. Body roll was well contained once the car had settled into a bend, but there was an initial sideways slop before that happened which made the car feel more cumbersome than it was. The steering was also rather remote and inconsistently weighted. Both the A-Class’ bitter rivals – the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series – were considerably more enjoyable to drive. Both were quieter, too. Wind and road noise were more effectively isolated than in the Mercedes, and the A-Class’ engines – especially the diesels – were appreciably more vocal. While the performance they delivered was adequate, it was no great shakes either, with the key rivals feeling more eager more of the time.
There was an exception to that in the form of the hot hatch version, the A45 AMG, which was scintillatingly quick and unflappably capable. In fact, this was one of the finest cars of its type, and certainly the fastest. Unlike most other A-Class models, which are front-wheel drive, the A45 AMG uses 4Matic four-wheel drive.
Being a premium product, prices for this generation of A-Class are higher than those on your average hatchback of a similar vintage. However, they’re very close to those of the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series due to the similarity between the three in original price and residual value.
According to official figures, your fuel economy on the regular versions could be anywhere between 40mpg and 80mpg. The highest figures predictably belong to the cleanest versions of the 1.5-litre diesel, while the worst belong to the A45 and the A250 petrol with four-wheel drive. Most of the diesels will beat 60mpg, while most of the other petrols should return in excess of 50mpg.
On Vehicle Excise Duty (commonly known as road tax), the amount you pay will largely depend on when your car was registered. If it was after 1 April 2017, then you’ll pay £150 per year due to the introduction of a flat rate for all petrol and diesel cars. The exception to this is the A45 AMG, which is also subject to a £325 surcharge between years two and five of the car’s life, due to the fact it cost more than £40,000 when new. Cars registered before this date pay VED according to their CO2 emissions. Most of the A180 diesels are completely exempt, but even those that aren’t will only cost you £20 or £30 per year. It’s a similar story on the A200 and A220 diesels, although a few versions of the A220 do creep up to £125 per year. That’s what you’ll pay on the A160 and A180 petrol, while bills on the A200 petrol range between £125 and £150. A250 buyers pay between £165 and £205 depending on spec, while A45 buyers pay between £205 and £240.
Insurance costs should be pretty reasonable on most versions. Groupings on the regular versions range between 13 and 34 (for reference, cars in group one are the cheapest to insure and cars in group 50 are the most expensive), but the versions most people will buy sit in the mid- to late teens. You’ll need deep pockets to insure the AMG, though, with groups of between 43 and 45. You’ll also need to budget quite a bit extra for tyres.
If you’re expecting your premium German car to guarantee bullet-proof reliability, then you’ll be disappointed. The three German prestige brands usually sit towards the foot of the table in various reliability surveys (including Warranty Direct’s Reliability Index and JD Power’s UK Vehicle Dependability Study), although to be fair, Mercedes usually marginally outperforms rivals Audi and BMW.
Thankfully, the common problems we’ve heard of with the A-Class seem to be relatively minor. For example, the most regularly reported is one of rattly seatbelts, which isn’t exactly going to be an engine-out job to fix. We’ve also heard various reports from buyers about water leaking into the cabin in a variety of different places, so have a thorough check of all the carpets in the footwells and the boot (don’t forget to look in the spare wheel well, too) for any signs of moisture or mould. This is important to do as it can cause electrical problems if it doesn’t get sorted.
Several recalls were issued during the car’s life, a number of them involving the airbags, for either not going off, or going off at the wrong time. The starter and the brake booster vacuum line also needed recall work, so check that this has all been carried out before buying.
- Despite its many flaws, the mk3 A-Class was incredibly popular. This was mainly down to its smart looks and its desirable badge, while its impressive cabin build quality also made the car feel upmarket and aspirational. The comparatively generous amount of clever safety and luxury equipment did the feeling of class no harm whatsoever, and neither did low finance rates. Whatever the reason, as a result, there are plenty of examples on the used market today - so if you decide you want one, you can afford to be choosy.
- In 2015, the A-Class underwent a facelift. The visual differences were of the blink-and-you-miss-them variety, but the changes under the bonnet were more considerable. One or two new engines were added to the range, and some of the existing ones were given more power and better efficiency. Also, it was at this point in time that Mercedes dropped the ‘CDI’ tag for its diesel engines, meaning for example that the A220 CDI now became known as the A220d. Inside, the facelift also brought a larger infotainment screen and smartphone integration.
- If you’re a fan of hot hatches, pub facts, bragging rights, or all of the above, then the high-performance A45 AMG version will be a godsend for you. It was the fastest, most powerful hot hatch of its period, with a mighty 376bhp from its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. That also endowed it with the status of having the most powerful four-cylinder engine in series production at the time. You felt every ounce of that power, too, because the way it accelerated was absolutely brutal.
- If you’re on a budget: The cheapest version was the A160, which had a 1.6-litre petrol engine with 101bhp and a manual gearbox. It’s just about up to the job of hauling the A-Class’ body around, and it’s fine in town, but you might well find yourself wanting a bit more urgency when you’re overtaking or joining the motorway.
- If you want that extra urgency: We’d advise upgrading to the A180, which uses a 120bhp version of the same engine. It’s still not exactly quick, but the extra performance does make your progress a little less laboured. What’s more, you might even pick up an A180 for less than an A160 if you’re happy to buy an older car. That’s because while the A180 was available from launch, the A160 was introduced much later during the 2015 facelift.
- If you want a diesel: We’d recommend the A180d for great mpg. Its Renault-sourced 1.5-litre engine has 107bhp, and as well as very impressive fuel economy, it delivers presentable performance. You could upgrade to one of the more powerful diesels (both the A220d and A220d use 2.1-litre engines) but these are noisier and thirstier.
- If you want speed: It simply has to be the A45 AMG. Not only was it the quickest car of its type in a straight line, it was also incredibly capable in the bends thanks to strong body control and huge grip and traction from the standard four-wheel-drive system. Early examples felt a little bit detached regardless of their speed, but the facelift bought some suspension tweaks that made the car much more involving, so it’s worth hunting down a post-facelift example if you can.
