2024 Mercedes Benz A-Class Review: Prices and Specs

The Mercedes A-Class has been through more reinventions than David Bowie. In the 90s, it started out as an innovative MPV-shaped hatchback that didn’t like corners. By the time the third-generation model arrived in 2012, it had morphed into a conventional family hatchback. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good one. It had a bone-shaking ride, was noisy, and was completely outclassed by its main rivals, the Audi A3 and the BMW 1 Series.

Thankfully, this fourth-generation car is much, much better. It was launched back in 2018, but it’s just had a facelift.

Design Upgrades

Talking about the design of the revised Mercedes A-Class, the rear is a little bit generic looking. Now, updates Mercedes has made include some slightly redesigned tail lights and a redesigned lower bumper. Also, they got rid of the awful fake exhausts which was embarrassing.

Moving down the sides, there are some new alloy wheel designs starting at 17 inches, which is too small, up to 19 inches. The AMG lines also get these extended side skirts that make them look like they’re hugging the road a bit more.

Moving to the front, updates include some redesigned lights; they’re all LED now. Plus, a slightly larger bumper with the Mercedes signs in there, as well as a big one on the front and another one on the bonnet. Also, there’s a redesigned lower bumper, and once again, the AMG line has a slightly more aggressive look to it than the standard version.

Interior Enhancements

Inside, there have been some more significant changes. But first, what’s been carried over from the pre-facelifted car? Well, the dashboard is identical, so you’ve still got these turbine-style air vents up here and this climate control panel down here. The driving position is unchanged as well, so there’s still a lot of adjustment in the steering wheel and the seat.

If you go for an AMG line version, you get these sports seats as standard with integrated headrests. In that respect, they’re not the most comfortable in the world because they do push your head forward, but they do hold you in place a little bit better than the comfortable seats you get on entry-level sports edition trim.

Quality is pretty good, certainly in terms of how upmarket and expensive the materials feel. So, you’ve got lots of squidgy plastic and faux suede on the dashboard and the same on the insides of the doors. There’s some pretty convincing metal effect down on the centre console and on the steering wheel as well.

Although these seats aren’t real leather unless you go for an A35 or A45 hot hatch version, they don’t feel at all cheap or plasticky, and that’s the important thing. To be honest, many buyers these days will prefer not to have real cowhide anyway. Build quality is a different thing, though, and some of the fixtures in here do feel a little bit wobbly and less robust than you might expect. The Audi A3 and the BMW 1 Series are more conservative inside and arguably perhaps even a little bit boring, but they do feel that bit more solid and just better screwed together.

Infotainment

In terms of infotainment and connectivity features, The A-class comes with two 10.25-inch screens. located side by side, these touchscreen displays come as standard across all models. The infotainment system is user-friendly, featuring a snappy touchscreen and an effective voice control system. Standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a wireless charging pad.

Back Seats

Getting in the back isn’t exactly difficult, although you do have to duck under the roof there. Once you’re inside, you will find a reasonable amount of space. Actually, there’s a reasonable amount of knee room there, about the same as you’ll find in an Audi A3. The BMW 1 Series does have a little bit more space in the back, and obviously, if you’re prepared to not have a premium badge, there are roomier cars in this class, like the Ford Focus and the Skoda Octavia.

In terms of Headroom, it is pretty impressive; again, no issues there. It is worth noting, though if you go for a version with a panoramic glass roof, that reduces the height of the ceiling a little bit. As with most other cars in this class, there is a big transmission tunnel on the floor down here, so life isn’t that comfortable for the middle passenger. In terms of carrying three people in the back at once, well, it’s sort of doable.

It’s a bit of a squeeze, and this central seat is quite narrow and firm, but the footwells are large enough for everyone’s feet even though there is a bit of a hump in the floor. If you need to, you can actually fold down the central seat to carry longer items or maybe use it as an armrest if you really want to. You’ve got some exposed ISOFIX anchor points there, which make it really easy to fit a baby seat. There is a bit of a struggle to get it in because the rear doors don’t open all that wide.

A-Class Cargo Space

Moving to the boot space. The A-Class’s load capacity is ever so slightly smaller than its key competitors. So, you’ve got 350 litres of space. By comparison, an Audi A3 has 380 litres of space, so it’s just over 10 per cent larger in volume. Another thing about this car is that you can’t alter the height of the floor like you can in some of its competitors. As a result, there’s a bit of a load to lift things over, which is annoying if you’ve got heavy luggage like this. Oh no. There are a few tie-down points and places where you can hang things off. If you need to carry larger items, you can fold down the rear seats, and they split three-way.

Engine Options

Two different engine options are available for the A-Class: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 208 horsepower and a 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 136 horsepower. A dual-clutch automatic transmission is used with both engines. There are also high-performance AMG versions, the A35 for those seeking more power.

The top-of-the-line AMG A 35 model gains even more power from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 295 lb-ft of torque and 302 horsepower. Along with AMG-specific bodywork, a sport-tuned suspension, and an AMG performance exhaust system, it has all the characteristics of the A 250. Sport seats and AMG embellishments make the interior even more opulent. Mercedes claims that the 177-horsepower A-Class can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 8.3 seconds.

Driving Experience

Town Driving

The Mercedes A-Class is a very easy, relaxing car to drive in town. Visibility is pretty good. A little bit of a blind spot, though, on the rear quarter when you’re pulling out of junctions like that. However, everything else is nice and easy and simple to use. The steering is light, and the turning circle is pretty tight, 11 meters. It’s not bad. It makes it easier to do U-turns in town. The automatic gearbox does a good job of switching gears, and the brakes are quite progressive, so you don’t end up headbutting the steering wheel when you brush the pedal.

Motorway Driving

It’s quite smooth and delivers good performance. In this particular car, it’s the 177-horsepower version. Now, as you’re going at higher speeds, you do notice a little bit of wind noise from there. As for the economy, well, this thing is averaging 39 miles per gallon, which isn’t stellar but it’s not awful either.

Country Road Driving

When you come to a twisty road, the Mercedes A-Class handles pretty well. The steering feels nice accurate and fairly sharp. The body remains pretty flat through the bends; it doesn’t lean over too much. One problem I do notice, though, is if you hit a bump mid-corner, it can skip sideways slightly. Part of the reason for that is the fact that you haven’t got an independent rear suspension, and one bump on one rear wheel is actually transmitted through to the other rear wheel. As a result, this car doesn’t feel quite as sure-footed or planted when the road gets a little bit bumpy and out of shape compared to, say, a BMW 1 Series. If you want to see my full in-depth video review of that car, click on the pop-out banner up there or the link in the description below.