Mercedes-Benz A180 CDI Classic 2009 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $39,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metro pack ($1100)
Crash rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 5.2
CO2 emissions (g/km): 137
Also consider: VW Golf, Audi A3

Overall rating: 2.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 2.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 2.0/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0

About our ratings

In more ways than one, Mercedes-Benz broke traditional guidelines when it introduced the A-Class to Australia in October 1998. The pint-size Benz was not just tiny -- it was front-wheel drive, offered passive safety standards that would normally apply to a much larger car, and it looked, well... Weird.

The high and narrow proportions were not just something new for Mercedes -- they heralded the arrival of a new pragmatism in car design that turned a blind eye to conventional aesthetics. The little car had a dual-level, dual-function 'sandwich' floor that left room for battery packs and fuel cells while channelling impact forces away from the passenger cell to give exceptional crash protection.

The arrival of A-Class phase two in 2005 (the W169) saw early tippy-toe dynamics banished via a wider-tracked, more attractive vehicle. An overall enlargement made everything much more commodious and practical. It was also made available three-door "coupe" and five-door "sedan" body styles.

Despite the generational growth, the A-Class is still compact. At a little more than 3.8 metres long, a bit less than 1.8 metres wide and standing relatively tall at a tad below 1.6 metres, the littlest Benz packs an awful lot into a space normally occupied by the likes of a Hyundai Getz.

The secret, of course, is in the height. Where an A-Class makes even a Volkswagen Polo seem long, it stands tall and proud, head and shoulders above most conventional light cars. This means seat heights can be raised to provide a less knees-up position and boost legroom.

Now Mercedes-Benz has had its first fiddle with the W169. There is not much about the restyle that is startlingly new, but the company has focussed attention where it counts -- upgrading appearance to fit nicely with latest-generation bigger Benzes and adding tasty features including a new turbodiesel variant -- the A 180 CDI. Other tweaks aimed at improving the safety offering include adaptive brake lights that flash during emergency braking and a hill-holder function to make for easier takeoffs.

And, as optional, it is now also possible to order your A-Class with the Benz Parktronic active parking assist system that allows the car to manoeuvre itself into already tight spots with little other than token control from the driver. Active parking comes as part of the Metro pack that also includes CVT transmission and a rear 12-volt power socket (our test car deleted the CVT in place of the regular six-speed manual gearbox).

The new look basically comprises an all-body refresh with a new, bolder grille, new headlights and front bumper, new (alloy on all versions) wheels and bigger external rearview mirror housings. As is usual with mid-life facelifts, interest lessens towards the rear, where a new set of taillight lenses and a re-garnished bumper (with oval exhaust outlet) just about sum it up.

Inside, the latest A-Class gets improved fabrics to up the ante on an already significant upgrade with the original arrival of the W169, as well as bigger storage compartments (mainly the centre console). All this means it gets a sense of more refinement but is still pretty much what it has always been -- a Mercedes-Benz that is generally bought for entirely different reasons than any other model apart from the (A-Class derived) B-Class.

The new turbodiesel is rated at 80kW and 250Nm from its 2.0 litres and is available (as noted above) with six-speed manual or CVT transmission. It is about as fast as a petrol A 170 with zero to 100km/h acceleration of 10.8 seconds, but is comfortably less consumptive with a claimed average of 5.2L/100km (6.9L/100km for the A 170). A 54-litre fuel tank means a safe highway range approaching 1000km.

The turbodiesel A is in fact a bit more refined than its petrol-engined stablemates. All other A-Class powerplants are minimalist in terms of design with single camshafts and just two valves per cylinder. The diesel, however, gets a full array of 16 valves and runs a long-stroke configuration to help low-end torque. This tends to show up in the fact that the 250Nm maximum is already working for you by 1600rpm. Typically diesel, its conservative 80 kilowatts are developed at a low 4200rpm with maximum engine speed limited to 4800rpm.

On the road, the A 180 turns out to be a quiet-cruising light car, with only a distant thrum from the diesel and well-damped road noise.

The manual six-speed gearbox, even though it is a much better deal than the aggravating clutchless system used in the W168, still fails to snick pleasantly and positively from ratio to ratio. It is rather notchy and imprecise. Most buyers will likely opt for the CVT.

Still, the engine does deliver entirely useful power and feels stronger than the kilowatt figures suggest. Only when engine revs drop below 1600rpm does the driver feel a reluctance to accelerate -- on the open road it is always working hard enough to deliver appropriate overtaking verve.

The A-Class doesn't mind a freeway cruise and is helped in this regard by the intuitive single-stalk Benz cruise control that remains one of the best in the business. The high compression of the diesel engine also helps prevent it running beyond the set speed on a downhill slope.

The electromechanical speed sensitive steering feels somewhat artificial and over-assisted, which doesn't help out on the road even if it's great when parking. And the A-Class ride, even though a big improvement over the choppy, short-travel experience of the original is far from being best in class.

The A-Class, despite its new "parabolic" rear suspension and selective-damping shock absorbers that can determine if you're hitting a bump or merely leaning into a corner, quickly runs out of suspension travel and jolts passengers uncomfortably on chopped-up surfaces that would only be mildly unsettling to most other cars -- even small ones. And there's still a bit of the lateral rocking motion that comes largely from the fact that A-Class passengers sit higher off the road than most.

That said, the A 180 points and grabs the bitumen well enough. The driver merely has to adjust to the fact it is not going to deliver a lot of tactile information about where the wheels are being pointed.

In terms of usefulness, the A-Class is quite brilliant for what it crams into a tight package. It is surprisingly airy and accommodating for at least four adults (provided there is some give and take in front-seat adjustment) and the 435-litre boot is impressive. Where its overall shortness shows up is when you try to cram something lengthy into the back -- like a mountain bike.

The sense of being in something a cut above your average light car is palpable with further upgrades to the interior trim, and the comfortable, supportive seats. The dash is cleanly presented in logical Benz style and there is plenty of seat and steering wheel adjustment for the driver.

About the only jarring note comes from the ordinary radio. At least it is possible in the A-Class to step up to the 12-speaker, 450 Watt Logic 7 sound system first seen in the S-Class -- or even the voice-operated Comand system that looks after telephone, audio and SatNav.

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is not your average light car -- which you have every right to expect given that it is not priced like your average light car. With surprising room for passengers and luggage, the highest levels of safety -- eight airbags, stability and traction control, and a structure giving large-car crash protection -- as well as a decent drive experience, it bravely argues the case that if you want the best, you have to pay for it.

Mind you, a lot of what you get in an A-Class is also there for the taking with more conventional, and lower priced imports too -- such as VW's Golf 6 or Audi's A3.

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