Mercedes-Benz A 200 Elegance 2005 Review

7-day Test 

There's one thing the latest A-Class can boast that the original version failed to deliver: Fun. That's right, while the first A-Class could be slotted into almost any parking spot and swallowed four CBD-bound adults with aplomb; it was hardly a barrel full of monkeys once you'd left the wilds of Toorak or Potts Point.

In its latest incarnation Mercedes' baby is surprisingly nimble and, indeed, borders on accomplished when the road gets twisty or, God forbid, you leave the city behind. We can attest to the fact after a blast down the Great Ocean Road designed to get our A200 Elegance right out of its depth.

Rather than flounder, the five-door happily buzzed from apex to apex and soaked up the worst the sinuous, buckled bitumen could throw at it. Once accustomed to the full-forward driving position we could place the car with precision and far more confidence than its upright stance would suggest. Indeed punted with, er, enthusiasm, our A200 ne'er put a wheel wrong -- and despite our launch misgivings, once familiarized with the side-to-side shift of the transmission in manual mode, the Autotronic CVT did a sterling job of keeping the 100kW 2.0lt four on the boil.

The two hours of legal limit drone back up the highway cemented the A-Class as more than just a city-bound runabout. It was frugal, quiet and plenty quick enough to cope with the fast lane. As you'd expect -- after all the Germans don't hang around on their highways, do they.

It's easy to forget the stance of the new A-Class once you're behind the wheel. Though upright, the driving position is natural and sight-lines are sedan-like. The dash and accoutrement that surround the driver are classy and have more than a dose of C-Class about them. In fact, only the sharply abbreviated bonnet reminds the driver of the mini-MPV-style dimensions of the A.

As noted by our launch tester, Ms McCormick, the optional louvered glass roof adds an 'airiness' to the cabin that's attractive, though at $2400 it's a big add-on to the car's RRP of $45,400. Methinks I'd opt for a conventional roof and spend $2900 on leather for the interior -- the light-coloured standard cloth is going to look old quickly.

Our test A200 also boasted metallic paint ($1100), cellphone pre-installation ($1200) and $960 worth of auto/electric exterior and interior mirrors.

We'll save you the maths -- it all added up to a hefty $51,060... Yep, you can buy an A for under $30K, but be warned, a step up the model ladder and a relative handful of options can substantially add to the drive-away price.