Mercedes-Benz A-Class Review & Prices

Much like a Prada key chain or a silver-plated Gucci necklace, the A-Class is the most affordable way to get behind the wheel of a posh Mercedes. It serves as an alternative to the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, often if you’re after the practicality of a Volkswagen Golf but with a bit more badge appeal when you’re sat in traffic - or posting on Instagram.

It’s quite the looker too –the A-Class really does stand out against its premium alternatives. A wide-set grille, pointy headlights and curvy body lines are suitably different to the designed-with-a-ruler A3 and Golf, and the latest 1 Series can easily be mistaken for something less premium than a BMW.

The dashboard has a two-tier design, curving away from the front seats, with intricate jet engine-esque air vents and a wide pair of digital displays in between them. It looks modern and sleek, and is a vast improvement over the interiors in earlier A-Class models.

Group test: Audi A3 v BMW 1 Series v Mercedes A-Class v Volkswagen Golf

The infotainment system is easy to use, with crisp graphics and a menu layout that’s easy to wrap your head around, plus Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity comes as standard. The touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel are a bit of a faff though; normal buttons would be much easier to use.

There’s lots of storage space up front and the seats are comfy, but it’s a tight squeeze in the back; the 350-litre boot lags behind the 1 Series, A3 and Golf too. It’s a shame that the material quality inside the A-Class can’t match its stylish design, because the trim pieces feel flimsy and there are far too many scratchy plastics for a ‘premium’ hatchback.

The A-Class is powered by a choice of petrol, diesel and self-charging hybrid engines - all front-wheel drive - from the A180 through to the A250e. If you want something a little spicier with a bit more shove, consider the 320hp A35 AMG and range topping 421hp A45 AMG are available.

It’s comfortable around town; darty thanks to a tight turning circle and light steering, though the A-Class isn’t hugely refined on the motorway with noticeable wind and road noise in the cabin - even if it absorbs bumps well. AMG Line models are the least comfortable due to their larger wheels, and while they look sporty, a BMW 1 Series is much more fun on a twisty road.

You’ll need to really want a Mercedes on your driveway to choose an A-Class over its alternatives, but if you value stylish looks and a sleek interior highly then it’s certainly an enticing prospect.

Check out our Mercedes A-Class deals on Carwow, or A-Class lease deals for a depreciation-free route to ownership. Our trusted network of dealers has plenty of used A-Classes available, or other used Mercedes models if you’re open to a different body style. We can even help you sell your car when you decide to make the switch.

It’s one of the most expensive ways into hatchback ownership, costing about the same as the much more recently updated BMW 1 Series, and a couple thousand pounds more than an equivalent-spec Audi A3, with the same again on top of a Volkswagen Golf.

The entry-level Sport Edition trim is only available with a petrol engine, and you’ll have to step up to one of the AMG Line options for a hybrid engine. The diesel can be had across both trim levels, with a £7,000 jump between them.

Sport Edition cars aren’t barren compared to the rest of the range, as you still get 17-inch alloy wheels, the wide-screen infotainment display, heated front seats, automatic climate control and a reversing camera with parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control is only a £1,500 option on top-trim cars, which is a shame considering it comes as standard on most of its alternatives.

It’s easy to drive in town and comfortable on all but the bumpiest roads, but the A-Class can become unsettled during brisk cornering

In town

The Mercedes A-Class works really well in town. The steering is really light and it’s pretty comfortable, making for a relaxing drive. There’s generally good visibility, though a large blind spot in the rear quarter can make it tricky to exit some junctions.

It has a good turning circle, too, making the A-Class feel nimble in tight manoeuvres, while the automatic gearbox shifts smoothly and the brakes have a progressive pedal feel, so you’re not jolting forward at the merest brush of your foot.

On the motorway

Getting up to higher speeds requires little fuss. We tested the 1.3-litre 177hp petrol engine and found that it was pretty sprightly. Accelerating on a motorway slip road up to 70mph is quick enough, there’s just a slight lag from the gearbox finding the right gear when you press harder on the throttle, but it’s a minor gripe. Similarly, once you’re up to speed there is some wind noise, but it’s not too intrusive.

On a twisty road

Find yourself on a twisty road and the Mercedes A-Class won’t feel out of its depth. The steering is accurate and the front end responds fairly quickly to your inputs, while the body remains pretty flat and doesn’t lean too much. Unfortunately it has a rather old school rear suspension setup, which means it can skip over bumps mid-turn, making it feel less planted and confidence-inspiring than the best-driving premium hatchback, the BMW 1 Series.

The A-Class is practical and spacious for those in the front, but the boot is pretty small

It’s easy to get comfortable in the driver’s seat thanks to good adjustment of the seat itself and the steering wheel. Taller drivers might find their hair rubs on the roof in higher seating positions, though.

Otherwise it’s pretty practical up front, with huge door bins and a large cubby hole in the centre console. You also have a glovebox that’s a good size, a couple of cup holders beneath the dashboard and a further storage space that’s a useful spot to put your phone. There’s also an odd recessed section in the centre console that’s perhaps good for some coins or bank cards but not much else.

Space in the back seats

While it’s pretty spacious up front, the A-Class isn’t quite so roomy in the back seats. Kneeroom is good but headroom is merely average and it’s a squeeze to fit three adults in the back, though the footwells are at least big enough for the middle passenger to place their feet either side of the central raised floor section. A Volkswagen Golf is roomier if you carry people often.

Passengers might be a bit cramped, but it’s not all bad, because there are soft materials on the top of the door so it’s comfortable resting your arms, something that can’t be said of the Volkswagen.

The door bins are similarly big in the back, while a USB-C slot can be found between the two front seats. It’s also pretty easy to fit a child seat because the ISOFIX mounting points are exposed, though the door doesn’t open very wide, which can make things trickier.

Boot space

Practicality in the cabin is pretty good, but the A-Class loses out to its competitors when it comes to boot space. At 350 litres it’s behind the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3, which each have 380 litres. The Volkswagen Golf has bragging rights here though, boasting a whopping one litre more than those two cars.

Dropping the rear seats is easy enough, and there’s a useful three-way split, but we found that because the headrests can’t be removed they get caught on the front seats, which have to be moved forward to allow the rears to drop flat. Once that’s done, though, you’ll find 1,190 litres of space, which is just 10 litres down on the Audi and BMW, and 47 litres behind the Volkswagen.

As well as being down on space, the Mercedes also has a lip that makes it tricky to lift heavy items out, and you can’t adjust the boot floor height to reduce this. There are some handy tie down points to stop your shopping rolling around, though.

The interior design is swish and the infotainment screens are decent, but some poor materials and build quality let it down

First impressions of the Mercedes A-Class’s interior are very good. It has a cool design that still looks fresh, particularly with the now-standard twin-screen infotainment setup. The 2023 update also brought in a new steering wheel, which looks great and is comfortable to hold, but has annoying touch-sensitive buttons for controls such as the media and cruise control.

The aforementioned displays are both 10.25 inches – one sits behind the steering wheel displaying driving information and the other is more central for the infotainment, climate settings and everything else. The screens are sharp and the menus are easy to navigate, though you no longer have a touchpad in the centre console to navigate menus. This is no big loss though, as it was easier to use the touchscreen anyway. You can also control functions using the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice command.

This is all good, but it’s rather superficial because the actual quality of the interior isn’t great, particularly when you take the price into consideration. For example, some of the fittings don’t feel solid and secure, which could lead to easy damage in everyday family life, while there are also plenty of cheap materials to be found.

Engine choice is simple in the Mercedes A-Class, with two petrol engines and one diesel.

The petrol are called A180 and A200, which have 150 and 177hp respectively. Both have a little mild hybrid boost to help fuel economy.

Interestingly, in official tests, both these engines return identical fuel consumption figures of up to 47.9mpg. During our time with the 177hp version we saw 39mpg.

If you do a lot of motorway miles, though, you might find the diesel is actually the one for you. It, too, has 150hp and official figures show 57.7mpg on the combined cycle.

Whichever engine you go for, you’ll pay the same in tax, as each has CO2 emissions of around 145g/km, putting it around the middle of the vehicle excise duty pricing structure. If you’re looking at the A-Class as a company car, the lack of plug-in hybrid in the hatchback will be disappointing, as it means you don’t get the low benefit-in-kind rate, so it’s worth taking a look at the saloon instead.

When the Mercedes A-Class was put through Euro NCAP safety testing in 2018 it received brilliant scores. Its five-star overall rating is impressive, but it achieved this with more than 90% ratings in the adult occupant, child occupant and vulnerable road users sections, while its 75% driver assist rating is pretty good too. The tests have been tightened up since, but it’s still a great score.

Plenty of assistance technology is standard, such as active lane keep assist to keep you between the white lines and automatic braking systems to help you avoid or mitigate the results of a crash. Higher-spec trims get some extra kit, such as a 360-degree parking camera, traffic sign reader and blind spot warning, although adaptive cruise control is a pricey option available only on the top model.

Mercedes came a lowly 25th out of 32 manufacturers in the 2024 Driver Power reliability survey, a long cry from its once stellar reputation for building the world’s toughest cars. That’s still a few places ahead of Audi and Volkswagen, but BMW came a much better 14th place, so if reliability is a concern then you might want to look at a 1 Series instead.

As a premium brand, repairs could be fairly costly, so you’ll be pleased to know the A-Class comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty. That’s far from class-leading in terms of length, but that unlimited mileage cap will be useful if you do big miles.