Mercedes-Benz A-Class Saloon review

Driving position

First thing’s first, we can’t get enough of the Mercedes A-Class Saloon's overall driving position. Up front, it feels as sporty and focused as you’d expect it to, leading you to forget about the extra room that lies behind you.

The seat goes plenty low enough (or high, if that’s your thing), and the steering wheel has more adjustment than is normal, which is perfect for drivers of all statures.

Though the windscreen isn’t as upright as a MINI’s, it feels very similar. It’s almost letterbox-like in its height and width dimensions, so you focus on the road and nothing else.

If you’re coming from most other cars, it could take a drive or two to get used to, but it won’t take long. Plus, the slim A-pillars make it easy to pull out at junctions and roundabouts.

It’s worth mentioning that the electric seat adjustments are on the door, not the seat base. This is typical of any modern Mercedes, but if you’re struggling to finetune your seating position, that’s where they are.

Tech and features

Mercedes A-Class Saloon trims

– Sport

– AMG Line

– Premier

– A 35

– A 45

This is where the A-Class Saloon stands out above its core rivals – the Audi A3 Saloon and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé.

Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system comes with twin screens that flow into each other behind one panel. They integrate well into the dashboard and feel part of the car, and that extends to how you interact with them.

You can use the ‘Hey Mercedes’ commands to control parts of the car, like temperature, as well as the usual media and phone functions.

We found it easier to use wireless Apple CarPlay for all the entertainment and communication functions, though, and most other drivers probably will.

Unlike most modern cars, it seems, the A-Class Saloon retains a row of physical toggle switches for the climate control, so it’s really easy to adjust the temperature on the go.

Far better than prodding through countless menus on the touchscreen – but if you really don’t want to take your eyes off the road, just use the voice commands.

Good rarely comes without bad, though, and we need to point out the fiddly touchscreen. We think there are too many buttons, and it’s not overly clear which parts of the twin screens they control. Especially as they’re mixed in with car functions, like cruise control.

The biggest gripe, though, is that they’re touch-sensitive, so you’ll probably need to concentrate on finding the right button and sliding your finger with just the right velocity. It’s a bit of a faff.

VW has already acknowledged this, reverting back to physical buttons in the Golf after going down the touch sensitive route previously.

Most models come with keyless entry, wireless phone charging, heated front seats and a wide-angle reversing camera. You’ll need to pay extra for a heated steering wheel, which has become a necessity for many drivers in today’s world.

Our car also had the upgraded 360-degree parking camera which plenty of different views and angles – as far as cameras go, the quality was crisp.

Engines and power

Mercedes A-Class Saloon performance stats

– Power: 136hp, 150hp, 163hp, 218hp, 306hp or 421hp

– 0-62mph: 3.9 to 9.2 seconds

– Top speed: Up to 168mph

– Driven wheels: Front- or four-wheel drive

Petrol versions are the biggest sellers here, both using a Renault-sourced 1.3-litre engine with either 136hp or 163hp.

The lesser-powered A 180 gets to 62mph in 9.2 seconds, and the A 200 in 8.2 seconds. It’s a noticeable difference, but neither is quick.

The 2.0-litre, 150hp A 200 d diesel model is on the quicker end of that scale, at 8.3 seconds.

We tested the only plug-in hybrid in the range, an impressive 218hp combination that includes the A 200’s petrol engine and a 109hp electric motor.

The motor has just about enough power to do your daily driving, but there’s no huge surplus, so the engine is eager to kick in if you demand heavily of it.

Whichever model you pick, they all use dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, just like Volkswagen’s DSG. Some have seven, some have eight gears, but that’s a technical difference that makes no change to how the A-Class Saloon drives.

We found the gear shifts to be very smooth and quick in the A 250 e plug-in hybrid (PHEV), but the change between electric and petrol was sometimes jarring under harsh acceleration.

Handling and ride comfort

Most models will generally be AMG Line variants, as these are the most popular for their styling enhancements and equipment additions.

It does mean the ride is slightly firmer with sportier suspension and bigger wheels.

Still, compared to cars that are meant to be more comfortable, including bigger SUVs, the A-Class Saloon rides pretty well.

Our test car had pretty big 19-inch wheels, wrapped in 225/40 tyres, which we would consider low-profile.

A thicker sidewall would certainly have helped cushion the ride a bit more, and for what it’s worth, we think the 19s look too big, so 18s would both look better and be more comfortable.

In terms of handling, you can’t go wrong with this car. The steering wheel itself is bulky and contoured in all the right places – you can trust it when threading the car through sharp corners.

Boot space

Mercedes A-Class Saloon boot space

– Boot space: 345 to 395 litres

– Incl. Rear seats folded: Not quoted

The A-Class Saloon definitely isn’t winning any awards here, especially the A 250 e.

In its regular guise, it has a 395-litre boot, but it drops to 345 litres in the PHEV to make space for the batteries under the boot floor.

By measure of volume, it’s plenty big enough (and on par with other hatchbacks in this segment), but the boot opening itself is quite narrow.

Being a saloon, only the boot door opens, and the rear windscreen stays in place, so it’s like you’re posting your luggage into the back.

Still, if you’re comparing apples with apples, it’s more than you get in the 2 Series Gran Coupé (430 litres) and Audi A3 Saloon (425 litres).

It’s also really positive that you get 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats, so you can fold the middle one down separately to pass longer items through while retaining access to the two outer seats.

Rear seats

There’s no hiding from the fact this is a compact saloon based on a hatchback – if you’re looking for more rear-seat space, consider the bigger C-Class.

Legroom and headroom are ok at best, but try to sit an adult behind another adult and the limited legroom might make longer journeys uncomfortable.

Still, most drivers rarely use the rear seats unless by children, and for this, the A-Class Saloon more than suffices.

If you’ve got your heart set on an A-Class, the regular hatchback might be a touch more accommodating.

Storage solutions

Up front, there’s a wireless phone charger that’s slightly tucked away behind two cupholders, all of which can be hidden beneath a sliding cover to retain that premium, minimalist vibe.

There’s also a shallow, rubber-lined tray area for coins and such like, and a small storage area under the split-opening front armrest.

The glovebox is a decent size for what is a relatively small car, as are the door bins, which have all been carved out to hold bottles. Though the rear ones are smaller than the front ones.

Mercedes A-Class Saloon dimensions

– Height: 1,429mm

– Width: 1,992mm (incl. Mirrors)

– Length: 4,558mm

– Kerb weight: Up to 1,705kg

Safety

For the most part, all trim levels and configurations get the same safety equipment, with the exception of the upgraded 360-degree parking camera and upgraded ESP on the AMG model to handle the extra performance.

You’ll generally have to add extras or go for a high trim for driver assistance like adaptive cruise control, but this is typical of any car, and the newer it is, the more likely it is to have more active systems.

The A-Class got a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when this generation launched in 2018, and that covers the hatchback and saloon variants, but it hasn’t been tested since. 

Fuel economy

The whole point of downsizing to 1.3-litre petrols over previous-generation 1.6 and 2.0-litre units is to save fuel.

Newer versions also get the support of a 14hp electric motor as part of a mild hybrid upgrade.

Mercedes claims around 46-48mpg for the petrols, but you can probably knock around 10mpg off this in the real world. They’ll be most efficient on the motorway, where you’ll generally be able to exceed 40mpg.

The A 250 e PHEV has a 13kWh battery, which is good for around 48-53 miles. 35-40 miles is probably more realistic unless you’re driving super-economically, which is still a strong effort from such a small battery.

Our test car had averaged just under 40mpg over more than 1,000 miles – only 10-12% of which was on electricity.

Plug it in regularly and you could get some seriously low running costs.

Buy a diesel and you could get well upwards of 50mpg on motorway trips.

Reliability

Mercedes has already built itself a reputation for durable, long-lasting cars. The core mechanicals are solid, but as with any car, longevity depends heavily on how well you look after your car.

Regular servicing is a must to prevent any issues from forming early on. Thankfully, those 1.3-litre Renault-sourced petrol engines are well-known by mechanics, too.