Thanks Nick, I shall never look at one in the same way again...

My mother's first car after she passed her test. In a lovely chocolate brown with faux walnut interior trim. Fortunately the local Ford dealer dropped a crane on it while servicing it and she ended up with a Mk3 escort.

 

Andy, we are running both a current Merc A class 220 and a previous generation Golf 1.6 Bluemotion.
I love driving the Golf - and love the quality and thought that has gone into it's design. It has done 63k miles now and still feels like new. Never been back to the garage except for normal servicing etc.
The Merc is 18 mths old (Company Car) and I have tried to gel with it, but just can't. To my eyes the styling is OK inside and out, but that's where the good news stops. It doesn't feel like a quality built product (confirmed by it breaking down on the day of delivery) and is anodyne to drive. For me the driving experience leaves me cold - and to add insult to injury it has an infernal electric handbrake, which is counter intuitive in it's operation.
If it was me, I would go for a Golf (or A3 - which I believe is based on the same underpinnings). If you think about it, VW cannot afford to get the Golf wrong as it is their staple product worldwide - this totally shows in the amount of development and thought that they put into the design from my experience.

 

Thanks Rich. That's really helpful advice.
A lot of online reviews are saying similar things about the A-Class and the A3 wins hands down in all the comparison tests I've seen. Much as I'd love to have a Benz on the driveway it won't be this model.

 

Having had an A4 and now a Pissshit , I am afirad I will not go near another VAG again !

But ur I have been think about what next to lease and am flummoxed at the moment as I was thinking of slightly smaller hybrid hatch type thingy but am a loss as to what to get !

 

For a hybrid you are really looking at Lexus or Toyota.

 

Even Toyota is having FRED issues these days.

There is supposed to be a Honda Civic Hybrid coming at some stage - if you can get past the wonky styling of the thing. AND the FRED glitches...

But the locomotive-style powertrain is reckoned to be pretty good.

 

Seat Leon? May not be a premium brand but same as an A3 underneath, but with a nicer/roomier interior for less money.

Neighbour has a Merc A180, I'm not too keen on the looks but it has a lovely interior and it's very comfy, expensive for what it is though.

BMW 1 series is decent to drive, but the seats I find are horribly uncomfortable and unless you chuck a load of money at the options list, they feel a bit sparse....and not in a good way.

 

 

i think of the VW group it's all about styling and what appeals. I dislike Audi's intensely, they scream DULL so badly even the R8 had to have it's bodywork removed to be interesting

Skodas are for skinflints
Seats are for slightly more affluent skin flints
VWs are for people who dont care and just want transport

Mercs are all hideous with no suspension. BMWs are unreliable and expensive to fix.
Mazdas are Fords
Hondas are ugly
Nissans are just shit these days
Volvos are also shit and ugly and expensive and unreliable

haha.. i'd get a BMW 140i on a lease or under warranty

 

Nottm
I have to agree with much of this. I was walking to the office this morning and in the busy Reigate rush hour traffic I couldn't see anything at all inspiring. ( Apart from an Aston DBS !).
Cars look so bland and samey these days and either come in black, grey or white. Do none of the manufacturers employ design stylists any more :-(

Am going to start test driving a few in the next week. Full road test reports to come.....