1999 Mercedes-Benz A-Class A160 Elegance review from UK and Ireland
"A good car spoilt by build quality and too high a price"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Noisy steering column. Replaced under warranty - twice, when the dealership found they'd got the wrong part.
CD player overheated and replaced under warranty.
Clunky suspension (a "characteristic" of the car according to the dealership)
Too many squeaks and rattles.
Easy Rentacar and price drop has killed any residual value I had on my PCP contract. As a consequence, no more Mercedes cars for me.
General comments?
I bought the car based on the marque, residual and build quality. About 10 months after buying the car Mercedes, even though assured otherwise, knocked £1500 off the price of the car.
The many squeaks and rattles point to poor build quality, although there are many nice ideas in the interior of the car.
Great visibility from the higher vantage spot, although front pillars can be a problem. Many passengers have commented on the amount of things they'd never seen before now they could see over the hedges!
Very comfy on long distances and rear passengers have commented on the amount of leg room for such a small car.
Surprisingly nippy and good fuel economy. Safety features are a winner and what actually swung me on the purchase, even though it was more than I wanted to pay for a car.
Certainly (was) a head turner.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 26000 miles |
| Previous car | Fiat Bravo |
| Date of Entry | 14th June, 2002 |