I have driven and owned lots of Mercedes over thirty years, and the A Class (2005 on) is a proper Benz in every way, although the original model never impressed me like the current one! Despite the size, it's really spacious, and has that hewn from rock feel about it. My A160 CDi Avantgarde is a 2.0 litre 5 door, which is tuned down for economy, and while a heavily built Mercedes will never match a wafer thin Fiat 500 for outright economy, it's respectable enough at 40-45mpg overall, but unlike any other small car, feels like a far larger one. Performance is adequate, with good off the line acceleration, and brilliant Motorway cruising ability at 80mph in near silence. Where the Eco-diesel does not shine is mid range punch. you have to thrash it a bit to overtake seriously. Not an issue, as I have high performance cars too, and frankly can't be bothered anyway, but it might matter to you, in which case opt for the 180CDi. You can still have a little fun with the sharp handling and CVT gearbox in 7 speed tiptronic mode, or leave it in 'slushmatic' mode, and enjoy wafting around. Space and design are unparalleled. this offers about the same interior as a C Class, and better visibility due to the high driving position. Handling too is surprising, with virtually no body roll, good grip and light vario-power steering. Don't forget this car has every safety feature known to mankind as standard, multiple airbags, ESP, ABS, adaptive brake lamps which flash fast if you brake really hard, the list is endless, including auto lights and Wipers! If you want a well built classy compact family car which suggests you care about safety, the environment and where your money goes, the A class is ideal. Performance purists won't be too interested in the image, shape or punch. Standard equipment is thoughtful, so you won't find too many silly toys, but you will find a whole host of quality fittings which work perfectly, such as the Bluetooth phone, Auto rear wiper which comes on when you reverse with the (Auto!) front wipers are on, Tunnel feature, which winds up all the windows with the press of only one button, and here's the clever bit, puts them back where they were at the end of the tunnel! Make no mistake, under the wedgy little body is a lot of complex technology, and it's all built by Benz, so it works like a Swiss watch. Thats why they cost a fair bit, so are best bought on a PCP deal.

Outstanding value for the right to be a Mercedes owner and enjoy the style, great economy, smooth ride and performance of this A Class A 160 CDI. It is just the right size for a small family commuting in a city, as well as making extended road trips. Other 2006 diesel 5-door models I considered prior to purchasing the A160 CDI were: Toyota Yaris, VW Polo, Renault Clio, Citroen C3, Honda Civic and RAV4. The Civic and RAV4 were too expensive, though, like the Mercedes, were much more car than the Yaris, Polo, Clio and C3. For "only" $5-10K more, I was able to step up from the basic, but reliable economy cars to the Mercedes which feels five times more solid and is a hundred times nicer throughout. The only thing I'd change if I were to buy the car all over again is that I'd buy the A180 CDI which has much more power and a six-speed transmission vice the five-speed which comes with the A160 CDI.