2019 Mercedes-Benz A220 4MATIC |
2.0-liter turbocharged inline four (188 hp @ 5,800 rpm, 221 lb-ft @ 1,250 rpm) Seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, all-wheel drive 25 city / 33 highway / 28 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) 9.6 city / 7.1 highway / 8.5 combined (NRCan Rating, L/100km) 32.2 (observed mileage, MPG) Base Price: $35,475 U.S. As Tested: $51,935 U.S. Prices include $975 destination charge in the United States. |
The entry-level Mercedes-Benz sedan has an odd history. Until the W201 series in the mid-Eighties, there really wasn’t anything truly in the smaller classes, and the nomenclature (190E) seemed deceiving, reminding some of the larger E-class. Still, these were popular cars, even spawning the epic twin-cam powered Cosworth models that allowed the smallest Benz sports sedan to go race in the DTM series, and eventually bearing a more natural “C” class naming syntax.
But the C got bigger and more expensive, and soon upstart luxury brands began nipping at the heels of the three-pointed star on the lower end. The first A-class was underwhelming, though with the typical application of AMG-style power it could be fun.
This newest A-class, the 2019 Mercedes-Benz A220 4MATIC, has a good deal to answer for. Will the typical Stuttgart amenities be enough to sway those remaining small sedan buyers, or will they shy away from the babiest of Baby Benzes?
I know the styling is polarizing. The proportions are a bit funky, with a longish front overhang, a high cowl, a very upright greenhouse, and stubby tail all contributing to an unusual profile. But this is an example of making different work, at least to my eyes. In this well-equipped example with optional 19-inch wheels, a lowered suspension, and blacked-out trim, the A220 looks handsomely purposeful.
That stubby trunk lid betrays a tiny cargo space, sadly – only 8.6 narrow cubic feet of space back there, though the seatbacks do fold for a bit of flexibility. Those rear seats do give the rear passengers plenty of room, with ample leg, head, and shoulder room keeping a pair of sisters from encroaching upon their respective texting habits.
The front seats are marvelous — I briefly considered whipping out a ratchet and sockets to steal them for my minivan. Doubtful that anyone would notice the swap, right? But these chairs are all-day comfortable, with enough bolstering to keep things in place when driving aggressively.
The dashboard is designed to wow, with a pair of 10.3-inch panels integrated into a single slab. The visuals for gauges, infotainment, navigation, and climate are bright, distinct, and attractive – and highly customizable. The touchpad in the center console is intuitive and responsive, with a handy wrist rest to position the hand for ideal mousing. Most audio, phone, and nav functions can easily be mirrored on the steering wheel, with solid-feeling metallic buttons, touchpads, switches, and knobs controlling everything with ease.
More glitz comes from the accent lighting glowing throughout the cabin, which can be easily adjusted or switched off. My kids chose the purple and red shown here. The cellphone wireless charging pad immediately forward of the cupholders has a nice touch – a hinged plastic bar that helps to keep the phone in contact with the pad, minimizing situations where the phone becomes dislodged and thus not charging.
I’m not a fan of the column-mounted shift lever in the A220. While I actually like the traditional right-side-of-the-column lever location, reminding me of American cars from the Eighties, the actual feel of this lever is cheap. It’s made of thin, lightweight plastic, and looks too much like a windscreen wiper stalk. While I’m certain that with today’s electronic transmission controls there’s likely no chance of dropping into park while on the interstate, I still don’t love the look or feel.
Other than that flimsy shift lever, I love how this A220 drives. 188 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque doesn’t sound like much in a world where the headline-grabbing sports sedans have well over 400 horses (including the insane 416 hp coming to the AMG version of this A-Class), but this A220 moves nicely enough. Car and Driver, for example, measured a zero-to-sixty time of 6.1 seconds, which is plenty quick, especially for this class. I was further impressed by the fuel economy. I was able to manage 32.2 mpg in my week of mixed driving, which is quite close to the EPA rating for highway only.
Handling, too, is great for what this is. Sure, the AMG accoutrements lower and tighten the ride, but the chassis is solid and quiet, which speaks to the excellent chassis beneath the entire lineup. The steering is especially communicative, with a good weight to the chunky, flat-bottomed steering wheel. The ride is luxury-car smooth even with these big wheels, though I do notice some wind noise from the A-pillar at highway speeds.
I’m almost ashamed about how much I liked the Mercedes-Benz A220. On paper, it doesn’t stack up – it’s small but expensive. The trunk is tiny. It’s not that powerful. My tester had another fifty percent added in options to the base MSRP.
But this little sedan charmed me. It looks fantastic – there are few cars that I like painted white, ever since my old landlord decided to pave the only exit to the complex shortly before I left for class, leaving spatters of tar on my new-ish white Ford Focus. But this A220, with blacked out trim, wheels, and grille inserts, has a presence that few small sedans offer.
Further, though it’s not a high-performance car with a snarling tuned engine, this baby Benz drives with balance and joy. Yes, it’s a front-drive-based all-wheel drive system, but it feels sprightly. It’s a rare entry-level luxury sedan these days that still caters to a driver, all while maintaining a sensible personality. It won’t find a home at a track day, but it will encourage some drivers to take the long way home.
[Images: © 2019 Chris Tonn/TTAC]
That “as tested” price is insane for a FWD compact sedan. That’s within spitting distance of the base price of an E300, which won’t have all the bells and whistles but will look, feel, and drive much more like a “real” Mercedes.
Have you driven an E300? I was interested until I did. It’s like driving an arcade racing car from the 80s. The electric steering obviously enables some kind of connection between the steering wheel and the front tires, but in a theoretical kind of way. Sure, the car turns, but you have no idea what’s actually happening out there on the road.
Surreal experience, and I couldn’t wait to give the loaner back once the service on my S550 was done. That’s a ponderous boat of a car, but at least I can tell where my wheels are pointed. Put me off the entire new generation to the point where I don’t know what my next purchase is going to be.
You’re not the first person I’ve heard that from. Meanwhile, I’ve heard nothing but amazing stuff about the E-class AMG.
Upper tier Benzes are great drives…but you have to spend a TON on them.
Yes, me too. Got an E loaner when the C43 went it for first service. What a boat ! Nothing like the C for the experience, and this E had the AMG package…I can only imagine what it is without….a last gen base acura TL with a star ? It was interesting to drive the lo-boost version of my engine but not that interesting….German Buick (old school Buick)
“when the C43 went it for first service”
You have a ’19?
17k miles so far, no complaints save the runflats, which are just horrible. 0-60 in 4.5, and if you put into cruise, 27 mpg…..I don’t see the A cars as worth it, I’d rather a loaded Accord… (flame suit on)
How does it compare to 1976 Cadillac DeVille?
Sure, but they got it with everything, most consumers don’t do that. They also aren’t counting the discount. I had many features, price was still under 40k.
It’s THE go to car for aspiring real estate agents or as I have also heard a German Malibu
The number of $50,000 cars I’d rather have than a small, ugly, FWD Mercedes is approximately the number of other $50,000 cars available for sale right now.
It may drive nice, but wow that price is hard to square with what you get.
Give me a Mazda 6 or Honda Accord and pocket the rest of the money.
The A-Class hatch starts at $35,990 in Canada, with massive jump for any decent spec. You have to really love the badge to opt for this over a fully loaded version of an economy car (Mazda 3 hatch comes to mind – fully loaded and now with AWD). Heart says yes, mind says no.
Since I drive a Model 3, I have a special license to poke fun of that display.
The price is irrelevant. What matters is what sort of lease deal MBFS can cobble together. If they can get a decently equipped example out the door for $399/month, it’ll do fine.
$399? Maybe with zero down. Do they really need $52K for one of these? Are they trying to usher people into leases so their new car customers don’t bear the brunt of their throwaway nature?
$399/month is very doable. $6k down, 7500 miles/year and $.25/mile over that, $695 turn in fee and $150 oil changes.
Of course, that means the actual monthly payment is really $584 plus tax and the increased costs to insure and license.
The popularity of leasing by its nature preys on the financially illiterate and those who just gotta have a sweet ride.
They hook way too many people on that down payment.
But there are often genuinely good lease deals if you’re willing to negotiate. Subsidized leases are the bread and butter of both Mercedes and BMW at this point, and there is usually one available on anything that 1) isn’t in short supply and 2) is easy to resell at end of lease.
Sometimes other manufacturers do it too. The 0 down/$309 month I had for three years on a loaded 2016 C-Max Energi was a steal.
Dal, Leases are littered with hidden charges and unless you’re a frequenter of LeaseHackr or similar sites or know someone who knows what questions to ask – money factor, lease turn in fees, rules on what tires need to be put on lease returns, etc, – you’re likely going to get hosed.
You could get lucky and get a good deal, but odds are in favor of the house.
This is heresy to those lease obsessives, but you really don’t need to worry about things like money factor or residual. You just need to know two numbers:
1) How long is the lease term?
2) What is the total of payments due over the lease term (including origination, down payment, lease payments, and any turn-in fee)?
That’s really it.
Assume you are paying for your own maintenance just like you would on an owned car. If you are a neglectful owner, you may have to worry about damage. I’ve never had a damage charge at the end of a lease.
“you’re likely going to get hosed.”
You’re really not especially with luxury cars. If Ford needs to move a few extra F150s they are fine with slapping $10k on the hood of a $65k truck. Mercedes, Lexus or BMW can find themselves in the same position of needing to move metal. But they fear offering $10k off as it cheapens the brand so they rout that money through lease incentives.
jmo, Leasing is more expensive than buying unless you must have something new to drive every few years. If that’s the case, yes, leasing is cheaper than buying. To your point, especially with lux branded vehicles.
As for BMW cheapening the brand, that’s already a done deal if you’ve experienced owning one out of warranty.
My employer-provided 2012 A6 3.0T was leased. I added up the cost of the payments, the down payment, and the residual they offered to sell it to us for. The total was several thousand less than MSRP assuming zero percent interest for three years.
The sad thing is that my employer snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The owner saw a CUE demo video and wanted to replace it with a Cadillac CTS-V, which wasn’t available yet. The Audi dealer sent out an assessor who declared the car in excellent shape with only a ding against it for the key that my employer had and lost. While we debated what my next car should be, we continued to rent the three year old Audi, now valued at about $26K, for $714/month. IIRC, I had it for a total of 40 months. How much would a lease payment on a $26K car be? Close to $300? We never drove a CTS-V, but we did get a good look at a CTS V-Sport. All the things that would be the same in a CTS-V were junky and the dealership couldn’t have been less serious about selling cars. Maybe they were a money laundering operation.
Having had the opportunity to buy the A6 for many, many thousands less than MSRP, we instead rented it for way too much for so long that the return assessment expired. The second assessor was pickier than the first, as in so picky that the car that was considered flawless four months earlier needed close to three grand in reconditioning. He picked out flaws that were the result of a road hazard when the car was less than two weeks old, so it wasn’t new damage or additional aging. Suddenly our capital outlay on the Audi went from less than $30K to about $36K. We’d still have been seven grand ahead of MSRP if we bought it at that point. Instead, we bought someone else’s off-lease A7 that supposedly didn’t depreciate like an A6-sized stone.
I quit not long after and last I heard the A7 was sitting in a non-operational state at a second or third home of the owner. The guy who replaced me quit to start his own business with a bunch of the company’s customers, and the owner drives fancy pickups while waiting for full AVs to allow him to travel while unconscious.
I have doubts that paying cash or traditional financing would really work out better than leasing for the A-Class intender.
Do you have to pay monthly for the augmented reality support? If so i probably skip and build a220 4matic with amg night package, exterior lighting package for leds headlights,premium packages for bigger touchscreens, ambient light and upgraded speakers for an MRSP *41560
$51k and a bank of slapped-on iPads for a dash? Hard pass.
Like BMW, are their two different levels of 2.0L engine? Weird that BMW and other manufacturers can get ~240hp (or more) out of their 2.0L.
Yes. The full-fat one is in vehicles badged “300” or “350” and makes 237 to 255 hp.
They also have a 2.0 AMG compliance engine with over 400 hp.
The biggest issue for this car is that a fully-loaded Jetta is just as nice and *$20K+* cheaper. Actually, the GLI is quite a bit nicer than this base engine version. There is a premium to be paid for that 3-pointed star, but this is just waaaay too much. I’ve had a couple of CLAs for rentals and find them perfectly pleasant, but the price is just silly, and this maintains the tradition.
My understanding is that these are a huge step up from the CLA. So while the Jetta is great compared to the CLA this isn’t a CLA.
It’s not a huge step up. It has a slightly larger back seat and a slightly nicer interior (mostly the digi-dash). Which I think the CLA has gotten or is getting soon. They are basically the same car.
I had a new Jetta rental for a trip from NYC to Phoenix. Initially I was quite smitten with the Jetta, but as the hours and days wore on I could not deal with the uncomfortable seats and engine that sometimes was caught out of breath before the turbo kicked in.
Get a GLI. Still almost $20K cheaper than this with the GTI’s drivetrain and seats.
I have no doubt this will also be able to be caught out – that’s the nature of a small displacement turbo. TANSTAAFL.
The pricetag here is nuts. Assuming you need a prestige badge and four doors, a couple grand more gets you into an A4, which is a *far* quicker, roomier, better performing car. If you can deal with a small back seat trunk, an A3 will torch one of these performance-wise (ask the man who owns one).
And assuming you don’t need a prestige badge, twenty grand less puts you in a Mazda 3, which has AWD, a similarly nice interior, and is slightly slower.
No sale…sorry, Mercedes.
There’s a funny thing I’ve observed about the buyers of new premium German cars. There are a bunch of them who won’t cross shop. They’ve got a greater affinity for their domestics who drive beat up Nissans than they do for the guy who picked a 550i instead of an E450 like theirs.
I also know new Audi buyers who consider Benz and BMW drivers to be tacky show-offs while they look at the people across the showroom shopping A4s as if they just stepped in something putrid. The success of German brands has more to do with constantly attracting new money and pleasing their lease returners than it does with offering value against each-others’ entry level cars. Chances are if someone wants to rent their first Mercedes-Benz, they think of Audi as what they’ve just lifted themselves above.
All no doubt true – no one said car buying is rational. But assuming you’ve made the irrational choice to buy a luxury brand car, there *are* good reasons to choose an A3 or A4 over this.
Agreed about Audi being the brand you “step up from,” and I think there’s a reason for that – unless we’re talking about the RS / AMG models, I think their less-expensive, plainer stuff is better than their top-of-the-line stuff. I’d take an A3 or A4 over this car or a C-class, but I’d take an S-class Benz over an A8. The converse, I think, is true of Mercedes.
It’s a matter of reference point. I used to get four cylinder A4s as loaners when my employer-provided A6 and then A7 were being serviced. I heard other customers say that they sometimes received rental cars instead, and I felt sincere envy. A4s were loud, cramped, flinty, and generally unpleasant. The mid-sized 3.0T Audis were buggy and dead-helmed with horrifically confused ZF 8-speed transmissions, but they were at least comfortable and powerful.
This car has what I’ve recently learned is the sales price of a new Fiesta ST in options that don’t include an engine as powerful as the one in a Fiesta ST. All those nickels and dimes and nothing about the interior looks premium or classy. 8.6 cubic feet of trunk space? A silly small car for silly small people.
By the way…it’s not mentioned in the story, but this thing is made in Mexico.
And if I’m not mistaken, the Mexican plant isn’t even owned by Mercedes (Nissan, I believe).
So…summing up…52 grand for a transverse engined compact car with a nice interior that performs like Mazda3, and is screwed together in Mexico.
There’s overpriced, there’s cynically overpriced, and then there’s this.
Aguascalientes 3 initially was a double plant – half Mercedes, half Nissan or one side Nissan, the other Mercedes. Nissan runs just a few vehicles off the Mercedes side now and then and it’s likely Mercedes will buy Nissan’s side if that company can’t buck itself up. Nissan gave the Mercedes electrical side of things the boot after the QX30 non-event, so no more shared body electrical and electronic platforms. Frankly, I’d bet Nissans electrical architecture is better than Mercedes anyway, but their brand image is crap.
Isn’t the new Mazda3 also made in Mexico?
This car’s appeal begins and ends with technology. The car’s badge writes a check the experience of driving the car can’t cash.
I don’t blame Mercedes for offering this to the dim and easily fooled. I blame the customers for their profound ignorance and misplaced priorities.
This isn’t a slam on lux goods. I dig a nice ride more than most, but this is a facsimile of luxury with a badge. Shame on us.
I’m fascinated with the B&B’s hatred of highly optioned vehicles. They always react to the MSRP of a fully loaded example as if it’s the base model.
I just wish manufacturers would occasionally drop a base (or at least less-optioned) version into the press fleet.
This car does an excellent impression of a base model even with a 50% price uptick in options.
When did you drive it?
People who buy the cheapest Benz do it because of the way it drives and don’t care if everyone who sees it or rides in it thinks it is a rented Hyundai. Right.
So never. Got it.
Well, take a look at the base version, then. I just built one with AWD for $35,000.
At that price, a base A3 Quattro will demolish it performance-wise.
If you can do without the luxury badge, a fully loaded Mazda 3 with AWD costs about five grand less, offers similar performance and size, and has an interior that’s just as nice. Plus, Mazda doesn’t charge you $400 every time you bring the thing into the dealer for regular services, or nickle and dime you for infotainment.
So, yeah, like the B&B has been saying – the fully loaded version is a s*itty value, but the base version isn’t much of a deal either.
Base A3 Quattro is missing everything buyers want. An optioned up A3 Quattro can cost as much as a similarly tarted-up A-Klasse.
The Mazda 3 interior doesn’t even come close to the A220, and the seats are nowhere near as comfortable. Steering on the A220 much more precise/responsive as well. I could go on and on, have driven both cars (own the A220). The car isn’t that expensive either, mine had a lot of features and was still in the high 30’s. Infotainment? No additional costs. Services are expensive however that omits certain facts. Take oil changes. Mazda? Every 7,500. Mercedes A220? Every 20,000.
No matter how many options you tack on, you still end up with an ugly, front-drive based sedan made in Mexico by Nissan.
What a sad and cynical offering from a once sterling manufacturer.
And from everything I’ve heard, the upper tier stuff still IS sterling. But you have to spend upwards of six figures on those cars. Meanwhile, if you’re looking at something like this (lower tier versions of the middle priced stuff), you might as well buy a Honda.
I suppose that’s just marketing reality these days.
That stubby trunk lid betrays a tiny cargo space, sadly – only 8.6 narrow cubic feet of space back there, though the seatbacks do fold for a bit of flexibility.
Holy Crap I thought the 10 cubic foot trunk in the G70 was tiny…
For the outlay of $52K give me a loaded G70 or the manual 4cyl version for much less coin.
I will say that it looks like they traded trunk space for rear passenger room, which is a good decision IMO. Lacking trunk space, you can always put a grocery bag, etc., on the rear floor; lacking rear passenger room, you’re not supposed to put a person in the trunk.
Grain of salt, as I haven’t sat behind myself in this car. At least from the picture above, it looks to have generous rear legroom.
– – –
“[A]nd the nomenclature (190E) seemed deceiving, reminding some of the larger E-class.” Huh? I was around at the time, and I don’t recall anyone’s thinking that. Car people knew which Mercedes was which. Conversely, non-car people couldn’t have told you *any* of the model names, though they would have had an understanding of whether or not it was a convertible, station wagon, sedan, or big sedan. Even if a friend or relative owned one, it was referred to as “a Mercedes” rather than by the model name.
Does this slot above or below the CLA, or has the CLA been discontinued? I ask because I was under the impression that the CLA was designed primarily for the USDM so United States buyers could get a foot in the door, but the A class has been in Germany forever.
This is the first Mercedes in a long while whose looks almost appeal to me.
The A-Klasse is slotted beneath the CLA.
It is my understanding that the A-Klasse sedan is a sportier variant of the A-Klasse hatchback. There is a new CLA on the market which features more or less the same high quality interior of the A-Klasse / B-Klasse, but is supposed to drive even sportier than the new A-Klasse.
A quick Youtube search led me to this interesting and detailed review of the new CLA220 4Matic.
My experience with the new A-Klasse is limited to an A200 hatchback loaner I drove for half a day while my ‘07 GL320 CDI was undergoing a comprehensive service. Small cars do not really interest me, but I must admit that I was impressed with how spacious the car was, both in front and in the rear.
Some quick impressions of the vehicle are as follows.
The interactive voice system was interesting and useful (I think all newer cars need this). I had my oldest son along and he quickly figured out how to use the MBXU system.
The cabin quality was impressive. This is their new bottom-end range product, but it has a high quality cabin with materials that feel and look good. I am ashamed to admit that the interior of my 2007 GL320 CDI 4Matic does not even compare! Previous A-Klassen had uninspired and rather cheap cabins, but not this one. It feels very premium.
I did like the way the car drove. It was a regular model (no fancy AMG kit), front-wheel-drive and powered by that new 1.3-l Turbomotor. To my surprise and utter amazement the engine was very responsive and the car was quite fast. I had a hard time believing this was a 4-cylinder car because of the smoothness. The transmission was also very good as was the steering wheel feel and its response rate.
The Start-Stop system turns off smoothly, but restarts are a bit jumpy.
To me the A-Klasse is overall a nice new vehicle primarily aimed at younger buyers. The looks are sporty and youthful. It is selling very well here in Europe. It is clear to me that Mercedes-Benz has a competent and technologically impressive entry-level product on the market that currently is the king in its segment. And its sales success show this. My son expressed interest in the new A-Klasse, perhaps in a few months there will be some well-equipped and cheap demo or used cars on the market.
While I prefer large SUVs, I did return the car with a bit of sadness on my part because it was quite fun to drive. The basic model which I drove was not inherently sports biased, but it felt very capable of being driven in a sporty manner and coping wonderfully.
I have yet to see the A-Klasse sedan in person. Just to reiterate, the A-Klasse I drove was a hatchback, which to my knowledge is not sold in North America.
Canada gets the A-Class hatch (I’ve already seen a few around Toronto), but for now (probably forever), the US is sedan-only.
GLA is coming soon though.
Thank you for this information.
Why is Mercedes-Benz doing entry-level? (They have a strength, and this is not it.)
How so? TTAC’s reviewer wrote above how good this car is and how much he likes it. Seems like they have some strength also for entry-level, sometimes.
+1, Manic.
It’s debateable as to what effect this will have on M-B’s long-term market standing in the US. The same question could be asked of the giant, illuminated grille emblem they now offer as an option.
That said, this review does express that this is a good effort.
What I’m more curious about is how lower-spec, FWD examples are. Are there some chintzy pieces that get eliminated with the (very expensive, IMO) upgrades, or are things nice? Does the seemingly more sensible base wheel/tire package actually make it drive better?
Is it the same A class famous for not being able to handle Moose test?
That was the first generation model.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_A-Class
If OK with Moose Test, what happens when we add Squirrel?
– Boris and Natasha
The first A class wasn’t a sport saloon, it was a tall citycar in the same mould as the Audi A2 and Smart.
It’s been the last few years they decided to make the A class more like an Audi A3.
This car makes me think Mercedes-Benz is way too committed to slumming it. This car looks like a Hyundai Elantra with a Mercedes-Benz grille grafted on
Now, you can enjoy the FWD appliance of the Mercedes-Benz Corolla but without the value, efficiency, REAL quality, and reliability. Add AWD for extra cost and headaches!
What kind of duff heads buy these? Oh yes. Simpletons dazzled by plastichrome and a badge.