What's about the same size as a Ka, quicker and has better seats, a rev counter and better handling?

yeah if your going that way... you might aswell walk around with tosser written on you head...

lol

Tim

Reply to
Tim Fish
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Ka 3 :)

Reply to
dojj

Could have been worse, could have said he occasionally has a 6 incher in the rear, heh.

Reply to
Lordy

Plenty electronic stuff certainly - abs, esp, traction, leccy heated mirrors, leccy windows all round, and the elegance comes with the aircon as you say above.

Better built car ? Nah- don't think so.

Mine is eight weeks short of it's third birthday and presently has 56k on the clock. I've put every one of those miles on it.

Faults ;

Failed trailing arm bushes x 2 Worn anti roll bar links x 4 Worn steering colum x 2 Worn brake cailper carrier x 2 Seized brake calipers.Intermittent failure of the CAN Bus which controls much of the electronic gubbins above. This has the result that the ABS can take a day off in the middle of an emergency manouvre. I can live without ABS, have done for years, but if I think it's going to be there then it better be there. Very poor qaulity trim , especially around the dashboard area. Recent models are better in this respect, but certainly no match for any VW group product.

All of the above have been fixed - eventually - by my local Mercedes Benz dealer, Derwent of Bellshill. Their attitude has never ever given me a warm glow of satisfaction at having chosen Mercedes. Every time I have asked for a courtesy car it has cost me to insure it. The local seat dealer makes all the insurance arrangements when my wife's car is in for servicing.

The good points ;

Fantastically flexible interior space, good fuel economy no matter how you drive it, the glint of the three pointed star on the steering wheel, bonnet and bootlid.

The bottom line. Buy an A class by all means, but don't think it's going to be a love affair.

Reply to
John Fitzgerald

Oh and an A Klasse is actually shorter than a Ka.

I didn't believe the figures and measured it to check. It's shorter and wider. No-one believes me so I often have to demonstrate by parking next to a Ka to prove it.

Reply to
John Fitzgerald

Nah, it couldn't be shorter

Reply to
Chet

Mine's maybe a special short wheelbase version then eh ?

From whatcar A class 3606mm LWB = 3776 Ka 3620

The Ka is 1827mm wide and the A class is 1941mm so it's shorter and wider than a Ka.

Reply to
John Fitzgerald

We have one, faults none and we've had it longer than three years. Anecdotes not much good when it comes to assessing reliability or build quality. I've also heard people criticise the interior trim as you have but I can't find fault with it. Compared to some of the contemporary big Mercs it's wearing better than they have. Compared to the previous generation of big Mercs it's wearing incredibly well.

Then again my expectations weren't that high, I consider every Merc to have a s**te interior compared to Jaguar.

And you have to be joking about the interior compared to VW. A mate bought a Golf at the same time I bought the A-class. The Golf is now completely and utterly shagged inside. That mixture of cream and black rubbery plastic doesn't wear well and IMO never looked good in the first place.

Agree about the dealers though, Merc dealers suck.

Reply to
Steve Firth

It CAN'T be knackered. My car is french and 10 years old and the interior is spotless! It hasn't had an easy life either...

Guess you should give up with this expensive rubbish and buy a Pug eh Steve ;)?

-- Dan

Reply to
Dan405

I just think it feels more tired than it ought to at three years and just short of 60k miles. Modern cars are meant to be a 150-200k proposition are they not.

I certainly agree about the cream interior not lasting the pace - that's why I would never choose one. Strangely enough I think it looks good when new, but it's just daring you to eat a flake and keep it clean. My Passat will be having the dark interior - it's dull but much more practical.

Reply to
John Fitzgerald

all together now "who ate all the pies!"

Reply to
dojj

That would be me ;-)

Reply to
John Fitzgerald

I'm a reasonable amount overweight, and that could be said of me, but I rarely eat pies.

Peter

Reply to
AstraVanMan

If you are tall, try a Punto. I'm 6'2" tall, and the one I drove for 8 weeks (while learning) had seat height, and wheel height, reach adjust.

My instructor was 6'5". His missus he told me was 5'2", they could both comfortably drive the car.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Ah, a Punto Sporting 1.2 16v, earlier shape for cheapness reasons. 85bhp from that little 1.2 don't you know...

60 flashes up in about 10, handling no worse than a Ka.

-- Dan

Reply to
Dan405

And on the Sportings, actually quite firm with little roll.

Always have the options of 1.4 and 1.6 engine swaps, and sourcing a

6speed transmission too.

I learn in a Diesel, and it was fairly quick for a learner car.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Nope. Harsher, by quite a margin, similar to the Smart Car, actually.

Reply to
DervMan

Same size? Lots.

Quicker? In a straight line, lots.

Better seats? Hmmmm.

Rev counter? Hmmmmm.

Better handling? Subjective . . . . but the Ka is at the top of the sector so you'll be lucky.

And cheap insurance?

Bwahahahahahahahah.

Try the latest LuxuryKa. It has all of the above.

Reply to
DervMan

Hmm, but is harsh, bad? I mean Firm yes is good, soggy bad.

Boss at work has an AMG C36. That thing has no travel at the rear. Sit in the back, and you feel every rattle and bump. Hardly what you would call a luxury saloon drive, even for an AMG prepped version.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Doesn't it have switchable suspension?

Anyhoo, it's not a real luxury saloon - an E-Class maybe, an S-Class definitely, but a C-Class? Hmmmm

Reply to
Jamesy

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