Review
The A Class remains a car pretty much without rivals, especially now that Audi has killed off the unsuccessful A2. The second-generation A Class carries on where the original left off - it's a practical, spacious and well-built supermini with the additional attraction of a three-pointed star on the bonnet.
The distinctive design is pleasing enough, but it's when you get inside that the A Class starts to become really clever, with a very spacious cabin considering its compact external dimensions. There's plenty of room for four adults (although rear seat access is a bit awkward in the three-door) and the baby Merc also boasts one of the biggest boots in the segment.
The good news is that this A Class is far more comfortable than its bouncy, hard-riding predecessor. The suspension now has a decent amount of compliance, while motorway speed cruising is impressively relaxed for something so small.
The downside is an indifferent dynamic performance on anything other than arrow-straight roads. The A Class's steering suffers from very artificial-feeling weighting, the chassis quickly runs out of front-end grip and the electronic stability system cuts in far too early if you try and turn up the pace.
At least buyers have a comprehensive range of engines to choose between with four petrols and three diesels on offer. However, steep pricing means the A Class offers progressively worse value as you move up the range, so we'd recommend the respectably rapid entry level "150" petrol engine as the optimal powerplant.