It all started in 2013 when the totally re-designed A-class came out. I have always wanted one, but I had a great car (my Alfa Giulietta) which I had bought only a year before (in 2012). So held on till I couldn't hold on anymore! I got a new job and decided to finally get the A45. Put down a deposit of $5000 at the local Mercedes dealer here in February 2015. My car was all set to arrive in April, however, Mercedes decided to refresh the model and the rumor mill was that the new A45 would be even quicker.
I decided to hold off on getting the car and asked the dealer to change it to the new spec. car. Remember, at this point, even the dealer did not know anything - they had no idea when the new car would be launched, nor did they know any specifications; including the price.
The waiting game began, till finally in August 2015, Mercedes Benz Australia released the specifications for the refreshed A-class. Only downside was that my car would only be built in January 2016, with an estimated delivery in March 2016!
However, things seemed to have progressed sooner than expected, and my car arrived on the 7th of February.
First impressions:
Hopping in the car, everything was very familiar (I drive my dad's C250 a lot, and nowadays all Mercs have the same layout inside). I love the look of the new steering wheel though, which is more modern and in AMG trim is lined with suede to help with grip, and a new 8.0-inch media screen.
There is a new knob in the car that governs the behaviour of the car; the AMG Dynamic Select driving mode controller, which allows the driver to choose between Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual and, my favourite, Race mode. Each setting adjusts the steering calibration, throttle sharpness, gearbox reactivity and suspension damping, because the A45 now comes with standard adaptive sport suspension.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine may be the most powerful on Earth, but it never feels stretched, and the way the engine builds power gradually rather than walloping you low in the rev range – means its not hard to manipulate. If you stamp the throttle the in gear response is epic, and the feel of the throttle pedal is superb. The accompanying noise is, quite simply, excellent
Things I like:
-The ride - the ability to change the behaviour of the car with a flick of the dial is awesome!
-The reliability - I've done 7000km so far and it hasn't missed a beat - no squeaks, rattles or anything
-The handling
-The looks
-The noise the engine makes!
-The gorgeous interior
-The presence on the road
-The performance (I'll admit being a bit naughty - took it up to 200km/h the other day on a country road - but there were no speed limits on this road as it was a private road).
-The awesome Bose sound system
Things I don't like:
-The display screen looks aftermarket, as though it is stuck-on (but then again all new Mercs have them).
-Rear seat passengers will be squashed a bit, the leg-room could have been better
-No HUD
-Distronic plus feature in the cruise control - very annoying as the car slows down and maintains the speed of the vehicle in front. Also don't like the fact that it is too sensitive - it almost stops the car when it senses someone is slowing down to turn in front
-Starting the car in RACE mode is pretty complicated and makes no sense for everyday use (though the owner's manual says not to use this mode on normal roads!)
-Rear visibility is poor (though the reversing camera really helps!)
-Small boot
-No spare tyre.
The numbers:
$82,661 on road (includes registration, insurance etc.) - Approx. 40.6 lac at today's exchange rates.
0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds (claimed, though some people have managed to do it in 4 seconds).
Top speed: 270 km/h
5 years servicing is included in the price of the car (got a service plan with it) so the only expenses will be for the parts (if any parts are replaced).
My experience with the car so far:
It has now been 7 months since I took delivery, and I have been using the car everyday (for work on weekdays, and for fun on weekends). I drive about 60km everyday and it has been a surprisingly good daily-driver. In "comfort" mode the car is very smooth and the suspension is quite bearable!
I have also driven on highways/freeways and have taken the car up to 200 km/h on a private road. The acceleration is quite breathtaking and the car handles extremely well at 200km/h, though I did experience a bit of understeer.
I get about 500-550 km on a full tank of fuel; which is the only downside. I have to fill up every 8-10 days and it costs me anywhere between $65-$80 depending on what the fuel prices are. I only fill up 98RON petrol (usually Shell or BP). Mercedes only recommend using lower fuel grades if 98RON is unavailable and only for as short a time as possible.
Overall experience:
I bought the car from Mercedes Benz Adelaide. They are pretty good and we have been dealing with them for the last 15 years, having bought several cars over the years. Several freebies were thrown in as part of the deal: the boot liner, AMG floor mats, an AMG jacket, A45 model car (limited edition), a gift basket with wine, full tank of fuel and an AMG ink pen.
The first few pictures were taken on the day of delivery, the remaining have been taken over the last 7 months.