[Mojoholic]

The Prelude
I am a self-confessed petrolhead. I truly believe that cars are a heady mix of art and engineering, and no other man-made machine can tug at your heart strings more than what cars are capable of. Cars have personalities and character. They are a great source of joy and happiness. A car buying decision for me is based on how the car makes me feel rather what the on-paper specs say or what the resale value of the car would be after ‘x’ number of years.

This philosophy reflects in the cars that I have historically owned. Chevrolet Spark, Tata Indica D90 – ZX edition, a red Fiat Punto 1.2 Fire Petrol and Ford Aspire 1.5 DCT. None of these cars were triumphant in conquering the mass market. But, each of these cars made a connection with me deep inside. I cherish the memories of countless miles I drove them through all possible terrains (some of them can be defined as roads in India). Every 3-4 years, I get this undying urge to change my ride. And that is where the story of my pre-worshiped Mercedes A Class begins.

How I met my A Class



The third generation Mercedes A Class (W176) was launched internationally in 2012 and was brought to India in 2013 via the CBU route. I was in love with the car since the day it launched and never missed a chance to ogle at it whenever I saw one on the road. I could not afford to buy a new one back then (neither can I now). It was the entry point into the world of uber-cool German luxury. All these years, I secretly wished I could buy one, but the rational parts of my brain sabotaged my sugary sweet dreams of owning the 3-pointed star. My dreams too were modestly middle-class because I never dreamt of having a G-wagon or a SLS AMG in my garage. My heart was set on the humble (relatively speaking) A class.

Cut to 2019, the W177 had already taken over but the W176 had aged gracefully. My brother-in-law, who is closely affiliated to the automobile industry and has a lot of ‘contacts’ (the right ones), knew about my desire to buy one. All my attempts at being hypnotized by Mercedes’s finance schemes were thwarted by him, stating that I was trying to cut the branch on which I am sitting. But, one fine day he came to me with an offer I couldn’t refuse. It was a 5-year-old pre-worshipped A180 in impeccable condition with only 15,000 kms on the clock. The previous owner had lovingly maintained and sparingly used the car mostly for city runs and occasional highway blasts. He generously offered a long test drive and that was the first time I took the wheel of my dream machine. In my mind, I had already bought the car. The price quoted by the owner was way beyond my budget and the market value of the car. I made him a counter offer, but he was in no mood to negotiate. I was heartbroken. I squirmed at the thought of letting this unforeseen opportunity slip out of my hands. But my stars miraculously aligned themselves in a rare display of unbridled charm, almost like black magic. The owner responded back a couple of days later and agreed to reduce the price to synergize with my budget. My felicity knew no bounds.

All this while, my spouse did not take me seriously as she thought this was another one of those recurring wet dreams. My parents were in the US visiting my brother and they had no clue about this. On a routine video call, I broke the news to them about buying a MERCEDES. They were dumbfounded, flabbergasted. Their expressions and exclaims made me feel foolhardy. I showed them pictures of the car and they loved it, but they still could not digest the fact that it was a MERCEDES that I was planning to buy. Somewhere deep inside, I could sense that my wife had liked the car and pulling her into my team was relatively easy. After several rounds of discussions, my parents too warmed up to the idea and, lo and behold, they agreed. After some paperwork for the loan, some peering in the deep abyss of my finances and some sleepless nights wondering about the maintenance costs, the A Class was finally in my garage.

‘A Class’ apart
All this while I have been blabbering about how I finally got my name on the RC of the car. Let’s talk about the car, shall we. And where do I start.

Pros

1. Ageless chic design with a coolness quotient of “Over 9000”
2. Exclusivity. Mercedes did not sell the A Class in huge numbers in India. They don’t plan to bring the next gen W177 hatch to India.
3. Solid German build quality. The doors shut with a reassuring thunk. Almost everything (check the issues section) is screwed together tightly with very even panel gaps.
4. Safety taken care of with 7 air bags, all 4 disc brakes, ABS, EBD and other electronic nannies.
5. Paddle shifters for when you are in the mood for some fun.
6. Superb quality of materials. The cabin is filled with good quality soft squidgy materials at the usual touch points. The part leather-part fabric seats at the front are snug and extremely comfortable, even on long journeys.
7. Powered driver seat has lot of adjustability and it is easy to find a comfortable driving position. You can choose to sit lower to the ground and that gives you a nice sporty driving position.
8. Adequately powerful NA petrol engine with a dual clutch gearbox. It may not shove you back into your seats but gives you a nice linear surge of power with no lag.
9. Well weighted steering wheel is nice to hold and gives you enough feedback in corners
10. Great handling package if you are in the mood for some corner carving. Body roll is well contained, and the car gives you adequate confidence to push it hard.
11. Decent fuel economy for a heavy petrol-powered car.

Cons

1. Low ground clearance. Hands down my biggest concern. Low profile tyres add to the misery on bad roads
2. Slightly stiff suspension is a delight in the twisties but can be a bit jarring for daily city use.
3. Space management could have been better for such a large car. It is a car best suited for 4 adults and not 5.
4. The space saver tyre eats into the boot space
5. The bi-xenon headlamps are not very bright, especially the low beam.
6. Some essential equipment missing – Rear parking sensors, adjustable front headrests and dual zone climate control.
7. Heavy reliance on electronics. It is not an old school simple machine with a mechanical feel to it.
8. Steering mounted controls are for left-hand drive markets. Takes some time to get used to
9. Some of the plastic switches and knobs are low rent

Driving Impressions
Turn the key and you are greeted by the growly 1.6L NA 4-cylinder petrol engine. The engine puts out a modest 122 horsepower but a rather healthy 200 Nm of torque. It is paired to a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox. The engine sounds a bit gruff when started but settles down nicely after that. Close the heavy doors and you will not hear or feel much of the engine inside. I must confess that the stalk mounted gear shifter takes some time to get used to. I accidently put the car in neutral once while trying to signal the left indicator. Put the car in D and you are off after a mild jitter. The upshifts are mostly smooth and incomprehensible but the downshifts are noticeable if you drive spiritedly. The car comes with ECO, Manual and Sport modes. The ECO mode makes for a sedate driving experience with progressive throttle response and relaxed shifts from the gearbox. Put the car in Sport mode and you to get to stay in the meat of the powerband most of the times. The car responds quickly to the inputs from your right foot and the dual clutch unit holds the gears for you a bit longer to extract some more juice from that engine. The twin exhausts don’t make the engine sound very sporty but it has adequate grunt if you are not looking to scorch the road like a lunatic. Manual mode allows you to use the paddle shifters and what joy they are on ghat sections. All round disc brakes ensure there is more than adequate stopping power whenever you need it. The brakes have a good bite and the pedal feel is natural even under hard braking.

On my recent trip to Goa (from Pune), the one-way Khambatki Ghat allowed me to play around with the Manual and Sport mode. The well paved tarmac allows you to hit the apex on corners and even go wide whenever required. That is only when the low profile-wide section tyres and low ground clearance feel like a boon. The car turns in without any fuss with almost no body roll. The steering weighs up nicely and gives you adequate feedback (not as much as my Punto though). You get a sense that this machine was made for blokes who enjoy driving. My 2.5-year-old son was strapped tightly in his baby seat at the back and was asleep when the ghat section started. By the time the ghat ended, the poor soul had woken up with his seat tilted at a 45-degree angle. He was probably mad at his father for driving like a hooligan. After a brief scolding session from my wife, who was also enjoying the drive till she glanced back to see if sonny boy was alright, I was forced back to ‘Gangadhar’ mode. Rest of the journey was mostly 4 lane highway and the Merc was munching miles like a thoroughbred GT car. There is a feeling of solidarity in the way the car rides that is hard to explain in words. Cruising in ECO mode was relaxing, and I ended up getting almost 17 km/lit (as per the trip computer). The entire journey was totally fatigue free and the seats offered great comfort. But the same cannot be said about the rear seats as they are quite upright with limited legroom. They are good enough for small journeys for 2 adults only.

Living with the Merc
A picture is worth 950 words (recession you see). This is a pictorial essay of my experiences with the Merc.

Interiors
The dashboard design still looks fresh after so many years. All black interiors gives away sporty intentions.


The turbine style AC vents really add to the style quotient. Turn them all the way to the left to shut off the air flow. They are well built with a very satisfactory rotary action


The stock infotainment system has all the necessary connectivity features you would need, except Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It does not have a touch screen and can be controlled with the rotary knob on the console. This is a very intuitive way of navigating through the menus and I quickly got used to it. I prefer this system over the touch screen system of my Santro as you don’t need to take your eyes off the road or lean forward to operate the system. The overall user experience is not in line with modern times but it gets the job done. The sound quality from the 8 speaker system is bass heavy with sufficient clarity. The system does not offer an equalizer or sound modes except bass and treble control. There are aftermarket touch screen units available on Chinese websites that look like the new Mercedes units with MB UX.


The head unit is filled with buttons and does not look too inviting. It reminds me of my Ford Aspire’s unit. It also has a CD player (nostalgia). The driving modes and the ECO mode buttons take their position under the head unit. I would have liked these buttons to be present on the divider console right next to the driver. Also notice the blank buttons, 4 of them, that remind you of some features like parking sensors, ventilated seats and an engine start-stop system that this first gen car does not get.



The steering is nice and chunky with pronounced thumb contours. It feels really nice to hold and the quality of leather and the stitching is great. The three pointed star takes the centre stage proudly. The button layout is for left hand drive cars and takes some time getting used to. The buttons have a nice defined click and will last long. It’s nice to have a dedicated mute button (It does not pause the songs) .The horn is typically European with a deep honk worthy of a Mercedes.


I just love the prehistoric analogue meters. The dials are well laid out, crisp and clear. The info display in the centre also has good resolution with a whole host of driver aids.



The Automatic AC is a simple button-heavy unit. The figures on the temperature knob are hard to view from the driver’s seat and the selected temperature is displayed on infotainment display for a short while. I would have preferred to have a small display on this unit itself to see the set temperature. This is a single zone AC compared as opposed to the dual zone (with a temperature display) that later came with the 2015 facelift. The rotary knobs feel very plasticky and cheap. The AC itself cools really well with as many as 5 vents pushing out the arctic breeze. There are no rear AC vents. For some reason, the air circulation mechanism shuts itself off after sometime letting in outside air, but does not turn on again on its own.


One touch window up/down is a boon. The quality of the plastic switches is satisfactory at best. The switches have orange backlight and are easy to locate in the dark.


Only the driver seat is powered. There is enough adjustment available in the seat to find a comfortable driving position. You can save 3 driving positions. You have to keep the number button pressed till the seat adjusts itself to the saved driving position. If you leave the button in between, the seat just stops moving.


The armrest is positioned well and can be moved forward or backward to find the right resting spot for your elbow. The armrest creaks if you put extra pressure on it. The area under the armrest is deep and houses the Aux in and USB slot. The two covered stowage cubbies have a nicely damped lids but the space inside is just enough for some knickknacks.


The glovebox is just about enough for some papers and the leather pouch stuffed with manuals. It is well padded and damped though.


The top console houses the aircraft style spot lights and the 2 stage pull switch for the sunroof.


The foot well area is spacious for with a large brake and accelerator pedal. The dead pedal is also well angled, wide and comfortable to rest your foot on long journeys. There are no dangling wires underneath and the whole area is well padded. The red coloured bonnet release switch is hidden from view and hard to find.


The original key comes with only 2 buttons. The additional key that I use allows me to open the boot with the click of a button. The key itself is very well made and heavy.

The electronic parking brake is located right below the headlight switch (at a safe location). It is illuminated and easy to find once you get the hang of it. Notice the huge key fob to the left of the headlight switch. Put the key in it and it turns with heavy clicks. No wonder these things laden with electronics are pretty costly to replace.

The rotary switch for the light has very well defined slots and oozes quality. I usually leave it on Auto. If you move the switch all the way to left to ‘P’, it operates only one tail lamp. I was initially confused by this. A theory I learnt later is that this has been done specifically for curb parking when one side of the car is parked over a curb and other is on the road.


The doors are heavy and open with a 2 stage action. The top half of the door is lined with nice soft touch material while the lower half is hard plastic. The silver bits break the monotony of the large black surfacing everywhere. The white stitching is also tastefully done. The storage area can hold large bottles. The old style door locking knobs are an eyesore.


The front seats are large, well contoured and offer good amount of adjustability. The use of leather and fabric gives them a nice sporty character. The side bolsters hold you well in place while attacking the corners. The headrest design is unique with metal inserts that give it a premium feel. Looks aside, adjustable headrests would have been better for safety. No storage at the back of the seats is a bit of a bummer.


The rear seats have just about adequate knee room but the seat squab is a bit too short to offer any under thigh support. The seats again are well contoured just like the ones in the front but that makes this a 4 seater cabin even if there are 3 full size seatbelts available if required. Notice the ISOFIX points for child seats. The seat that we use for our son fits perfectly in the middle with the seatbelt holding it tightly in place.


Exteriors
The diamond grille looks fantastic and the huge Mercedes logo that sits in the middle adds some gravitas to the design. I particularly like this design over the 2-slat facelifted version.


The bonnet is heavy and opens up after some fiddling around to find the release switch. All important parts in the engine bay are under the plastic cladding with another logo sitting prominently on the engine cover. The engine bay has good sound deadening material and a firewall. The bonnet surprisingly does not have any cladding. The design under the bonnet is interesting. Gas struts to keep the bonnet open would have been good (wishful thinking)


The OVRMs are adequately sized and have an anti-glare coating. The creaky plastic casing around the OVRMs also houses the stylish looking turn indicators. They close when the car is locked. (This can be customized in the settings). I did not have the guts to check if they are Indian traffic friendly.


Both the head and the tail lights have been uniquely designed. The headlights are bi-xenon with a good beam spread. I am not very happy with the low beam intensity but the high beam is good. The tail lights have a nice pattern and they gel well with the overall rear end design.


The boot space is just about adequate. The space-saver tyre eats into the space. The boot opening is not very wide and it is a chore to fit large items. A metal scuff plate instead of a plastic one would have been better.


The sunroof is a welcome addition. The glossy black panel in front of the sunroof makes it look really sporty. The sunroof has a two step action. The first button press opens the fabric cover to let in some natural light. The second step opens the glass roof. This livens up the all black interiors.


The tyre pressure recommendations have been mentioned in kPa. The 270 kPa (39 psi) for both front and rear tyres with full load sounds a bit too much for Indian conditions. I usually keep 35 psi all round. The TPM system does throw a low tyre pressure notification regularly but it does not tell which tyre is running low pressure.


The wheel design with a gunmetal style finish is really tasteful. The low profile tyres and the sporty wheels give the car a nice low-slung stance. All round disc brakes do their job well.


This sill that runs at the bottom is prone to scratching and hitting large speed bumps if you are not careful. I was surprised to find that this sill is not metal but plastic.


The metal scuff plates on all 4 doors remind you to feel special. Notice that the plastic cover is still intact even after 6 years.


Issues
No matter how smitten I am with my prized possession, there is no denying the fact that this is a 6-year-old car. It is bound to have some issues despite the solid build and great care taken by the previous owner. As a part of the imperative induction program for pre-owned luxury car buyers, I was preparing myself financially and mentally for unforeseen circumstances and maintenance routines. Here are a few niggles I came across.

1. Squeaky roof lining. This is a problem with old A class (W176) cars as per online ownership forums. The roof panels are press-fit and squeak frequently when driving over uneven surfaces. My local mechanic said there is no solution to this as the panel joints will expand and contract depending on the temperature outside. On hot days, the noise virtually disappears but returns when the sun sets. I have read about people trying to get rid of the irritating squeaks by using double sided tape but that is not a permanent solution.
2. One fine day, the onboard service notifier flashed a message about low coolant level. Casual inspection revealed nothing. The warning flashed intermittently. I decided to visit the local mechanic which the previous owner had recommended to check what was wrong. Upon closer investigation, we found that the plastic coolant tank had cracked, and the coolant was slowly seeping out. That was when I got the first taste of what it feels like to own and maintain a Merc. After a lot of online searching and phone calls to local part vendors, I found the coolant tank at a reasonable (reasonable compared to what the Mercedes dealer quoted) price and the car was back on the road with no issues. There is no running away from the fact that age is catching up fast and I need to thoroughly inspect all rubber parts, hoses, and seals during the next service
3. I have written in detail about the low ground clearance and my queries regarding tire sizes in a separate post. Please find the link bellow
   
   https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-...e-upgrade.html (Mercedes A-Class tyre upgrade)
   
   To summarize, the low ground clearance gives me nightmares and it is something that does not allow me to enjoy the car to its full potential

The Social Angle
A Mercedes exemplified luxury. A Mercedes in your garage beams signals to the society that you are doing great in life, have high ambitions and loads of spare cash to splurge. It basically says that you have transcended the class barrier and moved up the ladder. But for a simple guy from a middle-class family, nothing really has changed for me. I don’t own a bungalow, I am not a business man, neither am I a corporate bigshot. And yet I have the tenacity to buy a Mercedes. This exactly was my mother’s argument. She was not worried about the price I was paying for the car, nor was she concerned about the hefty maintenance bill that comes with it. She was anxious about the image I was portraying to the society. She was fretting about how the people will now see our family in a different light. I have been dismissive of this slightly archaic opinion, but I have remained discreet about the ownership of the car. I intend to lay low as I have not bought the car for show-off. It has more to do with passion than fashion

Some more parting shots
So, there you have it. I have been more than happy with my purchase so far. It has been a dream come true for me and I sincerely hope that I enjoy every moment I spend with it. I am now eagerly waiting for the lockdown to end.

I will take your leave with some parting shots. Thank you for being patient enough to read through.

The beauty just stands out in the parking lot. Miss touch-me-not.


Others in my garage are also raring to go

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[lionell]

Originally Posted by Mojoholic

How I met my A Class

Let me be the first the congratulate you on this wonderful dream car. Incidentally I am on the look out to own something like this too. I was really intrigued and interested in the BMW 1 series hatchback as well but they are few and far to be found.

The A-Class though has been on my mind since a long time now. I hope to find a good deal sometime in the future.

[AirWind]

Originally Posted by Mojoholic

The Prelude
I am a self-confessed petrolhead. I truly believe that cars are a heady mix of art and engineering, and no other man-made machine can tug at your heart strings more than what cars are capable of. Cars have personalities and character. They are a great source of joy and happiness. A car buying decision for me is based on how the car makes me feel rather what the on-paper specs say or what the resale value of the car would be after ‘x’ number of years.

Congrats on the acquisition and well written review for a newbie.

The A-class is a looker even 7 yrs after arrival in our shores - my knees go week for the four wheeled kind and this one ticks all the boxes in my opinion for a city car.

The economics of a used premium car rests in its maintenance not acquisition cost, so as long as you have access to a couple of lakhs as reserve should take care of that!

There is no cost for that pleasure of driving what we dream to... lucky you folks in MH, the cost for the preowned are affordable vis-à-vis Bangalore.

Wishing you miles of pleasure with the machine... cheers!

[Doc_nikhil]

Hey Mojoholic, congrats on your first of the many steps into the world of exclusivity. The A klassé looks very well maintained and hardly looks 6yrs old. I am sure you are having a great time when you drive it. Congrats once again. Even I was in your spot three years back when we wanted to add a third car which needed to be an automatic hatch. The merc was a long stretch but we loved the way it looks and its diamond grill. Decided to check it out but the local Mercedes dealer was super rude and we were put off by his behavior. Glad you are having a great time with the car. Even I have gotten myself a used Skoda Yeti and a used motorcycle and both were as good as new. I guess it all depends on the seller. Another point, I am sure you’d have already covered this on your research with the tyres. I wanted to ask if your car is still on OEM tyres? They were quite prone to cracks and sidewall tears, not to mention the age. I would suggest you change them to newer batch of tyres if this wasn’t already on your list. Have thousands of happy miles and countless smiles.

Cheers!
Doc_nikhil

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Nice purchase. A-Class is such a beautiful machine. Congratulations!

Loved your honest-to-heart review. Quite frankly, seeing the soaring prices for new cars - I drool at such deals myself as well - an excellent condition 320D from the previous generation can be had for prices similar to a top-end Honda City. However, I'm still half a decade away from being able to afford such maintenance costs and the 'brand' image.

Oh, I'm sure the image headache is real. I had to face it post purchasing a big bike, and can't even imagine how the office and family would react to a brand like BMW or Merc. A friend had the whole office suddenly talking about him after the security guard noticed him arrive in his pre-worshipped 3-series one day - in an office where the CEO owned a Skoda.

[d3mon]

Congratulations on the purchase. 15K kms is practically brand new, and the car looks hot even today.

Here's an unexpected bonus for you - your engine is actually a turbo 1.6, not NA.

[turboNath]

Congrats Mojoholic for the superb set of wheels! Do keep us posted with your travels on board this delectable German Horse ! Would love to see more pictures in scenic locations

[ramnaresh_2000]

Congratulations on your purchase. I am so jealous right now as in no angle it looks like a 5 years old machine . Enjoy the beast.

As rightly mentioned the previous owner must have maintained it very well. Can you throw some light on why suddenly change of heart from previous owner?

[aghate]

Congratulations on the purchase Mojoholic!

This is truly a timeless hatch design for me. I am not a fan of how the new car looks with those slim headlamps, they may be effective but still no.

You will find the space issues for that segment but I believe that is the least of your concerns. The cost of spare parts will be a concern, if you love the car and do regular maintenance it should not be a big problem.

Please do not worry about what people think of your purchase, if we start worrying about every decision in life on what 'people' will think you would not have ended with something that you have dreamed of.

Enjoy the ride!

[Slickshift99]

Congratulations Mojoholic on your purchase, your car definitely looks very sexy and does stand out of the crowd. One of my favourite mercs from the india-lineup, funny how mom's have concerns over the social image of a car

This exactly was my mother’s argument. She was not worried about the price I was paying for the car, nor was she concerned about the hefty maintenance bill that comes with it. She was anxious about the image I was portraying to the society. She was fretting about how the people will now see our family in a different light.

That's similar to what happened to me while i had made my mind to get a pre-owned civic as a college freshman.

[H Karter]

Heartiest congrats on breaking the Barrier!
I will be on the same boat when it will be time to replace the Seltos.
Really liked the humility with which you described your life changing saga.

With the Top variant Seltos having a pair of headlight cost 37k, the owners (not me) are nearly touching the German club. Buying and maintaining are two altogether different worlds for the Germans. Surely you need to have guts to play with your ORVM.

Also, I too like the one way Khambatki ascent.

[EuroMachine]

Whenever I read about a humble middle class guy buy a Mercedes especially the pre-owned route, it touches my heart because it shows the zeal and desire of the heart to say its manageable to own, maintain the rich people's brand.

Congratulations and cherish the moments for a long time!

[Naman_Ferrari]

Congratulations man! I must say that car looks really sweet (interiors and everything). Amazing car to buy pre-worshipped. I've always loved the A-Class as much as I hated the B-Class. Enjoy

[YashD]

Congratulations Mojoholic!

I can completely relate to each and every word you typed. The A Class is more about the emotion and passion than outright value, performance or any other bits. It just connects to you on so many different levels, especially that gorgeous design one cannot help but ogle it all day long. The 17 inch alloys looks smashing and that panoramic sunroof adds so much character to the already brilliant design. Welcome to the holy Trio German club buddy and I hope you keep this car for several years to come!

I always wanted an A Class but my family & friends never allowed me to pick one over the Cs and 3ers stating the usual reasons but I am glad you were able to convince your family for one. By the way, what did you do about the lack of Parking sensors? Parking it due to the poor rear visibility is a major problem in tight spaces! I was almost going to scratch a friend's car due to the very reason.