Frank Bullitt
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A150 Classic (sic) Blue EfficiencySecond time out on the forum I believe, and things haven't got any better.
The smart was in for a service and MOT today (1 month exactly before its 3rd birthday!), so I kinda hoped to get a smart mhd but ended up with the A-klasse instead. This is the first time I've driven a new-shape model and provides a comparrison to the A2 as a 'premium' small product.
Where to begin...well, I get it over with to start off with, this thing was a stinking pile of shit.
Why?
First the driving position - Mercedes have decided to charge extra for reach adjustment on the steering wheel, accordingly for my legs to fit (and they do), my arms were uncomfortably outstretched - half an hour saw discomfort across my shoulders. The seat would go back another inch or-so, but I defy anybody except a monkey to make use of it. Also, lower back support was poor with my lumbar region feeling some pressure.
The interior plastics are poor quality to say the least - this being the Classic nothing has a leather finish to it or aluminium (effect even) trim, accordingly it felt like Colditz in there. Everything feels tinny, the doors, the controls, the adjustments - just tinny. The stereo was pretty decent and I like the look on the display even if it's contrived. The steering wheel controls were useful although despite it declaring the bluetooth was working my phone couldn't find it.
The general feeling of the controls (including the ludicrously overburdoned single stalk for wipers and indicators/ main beam) was poor, and this extends to the driving experience. The gearbox was similar to the loose bag of cogs fitted to the 307SW I drove, with no mechanical feeling - this made changing gear a definite chore rather than pleasure. Can't believe the car only has 4500 miles on the clock, unless it's the second time around! One real bugbear, which sort of shows the sloppy nature of design, was the engine temperature gauge having 80C at the 12 O'clock position - handy when normal running is 90C. It looks wonky, is wonky and just naff.
The clutch and throttle were decent although the brakes lacked feel - in fact lacking feel was an all-pervaiding experience in this car. The steering was utterly unconnected to the front wheels, I had no idea of what was going on and the helm left zero pleasure - if you told me it was a revolutionary electric fly-by-wire jobbie it wouldn't surprise me. It handled, seemingly.
The ride was decent enough if not well-damped - the car 'po go'ed' a little too much for my liking. However, any attempt to make it ride well is lost through the crap uncomfy driving position.
Interior space is good, and the boot is a reasonable size, you can tell this car is well-packaged.
I'd expected the car to lack any form of acceleration and so it proved - caning it or relying on the meagre torque did little to help although the motor was quiet at motorway speeds - no doubt my 61bhp smart could out-drag it with ease, and that's not exactly a ball of fire. The Blue Efficiency means that when you come to a stop put the car in neutral, hold your foot on the brake and the engine stops. Either depressing the clutch or releasing the brake brings the engine instantly to life. It worked, but holding your foot on the brake just goes against 'proper' driving so I kept on forgetting to use it.
I wouldn't say the A-klasse was on a short-list for the smarts replacement but it was in the back of my mind as an option. When I came home my wife asked me what it was like so I told her she could have one but I'd never drive it then gave her the key and asked her to make her own mind up - 'piece' of junk' was the conclusion after a few minutes of fiddling. That'll be a no then.
When taking back I mentioned to the service woman that it was pretty hideous - she looked around, lowered her voice and told me most people think the same; they apparantly appeal to old people for the driving position and young mothers for the packaging.
The overwhelming feeling was that if a Korean manufacturer had released this ten years ago it would be fair to declare it as 'decent progress' and 'showing promise' - as a car released by Mercedes in 2004 it's really just a pile of shit.
You'd expect me to compare it to the A2 and no doubt find in the favour of my own car. Well, actually there is no comparrison at all and I'd never choose a current A-klasse over an A2; period. The A-klasse seems to have lost its mojo from the impressive (if flawed) first generation car; I'd never choose one of them either, but at least it showed a new way of thinking.
Put some Kia Carens badges on the back and it might look less bleak...
As for the smart? Service, MOT and new wipers set me back £190 which isn't bad - the wipers have been poor since day one on this car (unlike our last one) despite a number of replacement blades being bought and trying to bend the arms to increase pressure on the screen. Hopefully the new ones are better.
As I drove the smart back I couldn't have been happier - right until it dawned on me it's now going to be put up for sale. That wiped the smile off my face.
Dull.
Wonky temperature gauge
Quite funky. Totally out of place.
Nice...
Plenty of space:
Clever adjustable boot floor - flat loadbay entrance
or, deeper boot:
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Martin
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Sounds and looks great, I don't know what you are complaining about!!!
The stereo is the same as the one in the current C Class.
We had a MK1 about 12 months into it's life cycle and although it did have its flaws (dreadful plastics, numb handling etc) it was incredible compared to everything else we looked at. The amount of space for the size of vehicle was the most important thing for us, but the level of equipment, especially safety equipment (I know it needed it just to stay upright!) was also far ahead of any car Mrs M had owned before.
She loved it and best of all, we bought it cheap (12 months old) and sold it for a decent amount, so it's by far the cheapest car we've had.
We looked at the new one at one point, but didn't like it.
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SpecB
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 At least the one I had was Elegance spec.
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Frank Bullitt
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At least you had some nicer surroundings to loose the will to live in!
Martin, I've no doubt that had I been buying a car in the late 90's I'd have gone for an A-klasse as a revolutionary new car, although all the Easy-Rent-A-Car A-klasse's did somewhat devalue the brand...
Interesting A-klasse fact?
Did you know Mercedes were unable to replicate the 'Elk' result but panicked some responses through anyway (standard ESP, firmer set-up, different tyres - all retro-fitted to about 10,000 customer cars already on the roads)?
Seems the test done by the Sweedish mag was undertaken on a runway with a surface that didn't replicate normal roads. By the time Mercedes realised the damage was already done.
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Gurney
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The A150 must be std issue for smart owners needing a courtesy car.
This from 2008
"Well, just taken the smart in for it's 'A' service and was delivered a complete curved ball when the courtesy car turned out to be a brand spanking new A150.
What a sack of Shoite!
Besides stalling it twice (those paddles have ruined me!) I failed to see the point of the 'keyFob' start. Of course I had no pre flight instruction and was left to my own devices, searching in vain for a 'start' button I eventually twisted the fob and hey presto it started. Eerily similar to a key, in fact.....well it beats me!
View out was not particularly good, if I wanted to look out of a windscreen resembling a letterbox I would buy an Alfa GTV thankyou, though I guess a car with a glass roof resembling a goldfishbowl has spoiled me here.
Gear lever needed a hefty dose of Viagra, it was limp and floppy. And the steering, oh my. Up to a point perfectly linear, though a massive deadzone at centre park, then all of a sudden the thing seems to up it's ratio and the car darts most unexpectedly, ruddy odd.
Build quality seemed fine at least I didn't manage to break anything. Roomy too but so is a Focus at this price. Can't comment on brakes/handling as this took place in rush hour traffic. It gave no hints of being anything but dull.
In summary this car must be reserved for the badge snobs, I can think of no earthly reason why anyone would find it preferable to a Focus.
Dreadful!"
Not just me then
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Martin
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| Frank Bullitt wrote: | At least you had some nicer surroundings to loose the will to live in!
Martin, I've no doubt that had I been buying a car in the late 90's I'd have gone for an A-klasse as a revolutionary new car, although all the Easy-Rent-A-Car A-klasse's did somewhat devalue the brand...
Interesting A-klasse fact?
Did you know Mercedes were unable to replicate the 'Elk' result but panicked some responses through anyway (standard ESP, firmer set-up, different tyres - all retro-fitted to about 10,000 customer cars already on the roads)?
Seems the test done by the Sweedish mag was undertaken on a runway with a surface that didn't replicate normal roads. By the time Mercedes realised the damage was already done. |
That is interesting!
I suppose as a result, we benefited from having full ESP, but got a worse ride, which was firm, but not too bad.
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PG
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Mercedes have never made a decent manual car and it seems that the A is no different then?
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Matt
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What is the deal with the A-class. BMW and Audi make their small models look similar to their saloon range. Mercedes have the A-class, which looks more in common with the V-class than a C.
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Mark
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| Matt wrote: | | BMW and Audi make their small models look similar to their saloon range. Mercedes have the A-class, which looks more in common with the V-class than a C. |
Wash your mouth out.  I can see what you're trying to say - but a 1 series looks naff all like a proper BMW.
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Blarno
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Does the A Class come with a direct link to Dignitas on the sat nav?
Christ, that is a seriously dull car...
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Twelfth Monkey
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I have the sinking feeling that Audi's forthcoming small cars will be disappointingly conventional, in the same was as the A has lost what little it had going for it. Pity, as the time for such cars is surely upon us.
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Dr. Hfuhruhurr
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| Mark wrote: | | ... a 1 series looks naff all like a proper BMW. |
And all the better for it!
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