New Merc A Class takes the fight to VW Golf

[alebonau]

Mercedes Benz A250 Sport vs BMW 125i | carsguide.com.au

Excellent review in todays paper comparing the a250 with the BMW 125i

Their comments below comparing their designs is spot in if think !

"DESIGN
Next to the lustrous ‘look-at-moi’ Benz, the BMW is a sombre Mormon. The barely discernible sports kit does nothing to lift it. Even the five-spoke 18-inch alloys somehow look undersized in a construct that remains visually and functionally awkward in its second generation.
Unremarkable without, underdone within. This interior is worth 30 grand, not the double charged. BMW's much-vaunted dynamic advantage of rear-wheel-drive is a design dead end in a small hatch, the transmission tunnel rendering useless the centre rear seat. The other back pews are intolerable for anyone over average height. Not for nothing is this to be the last rear-drive 1 Series.
By polar, shining contrast the Benz's cockpit could be that of a $150K sports car. It's one of the interiors of the decade to date, an outstanding interface of function and cool; sophisticated yet simple. In exterior terms there's hasn't been a more striking five door hatch. Each time you approach it will gladden your heart."

Sounds like they reviewed an a250 overseas given their comments of it having run flats like the BMW. Merc here definitely gets non run flats in the conti sport 5Ps which lot more supple than the run flats coupled with m pack suspension on the BMW

4.5 stars to the Benz vs 3.5 stars to the 125i sums up well

[alebonau]

ok 1 month in and 1,500 kms on the clock both around town and on longer distances in the hills and country in the a250. maybe worth posting my thoughts on how have found the car so far and some comparisons back to the mk6 golf gti owned previously

1st up will say out right the golf gti was the best car have ever owned....until this a250 has come along ! which am absolutely besotted with. but thats not to say the golf gti wont remain in my mind for the kind of things it did very well too. definitely a car loved very much. hopefully my comparisons will help with how similar and yet dissimilar these two cars are !

ok externally....no contest the a250 from every angle in the metal is just a thing of absolute beauty. you wouldnt believe the number of people have come upto me...absolute strangers to ask about the car and complement it. not something have ever had in a car before. this car you look at it sitting squat on the road, its stance, the large wide wheels that fill the wheel arches, the red and black highlights the blacked out windows the twin exhausts the grill and three pointed star out front and it just exudes one statement in the word ... HOT !

the golf gti is almost at polar opposites in the external. it is the definition of wolf in sheeps clothing. and I used to like that aspect of it where it has very understated in looks and unless know what the gti badge means most will easily mistake it for just another pedestrian golf. ps that is not to say its still not very nice to look at in many angles but yeah it is a touch plain jane in the looks department which for many is much of its appeal









ok click the pliper...oh and what a pliper the merc has that in itself is a work of art as electronic key with big silver three pointed star hanging of the key ring ! hehe



the golf gti is standard issue plipper/key you get with most cars these days. hitting the plipper the merc just lights up ! the red led rear lights, the lit up highlights all around the car so can see door handles etc. the back lit mercedes-benz logo when open the car. that in itself makes you go WOW !



the internals of the merc is an absolute stunner...the way everything lights up ! the SLS air vents the red / black two tone interior. compare the standard dinamica amg sport interior of the a250 to the standard jackie tartan interior of the golf gti and its game over in interior styling department. again here its the wolf in sheeps clothing thing going on with the golf where its very golf understated simple vs the a250 where merc has gone all out ! again such different yet similar cars. I paid a bit more for the vienna leather interior on the golf gti as couldnt stand the jackie tartan but when came to the a250 fell in love with the standard interior to point didnt feel even needed to go amg exclusive package on the merc with leather seats etc given just how awesome the standard a250 interior looks






thats externals, internals...more to come

[alebonau]

ok continuing with internals, I'll come back to driving position etc later, but looking at the back seats. there is actually more leg room I feel in the a250 and I think that comes with clever packaging, perhaps a touch more room across the back seat of the gti in width. however having tested the a250 now over longer distances room is sufficient as we have used the back seat for one adult, and two kids one in child seat. Have no doubt be fine for 2 adults in back seat with child in the middle as well. Just like with the golf gti I dont think want 3 adults in the back though, maybe at a very squeeze for short stop but not for long distances ! another win for the gti with rear adjustable vents in the rear console if you sit in the back. the a250 gets underseat fixed vents instead.



Looking in the boot, no contest the gti wins with not only a space saver but deeper wider boot, a proper fold down ski flap. the merc in some nice touches comes with the proper hide away compartments one with supplied first aid kit, and instead of space saver it comes with can of goo and compressor in the wheel well just as does in the vw scirocco. one other nice touch on the a250 the merc comes with a very solid base to the boot and also when you fold the rear seats forward they do indeed fold flat level with the boot unlike the gti which have a bit of a step up and not quite flat.



next up, ok lets start the engines...how do they drive

[macdub]

very useful info alebonau..thanks for taking time to do this..looking forward to read your write up on how it drives..

[DoggieHowser]

The few seconds I sat in the back, I felt really claustrophobic. The big bucket seats obscure much of the front view and the high waistline on the back means precious little window view.

[alebonau]

very useful info alebonau..thanks for taking time to do this..looking forward to read your write up on how it drives..

hey macd, no probs after 3 years of enjoyable ownership of the mk6 gti and taking advantage of thsi very helpfull forum, thought least could do is feed some thoughts back on comparisons

hopefully will get a chance tomorrow to type up on the how they drive

[alebonau]

The few seconds I sat in the back, I felt really claustrophobic. The big bucket seats obscure much of the front view and the high waistline on the back means precious little window view.

this is something concerned me as well when buying the a250 how kids would go in the back. have two girls one turning 5 other 8 and wondered how theyd be in the back would they even be able to see out ? my wife likes to sometimes sit in the back with the kids as well and last thing I'd want is her unhappy if feeling a bit claustrophobic or stuck away in the back !

fortunately not something thats even been a concern in use. both my kids can see out without issue, and the large panoramic roof I think helps in making it reasonably light and airy space

the buckets in the a250 are not bigger or bulkier than the golf gtis that can tell so no real difference there, but the metal surround slot holes in the backs of the merc's seats do help break up the seat backs and are a nice touch !

[alebonau]

ok start their engines

with the golf the engine turns over nicely with a hint of the gti power plant under the bonet. but keep in mind part of that is its in cabin resonator for sound effects. not that theres anything wrong with that hehe. the merc on other hand has this lovely burbling exhaust note which I understand amg has had a fair bit of a hand in tuning. first time my wife head the merc start up she said thats a sports car !. no resonator here this thing sounds awesome just on its own hehe.

before heading off. select reverse or drive with the golf gti and I'd do that with the dsg selector. on the merc its a little stalk on the right whcih has drive up ahead, neutral in the middle and reverse down below and park which is a little push button on the end. Something I have wondered if I'd get used to ...and fortunately yes a couple or so weeks in you do get used to it with D-N-R or P just a quick tap with the stalk or push button. have caught myself early on lookign for the gear selector and doing a double take and can understand if this is a bother for some. Then the theres an electronic parking brake on the merc. which if forget to release with urge of the accelerator it self releases. but yeah does need actuation when pulling up. this is something I got used to very quickly and dont miss the manual park brake on the gti one little bit. both the electronic park brake and gear selector on the steering wheel do save space on the centre console of the merc. giving more generous storage space there but the electronic parking brake also takes away a handy little bin the golf has to the right and merc replaces this with a couple of under seat storage hatches under both the driver and passenger seats

reversing out both the golf and merc are pretty bad in rear view with thick rear pillars and rear head rests blocking most of rear view window. the merc rear window is slightly narrower in opening but not much difference there between the two cars looking back. The standard rear view camera and parking sensors on the merc are an absolute boon though. not something had on the gti and both myself and my wife find very handy infact necessary. some thought gone in the placement of the parking distance indicators too as its on the top dash and the rear is visible in the rear view mirror. so very well placed in peripheral vision.

Driving off on the gti there is the ever slight hesitation of the dsg engaging which I soon got used to and never bothered me but I know some complain about. well thats not something you get with the merc it feels a little more slick off the mark. also push the gti hard off the line and it will scramble for grip loose traction even axle tramp with the traction control swinging in pretty severely with bangs and what not. the merc hunkers down and puts the power down a lot more cleanly and composed off the line.



Accelerating both rip through the gears pretty swiftly, the gti is a lot more gruff vs the merc that just seems to whoosh through the gears. Same with driving around town once the merc gets used to your drive patterns I dont think either much different in shifting gears. obviously with the gti can use its paddles to shift but also use the dsg gear selector vs the merc where if manually shifting via paddles only. On the merc and gti both have sport modes and both equally manic ! the merc bringing also the eco mode which when engaged also enables start stop mode on the engine. which I must say is very effectively employed on the a250. you literally take your foot off the brake and before can put your foot on the accelerator the engine has burst into life. brilliantly integrated especially considering how well works with hill hold etc. Keeping in mind if need be can bypass this mode altogether too via deselecting the eco mode.

cruising along on the highway the merc is a lovely place to be. in comfort, noise vibration and harshness it is a step up from the gti. which seems the case all round. coming back to the more gruff nature of the gti vs more refined nature of the merc. this I will say might be differentiator enough for people with some actually preferring the gruff of the gti vs others going for the refinement of the merc.

So how do they handle ? well outright have always felt the gti a beautiful balance of power and handling. well can say the merc with the a250 takes this further. more power from its power plant thats better transferred to the road and in handling no doubt with amgs involvement theyve come up with a better package overall. the car just seems unflustered no matter what have thrown it at. whether zipping through the twisty bits or way it sling shots through hairpin bends the a250 is big smile stuff and yet seems so composed at all times, not like ever feel your teetering on the edge of its limits. just seems to stay squat glued to the road very nimble confident and self assured in way gets about

so how do they compare in ride ?. pretty similar really, I dont think much in it. I've driven these around town on freeways through the hills dirt roads etc. these are both definitely hot hatches and therefore you get a bit of road feel and connection to the road but at no stage have found either hard or harsh etc. One thing I am very thankfull for is that we get the non run flat conti sport 5Ps on the a250 which probably goes a long way towards its comfort vs the run flats the car is equipped with overseas.



up next how are these cars to live with ? usability, ergonomics, practicality, creature comforts, economy etc...

[TuNeS]

Thanks for the detailed review! Keep it coming. Hopefully the wait will be over for me soon.

[alebonau]

no worries rolling on ...

so what are these cars like in use ? when talking about ergonomics, practicality, creature comforts economy etc...

As far as ergonomics goes, both are similar on the surface, ie both with your typical controls within reach. one big screen on the dash, and some limited controls on the steering wheel.

Some little differences in the a250 as I have it, has the command pack and so iphone integration is a given and believe the same with blackberries etc. seamless integration in regard bluetooth, contacts, handsfree, I believe text and messaging etc but not something have tried. I like that it has a hang up and ring button both on the steering wheel and on the main dash. plus like that it has a full keypad on the dash as with being able to search through contacts. This is handy for me as driving, but also if my wife is sitting in the passenger seat she can just use the phone via the dash controls without having to reach across to the steering wheel ! ofcourse on the gti I never had any sort of iphone integration neither even bluetooth was a factory option when I got my car and mine bought off the floor never had it. could get other parrot add on after market systems and the like but all seemed a bit clumsy.



Also there is ipod integration this I did have via the mdi kit option on the gti which could just plug via the centre console connection and have my 200 cds on the ipod on random play. on the a250 also a centre console hook up though unlike the golfs simple text only interface on the a250 you get full album art and can easily select playlists, albums, songs etc which always took a lot more mining through the menus on the gti to try and access. My wife particularly has commented how nice it is to see full album art and how easy it is to navigate around to select what after.

other media ability ? DVDs I never tried on the gti but I tried for the heck of it on the a250 and they work backed up with the brilliant audio of the 12 speaker harman system with the sub in the boot it looks and sounds superb. but not like we're going to be playing much dvds in the car hehe. Also a very nice addition is the DAB+ digital radio, which works a treat around town and also upto 100km out of metro areas have found. Great that the system on the merc does also deliver song and artist info through the main display.



the other thing the a250 has is sat nav. which just works. either select addresses via contacts or via usual means of selection on sat nav units. One thing I really like though is with sat nav selected you can still bring up your other media selection eg listening to cd/ipod/ radio etc. and the sat nav fades the media down if delivering and directions. the volume of either easily adjusted too via the volume knob. no sat nav on the gti I had so cant compare.

in other driving telemetry etc no real difference, they give you the usual trip meter stuff. the a250 has a bit more information ie economy and graphs etc, but this may not be used much by people. but there if you want it.

One big difference in use of all these systems. the golf driven via steering wheel controls or via touch screen on the main panel. the merc is via steering wheel controls. on dash controls or via the main jog wheel thats on the centre console - a bit like bmw does. merc philosophy is to not use touch controls and rather use physical knobs and buttons and like. some might like the lack of hard buttons on the golf for simplicity or look. others might prefer the hard buttons of the merc as they are more positive in use and easily visible for direct use rather than buttons within menus. definitely plusses and minus in each approach. though initially I missed the touch screen of the golf am gaining to like the merc approach. in that literally everything you can drive with the jog wheel

one other key difference....linguatronics.... yes the merc a250 has voice control ! and it works. you can make phone calls, select a track/song, select a destination on the satnav all via voice control.

Lets talk more of the systems on the cars. with limited rear visibility on both cars I very much appreciate the rear camera on the a250 its a boon. as with the parking sensors. never had those on the golf gti as an extra cost option but these are standard on the a250. I wish these things are standard on every car. Then theres the auto parking. this I believe also an extra cost option on the golf standard on the a250 and also works. the dealer demoed it to me and my jaw dropped. I never believed how well it worked but suprise suprise on the a250 pulling upto a parking space it asks if want to auto park. say yes and it takes over...still requiring you to control speed via accelerator and brake and both my wife and I look on in awe hehe ! look I still park mostly on my own but never ceases to amaze everytime have used the system hehe

There are a couple of other systems on the merc. that are not on the golf and one is the radar system... this is surprisingly usefull to me as a reminder and for its warnings. look most people getting their license this is one of the first things they learn to keep a safe distance and keep a look out for car in front and what its doing. but this system is really really handy have found in traffic where a red triangle on the a250 speedo pops up to warn if too close to car in front for speed your doing, and also gives a very loud beep as has done for me when have got way too close and had a couple of near misses and swerved. surprised how well it picked up some rough driving by car in front that needs some defensive reaction from driver to avoid. There is also the sensor on the merc that detects a drowsy driver. not something has picked up on me as yet. but I understand it understands your driving behaviour to pick up when might be drowsy. good to know its there. hope never has to activate !

Economy .... both cars are similar.... the golf gti I would say is in actual fact more economical on the run around town...but the merc makes up for this with its eco stop start. as a result both are about the same in fuel economy have so far found. around town I have averaged 10L/100 and with a mixture of country driving and cruising get about 7 L/100. excellent really for the kind of performance these cars deliver.

talking about practicality. while these hot hatches can be a lot of fun just how practical are these in use. well for me for a family of two kids and wife both cars serve well in that role being 5 door hatches. the boot of the a250 is indeed smaller than the golf gti but reality in shopping and the like that hasnt posed a problem. I have folded the seats down in both as wellat times and they serve really well as load luggers like little station wagons in this form. given their fuel economy, performance 5 door hatch backs they are they are very practical everyday cars I think for level of performance and comfort they deliver

to finish up ...what are my overall thoughts...