USED Mercedes-Benz A-Class MPV (98 - 05)

My car

Superb space on LWB. 1.6 engine good quality, especially trim, poor - plasticky & bits of exterior trim keep dropping off servicing horrific and every 10k miles.

Bought at 15months old and lots of little niggles, none of which were fixed first time by Mercedes, including their breakdown mechanic.

Both breakdown and dealer diagnonsed failure to start at an alternator problem but when it started again after 3 days at the delaer the decided it was a sensor.

Another few days and £100 later and it turns out to be the started motor - no change from £500! (try 4 hours labour to drop the engine out and you see why).

So far my cost have been c £230 for "minor" service and £440 for "major" (with nothing significant done to it).

Still, the local dealer has just completed a nice multi-million building so its good to know where the money has gone.

If you can bear the costs for a small car it's good, otherwise find something else!

My car

My first Merc - and my last!!

In 14 months this car has needed a new steering column, ceiling panel replaced due to a pipe burst, a new wiper arm casting , back panels refitted due to severe squeaking, a new wiper motor, it has eaten wiper blades before and after the new motor was fitted and on occasion will lock both wiper arms together.

The auto unlock will not work unless you are close enough to put the key in - enough already !!

I could go on, horrendous servicing costs, snooty dealerships etc. Be warned - don't buy one of these without a bullet proof warranty.

My car

This car is a disgrace from Mercedes.

We have owned a total of seven Mercs all across the range with the odd problems but, when my wife bought this one, it had problems from the start.

We own property in France, Spain and Italy and we travelled between the properties in the A-Class for about a year. In that time, it developed many problems - water leaks, suspension problems, the fuel-sensor unit falling off, a flat spare tyre (which had not been used) then, the icing on the cake, we had an engine fire due to extras being fitted by the dealer, who trapped a wire.

My car

We bought a 1.6 Classic long-wheelbase model as new after searching extensively for a car with interior space that gave us plenty of leg room behind the driver, as I am 190cm tall and my daughter is growing tall too!

It is mainly used for daily commuting etc, but once or twice a year it has been pressed into service for long hauls to France. It has performed well on these trips - sometimes 14 hours driving in a day - and I have always felt relaxed.

The engine, though just a 1.6, is relaxed at speed on the motorways. Boot storage is not the best, but can cope with all our camping gear for two weeks, although for more comfort a roof box is a must.

However, the extra cabin space in the long-wheelbase is excellent, and maybe the relaxed drive is due to kids being comfortable and not moaning! The only quibble really is that the ride can be a bit sloppy sometimes, but it is better that the standard model's.

It has been reliable. One unfortunate incident when a fuel injector packed in 50 miles from the ferry after 3000 miles round France, was dealt with under warranty, and a steering sensor in the early days happened near home.