New Merc A Class takes the fight to VW Golf

[DoggieHowser]

New Merc A Class takes the fight to VW Golf

Isn't that the whole point of turbocharging, allowing small capacity engines to compete with large capacity engines at the same time potentially providing less weight, more fuel economy ....

The 135 is a TURBOcharged i6 engine.

A better comparison would be with the 125

[Candyman]

New Merc A Class takes the fight to VW Golf

The 135 is a TURBOcharged i6 engine.

A better comparison would be with the 125

I know mate, my point was that the turbo 4 from VW and Merc allows for comparison across 6's, NA and turbo.

Turbo 4s have particular nuances that lend themselves to comparison with 6's, normally aspirated or not

[DoggieHowser]

New Merc A Class takes the fight to VW Golf

I don't have arguments with smaller turbocharged engines. Only that like for like comparisons need to be made. I'd see the forced induction I6 as a match for an NA V8 for instance. And BMW does have a reasonably zippy turbocharged I4 engine in their line up.

[oshuyi]

AUSmotive.com » Mercedes A45 AMG priced from AU$74,900?

how much would that be on road, 80k? b/c it's fuel is 6.9l/100km it might be exempted from the LCT?

[walbjj]

AUSmotive.com » Mercedes A45 AMG priced from AU$74,900?

how much would that be on road, 80k? b/c it's fuel is 6.9l/100km it might be exempted from the LCT?

Luxury car tax applies normally at $58k? And then for low fuel economy cars it starts at $75k? I think

[Dutch77]

Luxury car tax applies normally at $58k? And then for low fuel economy cars it starts at $75k? I think

Correct.. or to be precise $75,375 for fuel-efficient cars, $59,133 for other cars.

Although given the big strides in fuel efficiency I can see that 7.0l/100km threshold being reduced in the near future to knock out cars like this.

[mr gee]

Had a test drive of the A250 yesterday.
My initial impression is

1.engine note is rather pedestrian (almost diesel like) unless you really prod the throttle whereupon it then sounds purposeful and acceleration potential realised.

2.Ride is very firm and feels unsettled due to it being fitted with Run Flats. Certainly worst than my scirocco. and will certainly be a veto factor with this car

3.The gear select is column mounted and takes getting used to. Electronic parking brake takes some getting used to.
Did not notice a D or S selection nor manual gear selection.
With the 7 speed, freeway cruising is a very low rpm affair

4.Command system for sound and Nav is fiddly to use compared with RNS-510.

5.rear seat space is adequate but foot-well is deep while door sill is relatively high so egress will be more difficult vs Golf

[TuNeS]

Had a test drive of the A250 yesterday.
My initial impression is

1.engine note is rather pedestrian (almost diesel like) unless you really prod the throttle whereupon it then sounds purposeful and acceleration potential realised.

2.Ride is very firm and feels unsettled due to it being fitted with Run Flats. Certainly worst than my scirocco. and will certainly be a veto factor with this car

3.The gear select is column mounted and takes getting used to. Electronic parking brake takes some getting used to.
Did not notice a D or S selection nor manual gear selection.
With the 7 speed, freeway cruising is a very low rpm affair

4.Command system for sound and Nav is fiddly to use compared with RNS-510.

5.rear seat space is adequate but foot-well is deep while door sill is relatively high so egress will be more difficult vs Golf

The A250 in Australia does not have run flats. Interesting to hear your thoughts.

[walbjj]

Had a test drive of the A250 yesterday.
My initial impression is

1.engine note is rather pedestrian (almost diesel like) unless you really prod the throttle whereupon it then sounds purposeful and acceleration potential realised.

2.Ride is very firm and feels unsettled due to it being fitted with Run Flats. Certainly worst than my scirocco. and will certainly be a veto factor with this car

3.The gear select is column mounted and takes getting used to. Electronic parking brake takes some getting used to.
Did not notice a D or S selection nor manual gear selection.
With the 7 speed, freeway cruising is a very low rpm affair

4.Command system for sound and Nav is fiddly to use compared with RNS-510.

5.rear seat space is adequate but foot-well is deep while door sill is relatively high so egress will be more difficult vs Golf

just had a test drive in the a250 sport today for about 20 mins.
what can i say, its a well put together car, very nicely done. smooth drive, very quiet, excellent nvh. much better refined than the gti.
HOWEVER, and i had the same issue with the polo gti, the damn automatic gearbox is such a letdown. perhaps i dont know how to use it properly, but i find such a disparity between these paddle shifts compared to a manual gearbox in terms of control. there is no connection there. it doesnt change when i change. there is a lag.
and then when i left it in auto mode, it was hunting and searching for gears going into roundabouts and down a hill.
ill wait for the new manual s3 and see how that looks

oh, btw, anyone interested in an a45, there is a spare car avail in oct if u lay down money now. $85k driveaway

also, in response to this post, cant really talk much about the engine note, it wasnt outstanding, kind of bland.
ride was far from firm. having owned an s2000, evo9 and b series race prepped civics, i know firm. and the a250 is very smooth.
all in all, im not impressed enough by the a250 to consider it, and with the a45, i wouldnt look at it as the automatic gearbox is a X in my book.

[alebonau]

loving my a250. I agree in ride its far an away a clear step forward from the gti. a lot more refined, has better road holding literally hugs the road with better grip and traction putting power down. both inside and out a clear step forward as well. I still cant believe it has cost me pretty much what my gti was worth.

ps re the auto box it does learn your driving style shift pattern etc. theres a few shift modes as well, in sport, eco and M manual. I havent bothered too much with manual. been pretty happy between eco or sport

[gavs]

New Merc A Class takes the fight to VW Golf

loving my a250. I agree in ride its far an away a clear step forward from the gti. a lot more refined, has better road holding literally hugs the road with better grip and traction putting power down. both inside and out a clear step forward as well. I still cant believe it has cost me pretty much what my gti was worth.

ps re the auto box it does learn your driving style shift pattern etc. theres a few shift modes as well, in sport, eco and M manual. I havent bothered too much with manual. been pretty happy between eco or sport

I disagree. I've driven one and it was an understeering, uncommunicative pig of a thing and the run flats (tis the only thing I can put it down to) put a horrible harmonic through the car. I'd take my money and put it on a proper performance hatch like the RS260 or new Focus ST and keep the saved coin for insurance and rego for the next 3 years.

[walbjj]

as i said, the car drove really nice. much better than the gti. i didnt flog the thing, but i drove it hard enough to know that it was no where near as quick or powerful as my apr stg 1 gti, no where near. it felt like a stock gti.
the biggest letdown tho, and ive said it before is the auto box. u can cut it anyway u like, but its still an auto gearbox and will never have the same connection that a manual box gives u. ever

[walbjj]

I disagree. I've driven one and it was an understeering, uncommunicative pig of a thing and the run flats (tis the only thing I can put it down to) put a horrible harmonic through the car. I'd take my money and put it on a proper performance hatch like the RS260 or new Focus ST and keep the saved coin for insurance and rego for the next 3 years.

while i agree that the 2 cars u noted are nice, they r nowhere near the level of refinement of the mb or a vw. and thats what a lot of those buyers want. a refined, somewhat sporty car. if they wanted an outright hot hatch, they wouldnt be getting a 5 dr auto, but a 3dr manual

[alebonau]

I disagree. I've driven one and it was an understeering, uncommunicative pig of a thing and the run flats (tis the only thing I can put it down to) put a horrible harmonic through the car. I'd take my money and put it on a proper performance hatch like the RS260 or new Focus ST and keep the saved coin for insurance and rego for the next 3 years.

no run flats. it runs contisport 5p's as stock. I wouldnt get a RS260 or a focus ST. neither are my kind of car.

it handles and is quicker than my golf gti I had so a good step forward for me. and a clear step both inside and out so pretty happy

[alebonau]

as i said, the car drove really nice. much better than the gti. i didnt flog the thing, but i drove it hard enough to know that it was no where near as quick or powerful as my apr stg 1 gti, no where near. it felt like a stock gti.
the biggest letdown tho, and ive said it before is the auto box. u can cut it anyway u like, but its still an auto gearbox and will never have the same connection that a manual box gives u. ever

yep runs a 7 speed dsg, so if wanting a manual look else where. where my stock mk6 gti use to struggle for traction of the line even could get it to axle tramp the merc doesnt do any of that. much more composed and quicker off the line and way it puts power down is a very smooth gush of speed as races through the gears but yeah those wanting a manual will probably choose otherwise. myself after 3 years with the dsg in the golf see it as a smooth transition !