revived!

omron · 12-01-2003, 09:34 AM

took an '01 A140 for a test drive last night and very nice it was to. i was interested in it, but the paintwork had a few scratches and first gear was to short. so im looking for a more powerful a160. can any A class pilots give me a hint as to what to look out for? The car itself seemed very solid, and i was impressed with the ride quality, given its small dimensions. however i did notice an annoying rattle. i was wondering if the folding parcel shelf in the boot was the cause of this rattle? also, the centre armrest seemed to get in in the way of the handbrake. is this anoying to live with on a day to day basis?

any info about living with an 'A' would be appreciated.

cheers

Guy01 · 12-05-2003, 07:43 AM

I have had four A-classes, all A190s. One was a pre-facelift model, the second a swb version and the last two A190Ls.

The L model is the one to go for as its ride is much better than the regular version. None of them like badly surfaced roads but if they're reasonably smooth then you should have no problems.

I've not had any bad rattles on the cars though two of them had front seats that made noises. Also the instrument cluster screen can squeak at high ambient temperatures but this is easily fixed with a bit of manipulation! Also sometimes the rear headrests can make a noise but I just adjust them to a different position and the noise goes away!

And finally, the handbrake. I've got used to its position so I don't find it annoying but it did take some time. This is when I would have wished for a foot operated brake!

Generally it's a great car. The performance is fantastic and the gear ratios very well judged. It's spacious, flexible, quiet etc etc. The only thing that could do with some improvement is the ride and hopefully this sorted on the next model.

omron · 12-06-2003, 10:24 AM

thanks for the info.

how did you find the A' for reliabilty? i have been reading horror stories of A's having steering columns replaced several times, rear suspension components replaced many times, brake disks warping after 2k miles, sunroofs failing at a cost of £1200 to repair, and seats coming of poorly designed hinges etc etc. how much time (if any) did your A's spend at the stealers?

cheers

Guy01 · 12-08-2003, 01:43 AM

Nothing major that I can recall.

One problem that I did have was with the fuel sender unit which didn't like our fuel. (This problem was not particular to Mercedes.) The sender unit was removed, cleaned and then replaced. This also only happened on the first A.

I also had an incident with a baby pig (Africa!) which damaged the radiator (but nothing else) as it rolled under the car. The car had to be towed back but the low coolant level warning light warned me of pending doom so did its trick before any major damage to the engine was likely.

And the only other unscheduled stop was for wiper washer nozzles that became blocked.

Otherwise they've all been faultless!

12-01-2003, 09:34 AM	#1
omron Almost a Member! Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 45	revived! took an '01 A140 for a test drive last night and very nice it was to. i was interested in it, but the paintwork had a few scratches and first gear was to short. so im looking for a more powerful a160. can any A class pilots give me a hint as to what to look out for? The car itself seemed very solid, and i was impressed with the ride quality, given its small dimensions. however i did notice an annoying rattle. i was wondering if the folding parcel shelf in the boot was the cause of this rattle? also, the centre armrest seemed to get in in the way of the handbrake. is this anoying to live with on a day to day basis? any info about living with an 'A' would be appreciated. cheers

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12-05-2003, 07:43 AM	#2
Guy01 Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: East London, South Africa Posts: 2	I have had four A-classes, all A190s. One was a pre-facelift model, the second a swb version and the last two A190Ls. The L model is the one to go for as its ride is much better than the regular version. None of them like badly surfaced roads but if they're reasonably smooth then you should have no problems. I've not had any bad rattles on the cars though two of them had front seats that made noises. Also the instrument cluster screen can squeak at high ambient temperatures but this is easily fixed with a bit of manipulation! Also sometimes the rear headrests can make a noise but I just adjust them to a different position and the noise goes away! And finally, the handbrake. I've got used to its position so I don't find it annoying but it did take some time. This is when I would have wished for a foot operated brake! Generally it's a great car. The performance is fantastic and the gear ratios very well judged. It's spacious, flexible, quiet etc etc. The only thing that could do with some improvement is the ride and hopefully this sorted on the next model.

12-06-2003, 10:24 AM	#3
omron Almost a Member! Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 45	thanks for the info. how did you find the A' for reliabilty? i have been reading horror stories of A's having steering columns replaced several times, rear suspension components replaced many times, brake disks warping after 2k miles, sunroofs failing at a cost of £1200 to repair, and seats coming of poorly designed hinges etc etc. how much time (if any) did your A's spend at the stealers? cheers

12-08-2003, 01:43 AM	#4
Guy01 Newbie Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: East London, South Africa Posts: 2	Nothing major that I can recall. One problem that I did have was with the fuel sender unit which didn't like our fuel. (This problem was not particular to Mercedes.) The sender unit was removed, cleaned and then replaced. This also only happened on the first A. I also had an incident with a baby pig (Africa!) which damaged the radiator (but nothing else) as it rolled under the car. The car had to be towed back but the low coolant level warning light warned me of pending doom so did its trick before any major damage to the engine was likely. And the only other unscheduled stop was for wiper washer nozzles that became blocked. Otherwise they've all been faultless!