[confused.geek]

Congratulations! A Mercedes is a keeper and I fall in the same Merc-Mad category as you, but my luck hasn't smiled yet. I keep finding cars within my budget only to find them badly maintained or run down.

Hope thousands of miles and smiles for you and family on this car.

[nimishlalwani]

Congratulations for your lovely car! It looks amazing. I have had the fortune of driving the A-Class multiple times through ZoomCar. What scared me was that the number of lights on the instrument console kept increasing proportionally to the number of kilometres on the cars I hired. One sample I got was so bad, the rear windows wouldn't go up. However, the build quality is amazing, the dashboard feels as if it's cut out of a big chunk of plastic! Take good care of her and she will serve you well.

I can also relate to the special experience you get when you get down from a Mercedes. No other car got me as much attention as the A-Class/CLA (in red). I had it only for a few hours at a time but it always gave me that 'king for a day' feeling!

Congratulations and honestly, huge respect for people like you who dare to take these risky decisions for their passion. It takes a lot of courage to take this leap of faith!

[GTO]

Just read your entire review & loved your writing style . Congrats on the 3-pointed star. Hope you buy an AMG someday & share an ownership report with us . If you see my earlier posts, you'll notice that I'm a fan of the A-Class. It's a proper premium Mercedes in a small package (and not a "cheap" car like the BMW 1-Series was).

[deepfreak15]

A very endearing review of a lovely looking car. Congrats on your new acquisition. I have a thing for hatchbacks and looked long and hard at this model. Ticked all the right boxes except for the engine. Nevertheless the star on the bonnet is truly an achievement to be cherished. Initially it might feel a bit ostentatious but as you use the car you will come to realize the way these machines are built justify the price you pay (not talking about service) and completely forget the image that comes along with owning a Mercedes . How's this for perspective, Honda City top end is almost 20 lakhs and its very hard to justify that pricing.
Once again, congrats and wishing you many kms of motoring pleasure.

[NTO]

Congratulations on your purchase... The car looks great. I am a sucker for well maintained used cars and yours is a gem there. Dont worry about the squeaks, rubbing candle wax in the rubber beadings will help to some extent. I have been arresting window pane squeaks in my Vento following this method for the last 6 years.

Originally Posted by d3mon

Here's an unexpected bonus for you - your engine is actually a turbo 1.6, not NA.

Oh! Thank god!... I was truly mind blown on how Merc could achieve 200 Nm on a NA 1.6 petrol engine.

[armaan_singh]

Congratulations on your new drive, she indeed looks gorgeous.

Though just for the sake of discussion would you have bought the car even if it had say 70-80K on the Odo ? Reason being I'm also looking for a pre owned luxury vehicle but even the ones which are 5-6 years old all have atleast 50K on the Odo.

[BMvW.Rajat]

Congratulations on the car, it's a real looker. I have been a big fan of this car, especially the diamond grill and those wheels. Even the creases on the side add so much character to the car. This was the best looking Mercedes being sold in India when it had released.

The interiors, apart from all those number buttons on the center console (which I thought looked dated from day one) still looks really nice and the seats make it look even sportier.

I haven't driven the petrol version of this car but the Diesel one felt nice and planted and the DCT was also very intuitive.
Wish you many miles of happiness.

[Mojoholic]

Originally Posted by lionell

I was really intrigued and interested in the BMW 1 series hatchback as well but they are few and far to be found.

If I remember correctly, the BMW 1 series hatch was one of those rare rear wheel drive hatchbacks in the market. A hoot to drive but not a looker.

Originally Posted by AirWind

Congrats on the acquisition and well written review for a newbie.

Thank you for the compliment.

Originally Posted by AirWind

The economics of a used premium car rests in its maintenance not acquisition cost, so as long as you have access to a couple of lakhs as reserve should take care of that!

You are absolutely right. Hence, I have started investing in a separate bucket to cover the maintenance cost.

Originally Posted by Doc_nikhil

Hey Mojoholic, congrats on your first of the many steps into the world of exclusivity. The A klassé looks very well maintained and hardly looks 6yrs old. I am sure you are having a great time when you drive it. Congrats once again. Even I was in your spot three years back when we wanted to add a third car which needed to be an automatic hatch. The merc was a long stretch but we loved the way it looks and its diamond grill. Decided to check it out but the local Mercedes dealer was super rude and we were put off by his behavior. Glad you are having a great time with the car. Even I have gotten myself a used Skoda Yeti and a used motorcycle and both were as good as new. I guess it all depends on the seller. Another point, I am sure you’d have already covered this on your research with the tyres. I wanted to ask if your car is still on OEM tyres? They were quite prone to cracks and sidewall tears, not to mention the age. I would suggest you change them to newer batch of tyres if this wasn’t already on your list. Have thousands of happy miles and countless smiles.

Cheers!
Doc_nikhil

Thanks a lot Doc_nikhil.

Regarding the tyres - Yes are the OEM tyres. They have developed cracks due to age but the tread pattern is still intact with no sign of uneven wear as the car has done only 18k kms. I am planning to change them soon now.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Nice purchase. A-Class is such a beautiful machine. Congratulations!

Loved your honest-to-heart review. Quite frankly, seeing the soaring prices for new cars - I drool at such deals myself as well - an excellent condition 320D from the previous generation can be had for prices similar to a top-end Honda City. However, I'm still half a decade away from being able to afford such maintenance costs and the 'brand' image.

Oh, I'm sure the image headache is real. I had to face it post purchasing a big bike, and can't even imagine how the office and family would react to a brand like BMW or Merc. A friend had the whole office suddenly talking about him after the security guard noticed him arrive in his pre-worshipped 3-series one day - in an office where the CEO owned a Skoda.

Thanks a lot CrAzY dRiVeR

I have been discreet so far about my purchase and only a handful people know about it. I have taken it to office only a few times and parked it in the lower basement, away from prying eyes. And now appraisals being just round the corner, I will have guard this secret even more

Originally Posted by d3mon

Here's an unexpected bonus for you - your engine is actually a turbo 1.6, not NA.

Thanks for correcting me d3mon. It is indeed a turbocharged unit.

[Mojoholic]

Originally Posted by ramnaresh_2000

Congratulations on your purchase. I am so jealous right now as in no angle it looks like a 5 years old machine . Enjoy the beast.

As rightly mentioned the previous owner must have maintained it very well. Can you throw some light on why suddenly change of heart from previous owner?

The car was very well maintained by the previous owner. I was seriously lucky to have found this gem. It was actually his wife's car which was used mostly for city runs. Their primary car was a large SUV. He sold both and bought a new Jeep Compass Trailhawk.

Originally Posted by aghate

Congratulations on the purchase Mojoholic!

This is truly a timeless hatch design for me. I am not a fan of how the new car looks with those slim headlamps, they may be effective but still no.

The new one has awesome interior though.

Originally Posted by aghate

You will find the space issues for that segment but I believe that is the least of your concerns. The cost of spare parts will be a concern, if you love the car and do regular maintenance it should not be a big problem.

You are right. Space wasn't my concern. The cost of spare parts is a concern but I am preparing my finances, my mind and my heart for all sorts of unforeseen circumstances, shocking price tags and never-seen-before service bills

Originally Posted by aghate

Please do not worry about what people think of your purchase, if we start worrying about every decision in life on what 'people' will think you would not have ended with something that you have dreamed of.

Enjoy the ride!

Absolutely right. Life is happening now and we should enjoy while we can.

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[evil_grin]

Congratulations. And enjoy the car without worrying about scraping the bottom. Whenever that happens, it hurts our heart way more than it hurts the car.

You could also consider higher sidewalls when time comes to change the tyres.

[mbsomanna]

Congrats Man!
I like the car and your writing style as well.
This A-class is a timeless beauty.
Wishing you happy times with your dream machine.

[hareshjethwani]

Now this is an "A" class thread Congratulations.
Isn't the ground clearance too low? How is it with regular city drives? The interiors are flawless and in mint condition. The sunroof looks massive. How is the roll over fabric of the sunroof from the interior?
The head unit is a real eye sore though. Looks out of place for such a classy interior.

[CountMe91]

Congratulations on your new car! I was in possession of a Merc A Class 180 and have driven it for 1000 kms in Switzerland. The car felt a bit underpowered in D mode but its a different beast altogether in the S mode. The interiors of the A class puts other cars in its class to shame. Its truly a beautiful package!

[DicKy]

Love reviews like this when the aspiring middle class guy does his maths and takes the jump irrespective of the societal pressures.
Wish you more joyous kilometres and a future review showing that you upgraded to an even more premium one.

Love the interiors of the A class family, the squat hot hatch looks of the A class, the sexy styling of the CLA and the practical nature of the GLA. But the engines of the A class family could be better I felt, especially after driving a GLA diesel and remember not being particularly impressed. Though I am sure the A class family's AMG models will be a hoot to drive and affordable too. (ofcourse, pre-worshipped)

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

an excellent condition 320D from the previous generation can be had for prices similar to a top-end Honda City.
..... I had to face it post purchasing a big bike, and can't even imagine how the office and family would react to a brand like BMW or Merc.....his pre-worshipped 3-series one day - in an office where the CEO owned a Skoda.

Originally Posted by Mojoholic

...
I have been discreet so far about my purchase and only a handful people know about it.

This image problem is a real headache, especially if you are not from a big city (though big cities have dings and dents and stolen badges to ponder after)

In a small town you will be looked on as if you are burning cash. A 40+ lakh Fortuner purchase won't be seen as ostentatious or crazy purchase as a used Merc/BMW, even if it had costed under 15 lakhs. Well, can't blame them as it's partially true if something goes wrong.

Still, doesn't stop me from dreaming about a pre- worshipped 1 series, 3 series or a C class.
Heck, to escape from the image problem, maybe even debadge the car. Especially I feel the W204 C class, sans its badge and chrome grille, feels anonymous to most of the population, unlike other models that retain the family look.

[Neonfish]

Congratulations on acquiring this fantastic beauty. It is truly one of those designs that has aged well with time, if aging is even the right way to describe it. It conveys elegance and class with a smattering of chutzpah due to its hatchback style.

Would you or anyone else remember what the on-road price of the A-class was when it launched back in 2013?