by "Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
Published 05/11/2017 at 13:57
by "Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
Published 05/11/2017 at 13:57
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STARS: 0
Verdict: not bad. Only a passenger ride so can’t say how it drove, but the interior was good. Waaaaay better than a last gen C class. Was very smooth and quiet too. It’s much smaller inside than I expected though, the boot is only about the size of the Twingo’s.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 14:13, STARS: 0
The interior is a bit tight for a fwd compact car. Just as bad as the 1-Series.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 14:20, STARS: 0
Is it FWD????
"BvdV - The Dutch Engineer" (dutchengineer)
05/11/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 0
I was indeed surprised by how small these are inside, also the high beltline doesn’t help in that feeling. I must say I was impressed by the quality, especially compared to older A and B classes which tended to feel a bit cheap-ish inside.
Also, it is quite fun to drive on a skid pad, but since it lacks a manual handbrake, Scandinavian flicks are needed to get it to slide properly.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 0
Every Benz below the C is fwd.
"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
05/11/2017 at 14:25, STARS: 0
Natürlich!
All the A and B Mercs are fwd (unlesss they’re 4wd....)
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 14:29, STARS: 1
I just googled it, you’re right! I don’t even know why I assumed they were RWD.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 14:29, STARS: 0
The more you know!!!!!
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 14:34, STARS: 0
What’s the interiour like? Friend of mine sat or got a ride in another friend’s A class last week and is now strongly considering one as his next car. He currently drives a base Panda like your blue one, just in red and with a petrol engine.
I had to encourage him as that would be his first “grown up” car. He is the same age as me, has a stable, well-paying job, so why not?
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 14:36, STARS: 0
The weird thing that I observed is that Mercedes CLAs are very popular with the crowd you would associate with BMWs here while I see a lot of elderly people in BMWs.
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
05/11/2017 at 14:48, STARS: 0
My opinion is that the interior is really nice for the class. Some cheap plastics but in this mid spec one the leather balanced that out. The seats are great and have nice pillowy headrests. Another league to the 1 series IMO.
If they just want a nice quality A to B car I can’t fault it at all. Take that with a pinch of salt though as I haven’t actually driven one.
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
05/11/2017 at 14:49, STARS: 0
Yeah I found it a little small, not cramped, just small.
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
05/11/2017 at 14:50, STARS: 0
Ah you drove one on a skid pan? What are they like to actually drive?
The interior impressed me, even with the small size.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 14:51, STARS: 0
You can definitely see that Mercedes had the BMW 1 as benchmark.
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
05/11/2017 at 14:53, STARS: 0
I think for most the interior quality is enough to make the Merc a better buy. If you arent an enthusiast a good interior and smooth ride are enough.
"Chinny Raccoon" (chinnyraccoon)
05/11/2017 at 14:55, STARS: 0
It’s the result of the Renault-Nissan partnership that happened a few years ago as Mercedes didn’t want to develop a new FWD platform by themselves. The 1.5 Diesel engine in the base models are a (very) distant relation to the old Cléon-Fonte engines from the sixties.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 14:56, STARS: 0
Definitely this. Though 95% of 1 buyers aren’t even interested in what wheels are powered:(
"Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell." (oppisitelock)
05/11/2017 at 14:58, STARS: 0
Youd be surprised how many of the people that seem to care just use it as bragging rights. A guy in my office ordered a 420d today and was rattling off the spec sheet like they were awards he won.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 15:03, STARS: 0
I would too tbh haha. But rwd is still kinda pointless in ordinary cars and with modern fwd cars having better handling.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 0
The typical BMW buyers are getting older. I might even go as far as to say that they have a demographic problem approaching. Don’t think about the tracksuit guys with their 10 year old, well depreciated cars (like me haha), but the people who actually buy them new. It’s a 50+ geriatric convention. In a couple years they are will buy the last “retirement” car which they’ll keep until their license gets taken away. Hence the effort with Mini and the 1 series to attract younger buyers to the brand.
Young kids think Audis are the height of cool, and Mercedes is making up a lot of lost ground with the CLAs.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 15:17, STARS: 0
Definitely. AMG Benzes have replaced BMW M cars in popularity among my age group as the dream car. And the smaller “affordable” Benzes have gained a lot of popularity in the last 2 to 3 years. BMW and Mercedes have switched positions and cars like the 2er Grand Tourer don’t help at all. They really have a demographic problem.
With that being said, I really want an E46.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 15:30, STARS: 0
I know, but like me, we won’t help BMW move new metal.
That being said, you’d look good in that.
"BvdV - The Dutch Engineer" (dutchengineer)
05/11/2017 at 15:34, STARS: 0
Yeah during an anti-skid course. They drive quite well, though I didn’t really get it over 40-ish km/h so can’t tell how they handle faster bends. Nothing really special in the handling though, I think on par with most cars of similar size or maybe slightly better.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 15:36, STARS: 0
They are where the money is at: old folks who pay cash.
Oh my that’s sexy. I have those two on my mobile.de Parkplatz:
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=242544391&utm_source=sharedAd&utm_medium=android
http://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/details.html?id=241052132&utm_source=sharedAd&utm_medium=android
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 15:41, STARS: 0
Ah yes, I vaguely remember that there was/is an Infinity copy. Thanks for reminding me.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 15:46, STARS: 0
I haven’t driven one either, but it just has to be better than the 1st gen New Panda.
Which is a good honest car in it’s own right BTW.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 15:53, STARS: 0
Like the sedan, don’t like the coupe because of the wheels among other things.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 15:57, STARS: 0
The sedan is almost perfect and the coupe has the options I want like the factory xenons, sport seats and amber blinkers. But yeah, the mirrors and wheels have to go.
"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
05/11/2017 at 16:02, STARS: 0
You like the amber indicators? We seem to have different tastes.
"FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem" (fuelstratifiedinjection)
05/11/2017 at 16:08, STARS: 0
On this particular coupe yes! Because I fell in love with the E46 when I saw the old promo photos in the 1999 brochure. OEM indicators are okay if they are period correct (hate facelift parts on pre facelift cars) and match. I don’t know why but I really get triggered by cheapo indicators and lights.