MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I need a small car for occasional use, must have 5 doors, be 1.4, and be reliable.
It will only be the kids in the back so it doesn't need to be massive.
I'm looking to spend 2 - 2.5k and have seen a few 8 - 10 yr old Mercedes A140s advertised for around that price. Are they as reliable as the Mercedes name suggests or should I save up and Buy an Audi A2 instead?
Awful little things. Get something like a Polo 9N instead if you want small, reliable, 5 doors etc etc etc
They work, but they're pretty unpleasant, reasonably unreliable, and the servicing and repair costs are disproportionately high. As basic transport, they're fine (if expensive to keep on the road), but don't expect it to feel like a real Mercedes. And they don't handle very well, but then it's not means to be a track car, so that's not so much of a concern.
Awful on the motorway, mind you. Twitch around in the breeze.
AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!!loads of issues and high cost!
AUDI A2 alu shell expensive to repair plus some issues with radiators.
TRY
Polo's or even better Skodas 🙂 good cars
A class - according to the Merc forums are reasonably reliable. Just avoid the autos since these are a weak point.
I had seen that there were problems with the autos so was thinking of a manual.
I will literally be driving it just at weekends, mostly with littlelegs in the back to local days out so nothing too far with maybe twice annual long journeys circa 200 miles.
Will look at Polos
As with all cars there are good ones and bad ones - I've run a manual A170 diesel from new for the last ten years - now has just over 85k on the clock, and apart from the usual consumables (brake pads, tyres, battery) and an annual service (now done by a local "independent" Mercedes specialist) I've only had one minor thing go wrong (the central locking played up - easily and cheaply fixed). Quickly turns into a small "van" if needed (all of the passenger seats can be lifted out to leave a completely flat load space) and regularly returns 60 mpg.
I went through the process of looking for a small runabout about 2 years ago and ended up with a Polo (albeit a GTI) after discounting everything else (but I wanted something fun to drive too). Good little cars but on the 6N2 model had iffy gearboxes so look for a 9N (2002+) model. Had a look at A class and A2 but discounted them almost immediately for their higher runnings costs/parts etc.
Assumption of high Mercedes running costs and parts costs can be misplaced - example: VW Golf Diesel will need a new timing belt every 40k; A170 uses a chain that's good for over 100k, so even if it eventually costs twice as much to do I'll still be in pocket. Many other common parts (brake pads, discs, exhaust, suspension components) can be had for pretty much the same as equivalents from any other manufacturer.
One thing to watch out for - easyCar (the car rental bit of easyJet) ran a big fleet of early model A140 - so these might be worth looking out for (and avoiding).
VW Golf Diesel will need a new timing belt every 40k
Maybe at one point, although I've never heard of one with a 40k interval. Later PD engines like mine are 80k or 4 years (just had it done a few months back) cost £300, and newer Common Rail engines are more, 100-120k I think but not sure.
We had a 2001 A160. ECU and rear springs needed replacing after we had it about 6 months. Fortunately done under Merc warranty. Moved it on before the warranty expired.
As a car it was quite good although nowhere near the real Merc experience or build quality. Nice high driving position, handled pretty well- better on the open road rather than around town where its rather hard suspension meant a bumpy ride. Seats can be removed easily and I fitted three people and a fridge in ours.
Personally I wouldn't touch an 8 year old one with the proverbial. Just too much potential expense even if you get the work done at an independent.
HOrrible things.
Underpowered.
HOwever roomy
Never managed more than 38mpg and that was going 55 mph from Newcastle to the southcoast.
Seats hurt my back and it bounced around everywhere.
I had one in 99. Loved it, if you took the rear seat out it was like a little van and as for underpowered mine easily cruised up the motorway at 80mph no problems had 119mph on the autobahn and it's got more power than my current 1.6 Focus. Stable as ****, some **** of a journalist tipped one over by driving it like a cock around some cones but Mercedes addressed that problem. Engine wise never had a problem in the 5 years I owned it and I had a semi automatic that was also faultless.
Now the downside, had a couple of electrical faults all fixed by Mercedes while under warranty but the thing that got me was the suspension bushings wear about 18K. You know when this is happening as it sounds like something knocking under the vehicle and at £115 a strut to replace not cheap.
As people have said above, I wouldn't touch an old one.