Innovation
Tiny Coventry firm battles ‘mega rivals’
USUALLY, IT TAKES a long, storied history for any used car to claim this crown. This year, we asked you to help us choose the best used car from the past decade to keep things more recent, and the truth of the matter is that there is an awful lot of love for Mercedes-benz’s smallest and most affordable model.
The A-class is fashionably compact and accessible for the simple reason that it is around in fairly considerable numbers. It is the PCP car of choice for so many company and private drivers, so the boom time to buy the recently retired ones is always right now. But which one?
With the Mk3, the model that marked the A-class’s switch from mini-mpv to bona fide family hatchback and our winner here, the high-spec models are infinitely adjustable when it comes to suspension and gearbox. It’s even possible to go down the AMG rabbit hole, when a potent 2.0-litre petrol will do things a family hatch could only dream of just a few years ago. Many buyers, though, just want an A180d, which is going to deliver fairly awesome fuel economy. Then again, the option of 4Matic all-wheel drive demonstrates the sheer breadth of technology against some mega rivals, but we feel we’re ahead, and that’s where we want to stay.
“Britain has always been famous for developing technology and then selling it to other countries to profit models on offer. There’s an A-class for everyone.
The later, nearly new, fourthgeneration model has a sensational high-tech dashboard and is still under manufacturer warranty, in a further example of the A-class’s decade-long appeal.
A used Mercedes-benz A-class: stylish, practical and affordable. Buy now. from. I don’t want to do that. I want to grow on our own merits, attract investment from the UK and then reinvest in what we have here. We believe the UK has the skills to lead the world in autonomy.”