A200: questions/should I buy?

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Scotteriath

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Kia cee'd 1.6D
Hey guys! :)

Sure you probably hear this kind of thing a million times a day... but, I'm getting treated to a company car. I've taken a fancy to the A200 AMG Line Auto but I'd like to ask a few things...

I've not had chance to test drive the car. Obviously, garages are reluctant to spend too much time on me because it'll be the lease company's business to sort the car for my company. I've not actually asked Merc for a test drive in the A Class because of my experiences over the last week at VW, Ford and Seat.

How do they drive? Performance-wise and economy-wise, it's a no-brainer for me but I'd still like to get in one before Monday when I could do with ordering one. Would Merc likely object like the other manufacturers to having a drive?

I'm looking at getting a tonne of packs because why the hell not? Prem Plus, Night, etc. etc. however I'd like to see what you guys make of the red stitched 'standard' interior on this model? Obviously it's half leather. Are there any pros/cons to this? Does the alcantara look after a few weeks/months? I wasn't too sure when I saw it but, at the end of the day, I'd be sat in it rather than looking at it ;) I was looking at the black leather (executive) pack but it gets rid of the carbon fiber dash which matches the dials... replaces it with the leather effect dash (and white stitching might get a bit grubby quicker?) but I've not had chance to see this, either! What is your preference?

Sorry for the essay! I've managed to bore my better half by quizzing over the little things so I thought I'd seek guidance from the enthusiasts :thumb:
 
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My son had the A200 manual. There is a lot of dissent about the new A-Class but we find the ride quality good on the 18" wheels; not as good as on the smaller wheels but decent. The A200 has a 1.6 turbo engine and like any engine, the economy is directly related to how it is driven.

I will say that my son kept his in Economy mode (it 'dulls' the acceleration) and he don't find it economical BUT he is only young!

Performance wise, it is very acceptable. I tend to drive in non-Eco mode and it is pretty decent for a small engine; very little turbo lag as such but you don't get instant acceleration say when trying to pull away from say 30mph in fifth gear, obviously.

One thing I would recommend is either use an aftermarket satnav or have COMAND. The Becker (they are all Becker prepared) is not good and many experience problems but mainly it is not worth the money.

If you want to use an iPod, don't forget the iPod module or better yet, the Media module. Saying that, my son streams via bluetooth from his iPhone.

I would also opt for all leather; white stitching can easily be cleaned. I wouldn't bother with the Night Package which, if memory serves, only gives black chrome? Look wise, I think the AMG variants look better but that is a taste thing.

Good luck!

EDIT: He now has the A220 diesel automatic and the extra torque is noticeable. Better real-world economy too, obviously.
 
AMG Line is a must
A220 or 250 would be a better bet. Having said that I drove an A180cdi that I leased for an employee and it was fine. So diesel is way to go I think.

Leather would be a must for me, Comand would be a must have, ensure you have the intelligent LED lights I think it is as they look loads more modern up from than with the halogen DRL's.

To be honest if it's a lease I would just throw the options list at it. I lease staff cars from Stable vehicle contracts or contract cars.com :)
 
I'd be getting the 2.1 engine, most likely in the automatic. Would you happen to know how this drives? I'm looking at getting a test drive some time this week, fingers crossed!

As for the full leather - would this make the delivery time much longer? Is it worth it for an extra £15 a month? Plus, I'm not sure if I'm keen on the trim across the top of the dash! I do find the suedey stuff quite comfy...

As for the tech, I was debating the COMAND or the Audio 20... after hearing what you say, I'm tempted by the COMAND system. I have an LG G3 (Android) phone for personal and an iPhone for work. Can you sync multiple devices to this system?

Trust me - if the company would bill a bigger engine I'd have it! :)

In short, this is what I'm tempted to go with:
200d AMG Line (2.1 Auto, cruise control as standard)
Mountain Grey
Night Pack (black alloys, roof, mirrors, beltline trim, privacy glass etc)
Black w/ red half leather (standard, can't justify £15/month for full leather and the dubious dash trim)
Premium Plus pack (park assist - can this be disabled?, fancy interior lighting, electric adjustable heated front seats, garmin NAV (superceded by the COMAND?), keyless entry, LED lights, sunroof)
DAB
COMAND Online

Lastly - would anybody happen to know how the COMAND subscription works? I understand you get 3 years of 'subscription' but the lease is for 4 years - I know, that's a fair while... can you opt in for a further year?

Thanks!
 
Easy answers. Park Assyt can be turned off (its parking beepers) COMAND subscription is only for updates... can run without them forever - you'd just be missing new roads, but bear in mind most older systems (non-hard drive) never get updated unless a new disc is bought... i.e. never!
 
Ah, that's okay then. Thanks!

How about syncing multiple devices?

You might see me in a few months time riding around in it, def90cars, I'm only about 15 minutes down the A50 from Derby :)!
 
Ah, that's okay then. Thanks!

How about syncing multiple devices?

You might see me in a few months time riding around in it, def90cars, I'm only about 15 minutes down the A50 from Derby :)!

You can only sync one device at a time but it will cope with multiple devices. My son streams his music whilst maintaining telephone link with no issues on his iPhone. Some android phones can be a problem but as we don't use them, I haven't taken any notice of which ones!
 
So, there's no chance of me streaming from my Android phone whilst maintaining a phone link with the iPhone?

I think I'm going to try and push my luck with the A220, even though it's slightly outside of the cost threshold my company have provided. At least then I can say I've tried :thumb:
 
220 will have great torque compared with the 200.

IMO your spec list is spot on. Mountain grey looks stunning with the night pack.

We have the Becker sat nav and it's been a great little unit. Not sure way it gets bad press. However Comand is even better.

Keep us posted.

Ant.
 
I've sent the email! Now it's time to wait and see.

I haven't seen the mountain grey/night pack combo in person but it looks smart on the tool. The grey looks nice in person.

I'll let you know how I get on! Thanks!
 
Ok. The lease is a bit too much and I may have to go with the Audio 20/Garmin instead of the COMAND.

I would like to know a bit more about the differences between the two systems. Thus far, I've gathered that the Garmin has a slightly smaller screen, no voice control, paid updates... is there anything else I'm missing? Is the Audio/ Garmin adequate for providing directions with traffic updates, syncing and playing music from an Android phone and calls?
 

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