I've got a 2001 Merc A-class and I love it. It's the A170CDI long wheelbase one. The engine has has never let me down. Put it this way, I'd hate to get rid of it. Inside it's a Tardis. It's got loads of room in the front, in the back passenger footwell it's six inches longer than a standard A-class, so there's heaps of legroom for passesngers there, and the boot is large enough to take a weekly shop for hungry hoardes. As soon as MrWC & I bought it, we had a towbar fitted and it's the best thing we've done to a car as it means we carry bikes on a rock-solid towbar mounted carrier, one that has a tilt facility, so we can still access the boot of the car even with three bikes on the carrier. It's taken us as to Italy, France, Austria, Germany... with bikes on the back and a teenager in the back of the car for cycling holidays. He could literally stetch out and have room to spare. Plus it's been all over the UK with bikes & said teenager when he was cycling competitively. Inside, all the rear seats come out, if needed, or there's a split rear seat remove which bit you want. Inside with the rear seats out there is a big amount of space for transporting loads. It has the capacity of a people carrier without taking up loads of space. Mr WC has a newer A-class, the A190CDI, and it is nowhere near as spacious or as versitile as the older model. The newer model has no longwheelbase option, and the rear space is not as useful as in my older one, as the floor space is lessened by the shape of the floor (bloody great lump running down the middle of it). When it comes to vehicle change time, MrWC will change his and I'll keep mine. The only way I'm changing mine is if it is beyond repair, and it shows no sign of that. One thing I would say too, is that here in Norfolk, Merc dealerships are expensive and less than satisfactory in terms of their service departments. We use a smaller, non-dealership garage where we know the mechanic. Cheaper and more competent in work done.
