The new Mercedes A 180 d vs Audi A3 Sportback, BMW 1 Series by Auto Bild

Auto Bild magazine  tested the new Mercedes A-Class against its traditional competitors, Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series. And the winner is…

The new Mercedes A-Class is the most modern car in the compact league and the most expensive as well. But it is also the best one? Here are the Auto Bild conclusions.

In the price list, the only and the cheapest A-Class diesel is the A 180 d with 116 HP and has a price of 31,398 euro. In terms of price, the new A-Class is a real Mercedes and the new generation is available exclusively as a five-door.

The main opponents are Audi A3 Sportback 1.6 TDI with 1.6 liter engine/116 HP and BMW 116d with 1.5 liter 3 cylinder engine and the same 116 HP.

Despite the same performance figures, Audi A3 is the less efficient with 5.2 l/100 km, which need less than 5 l/100 km. On the other hand, BMW build the strongest engine with the highest torque (270 Nm) despite the BMW engine has one cylinder less. But BMW does not deliver the best driving performance because the car is heavy and the engine lose some force at high revs.
The same game when braking: despite sportierer basic design, BMW has longer braking distances, especially after intensive braking.

If in the objective judgement based on the measurements there are small differences, the subjective impression reveal big differences.
The Audi A3 Sportback is a very good allrounder except the relatively noisy TDI engine. The steering is too much assisted in the Comfort Mode but in Sport Mode everything is fine. The suspension is a little too tight when you pass over short bumps. The ergonomics is very clear and there is lot of space on the rear bench.

By contrast, BMW 3 cylinder engine roars under 1,500 rpm and you feel vibrations at idle speed. To avoid these vibrations, put the gear level in the P position at the traffic light and the vibrations will disappear. As in other BMW test cars with the standard seats, we complain about lateral support which is not at the level of a sporty and premium brand. The seats are too flat, too small and not enough configured.
The suspension works pleasantly gentle but not always. The steering is artificial, do not return to its position with enough force and in the middle of the range is inaccurate. Also, when you drive fast in curves, the rear of the 116d would like to change the lane before the rest of the car and the ESP system must work hard to control this reaction.
Auto Bild conclude that BMW 116d does not offer too much pleasure to drive.

May be is a surprise, but the most dynamic in this trio is the new A-Class. With a very good adherence, a precise steering, and very good front seats with a lot of lateral support, the new A-Class is the car in this trio which offer more pleasure to drive. Unhappilly, the things are not perfect because the engine is noisy under load.

With the standard suspension, the A-Class manages almost always to find the pleasant setting. But the ergonomics should be improved. There are some reflections in the cockpit and the climate control which is at the knee height level is not always visible in daylight. The icons of the climate control are also very small.
The intelligent LED system headlight and the assistance package cost extra a lot of money. Also, the top screens in the instrument cluster and the multimedia system costs another thousands of euros. Withh all the extras, even this diesel reach at 60,000 euros.
Ok, the new Mercedes A-Class is the most expensive but in the end is the winner of this test.
You can find the full test and photo gallery on Auto Bild website.