2019 Mercedes-Benz A220 Road Test and Review

Small cars are important to luxury automakers. They attract younger buyers who have tighter budgets, giving a car company the opportunity to turn someone into a loyal customer earlier in their lives. As their careers flourish and incomes grow, they’ll move up into more expensive and profitable vehicles.

Or so the theory goes. The new 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class is the latest small luxury car to vie for the attention of Millennials with extra money. Based on the automaker’s global front-wheel drive platform, the A-Class blends high style with a low price. Better yet, perhaps due to the curse of low expectations, it comes across as worth the price Mercedes is asking.

For its initial model year, the A-Class is offered in A220 and A220 4Matic model series. The all-wheel drive 4Matic version brings improved driving dynamics. Prices start at $33,495, including the $995 destination charge. That’s more than you’d spend on a Mazda Mazda6 Grand Touring Reserve — a larger, arguably more luxurious, and undeniably better value in a vehicle. But then, choosing an upscale brand like Mercedes-Benz has never been about value.

Want metallic paint on the A-Class? That’s extra. So are real leather, wireless smartphone charging, the cool widescreen digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, and all of the active safety technologies. Our test car was tricked out with many of these extras. An A220 4Matic, it had AMG Line styling, 19-inch wheels, metallic paint, leather seats, and real wood. The Premium Package, Multi-Media Package, Parking Assistance Package, Driver Assistance Package, and the Exterior Lighting Package were also along for the ride. This car also included a Burmester premium surround-sound audio system, satellite radio, a head-up display, ambient interior lighting, a programmable garage door opener, heated and ventilated front seats, and a comfort-tuned suspension. The grand total… wait for it… was $51,950.

Step into the new A-Class, and you’ll find yourself in an unexpectedly roomy cabin. I’m a big guy, but I had no trouble getting comfortable in the front seats. If anything, I wished for larger side bolsters, because the test car’s 19-inch aluminum wheels and summer performance tires deliver enough cornering grip that they’re necessary.

Front-seat occupants face a dazzling dashboard full of modern technology and compelling details. Turbine-style air vents anchor the design at the upper corners and lower center of the dashboard, and the large instrumentation and infotainment display panels look sleek, modern, and minimalist. Piano-key climate controls put the finishing touch on the car’s upscale interior. The rear seat is definitely snug, the low-mounted cushion lacks thigh support, and there isn’t much foot room. At the same time, though, the A-Class is more accommodating of passengers than I expected. However, trunk space measures 8.6 cubic feet. That’s tiny even by small car standards. And while the cargo area is usefully shaped, you simply can’t cram much into it. If this is going to be a problem for you, consider the Mercedes-Benz GLA SUV instead.

No doubt, the A-Class is a high-tech car, and it was the first model to get the company’s new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system. One of the new system’s highlights is natural voice recognition, designed to respond to commands in the same way as your smartphone or home voice assistant. You can access the system when you say something like “Hey, Mercedes.” As an example, you can say something like “Hey, Mercedes, change the temperature to 70 degrees.” Or “Hey, Mercedes, I need coffee.” I had mixed success with this system, but it’s important to remember that MBUX learns over time. My expectation is that with regular use, performance would improve.

In addition to voice control, MBUX also employs a touchscreen display on the dashboard, touch-sensing controls on the steering wheel, and a touchpad on the center console. With the Multi-Media Package, MBUX adds an augmented reality overlay to the navigation system. On the display screen, it shows a video feed of what’s immediately ahead and overlays street names and addresses onto the imagery.

Though a rearview camera comes standard on the A-Class, a driver monitoring system, and automatic emergency braking, advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) are optional. To get them, you must also choose the Premium Package, the Multi-Media Package, and the Driver Assistance Package, which collectively inflates the A220’s price to a minimum of $38,445 — or more than $40,000 with 4Matic.

The good news is that the Driver Assistance Package is loaded with active driving aids, many of which are unusual at the price point. Take, for example, the evasive steering assist technology, which helps to keep the car under control in emergency situations. Or the Pre-Safe Sound system, which is designed to protect against hearing loss in a collision. Or the Active Emergency Stop Assist system, which can detect an unresponsive driver, bring the car to a safe stop, and contact emergency responders for help. All three of these features are unusual in a car at any cost, let alone the price points where Mercedes positions the A-Class.

Every Mercedes A220 is equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine making modest power by modern standards. Horsepower measures 188, and it peaks between 5,500 rpm and 6,100 rpm, while torque amounts to 221 lb-ft from 1,600 rpm to 4,000 rpm.

A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission delivers the power to the car’s front wheels unless you choose the A220 4Matic. The AWD upgrade costs $2,000 but adds traction for driving in the snow and enhances the car’s driving dynamics.  As far as fuel economy is concerned, there’s no downside to going with 4Matic. Both versions of the car earn an EPA rating of 28 mpg in combined driving.

Given the A220’s modest power output, I found the car's performance unexpectedly satisfying. The engine’s thick torque curve is responsible for a strong sensation of thrust when the driver steps on the accelerator, and according to Mercedes the A220 accelerates to 60 mph in just over seven seconds.

I’m a fan of dual-clutch transmissions, and in combination with the A220’s multiple driving mode settings and its paddle shifters, you can have a rousing good time in this little car. Plus, the engine is quiet and refined when you want it to be, yet a little raucous when the time comes to play. Given the A220’s athleticism, you will be encouraged to take the long way home.

One of the most remarkable things about the A220 is just how good the car is to drive hard and fast. Though it’s built in Aguascalientes, Mexico, it was designed and engineered in Sindelfingen, Germany. So that means traditional Autobahn-bombing driving dynamics are baked right in.

Especially with 4Matic, the fatty 19-inch wheels, and sticky performance tires, the A220 whizzes around corners with ease and grace. Plus, because of its small footprint, you can use lots more of the road when you’re driving an A220 as compared to, say, an AMG CLS53. Narrow lanes seem wider, and you can carry more speed through corners. This handling talent doesn’t come at the expense of daily drivability, either. While the test car’s wheels and tires did produce a firm and communicative ride, it wasn’t unpleasant. And Mercedes does offer an adaptive damping suspension for the A-Class, which no doubt helps to further filter harsher surfaces.

Aside from fully loaded mainstream mid-size sedans and certified pre-owned luxury cars, what does the new A-Class compete with? The list is remarkably short — perhaps because those two alternative selection pools make better financial sense.

There is the Acura ILX, which is nothing more than a fancy version of the previous-generation Honda Civic and is priced accordingly. The Audi A3, in spite of its advancing age, remains a compelling alternative to the A-Class. Rumors suggest that the Cadillac CT4 — a heavily reworked ATS — won’t cost much more than the A-Class. And though it's larger, the excellent Genesis G70 starts right in this same neighborhood. Of course, if you’re open to such things, there’s always that loaded Mazda Mazda6 we previously mentioned.

As small entry-level luxury cars go, the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a good one. From its styling and design to its technology and driving dynamics, it makes a compelling case for itself.

Furthermore, it is clearly a significant improvement over the old CLA-Class, which used to serve as the Mercedes-Benz Millennial vacuum feeding the lifetime loyalty funnel. But is the A-Class a smart buy, especially given how easily the price tag careens into the stratosphere? That’s a decision only you can make.