Tips on buying a used Mercedes A-Class: It began when the Mercedes met the moose or, to be precise, when the new Mercedes A-Class was subjected to the moose test, which was devised by a group of Scandinavian journalists.
The test set out to establish how a car behaved when the driver had to emulate an incident when a moose jumps out on the road in front of him - a common and dangerous event in Scandinavia. Most cars pass the test with varying degrees of ability. Not so the then new Mercedes A-Class. Its behaviour was catastrophic, and one of the cleverest cars ever designed by Mercedes failed miserably.
Mercedes could have held their hands up and come out of it with some dignity, simply remedying the fault and apologising. But a disastrous PR response saw the company pour scorn on the test which, incidentally, pretty well replicates what happens when a child or adults steps unexpectedly out onto a road.
Mercedes blundered through the controversy but eventually was forced to equip the car with traction control, better brakes and anti-skid technology. The A-Class had, ironically, become perhaps the safest small car on the road, and was equipped with the kind of safety features one would expect on an E-Class.
So, despite its controversial arrival the A-Class has been an impressive performer and the clever design has served it and its owners well. Here, after all, is a car that is shorter than a Ford Ka but can accommodate five tall adults in some comfort. It is nippy, smart and well thought out; ideal for city driving. However, it has been slightly eclipsed by some of the better looking small cars around of late.
The A-Class can be reasonably good value second-hand. A 1999 model with only 26,000 miles is on offer at one Dublin garage for 11,000. Bargaining should get that back to perhaps less than €10,000. Body damage is limited by its small stature so there should be fewer scrapes. Despite all the improvements made immediately after its launch, the A-Class still has its faults.
The fact the coil is so near the road - the engine mounting is one of the most clever aspects of the design - means it gets damaged and the protective cap is often not replaced after servicing. A new one costs about 60.
More problematic is the air mass monitor, which regulates the fuel/air mix. It tends to go in cars with over 90,000 miles on the clock, and costs a hefty 800 to €900 to replace.
Otherwise the car is solid enough performer, although one colleague endured a nightmare ownership with a catalogue of faults. As I have often said already, every manufacturer is capable of producing the odd Monday morning special, and Mercedes' record of late has not been spectacular, particularly in recent German reliability surveys. But most of the A-Class range on the used market were built before the Chrysler takeover, seemingly a turning point at Mercedes.