TRAVIS LANGNESS: When Mercedes introduced the 220 for 2019,
we were optimistic but hesitant.
The last entry level Mercedes we tested
in our fleet, the 2014 CLA 250, was a bit of a letdown.
Sure, it was stylish and nice to look at, but in the real world,
it was underwhelming.
This new entry level Merc had a lot going for it,
though, aside from a relatively low starting price.
Excellent interior trim, the hyper-modern MBUX infotainment
system, and a lot of other things
were all really appealing.
When we first tested it, it climbed
to the top of our luxury sedan ratings,
so we decided to go out and buy one.
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The least expensive Merc costs about $34,000
without any options and including destination fees.
But we wanted some extras for testing purposes.
With the premium package, the multimedia package,
the AMG line package, heated front seats, and the upgraded
Burmester sound system, the total price tag
was just over $46,000.
And because we weren't living in the great car chip shortage
era that has defined 2021, we got it for under MSRP.
Can you believe that?
Those were the days.
And then we drove it.
For almost two years.
Behind the wheel, the A 220 was relatively fun to drive.
While 188 horses doesn't really feel like a lot,
it had a peppy feel.
Steering and handling were two of the highlights
of the experience, making for a nimble vehicle that
was fun to drive around town and in the mountain roads.
The dual clutch transmission was a lowlight for sure.
One of the most common complaints from our editors
was the jerky acceleration at slow speeds.
When shifting gears, the A 220 would lurch forward
unpredictably and not in direct reaction to whatever was
going on with your right foot.
DCTs are often used on performance cars because
of their super quick shifts, but we've sometimes
found that their low engine RPM smoothness isn't
as good as traditional automatics,
especially when you pair them with small displacement
turbocharged engines that typically make their power
higher in the RPM range.
There can be issues, and boy howdy, there
were some issues with this one.
We'll get more into that in the maintenance section,
but the standard throttle calibration wasn't very good.
When driving it, I found myself often switching into Sport mode
just for a smoother driving experience.
With the optional AMG line package,
the A 220 gets lowered suspension and larger wheels
than standard.
So as a result, ride quality was a concern of ours.
But there weren't really any problems.
Family vacations, long road trips,
and daily commutes alike, the A 220 shone brightly
in the comfort department.
One thing we did notice was frayed stitching.
Over time, you'd expect this to hold up a little bit better,
but pretty early in our experience,
there was stitching that was just kind
of popping out of the seats.
Space is pretty limited in the compact luxury sedan segment,
and the A 220 is no exception to this rule.
The back seat is large enough for children,
but adults are going to be cramped,
and packing for long journeys was always a squeeze for us.
Even loaded up for just some solo road trips,
there were trunk space issues.
So maybe consider other options if all you own
is large hardshell suitcases.
Finally, tech.
The Mercedes-Benz User Experience, also known as MBUX,
is what powered the A 220's infotainment screen.
Graphics, excellent.
Voice controls, superb.
The optional Burmester stereo, not worth the money
at half the cost.
Really, skip this option.
If you like the tunes to be loud,
get an upgraded stereo of your own.
We didn't like the stereo at all.
This one's pretty simple.
There were no recalls for our car.
We got a letter about eight months into ownership
that our vehicle might need a re-flash of the computer,
but we looked up our VIN and it wasn't required.
Not too bad.
The maintenance on this one is a bit tricky,
so we'll go with the simple stuff first.
At our 10,000-mile service, the Merc needed an oil change,
a tire rotation, and a visual inspection of the brakes.
Since we like to see what the dealership experience is like,
we took it to our local Mercedes dealer.
The dealer reported back that the brakes were good,
the oil change went fine, but the tires weren't
wearing correctly and that we'd need an alignment.
Even though the differences between the standard alignment
spec and our car were small, we approved the alignment.
But the total tab at the end of the day was $617.
Pretty expensive for an entry level car,
even though it is a luxury vehicle.
Now onto the more complicated stuff.
The dual clutch automatic transmission
did not hold up well over time.
After 10,000 miles, it became increasingly jerky,
and it was lurching in low speeds,
and hard shifts were just not easy to deal with.
Several of our editors confirmed having issues
with driving the Mercedes, so we took it back to the dealer.
They admitted there was a problem.
It wasn't driving like it was supposed to.
So they did a transmission diagnostic
that revealed no computer problems,
and they checked all the fluids.
All good.
They reset the transmission adaptations
to quote, "relearn shift and wet clutch application
characteristics" and told us that would fix the issues.
After driving it, though, things weren't noticeably better.
And after a return visit to the dealer,
they essentially shrugged their shoulders and blamed the DCT.
Aside from the comfort issues with the transmission,
there were no other reliability issues with the Merc.
Ran like a top, if the top had a turbocharged four-cylinder
engine.
How'd it do at the pump?
Well, not great, but not terrible either.
The EPA estimates that with this powertrain,
the front wheel drive version of the A 220
will get 28 mpg combined.
Well, the city driving we did during 2020,
we averaged only 25.4.
That's better than the city estimate,
which is good, but not great.
On road trips, we fared much better,
matching the EPA'S estimate of 35 mpg on the highway.
What's our A 220 worth now?
Well, the only way to know for sure is by selling it
or by using the Edmunds appraisal tool, which
we can get a solid estimate from for our specific trim level,
options, mileage, condition, and location.
After tallying it all up for our region
and calculating it based on our mileage,
our values are around $28,000 for private party sale
and $27,000 for trade-in.
The current used car market, however,
is driving prices pretty high, so this might not
be reflective of everyone's experience,
especially if you're watching this video after inventory
levels have returned to normal.
So did we enjoy our time in the A 220?
I'd say so.
It was certainly a better experience
than the old CLA 250.
But it did have some drawbacks.
For an entry level Merc, it was a bit expensive at the start,
and it was still lacking equipment,
stuff like satellite radio.
But it was fun to drive.
Felt luxurious on the inside, and it always
looked pretty good no matter where you parked it.
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