2001 Mercedes A190 W168 Goes for a Drive 

i’m 18 and i own a 2001 w168 1.4 petrol manual this car is extremely good for it s age and perfect for city and hanging out with friends. I am just one month older than it is😂😂

I have one. A170 CDI. 350k km without problems and still runs smoothly. I use it as daily and it’s very practical.

My family and I were on holiday in Honfleur, France in 1998. We noticed a crowd at the other side of a car park and being nosey we wandered over to investigate. As we got closer we saw a fabulous looking soft top Rolls Royce but the crowd were looking at something else. We got closer still and saw that sitting right next to the RR was an A-Class. There must have been 20 or 30 folk crowded round discussing the car. I don't think anyone had seen one before. The fact that it drew such a crowd and everyone was ignoring a beautiful RR right next to it really showed what a head turner it was at the time.

I am also the proud owner of Mercedes A160L 2002. The car never let me down, going trips over 1200km.

My father owns an A160 that runs but isn't really in great shape after several light accidents and subpar repairs, doesn't get used much since he has a company car for daily driving. But being in rather bad condition makes it a great car for me to learn to drive with since it won't matter much if I mess it up some more. The battery location is awkward for jump starting, but at the same time it is easy enough to push start the car. For working in the city it's probably one of the best vehicles to own, it's small and easy to park but can be unbelievably spacious with the removable seats, more than enough space to transport small furniture or appliances.

A proper A class. Flawed but thoughtful and innovative in its design and execution - for the consumer if not for mechanics. Owned a 99 160 Avantangarde for a decade - plenty of space, was compact enough so you could park it anywhere - and it had the full webasto slatted panoramic sunroof which gave a it near convertible like feel. Downsides...the ride was very crashy, the front seats didn't offer much in terms of support on a long journey, and a common problem on these was play in the steering column U/J due to the extreme angle of from the wheel down to the the rack. The car was originally designed to be a hybrid - the twin sandwich floor pan was meant to accomodate a large battery pack. For all its faults we loved ours and it gave good service for over a decade and 120k miles. A couple of points to make out - Avangardes had 1/2 leather as standard - and the original factory UK fitment head unit was Sony. I'd love another - and it's interesting that Andrew Frankel has just bought back the original Autocar and first UK registered Mercedes press car. If only Mercedes could have followed the power of its convictions and taken the development of this concept further.

Objectively this car would be perfect today. Raised seating position like a SUV, already designed to take batteries in the "sandwich" floor, extremely space efficient, ~50 cm shorter than current "small" cars like VW Polo, Honda Jazz, etc. But no one would buy it bc people nowadays only care about posing...

Marvellous car . A class act . Excellent modularity that would put the current A class to shame . They had a marvellous panoramic sunroof . The Mk 2 was even better and I think was one of the best cars ever designed or produced .

I remember when this thing rolled in Teknikens Värld's moose test, back in 97' I think it was. It was huge at the time. Front page in major Swedish newspapers. I actually think it has aged quite well!

My favorite car! I have one with 360,000kms, an A-160. Never had a problem with it, just normal maintenance. Very rugged and safe.

Not all of Mercedes efforts in the 1990s were great, but I respect their commitment to engineering every car to the same high standards. They did the same with the W201 in the 1980s, it may have been their smallest and cheapest car, but it was engineered to the same level of quality and safety as the S-Class, and the 190 became the best car MB ever built.

Great video! I've owned two of these. But I'd mention two things: 1) The moose-evasion test didn't involve the brakes, because they assumed you'd have the cruise control on, and 2) You might like to mention that this car with the manual has a synchronized reverse gear! (almost unique)

driving one for 20 years....best car ever!!!!!!

I had never realized how clever these were! The only thought I ever had while seeing these was the failed moose test but now I wish I could find a clean one.

I had a A160 Automatic 1999 and loved it.

I owned a V Reg W168 A140 Avantgarde. It had the Lamella folding roof. Mine came as standard with a Sony CD player, I believe it was a factory fitted option on the Avantgarde spec.

Drove one of these once as a hire car. My first car ever with cruise control. I was quite impressed at the time.

I currently own one of these. A black 2001 A160 Avantgarde Auto. Love it!

"It's safer, better handling, it's not an SUV" :) The last point is especially convincing.

Always wanted one of these. I could get a very upmarket 2001 one with wood in the dash and a sunroof for about AU$4500 now!

I never knew just how bonkers and advanced the A-class was - perhaps a bit like the A2 was. I looked at having an A-class for my first car quite seriously - it was a bit different and I really liked them in this spec, black with decent alloys. I then went in one which was a courtesy car and it completely put me off - the interior felt like a plasticky old Japanese supermini to me with random mismatched switches everywhere. I still have a bit of a soft spot for them though. That tea shelf though ... I think I made a glaring error in not having one! Side note - funny you should say about wading. Last weekend someone local to me tried to drive an 02 plate one through flood water and got trapped inside - had to be recovered by 4X4 response and freed by the fire brigade! Presumably auto locking doors followed by frying all the electrics! D’oh! That’s probably more the idiocy of the owner, rather than the car’s fault!

Love the cup-holder! Wider tyres had to be fitted to this model because the car was discovered to be unstable. 🇦🇺🇬🇧

Oh yeah, childhood memories. We used to get these as courtesy cars when our Vito was in the shop. Which meant driving A-classes *a lot*

We had one of the last 2004 w168 auto Mercs for the wife it was revised quite a lot compared to early ones and it had almost everything in the line of gadgets except rear electric windows, one very interesting and spacious cars.

Hired an A140 in Switzerland. Impressive how much room there was in it for the size. As much room as in a Focus but Fiesta sized. Interior feels built to a price. Does feel a bit like a smart in places. Engine a bit noisy at a cruise. Seats over firm. We all had numb bottoms. A yellow warning light occured but the message written in German and we couldn't work out what it meant! Just hoped it would make it back to the airport which it did. Overall it felt like a very intelligent piece of design. Very safe too once it was modified to pass the elk test.

Just a note on the gearbox options, you had the fully automatic, the manual and the semi-automatic which was just an automated clutch but still a traditional H-shifter, an utterly nonsense gearbox option. They also did the A210 Evolution which is rare, was supposed to be the 'hot' version and there was also my favourite A-Class, the long-wheelbase which didn't cost much more, much larger rear with massive legroom

Seeing your review, I think I’ve begun to appreciate late 90s design a lot more. That whole bio/organic sort of design seems so futuristic and interesting now, though at the time, as a kid, I thought it was too soft and vague. If only materials at the time were a bit better.

Thank you for the vid - great as usual! Why not to buy a W168? They rust, the manufacturing quality wasn't terribly good, the sunroofs were innovative and very large but prone to leaking and the automatic gear boxes were short-lived. They lost comparisons with the Mk IV Golf which was deemed the better driving car AND cheaper. I find the idea of a compact car with a full size interior quite appealing - but I'd rather go for the successor W169 instead (and still watch out for rust, especially at the sills and lower end of the doors...).

This car looks like french broke into Mercedes factory and held the Mercedes employees as hostages and then forced them to build it with a gun against their head. This car is bonkers lol

Had one of these, great little car. Looked fabulous in black with crazy wide AMG alloys - and the diesel engine. It also had a bonkers power sunroof, a series of louvred panels that shuffled to the back. Hugely economical, so easy to manoeuvre, and I remember it used to like to spit its power steering belt off - a warranty fix.

Great review! Looking at a 210 Evolution of this gen as a replacement for my C180. My grandparents had 4 different A classes so I definitely have a soft spot for these

Had a 170cdi auto lwb, loved it, the extra 6inches made a huge difference, got a double bed mattress in the back. ESP was standard on all A class, mainly to stop them falling over,

Great cars, the only reason against having one would be costlier maintenance, with engines being slanted. Injectors are big labour on the diesel model. Petrol ones eat coil packs, but great cars if your handy with the spanner’s

Great review as ever. You’re much more complimentary about the driving experience than other reviews I’ve seen. It would be great if you could seek out an A2 to test as a companion to this - I’m currently thinking of buying one.

My ex wife had the long wheelbase 1.7 diesel version. The lwb makes a huge difference, you can fit just about anything in it, rear legroom was ridiculously big. I removed the rear seats once ( totally flat floor) and slept in it. Often mocked cars but about the most practical I've ever driven

Thanks for the review :) I love the old A class!

Nice one. That car as an EV would be brilliant. Very sensible small car.

Small luxury cars are fun, got a Peugeot 1007 (sliding doors!) and people are amazed how spacious it is! Top tip: buy used.

The best thing about this car is, that nearly everybody underrates it. I am absolutely in love with my A190L (long version). Even for me, a currently 21 year old carguy, this is a nice car to have. It is the perrfect allrounder for me in terms of sportiness and comfort. I even think about taking it to the nürnburgring with my sportsprings an exhaust.

My neighbour has one of these. 3 kids in child seats and a pram.

Great car Avant-garde great speck family owned a 2002 model for many years

My father had a later one. It drove very well and was quite nippy. Excellent slick gearchange. It didn't have the removeable front passenger seat like the earlier models though. You could turn them into a small van. Brilliant design.

I am using one ,register in 2002, and I can tell you that it is a great vehicle

Like the idea the seats can be physical removed, handy for space and cleaning too. Quirky sort of car. Good video as always.

VW didn't forget parking lights either you just have to leave the indicator stalk pointed to either side

My Granddad had the ²nd gen of thís car : A200 auto (CVT) and it was very well built - took it through the horrendous roads of the Kgalagadi and then onto Etosha Pans in the North of Namibia - 5000km in 8days with not even so much as a flat tire : amazing little car! Ánd a TRUE Mercedes-Benz.

Wasn't the long-forgotten and short-lived Vaneo based on the first A-Class? Remember the Vaneo, from the early 2000's?

I loved the A Class. Same interior space as a C Class but half the size. Brilliant engineering cool first aid kit. 125 bhp. You're quite right, what's not to like. The were lovely in white, red, silver, royal blue and a dark metallic green.

Both my dad and my sister own W169 A150s. Both in black. Really great cars, a bit more grown up in style than the W168 imo. More "C Class"-like dashboards in them. Dad's is an Avantguarde auto and sister's is the base Classic spec. I always wondered why Mercedes didn't stick with this city car model when they replaced the A169 with a family hatchback model. Don't know what the model code is. Why not do things a little more different to BMW (1 series) and Audi (A3)?

Another great video - thanks! It’s amazing how different it is to the current A Class! I’m always surprised they gave the current A Class the same name

I love it. It kind of reminds me of the Chrysler PT cruiser, but in a good way. It's quirky and practical.

Great review best a class review on you tube only one that went through everything great stuff

The 1st gen a class is my favorite Mercedes design and one of my favorite designs overall. It's a cute car. The US just got it's first a class cars and they're limited import electric cars. The new ones aren't my favorite because they lost the charm but it's nice to see variety in a sea of trucks and SUVs.

I always thought the a class felt a bit too cheap inside for a merc.

A lot of cars of this era (eg. Ferrari, Porsche) did not have alarm/immobiliser installed at the factory - the regional dealers or importer installed market relevant items. So it's possible that is why the system looks that way. Might be wrong.

Had a LWB version 1.6 Auto. Very nice car around town and the load space was superb. If only they sold this configuration again today, with the sandwich area holding batteries.

this is my first car. i have the extended wheelbase version, so even more space in the rear. comfortably carrying 5 adults plus luggage on a 3 days trip. also really practical as a van, with a low loading floor. even though mine ha a few problems and is quite beaten up the important parts ( engine, shifter, driving capabilities) are still top notch, surely better than buyin a modern but cheaper car. 1.4 petrol 110k miles.

I love the graphics on the B-pillar - it looks like a very odd game of Tetris. I bet one of these would make an interesting electric conversion due to the deep floor design - perfect for holding batteries.

That was a lovely and very detailed review of the Mercedes A class. I have been looking to buy a used one and was a bit concerned about the drive quality (hard suspension) and body roll based on other reviews but this video puts my mind at ease. A lot of thought has gone into making it safe and practical and it is perfect for my needs now. Thank you for doing the in-depth review, really appreciate it. :)

Hi Matt,nice review on this A190 Mercedes,this shape is nice looking,for the toys it's got it's a sensible car to drive.

I had the misfortune to clock up 20,000 miles in one of these. I'd had a couple of dodgy Fiat experiences and thought by buying a Merc I was doing a good thing. How wrong I was. It was a '98 'S' plate bought in 2000. Commuting on the rough concreted surface (as it was at the time) of the M42 and it almost shook itself to bits. The drivers seat collapsed (I'm not that heavy!), the seals were appalling to the point where you could feel the door buffeting in a strong sidewind, the body creaked and groaned if you hustled it and the door bins vibrated like crazy if any music had even a modest amount of bass (and you needed to have the music turned up because the road noise was, well, noisy, thanks in part to the wider, lower profile tyres that were fitted after one got tipped on a magazine test). Unfortunately I have nothing good to remember the car by but the owner(s) after me must have liked it as it survived until 2013 and the last odometer reading was 139,379 in 2012.

One thing I disagree with is that an automatic manual transmission is not good. I have a mercedes 1.7 cdi, 2003 year with manual transmission without clutch, robotic. I have been driving it for 3 years. And I can tell you I am overjoyed. it’s so easy to drive so good for the city. so powerful and practical. it is better than the automatic because you still have control of the vehicle as with a manual transmission and fuel consumption is also lower than the automatic. Mine consumes 5 liters of diesel per 100 km. always. The transmission adapts to the driving style constantly, you can start from second gear without any problems and over time it adapts to your driving style and listens to your every move. This car is a real little buzz for the city and for every road. It is so started, it is easy to drive, I have no words to praise it with. In 3 years I have not had a single problem with it. I bought it with 170,000km, now it has 215,000km. Lovely car.

I love the W168 series! My father had two those.. The first one was a A160 with AKS gear system, and the second one was a A190 manual. So.. After 15 years, and a lot of Fords at my garage, I was looking for a cheap and reliable car. ..Well, I bought another A190.

Thank You for the pretty useful video, but please do not forget to keep an eye on the autofocus while filming (to avoid mistakes like here 11:59, when a battery compartment is totaly blurred).

I wish they would bring this back, in a hybrid or electric fashion.

I coming from 2018 Mercedes C AMG Coupé , 2020 BMW X2 and all the other Brand new cars to the 2001 Mercedes A Class just one week ago and I must confess, it’s way slower , much cheaper materials and got not all the Hightech inside. But it’s charmant in its own way. I am very surprised by the cargo space inside. You can put out every seat and transform this little city car into a mini-van!

The best generation of A class.

I quite like the A class, I had a later 2006 3dr model briefly and quite liked it.

and it happened to merc twice, since the launched smart car also decided it wanted to roll over, so had to do a quicky relaunch

I had one of these as a hire car in Italy for a couple of weeks ,just after it was launched. It was ok on the autostrada , fairly quiet and the ride was ok. But , on ordinary roads , if you took a bend a bit quick , it was disconcerting in the way it leaned and understeered. It was the first high riding car I ever drove and I have never driven another since! Lol

I've never considered an A-class before. Lots of features I like - a low position battery and a washer bottle you can see are both sensible, and as for the removable seating! V-good review - thank you :-)

Well thought out small car 🚗. Well done!

I own a 2002 1.6 excellent car, never missed a beat.. Years ahead of its time. Boot is massive with seats down, wide opening so you can get things in.

Had our A160 Avantgard for 10 years now and she's been a cracking little car!

That you, you reviewed the best mercedes ever made

I have an A140 classic 1998 and love it, you can camp in it, dont need a tent anymore.

Very intriguing little car. Back then, Mercedes always made sure of one thing regardless of the model of car and size, and that was the stability / solid feel. On another note, this car would've been a great EV conversion I would think. It basically has a skateboard type chassis. All that space in the sandwich platform literally screams electric vehicle. The space beneath the floor for batteries. And the way the engine was situated would be perfect for an electric motor. No airbox would be needed so there could be a frunk. I think this car was even more ahead of its time in this respect possibly. Very very interesting. I'd love to have a go in one.

Taking your seat with you is a good security feature lol

By pure chance got to drive one in 1997, similar model to this one if I remember right, it was lovely - reason not to own one, they are a pig to work on try changing the starter motor......

I had a diesel once as a courtesy car. I remember te suspension being very harsh and the plastics in the interior being very nasty. Not my cup of tea. But nice video 👌😁

I think I would prefer one of the first series A Class cars to the current model. Some months ago I was upgraded to a rental A Class current model. I actually had to spend about 30 minutes with the handbook before I had the confidence to take it out, in the dark, on less than familiar roads. Call me a technophobic, old f@rt septuagenarian, but not everyone can immediately figure out all the tech for its own sake basic controls. The other problem for me was the on/off turbocharger - very difficult to modulate - when you want to overtake in traffic you pull out and suddenly find yourself heading much too quickly towards the rear of the car in the passing lane. I dare say I would, in time, master all these difficulties, but... Thanks, anyway, for a very informative review.

The very first A class were prone to wanting to tip over, thru slalom testing, MB had to make some big safety changes!

Oh wow the trim level is really avant-garde as a early 30s aging sad hipster I find that fantastic and I would love to own this vehicle as long as I had the avant-garde trim level

I had the diesel version. And I kind you not, I achieved over 60mpg on long journeys with careful driving. And yes it was very good for elderlies to get in and out of. But servicing, not really, too inaccessible for pretty much everything

I got one and it's almost 3 months now at the garage my mechanic can't fix it till now he send the part's to u k.to be fix and am losing hope... I luv that car much. Hopefully I can have it fixed.

My mum had a 2000 and a 2008 I miss them cars

Compared with the contemporary A-Class, this is a much more revolutionary and ingenious design. Clearly, the market doesn't want that, though, as they buy the current generation in huge numbers in this country, whereas the original one was nowhere near as popular.

It's very well maintained for a such an old car and the only thing I've had criticism on it is the poor suspension. Too stiff.

Good review. Can you get hold of a zafira gsi boost bus to review?

I have the second generation A150 (w169) it’s more grown up and have a much better cabin quality, but still very parctical.

Love these Mercedes, a shame really you don’t see many of the first models around anymore.

Some models came with booster seats that popped up from the back bench and retracted when you didn't need them. Pretty quirky for it's time!

I would love a W169 and a W124 😍 My parents first Mercedes was a W168. I was too young to remember it but seeing it now makes me want one. They have an A Class again but it’s the W176 :) Was the 1.9 litre model the A190 or the A200?

What a rather pleasant and practical little package. Always a shame that the 'Elk' test overshadowed it somewhat. Many thanks for a great review.

I had the w168 for years and found the "automated manual" great. It worked a treat. If you like cup holders try the C208 CLK320. Really fancy.

A proper A class with a style of its own. So much better than the current A class which just tries to look like a Merc version of the BMW 1 Series.

Hi! Great test! Please test drive the W169 series with manual gearbox 😁

I got a friend of mine's for almost free. The A190 Limo. Stretched. Fantastic little car. At 120 000 miles. brilliant. Side skirts damaged and wheel bearing needed replacement.

My wife has owned her 2006 A class for 13 years and it has been, and still is a great car....I have had 3 Mercs...SLK...E Class and currently B Class sport...but I drive her A class far more than my car! I personally love the car and consider it far superior to the current A class models in every way.

Before I drove this car, I underestimated its value. Although I am currently using it as my second car, I couldn't help but be amazed by the amazing usability and convenience of this car. I fell in love with this car and bought a used A210 AMG version as my third car. This is because I want to keep it.