A 180 CDI Classic SE 5dr Auto Hatchback

Effortless

Actually my car is the A180 CDI Avantgarde 5dr Auto (but the drop down menus don't have it as an option) - The automatic is effortless and the ride is very assured. If you need to overtake it responds very quickly and shoots past the traffic. I have the automatic parking option and although it took a little time to get used to it, it is very handy if you want to park without any effort. It seats five with ease and on a drive to southern Germany we all arrived feeling pretty refreshed. Brakes are very positive and steering is sensitive to speed becoming firmer as you accelerate. Tho' I still apply the handbrake and shift into neutral at traffic lights (rather than go through the whole box to find Park). It holds your position on a hill in drive so taking off (even on a very steep incline) is a doddle. I tend to push it when on the motorway but still end up with high 40's mpg overall.
Any faults? It sometimes surges for a second when accelerating away from a standstill (say waiting at a junction) but no automatic is perfect! But other times it is as smooth as silk.
I'll probably buy another one when I get to MOT time!

Two years downtrack - Servicing is not cheap - My second service cost £450 as they say they need to change the brake fluid (after about 14000 miles from new!). Also the idle can at times be a little bit lumpy - said it was a software issue - but it still does it on occasion. When reversing and turning at full lock (say out of a parking space) it can feel as if you have run over, say, a temporary traffic light cable. A friendly Merc mechanic said it was probably a dry steering linkage joint but the garage, after a lot of testing, said it was the Dunlop tyre profiles and it would probably be fixed by four new Continentals (at my cost) - however it was not unsafe. I think I'll wait until they are ready for a change. I also get a little bit of wind noise from the front passenger door which is almost fixed (first off the door was tightened so much against the door frame that it required a real slam to close it, then this was relaxed a bit and I only get wind noise occasionally). The automatic parking is not as swift as I would like it and can be a bit frustrating when there is traffic behind waiting for my car to see whether it can park in a space or not - the software was also checked and no fault found so maybe its just slow. I only use it now when there is no traffic about and I want to see it still works!
But overall the car is effortless to drive - it returns (according to the trip meter) 44 mpg since new (I push along when I can so I don't think its bad), the seats are comfortable and it has been very reliable.

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