This is an initial review, only having had the car for a week.
Having driven Audis for many years this car cannot be compared in any way to the A4 2.0lt TFSi S Line it replaces. Retirement and the need to economise made a change necessary and I was prepared to make sacrifices.
The first tankful has given me 55mpg which I am hoping is a reasonable start for an engine which is still tight.
I find the controls for the radio, music player and driver information overly complicated compared with the A4 but when I report back in a month or so, it may be simpler once I have mastered it.
My main problem has been with the electronic handbrake which is under the dash forward of the driver's right knee. Unlike the A4, it does not release automatically once you move off. You have to move forward physically to reach it and to me, the operation seems to be back to front and took a lot of getting used to. You pull it to release it and push it down to apply it. Once you think of it as a "Footbrake" you gradually master it.
This application makes me want to use the footbrake whilst stopped at traffic light etc and turns me into the sort of motorist that I have always criticised, blinding the driver behind with his stop lights.
My wife prefers the Mercedes as she says she has a much more "Sedate" drive. With a 0 to 60 figure almost double that of the A4, I understand what she means. The slower acceleration however, does not seem that slow when driving and as yet, I have tried to keep the revs down and have not stretched it to greater limits.
I will follow this up with a more detailed review once I have given the car a longer trial but preliminary results are promising.

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