A250e 1.3 Phev AMG Line Premium Plus Auto 5dr

V177 Saloon Variant. Unreliable.

My first and last foray into Mercedes-Benz.

The good:
- Badge status
- Stylish Design
- Pre-condition feature helped to de-ice the vehicle on cold days. Battery needs charge for this.

Not so good:
- Driving dynamics in hybrid are all over the place. One minute you could be using 100hp and suddenly you could be using 300+ lb/ft torque. Not smooth by any stretch of the imagination. The only way for a linear and predictable drive is to fix it in one mode e.g., engine only (battery hold mode).
- The battery capacity could be better.
- No rapid charging option. Only Type 2.
- No staggered wheel set up. Not even on the sporty A35 variant.
- The fuel tank is ridiculously small.
- The battery does not usually charge during driving on a motorway.

The Bad:
- The transmission failed. No reverse gear. Car recovered to a local dealership. A software update addressed this under warranty.
- The heating in electric mode failed. Warranty.
- The steering controls are not always responsive. This does not make for safe driving. Neither does a touch screen however, you can make use of the intuitive voice commands in most cases.
- The Head-Up display failed. Replaced under warranty.
- Wireless charging was an ongoing issue when the car was rejected.
- Car would not start. Several software updates but intermittent fault remained.
- Seat position can feel uncomfortable a long journey. Despite the adjustments available.
- Seat kinetics feature made no difference on a long run.
- Tendency to understeer when pushed.
- Fuel economy figures are bizarre. Explaining a hybrid mpg as 330 mpg will of course help sell a car. Look beyond those figures. Electric efficiency is measured in miles per kWh in battery only mode.

Not a car to be owned without a warranty. When you are left stranded too many times it is hard to look beyond the faults.

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