There's a leveling going on. A good one, for once.
New entry-level cars come standard with features that weren't always available in luxury cars — and entry-level luxury cars like the new Mercedes A-Class come standard with (or at least offer) features that as recently as two years ago were only available in top-of-the-line Mercedes models such as the E- and S-Class sedans.
Massaging seats. A full-width, LCD flat-screen instrument cluster. Ethereal-glow, ambient interior mood lighting.
The new A-Class also offers features you couldn't get at all — even in a six-figure S-Class — just two or three years ago, like an augmented-reality directions system that projects street names and other details on a livestream video feed in the driver's line of sight.
You do get less car ... physically.
The A is smaller on the outside than the E or the S.
Size is about the only point of difference.
And price.
What It Is
The A is Mercedes' new entry-level subcompact sedan.
Prices start at $32,500 for the front-wheel-drive A220. Adding the optional 4Matic all-wheel-drive system bumps the sticker price up to $34,500.
That, by the way, is loaded Camry territory — for a Mercedes.
What's New
The A-Class is Mercedes' latest class.
It takes the place of the CLA, which, for 2020, will move up a notch in size and price.
Mercedes will also be offering a high-performance AMG version of the A-Class as 2020 rolls along — probably by next summer. The A35 AMG will have at least 302 horsepower (the standard A has 188) and be capable of doing the 0-60 mph run in 4.6 seconds.
Which, for the record, is quicker than S-Class AMGs used to be not all that long ago.
What's Good
It has an entry-level price with high-end amenities.
It has a subcompact exterior footprint with almost-mid-sized interior spaciousness.
Front-wheel drive is better in the snow than rear-wheel drive (and makes buying all-wheel drive less necessary if you live where it snows a lot).
What's Not So Good
The trunk is subcompact.
It comes standard with an automatic stop-start system.
It gets E-Class pricey when optioned out.
Under the Hood
Both the front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the A come standard with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, turbo-boosted to 188 horsepower and 221 foot-pounds of torque.
It's paired with a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Whether you stick with the front-wheel-drive version or choose the 4Matic all-wheel-drive version, the A gets to 60 mph in about 7 seconds, according to Mercedes.
Gas mileage isn't usually a major selling point for a luxury car, but the A can tout almost-economy car miles per gallon: 24 city and 35 on the highway for the front-wheel-drive version and nearly the same for the all-wheel-drive version (24 city, 34 highway).
On the Road
Small cars aren't supposed to feel big, but the A manages to not feel small while delivering the solid — and quiet — ride people who buy luxury cars expect.
It is a front-wheel-drive car, so it understeers a little when driven hard — but most people who buy luxury cars don't, so that's less of an issue than how quiet and smooth it is — which the A gets A's for.
And the nice thing about front-wheel drive is that you don't have to buy all-wheel drive to have decent snow-day traction.
Just buy good snow tires.
They're a lot less expensive than all-wheel drive.
At the Curb
The A is only abbreviated from the windshield forward and the decklid backward. In between the axle centerlines, the car is about the same size as an E — and feels it, once you're inside.
There's actually a bit more front seat legroom (41.8 inches) in the A than in the E (41.4 inches). It has 33.9 inches of backseat legroom, versus 38.2 inches in the E.
And looking at the full-panel 10.3-inch LCD touchscreen that extends almost the entire width of the dash, it's easy to imagine yourself in an S-Class.
Just with more cash still in your pocket.
The Rest
No one does ambient interior lighting better than Benz. It's not just the almost infinite spectrum of colors you can pick; it's the ethereal glow that emanates from the LED strips placed throughout the cabin.
Even the air vents glow.
Turn on the massaging seats; turn up the Burmester 12-speaker, surround-sound audio system.
It's almost like being in the womb again.
The Bottom Line
The only thing missing here is the six-figure price.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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