This is not an article I planned to write. In fact, if you had asked me a couple of months ago whether I would be adding another car to the driveway, I would probably have laughed. Yet here we are.
Just over a month ago, I bought a 2019 Mercedes A35 AMG Saloon, and now that the novelty has settled a little, it feels like the right time to talk about why it happened and how it fits into our slightly chaotic car story.
I have actually owned it quietly for a few weeks now, long enough to move past the honeymoon phase and into proper day to day use. That matters, because first impressions can lie. Living with a car is where the truth usually shows up.
The one I bought is seriously well specced. Almost every option ticked, with the only real omission being the aero kit. Finding an A Class saloon in this sort of spec is not easy. Most are hatches and most saloons tend to be fairly plain. This one felt like a rare find, and that alone made me stop scrolling and take notice.
Before we get into the details, you are probably already asking the obvious questions. Why another car. What is staying. What is going. Some of that needs its own blog and a bit more time, so for now I will say this. The situation evolved, and this ended up making a lot of sense.
I have always liked the A Class saloon. Not the hatchback so much, but the saloon shape has always worked for me. Before buying the Tesla Model 3 Performance, when I was looking at electric and hybrid options, I test drove a Mercedes A250e in Cardiff. It had all the toys, but I left feeling underwhelmed. For a hybrid, I expected more punch, and the 1.3 litre engine just did not sound great to me. I liked the idea, but not the execution, so Mercedes slipped off the shortlist.
Despite that, the shape stuck in my head. I love the idea of a C Class, especially a C43 or C63, but one thing that has always bothered me is how similar the whole range looks. They blur into one another. The A Class saloon feels different. It is compact but still feels like a proper saloon, sporty without being shouty, and you just do not see many around.
Fast forward a bit and I found myself needing another daily. The plan is to sell the BMW i8. I love that car. It still looks wild and it always feels special. I did have a few expensive issues earlier this year, but I do not regret owning it at all. The problem is usability. Daily driving it while my wife had the Mini Clubman meant constantly hunting for end spaces or stressing about car parks. It stopped being fun.
If the i8 was going to be replaced, it needed to tick a few boxes. It still had to feel cool, but it also needed space, comfort and tech. I could not justify jumping straight to something like a Bentley Continental GT or an Aston Martin Vantage, tempting as they are. I also spent time looking at an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. Incredible car, but the price and the lack of modern tech compared to rivals put me off.
That brought me back to the A Class range. The A250e still did not do it for me, and I am parking the C Class idea for now. Then I spotted the A35 AMG in saloon form. There is no A45 saloon, which is a shame, but the A35 felt like the sweet spot.
On paper, it lines up almost perfectly with our Mini Clubman JCW. Both cars sit just over the 300 horsepower mark, both are all wheel drive, and both get to 62 mph in under five seconds. It does not feel like a step down. If anything, it levels things out nicely between the two cars we own.
The Mercedes also won me over with its tech. This one comes with AMG bodystyling, the Premium Plus pack with the panoramic roof, AMG sports exhaust, heads up display, a 10.25 inch digital dash, Sports Plus mode, Mercedes Me, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, lane keeping assist, augmented reality sat nav, ambient lighting, AMG Night Pack, and a long list of comfort and convenience packs. It feels properly loaded.
From a family point of view, it just works better. There is more leg room in the back for kids and the boot is actually usable, which is not something you can really say about the i8.
No, it is not as dramatic or attention grabbing as the BMW, but it still looks great and it stands out nicely among the endless rows of grey and black Mercs. It feels a bit different, and I like that.
First impressions on the road have been strong. It is quick off the line, which is always important. The ride is firm, but compared to some of the other cars we are used to, it actually feels fairly comfortable. It is an easy car to jump into and just get on with.
Because it is the new car, both my wife and I keep finding excuses to take it out. That probably says more than any spec sheet ever could.
It is still early days, and long term ownership is where the real verdict will be formed. For now though, it feels like a genuinely good all rounder that fits where we are at the moment.
I would have liked a heated steering wheel. That is my one real complaint so far.
And who knows. Maybe this is the start of a Mercedes phase. I would not rule out a C43 or C63 appearing on Cornered at some point in the future.
