Matt, the original A class had a unique sandwich floorplan construction, with the engine lowered into the frame, that gave it the space of a C class in the footprint of a ford fiesta, that alone was for many people worth buying for, aside from the badge!
Often I wonder why he doesn't open one or both of his front windows. Especially on a hot day, like this one. Same with 'the dirtiest'' Jag 2016 for 4000 Pounds.
I have a ‘05 plate as a second car with the 2lt Petros engine. I love it. Doesn’t break, cheap to run and maintain. I use it even more that my main car. Don’t know why but I love it haha. Nice vid but no excuse for the previous owner on the smell
Had one of these brand new. Loved it. Roomy, compact, great high up driving position and great for both city and longer trips. Have never liked any of the A-classes since.
My late father's last car was a used 2007 A150 that I really liked. I wish Mercedes would have have updated this basic design rather than emulate BMW and Audi with their version of the 1 series and A3 respectively. I guess that there was more profit to be had with a family sized hatchback car.
Also, unlike many small MPVs the driving position is legs ahead rather than a van like legs down. This made it feel like a normal’ car rather than a van.
as you say in the video it is a good representation of how carvertical works. They take your money and give you fals or no information, apart from the stuff you can aquire from free car check apps as well, You really should reconsider promote them on your channel for your own good.
The previous owner obviously took the kitchen chair apart, they then used the screws to fix the rear bumper. Just to think, that was somebody’s pride and joy once.
Just turning on that air-con had me shouting "NO, DON'T!!" I did the same check on an old Astra once, and inhaled a vent full of foul-smelling bacteria that had me feeling like c**p within 24 hours... Took another 5 days to recover!
I like mine, I've just bought a RR Evoque and I kept it, I got it in August just to run around in when i came back from living abroad, 2008 full Merc history, only one cracked spring advisory, 63k, and looks like new, £2300, had 4 months mot but passed no problem, this made me laugh, it was a good video, not sure who would have a car in that condtion mind
It's a very well thought out city car. Just.. maybe, not that particular one. I was impressed with space in the rear & it has really decent head & leg room. Passengers seem to be a secondary concern for a lot of manufacturers. They forget people might actually have families to shuttle round & they come attached with inconvenient things, like legs & a head, which also need to fit inside the vehicle. The only other car that really does ergonomics better in the last 10 years is the Skoda Superb.
It's probably because buyers prefer style over practicality for passengers. The best shape for interior space would be a box like a kei car. I got into a Scion xB once. I believe it was maybe called the Toyota Urban cruiser in Europe? Idk. But it was so unbelievablely spacious for its size. I dare say it had more room than my dad's Suburban in the back. But people don't like the look and same with this car. It's easy to critique automakers buts it very difficult to make a car that looks good, has good materials, has enough space, good performance, mpg, etc. Lots of demands.
Yes the skoda superb is literally superb! Both models! But what always amazed me is that the mk1 was the same as a passat but much more room in the back somehow? Maybe they made a longer wheelbase at skoda?
I bought a 2006 2.0 cdi on the 1st Jan 2020 for £700 with full Merc history and 107k on the clock. That little blue beast ran faultless for nearly 17months I had an air/oil/filter change every 4months when the n/s suspension snapped(due to the roads near work) due to repair costs I had to scrap it - i got £348 for it. Cracking little car .
@@boyasaka I'd have had to get both sides done or the car would have ran/looked slightly lopsided, the bill would have been around £400 (all inclusive of parts+labour), that's provided nothing else was found to be busted or possibly busted during the repair.
old man had one of these for a few years , only realised how bad it was when he got a honda jazz , so many faults from factory is unreal but then again this era of merc is fit for the bin
It looks like a mini Vito! Such a shame Matt as I’m pretty sure this was a good little motor at one point. Really irritates me when folk don’t maintain their vehicle properly. I’m no angel on the cleaning front but my car always gets full maintenance and doesn’t smell. Loved the “eye rub” moment! 😂 Q: is this the worst PX you have ever had?? Great video again Matt. Top notch 👌
I actually just bought this as my first car. Bought a 2009 elegance model for 3.4k and the insurance is comparable to a smaller engine ford fiesta. Might not be the nicest car on the outside by any means but the higher spec cars are nice inside and have a good build quality
I'm going to be making a video on w169 ownership shortly because this is a very unusual car and it would be helpful for people to know about them before they buy. Because a lot of them are either knackered or ticking time bombs. If you shop wisely and you repair them in the right places, you end up with a car that's 2 mm shorter than a Ford KA with an interior that is as roomy as a C-Class. It might look like a Honda jazz, but it's probably one of the most cleverly engineered cars MB have ever put out. They are pretty unique and have some features and designs that makes citroëns look tame and standard.
I had one of the early "A" classes , W reg. Brilliant commuter car , good high driving position , ran like a Swiss watch. Cleaned & hoovered once a week and regularly maintained , no trouble at all. Great little car. It was quite a quirky car at the time especially with the wavy dash and I loved it , maybe that's why I have a BMW i3 at present!!
Nice to see an original design and the confidence to produce it. The current A Class doesn't appeal to me at all visually, looks a very generic hatchback which could be anything but happens have a Mercedes grille grafted on, seems so dull after the original.
Those wood screws are the kind of repair my Dad would’ve done - he had a Tata pickup truck that he replaced the broken mirror glass in by roughly trimming and old bathroom mirror down and glueing it on…..on both wing mirrors 🤣.
Lol the Lady Captain of our Golf club is Lady Hilary Beaumont. Her husband is the famous Sir Bill Beaumont in the rugby world. She hasn't got one of those ☺️ I like watching your channel. I have a 2003 E270 CDI Avantgarde spec. I'm having all the suspension renewed. It's a labour of love with these old Benz I like the reviews of the cars you have driven. All the best.
👋. Hopefully you and all your loved ones are safe and sound. As a matter of fact, I have the same car 😂🤣😂. It's a white A180 CDI, 6 speed manual. Perfect car for driving in a city like Casablanca, Morocco. Excellent car, and it's never afraid of going long distances. Thanks a million for the review 😊.
"And it's got the 3 pointed star on the bonnet just to let the neighbours knnow she's doing better than them." haha Matt's self-awareness meter stuck on zero.
To be fair the W169 is more of a Mercedes than the current one. No Renault-Nissan alliance parts to be found in a 169, just MB design and parts through and through
Sad to see the condition! My wife has a 2007 A170 with 85K. She keeps it like new and it has a full MB history. It’s auto with parking sensors and the only fault we’ve had in 9 years was the key failed last year. Great car - bit different to my SL63!
It’s nice how you give a fair amount for part exs. Volvo main dealer where ive just bought a new car wanted to give me just £500 for my V70. Alright it’s cat S and could do with a new clutch but still it’s worth more than that to me just as a dump run car.
I saw one of these in the services on the M3 yesterday and it was being driven by an elderly couple and it was head turning mint. It made me want to look to see what they go for. It seems there are still some nice ones out there!
I had an A160 from new some years ago. I loved it - great driving position and a big boot with the seats folded flat. One big problem - the front tyres lasted 8/10k, and the steering bushes about the same.
I have to be honest I’d LOVE to see you give it some love and restore it to its former glory, the poor thing deserves it 😭 although a person with business sense would probably disagree 😂
My next door neighbour's son has the first generation A class , his first car and he drives to and from work in it,does him ok.A friend I know had one of these,don't know if he still has it, but he always bought old cars as he generally runs them till they go totally wrong, although heavy he used to take out the back seats so he could do his paint and decorating job in it,even though he wasn't great at maintenance,most of his cars did a lot of mileage and lasted quite a while.
I get vehicles offered for P/X like this all the time, I used to take them but now I just say " I don't want it, sell it yourself please" ..... otherwise you can end up letting some great stock go just to get a deal and have a yard full of crap, but you know that Matt 👍
the seats and carpet would get a good vacuming ( henry would be called on duty followed by charlesto give thenm a power wash then check out the exhaust . pull the engine codes and see whats to see from the underside
I can’t believe the seller had the nerve to offer the car in that state , still it was their lucky day as your colleague was feeling so generous with your money. I would make them spend the day cleaning it out inside before a sit down in your office to explain that any loss from the sale or trade in on the car comes out of their pocket. Hope you can turn this into a positive outcome.
Love videos like this, you should show us some more of your disgusting part ex’s. Wouldn’t mind seeing some sort of restoration on it after you’ve sorted everything that needs doing.
Mercedes M266 has issues with timing chain streching, where the hydraulic tentioner cant engage before the oil pressure is built up. That is why you hear that "very healthy" scraching noise from the engine on cold starts. You should not worry about that every single 1.5 or 1.7 or 2.0 has this issue. Its importnat that 2sec after start you stop hearing the chain
I've been re-watching some of the older vids and have been struck by how many cars are part-exchanged in a dirty condition. Whenever we have traded in a car I have always washed the outside and vacuumed the interior, as well as polishing the dash and taking out all the bits and pieces that seem to collect in a car over the years. I just couldn't allow a car to be traded in without making the effort to make it presentable and avoid the reaction Matt had when sitting in that Merc.
These videos are a great laugh Mat! I have experience of cleaning up some neglected cars and filthy steering wheels can initially look like they are just worn👍🏻
I'd struggle to justify £1200 for this car but I don't know much about values of this sort of car. I am sure I've seen it on Police Interceptors! Another great video. I love watching videos about crap cars.
My aunt has a 2008 A170 3 door, 5 speed manual, edition trim level, panorama roof, heated seats, parking sensors, leather, just drove it today, bit uncomfy, i mean seats are fine but it's hard over bumps, expected better from MB, but otherwise really like the car
Make sure your auntie keeps hold of that. 2008 would mean a facelift and the three-door (C169) is very rare and the special panorama roof is a piece of art though very complicated to repair. That sounds like a really good spec. I hope it's in a nice colour. Comfort level is greatly dependant on what dampers and wheel configuration the car left the factory with. They have an option of comfort sport or off-road dampers with wheels ranging from 15 in right up to great big 18 in
@@psions555 ohh i'm from Serbia, car imported from 🇨🇭, it has a bit of a problem with panorama roof, don't know what it is tho, it has a bit of scratches from city driving, but previous owner did that, interior is mint, can send u a pics and videos on ig if u want, and yes, it is a pre-facelift
I would replace the mirror. You will find plenty of them at a car scrap yard. Replace the rear bumper or have it fixed better. Four good cheap tires with steel wheels and plastic caps to save money. I wouldn't worry about the paint
I bought the A180 CDI Classic SE 2.0 as my first car a couple of years ago for £900. The condition was almost perfect apart from a couple of stains in the back seat, no service history and 163k on the clock. 2 years later and my brother is now using it to learn to drive, it having over 170k on the clock and just routine maintenance done on it! A true testament to the build quality of these cars
You are most fortunate. With 163k on the clock the main things that go wrong on the W169 would have already have been addressed so you are then good to go again for lots more miles. It's the ones hanging about with 90-100k miles that are being sold because it's time to change the clutch or the CVT is acting up and also the poly v belt issues they suffer from all happen around that age. I feel lucky that I got mine at 90k and I've now racked up 8k in it trouble free. Every car has issues, the 169 is actually incredibly reliable and we'll built it's always just the issue of access to the motor
Grim car but somehow an upbeat video! I once bought an old Renault Megane for £160 that had similarly stained seats and actual human scabs down the side of the seats. That was about 6 years ago and I still wretch at the thought. It was actually a great car once I fumigated it though!
Picked up a 55 plate A150 CDI at auction many years ago. Was a great runaround with a couple of young kids - plenty of boot space for pushchairs etc - but decidedly underpowered! Nonetheless, got it at the right price and sold it on a couple of years later for not much less than I’d paid.
I don’t understand all the hate,they look way better than anything in the same class,you don’t compare these to proper Mercedes or BMW 1 series,you compare them to cars like Yaris,Jazz,Micra,Etc and it definitely looks and feels much,much better!
Years ago I always wondered why Merc didn’t make a great small car other then this , a couple of years later the A class came out but could like the after thought floating screen , I can hate that design of a dash
The only A-Class ever that made sense. I had one around eight or nine years ago, the underpowered 160 CDI. It was such a lovely car, apart from the corrosion under the door seals and at the bottom of the tailgate. It needed an alternator and there was a leak with the windscreen wash reservoir. People don’t like larger Mercs with the six speed gearbox, but in this car it is an absolute delight. The fuel economy was unbelievable mostly mid-fifties. The interior is high quality and the driving position is great. My only problem was that it feels like a feminine car. They are absolute bargains these days and I would consider buying one as a cheap daily driver.
@@user-te1le7ck6b I had a couple of 204 C-classes, a 211 E-Class and my current daily driver is a 2013 E-Class estate. Considering that the A-Class is the entry level car, I think it has a quality interior and the build quality is superior to the Polo or anything else from other small cars from that era.
@@ComeJesusChrist can’t say I agree power steering failure costing £1000 and up , weak cv joints and some engine issues on models , don’t think these was even close to polo given price point but each to their own
like an autotrader version of 'the price is right' start the timer . the longer it goes , the lower the price. Hit the buzzer to claim your prize without going over. £250 is a potential end point
It's a shame when a car gets like that. EasyRentACar used to use them back when I was working in Amsterdam and flying out there from Luton every week, in the early noughties. If you rented them for the maximum 6 weeks, or whatever it was, it came to about £4.50 a day, so it was cheaper to do that and leave them in the long term parking at Schipol over the weekend than rent a new one each Monday. I found them quite fun to drive, even the A130, and that's saying something as I had an Audi S3 at home at the time. Trouble is, it's a Mercedes, and I can't stand them now.
Hi Matt, i used to have one of these as a company back in the 'noughties' 2003 to be exact, i had a choice of Vectra,Mondeo or the hideous A-Class, me thinking a Mercedes would be a step up in the management role mountain i was climbing at the time, anyway the day the car arrived ,a flat dark red Mercedes Benz A140 Petrol Classic, no word of a lie it was bloomin awful, i was as you imagine extremely disappointed, it had no go in it whatsoever, had no A/C & it had more rattles than Mothercare, i had to endure this ugly car for 7 months,it all turned out well though, a new member of staff was taken on & he ended up with it, me, i ended up with a Peugeot 406 Executive with a 2.0l low pressure petrol engine, that car was superb, moral of the story, be careful what you wish for
Win some lose some I guess. A bumper repaired with woodscrews is a pretty ominous sign! This one is a real shocker and can't blame you for wanting it gone asap! Couldn't you take it to some dodgy area and leave it with the keys in it, in the hope it might disappear? Problem is the car thieves would probably me more discerning.
It's so sad to see how people treat their cars - they should be on buses! Anyway, a great review - I think you should really go for it and see just how much you can to fix all the flaws and make is saleable.
I am visiting my parents and my neighbours have 2 of these and I tried to look up review on them earlier today with no luck and now high peaks pops up ...doing the lord work
I have that car. With front air suspension, electro-mechanical power steering making both motorway and city drives relaxing, it was a great car. Shame that it recently had serious engine issues. Other than that, it worked really well.
They don't have air suspension. They have Bilstein B4 dampmatic "dumb" adaptive dampers and then they use a very unusual parabolic rear axle with coil springs. The W169 A class and W245 B class are the only vehicles ever to use this design
Depends on what you want of a car. If you want a short car that's easy to park in town but roomy inside and not tinny or "sooo cute", that's a pretty good choice. I had one or two of those as rentals and found them ok to drive. They may be an older drivers' choice - but since people don't die as young as they used to, I don't see anything wrong with that, either.
@@andersnielsen6044 🤣 maybe you have then 🤣👍 Looks aside - I’ve never got over how vague the steering on a Corsa is … an I love a carp car - Ford Ka and even Daewoo Matiz’ are great fun to drive
@@nothingmuch.3014 They did fix the design of the w168 at a massive cost, and it wasn't just ESP. The w169 in this video is a completely different model. And to be fair they were not the only car to fail the moose test. Even now cars are failing the test.
@@99ron30 They're such an odd car. The engine sits diagonally, so that in a crash, it gets pushed under the floor, not into the cabin. Of course this makes them more difficult to work on.
The 168 used conventional suspension at the rear but mounted lengthways rather like a citroën 2 CV. The w169 and the first generation B. Class w245 use a parabolic rear axle with coil springs, They are the only road cars that I know of that do that. The fact that the engine and the gearbox is entirely behind the front wheels makes it a truly front mid-engined car, I can only think of the citroën Maserati SM as having a similar layout.
Your best video yet... and it just happens to be watching you test drive a shithole on wheels, that smells of sick and has wood screws holding the bumper on! Bet the car wash guys loved cleaning that! Hope you've fully recovered 🤣
I think you should send it to Chops Garage. He likes cleaning and painting the more challenging motors. Though transporting it to Devon will probably cost half the value of the car.
We had one when we had 3 young kids - it was perfect: all but the driver’s seat came out leaving a completely flat floor. It had the clutchless gear change which worked well. The integral boosters worked well. With the rear seats in their forward position (with kids in) a tumble dryer fitted in the boot and it wasn’t the LWB version. The only real gripe I had with it was that the front ARB bushes needed changing more frequently than the oil (assumed this due to Moose Test detuning). So I’m a fan of these cars - but that one looks very very grim.
Great review , try find someone starting out a business see if they will take it off your hands perfect little starting point , however I'd have words with your staff who paid 1200 for it , if all else fails maybe a RUclips auction one this might be good
Always liked the original shape A Class, it had some character and was a brave departure for the brand at the time, which might not have happened but for an adventurous forward thinking boss then.This one has certainly has been neglected though, my 61 plate C class is in lovely condition, spent 2 hours cleaning yesterday, sad to see them neglected.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Matt, the original A class had a unique sandwich floorplan construction, with the engine lowered into the frame, that gave it the space of a C class in the footprint of a ford fiesta, that alone was for many people worth buying for, aside from the badge!
I’d be asking a few questions of your colleague that paid £1200 for this!
Haha yea
No bonus this year, Specsavers might help.
More training required!!!
Honestly
I hope it was a prank!
Love how honest these reviews are great to watch.
You’re a brave man getting into that car without PPE!
Often I wonder why he doesn't open one or both of his front windows. Especially on a hot day, like this one. Same with 'the dirtiest'' Jag 2016 for 4000 Pounds.
I think Onslow was the former owner judging by the condition and screws in the rear bumper.
😂
You need to drop it off at your colleagues house and post the key through his letter box 😇
Why do people treat cars like this? You can imagine what the home is like? Unbelievable !!
DISGUSTANG
don't have to imagine
they don't have a home, they live in their cars
This interior is clean compared to what I see in work. Farm yokes, builders vans & 7 seater family wagons are the worst
Think the first thing you should do, is have a word with your colleague who paid that much for it! Its shocking how some people treat their cars
13:30 ~ Elderly man turns around to check out your new Mercedes. Probably not worth restoring, but she's still a head-turner.
Geez’o I’d have a word with your colleague, may be drop him off at spec savers and get a free eye test😂
lol id get his sinuses looked at as well
Almost skipped this one due to disliking these cars but glad I didn’t good video had me laughing 👍🏻😂
Glad you enjoyed it
Same here.
Probably the funniest video yet
Never liked the look of this generation A Class
@@xxxxxxxx3476 if it wasn’t such a nail, a tidy 2011/2 A Class with 88k would be worth £3495 or Certainly £2995 retail
@@xxxxxxxx3476 A Mercedes badge on that car is meaningless, Mercedes should be ashamed that they put their name on those cars
I have a ‘05 plate as a second car with the 2lt Petros engine. I love it. Doesn’t break, cheap to run and maintain. I use it even more that my main car. Don’t know why but I love it haha. Nice vid but no excuse for the previous owner on the smell
Not sure what is worse, the fact they've traded that shitbox in or they've bought one of your cars to treat the same way 😳😂😂😂
Ha a 'what a croc', also called a moose back when it was tested for launch!
2 choices: 1. Send it to a dismantler. 2. Send it to a metal recycler
Love your work 👍
Had one of these brand new. Loved it. Roomy, compact, great high up driving position and great for both city and longer trips. Have never liked any of the A-classes since.
I had one too. It was a brilliant package. Agree new ones are very bland
@@johnmull59 lol you would say tha6
My late father's last car was a used 2007 A150 that I really liked. I wish Mercedes would have have updated this basic design rather than emulate BMW and Audi with their version of the 1 series and A3 respectively. I guess that there was more profit to be had with a family sized hatchback car.
Also, unlike many small MPVs the driving position is legs ahead rather than a van like legs down. This made it feel like a normal’ car rather than a van.
Terrible cars
as you say in the video it is a good representation of how carvertical works.
They take your money and give you fals or no information, apart from the stuff you can aquire from free car check apps as well, You really should reconsider promote them on your channel for your own good.
The previous owner obviously took the kitchen chair apart, they then used the screws to fix the rear bumper. Just to think, that was somebody’s pride and joy once.
What's wrong with it? Good repair
a main dealer did that to a car i had on bringing it in for a brake fluid change .
I have bought and sold many of this W169! Great smal cars
You described it so well I think I can smell it from here on the far side of the Irish sea!
If I close my eyes, so can i
Just turning on that air-con had me shouting "NO, DON'T!!" I did the same check on an old Astra once, and inhaled a vent full of foul-smelling bacteria that had me feeling like c**p within 24 hours... Took another 5 days to recover!
Mercedes A Class - Pestilence Edition. The sight of that car is mortifying. I almost threw up seeing the sight of the interior….!!!
We had a black 58 Reg we sold it in march for a Countryman SD. We also had a blue V reg very early 2000. Miss them both
Someone gave £1200 for that! I must get mine valued, it might pay for a SLK280 lol
I like mine, I've just bought a RR Evoque and I kept it, I got it in August just to run around in when i came back from living abroad, 2008 full Merc history, only one cracked spring advisory, 63k, and looks like new, £2300, had 4 months mot but passed no problem, this made me laugh, it was a good video, not sure who would have a car in that condtion mind
It's a very well thought out city car.
Just.. maybe, not that particular one.
I was impressed with space in the rear & it has really decent head & leg room. Passengers seem to be a secondary concern for a lot of manufacturers. They forget people might actually have families to shuttle round & they come attached with inconvenient things, like legs & a head, which also need to fit inside the vehicle.
The only other car that really does ergonomics better in the last 10 years is the Skoda Superb.
Honda Jazz is also something in that regard
It's probably because buyers prefer style over practicality for passengers. The best shape for interior space would be a box like a kei car.
I got into a Scion xB once. I believe it was maybe called the Toyota Urban cruiser in Europe? Idk.
But it was so unbelievablely spacious for its size. I dare say it had more room than my dad's Suburban in the back.
But people don't like the look and same with this car.
It's easy to critique automakers buts it very difficult to make a car that looks good, has good materials, has enough space, good performance, mpg, etc. Lots of demands.
Yes the skoda superb is literally superb! Both models! But what always amazed me is that the mk1 was the same as a passat but much more room in the back somehow? Maybe they made a longer wheelbase at skoda?
Strip it out, High peak does Demo derby.
Gets rid of the smell and you have fun.
Win Win!
I bought a 2006 2.0 cdi on the 1st Jan 2020 for £700 with full Merc history and 107k on the clock.
That little blue beast ran faultless for nearly 17months I had an air/oil/filter change every 4months when the n/s suspension snapped(due to the roads near work) due to repair costs I had to scrap it - i got £348 for it. Cracking little car .
How much was a coil spring like ?
@@boyasaka I'd have had to get both sides done or the car would have ran/looked slightly lopsided, the bill would have been around £400 (all inclusive of parts+labour), that's provided nothing else was found to be busted or possibly busted during the repair.
old man had one of these for a few years , only realised how bad it was when he got a honda jazz , so many faults from factory is unreal but then again this era of merc is fit for the bin
It looks like a mini Vito! Such a shame Matt as I’m pretty sure this was a good little motor at
one point. Really irritates me when folk don’t maintain their vehicle properly. I’m no angel on the cleaning front but my car always gets full maintenance and doesn’t smell. Loved the “eye rub” moment! 😂 Q: is this the worst PX you have ever had?? Great video again Matt. Top notch 👌
I have the exact one only 180 cdi and with avantgarde equipment, and I love it. This is my dream car, i drove it with no worries whatsoever
Part 2 please, would love to see how this one ends up. I'm sure you'll turn it round. edit - just saw the end! 🤣😂
The pause after 'it's 2007 and black', I was genuinely waiting for a little bit more then. Top video as always, I hate these cars!
I actually just bought this as my first car. Bought a 2009 elegance model for 3.4k and the insurance is comparable to a smaller engine ford fiesta. Might not be the nicest car on the outside by any means but the higher spec cars are nice inside and have a good build quality
And they're absolutely god awful reliability wise.
@@cartouchator so far its all good. Time will tell
I'm going to be making a video on w169 ownership shortly because this is a very unusual car and it would be helpful for people to know about them before they buy. Because a lot of them are either knackered or ticking time bombs. If you shop wisely and you repair them in the right places, you end up with a car that's 2 mm shorter than a Ford KA with an interior that is as roomy as a C-Class. It might look like a Honda jazz, but it's probably one of the most cleverly engineered cars MB have ever put out. They are pretty unique and have some features and designs that makes citroëns look tame and standard.
I had one of the early "A" classes , W reg. Brilliant commuter car , good high driving position , ran like a Swiss watch. Cleaned & hoovered once a week and regularly maintained , no trouble at all. Great little car. It was quite a quirky car at the time especially with the wavy dash and I loved it , maybe that's why I have a BMW i3 at present!!
Nice to see an original design and the confidence to produce it. The current A Class doesn't appeal to me at all visually, looks a very generic hatchback which could be anything but happens have a Mercedes grille grafted on, seems so dull after the original.
I just bought a first gen A Class and shipped it from the UK to here in Canada. Mine is an A170 CDI manual long wheelbase. Great car.
your frustration is so obvious. it is amazing how you manage to remain classy and try to be upbeat about it..!!!
Those wood screws are the kind of repair my Dad would’ve done - he had a Tata pickup truck that he replaced the broken mirror glass in by roughly trimming and old bathroom mirror down and glueing it on…..on both wing mirrors 🤣.
Lol the Lady Captain of our Golf club is Lady Hilary Beaumont. Her husband is the famous Sir Bill Beaumont in the rugby world. She hasn't got one of those ☺️ I like watching your channel. I have a 2003 E270 CDI Avantgarde spec. I'm having all the suspension renewed. It's a labour of love with these old Benz I like the reviews of the cars you have driven. All the best.
👋. Hopefully you and all your loved ones are safe and sound. As a matter of fact, I have the same car 😂🤣😂. It's a white A180 CDI, 6 speed manual. Perfect car for driving in a city like Casablanca, Morocco. Excellent car, and it's never afraid of going long distances. Thanks a million for the review 😊.
"And it's got the 3 pointed star on the bonnet just to let the neighbours knnow she's doing better than them."
haha Matt's self-awareness meter stuck on zero.
To be fair the W169 is more of a Mercedes than the current one. No Renault-Nissan alliance parts to be found in a 169, just MB design and parts through and through
Comedy gold, kep them coming
Sad to see the condition! My wife has a 2007 A170 with 85K. She keeps it like new and it has a full MB history. It’s auto with parking sensors and the only fault we’ve had in 9 years was the key failed last year. Great car - bit different to my SL63!
It’s nice how you give a fair amount for part exs. Volvo main dealer where ive just bought a new car wanted to give me just £500 for my V70. Alright it’s cat S and could do with a new clutch but still it’s worth more than that to me just as a dump run car.
Love your videos. Sorry you lost out on this deal but it certainly makes for more engaging viewing than if you just touted success.
Thanks!
I saw one of these in the services on the M3 yesterday and it was being driven by an elderly couple and it was head turning mint. It made me want to look to see what they go for. It seems there are still some nice ones out there!
I had an A160 from new some years ago. I loved it - great driving position and a big boot with the seats folded flat. One big problem - the front tyres lasted 8/10k, and the steering bushes about the same.
I have to be honest I’d LOVE to see you give it some love and restore it to its former glory, the poor thing deserves it 😭 although a person with business sense would probably disagree 😂
or a person with taste O_o
the old a class has a special place in my heart, its the car i grew up in :)
My next door neighbour's son has the first generation A class , his first car and he drives to and from work in it,does him ok.A friend I know had one of these,don't know if he still has it, but he always bought old cars as he generally runs them till they go totally wrong, although heavy he used to take out the back seats so he could do his paint and decorating job in it,even though he wasn't great at maintenance,most of his cars did a lot of mileage and lasted quite a while.
I get vehicles offered for P/X like this all the time, I used to take them but now I just say " I don't want it, sell it yourself please" ..... otherwise you can end up letting some great stock go just to get a deal and have a yard full of crap, but you know that Matt 👍
nothing like good stock to attract punters and vica versa.
the seats and carpet would get a good vacuming ( henry would be called on duty followed by charlesto give thenm a power wash then check out the exhaust . pull the engine codes and see whats to see from the underside
i can’t believe someone would take a car to a dealer for trade in valuation in that state
Bang goes your colleagues Christmas bonus ,love the wood screws holding bits at the back, we all make mistakes though.
You seem a lot more sanguine about getting saddled with this total shed than I would be…! Hats off to you you mate. Some you win……🤨
I’m used to it unfortunately. You’ve just got to get on with it
@@HighPeakAutos was waiting for a hand brake turn, the car earned it
Very brave reaching under the passenger seat looking for history..not sure that I would have in that!
Time to head out to that dogging location with a can of petrol and a ski mask. Remember to insure it first Mat :D
I can’t believe the seller had the nerve to offer the car in that state , still it was their lucky day as your colleague was feeling so generous with your money. I would make them spend the day cleaning it out inside before a sit down in your office to explain that any loss from the sale or trade in on the car comes out of their pocket. Hope you can turn this into a positive outcome.
Love videos like this, you should show us some more of your disgusting part ex’s. Wouldn’t mind seeing some sort of restoration on it after you’ve sorted everything that needs doing.
Unfortunately I have lots of content if that’s what you want to see 😂
Yes haha it’s good to see what non car people do to their cars. Thank you also so for not shouting or laughing at your own jokes like the Car Wow man!
Mercedes M266 has issues with timing chain streching, where the hydraulic tentioner cant engage before the oil pressure is built up. That is why you hear that "very healthy" scraching noise from the engine on cold starts. You should not worry about that every single 1.5 or 1.7 or 2.0 has this issue. Its importnat that 2sec after start you stop hearing the chain
I enjoy the range and honesty of these reviews. From From six figure cars to three figure cars. Always enjoyable, just as a proper car show should be.
I've been re-watching some of the older vids and have been struck by how many cars are part-exchanged in a dirty condition. Whenever we have traded in a car I have always washed the outside and vacuumed the interior, as well as polishing the dash and taking out all the bits and pieces that seem to collect in a car over the years. I just couldn't allow a car to be traded in without making the effort to make it presentable and avoid the reaction Matt had when sitting in that Merc.
These videos are a great laugh Mat! I have experience of cleaning up some neglected cars and filthy steering wheels can initially look like they are just worn👍🏻
I'd struggle to justify £1200 for this car but I don't know much about values of this sort of car. I am sure I've seen it on Police Interceptors! Another great video. I love watching videos about crap cars.
My aunt has a 2008 A170 3 door, 5 speed manual, edition trim level, panorama roof, heated seats, parking sensors, leather, just drove it today, bit uncomfy, i mean seats are fine but it's hard over bumps, expected better from MB, but otherwise really like the car
Make sure your auntie keeps hold of that. 2008 would mean a facelift and the three-door (C169) is very rare and the special panorama roof is a piece of art though very complicated to repair. That sounds like a really good spec. I hope it's in a nice colour. Comfort level is greatly dependant on what dampers and wheel configuration the car left the factory with. They have an option of comfort sport or off-road dampers with wheels ranging from 15 in right up to great big 18 in
Just a add to my own reply. It's probably a preface lift because there are no facelifted c169s in the UK as far as I'm aware
@@psions555 ohh i'm from Serbia, car imported from 🇨🇭, it has a bit of a problem with panorama roof, don't know what it is tho, it has a bit of scratches from city driving, but previous owner did that, interior is mint, can send u a pics and videos on ig if u want, and yes, it is a pre-facelift
I would replace the mirror.
You will find plenty of them at a car scrap yard.
Replace the rear bumper or have it fixed better.
Four good cheap tires with steel wheels and plastic caps to save money.
I wouldn't worry about the paint
I bought the A180 CDI Classic SE 2.0 as my first car a couple of years ago for £900. The condition was almost perfect apart from a couple of stains in the back seat, no service history and 163k on the clock. 2 years later and my brother is now using it to learn to drive, it having over 170k on the clock and just routine maintenance done on it! A true testament to the build quality of these cars
You are most fortunate. With 163k on the clock the main things that go wrong on the W169 would have already have been addressed so you are then good to go again for lots more miles. It's the ones hanging about with 90-100k miles that are being sold because it's time to change the clutch or the CVT is acting up and also the poly v belt issues they suffer from all happen around that age. I feel lucky that I got mine at 90k and I've now racked up 8k in it trouble free. Every car has issues, the 169 is actually incredibly reliable and we'll built it's always just the issue of access to the motor
Grim car but somehow an upbeat video! I once bought an old Renault Megane for £160 that had similarly stained seats and actual human scabs down the side of the seats. That was about 6 years ago and I still wretch at the thought. It was actually a great car once I fumigated it though!
I always appreciate a shout-out to the bucket woman.
Sheridan would approve!
Poor Daddy. Once he's better we'll have him over. One afternoon, For tea & light refreshments. In the garden. The back garden, of course
@@paulie-Gualtieri. Brilliant!
Mate, I don't know hoq you got in that, I would've given it a miss lol Fair play.
Picked up a 55 plate A150 CDI at auction many years ago. Was a great runaround with a couple of young kids - plenty of boot space for pushchairs etc - but decidedly underpowered! Nonetheless, got it at the right price and sold it on a couple of years later for not much less than I’d paid.
Even that old guy crossing the road couldn't believe what he was seeing!
I don’t understand all the hate,they look way better than anything in the same class,you don’t compare these to proper Mercedes or BMW 1 series,you compare them to cars like Yaris,Jazz,Micra,Etc and it definitely looks and feels much,much better!
I always love your honesty !!! even if you purchase a lemon once in a while 🙏🙏
Years ago I always wondered why Merc didn’t make a great small car other then this , a couple of years later the A class came out but could like the after thought floating screen , I can hate that design of a dash
The only A-Class ever that made sense. I had one around eight or nine years ago, the underpowered 160 CDI. It was such a lovely car, apart from the corrosion under the door seals and at the bottom of the tailgate. It needed an alternator and there was a leak with the windscreen wash reservoir. People don’t like larger Mercs with the six speed gearbox, but in this car it is an absolute delight. The fuel economy was unbelievable mostly mid-fifties. The interior is high quality and the driving position is great. My only problem was that it feels like a feminine car. They are absolute bargains these days and I would consider buying one as a cheap daily driver.
awful build quality in my experience to be honest
@@user-te1le7ck6b I had a couple of 204 C-classes, a 211 E-Class and my current daily driver is a 2013 E-Class estate. Considering that the A-Class is the entry level car, I think it has a quality interior and the build quality is superior to the Polo or anything else from other small cars from that era.
@@ComeJesusChrist can’t say I agree power steering failure costing £1000 and up , weak cv joints and some engine issues on models , don’t think these was even close to polo given price point but each to their own
like an autotrader version of 'the price is right' start the timer . the longer it goes , the lower the price. Hit the buzzer to claim your prize without going over.
£250 is a potential end point
Love High Peak's reviews. Always good fun watching Matt tear strips off terrible cars
It's a shame when a car gets like that. EasyRentACar used to use them back when I was working in Amsterdam and flying out there from Luton every week, in the early noughties. If you rented them for the maximum 6 weeks, or whatever it was, it came to about £4.50 a day, so it was cheaper to do that and leave them in the long term parking at Schipol over the weekend than rent a new one each Monday. I found them quite fun to drive, even the A130, and that's saying something as I had an Audi S3 at home at the time. Trouble is, it's a Mercedes, and I can't stand them now.
Hi Matt, i used to have one of these as a company back in the 'noughties' 2003 to be exact, i had a choice of Vectra,Mondeo or the hideous A-Class, me thinking a Mercedes would be a step up in the management role mountain i was climbing at the time, anyway the day the car arrived ,a flat dark red Mercedes Benz A140 Petrol Classic, no word of a lie it was bloomin awful, i was as you imagine extremely disappointed, it had no go in it whatsoever, had no A/C & it had more rattles than Mothercare, i had to endure this ugly car for 7 months,it all turned out well though, a new member of staff was taken on & he ended up with it, me, i ended up with a Peugeot 406 Executive with a 2.0l low pressure petrol engine, that car was superb, moral of the story, be careful what you wish for
A140 would be the first generation W168. Totally different animal. The W169 moved the game on tremendously
Win some lose some I guess. A bumper repaired with woodscrews is a pretty ominous sign! This one is a real shocker and can't blame you for wanting it gone asap! Couldn't you take it to some dodgy area and leave it with the keys in it, in the hope it might disappear? Problem is the car thieves would probably me more discerning.
It's so sad to see how people treat their cars - they should be on buses! Anyway, a great review - I think you should really go for it and see just how much you can to fix all the flaws and make is saleable.
That interior looks very clean compared to what I see at work
I am visiting my parents and my neighbours have 2 of these and I tried to look up review on them earlier today with no luck and now high peaks pops up ...doing the lord work
Glad I could be of assistance
I feel like some of these may be classed as low peak autos 😂😂
Only joking
Hahah definitely
Now, that's a definition of an old banger. The reason why most people buy shining new cars on PCP.
Especially with the new shape A Classes majority of them are all on PCP
I have that car. With front air suspension, electro-mechanical power steering making both motorway and city drives relaxing, it was a great car.
Shame that it recently had serious engine issues. Other than that, it worked really well.
They don't have air suspension. They have Bilstein B4 dampmatic "dumb" adaptive dampers and then they use a very unusual parabolic rear axle with coil springs. The W169 A class and W245 B class are the only vehicles ever to use this design
£1200 for one of those - you’ve been done 🤣 I seriously can’t think of a car I’d rather not own over one of these … well, maybe a Honda Jazz !!
Fiat Multipla, Toyota Prius.. Just to mention a few..
@@andersnielsen6044 you’ve obviously never driven a Honda Jazz. I would have taken a 2002 era Corsa too - awful car
@@JIMMYHIBBS1 I have traded +10 Jazz and +80 Corsa C's over the years. They are both much better looking cars than the ones I just mentioned.
Depends on what you want of a car.
If you want a short car that's easy to park in town but roomy inside and not tinny or "sooo cute", that's a pretty good choice.
I had one or two of those as rentals and found them ok to drive.
They may be an older drivers' choice - but since people don't die as young as they used to, I don't see anything wrong with that, either.
@@andersnielsen6044 🤣 maybe you have then 🤣👍 Looks aside - I’ve never got over how vague the steering on a Corsa is … an I love a carp car - Ford Ka and even Daewoo Matiz’ are great fun to drive
I can’t believe you actually sat in it. Personally I would have rang the scrap yard gone home and poured a stiff G&T.
The first thing I think is please roll it off a cliff to save anybody else having to look at it
They're horrible aren't they
@@HighPeakAutos truly revolting 😄
Thought you were gonna save it Matt. I loved these back in the day perfect from racing round the tiny back streets of Sicily.
I much preferred the original A Class. Revolutionary and experimental, but interesting. This, however, is not the best example LOL
Love how the flipped one doing the moose test, in 1997. 😂 Had to delay production to fit esp
@@nothingmuch.3014 They did fix the design of the w168 at a massive cost, and it wasn't just ESP. The w169 in this video is a completely different model. And to be fair they were not the only car to fail the moose test. Even now cars are failing the test.
@@99ron30 They're such an odd car. The engine sits diagonally, so that in a crash, it gets pushed under the floor, not into the cabin. Of course this makes them more difficult to work on.
The 168 used conventional suspension at the rear but mounted lengthways rather like a citroën 2 CV. The w169 and the first generation B. Class w245 use a parabolic rear axle with coil springs, They are the only road cars that I know of that do that. The fact that the engine and the gearbox is entirely behind the front wheels makes it a truly front mid-engined car, I can only think of the citroën Maserati SM as having a similar layout.
Top drawer video of a (usually) bang average ‘car’. Your optimism is inspiring. 😂 Brilliant as always 👏
Unbelievable that you payed more for this than you did for the Z4 or the Focus. :O
I know 😢
It's the badge, rest of the car is worth nowt.
@@jeffallinson8089 Not here in Scandinavia. Remember it dumbed the Elg-test in Sweden. The first A-Classes never had any "star" here.
@@andersnielsen6044 Because of their ridiculous slab sided design.
@@jeffallinson8089 True. It has a very high center of gravity. ;)
Great video squire & the Mercedes’ A class is a nice car for the city, etc 👍
And you said you trusted your colleague's evaluation! 🤣 That thing is gross!! 🤮 Well done for braving a test drive 🤣
Famous last words
Your best video yet... and it just happens to be watching you test drive a shithole on wheels, that smells of sick and has wood screws holding the bumper on! Bet the car wash guys loved cleaning that! Hope you've fully recovered 🤣
I think you should send it to Chops Garage. He likes cleaning and painting the more challenging motors. Though transporting it to Devon will probably cost half the value of the car.
We had one when we had 3 young kids - it was perfect: all but the driver’s seat came out leaving a completely flat floor. It had the clutchless gear change which worked well. The integral boosters worked well. With the rear seats in their forward position (with kids in) a tumble dryer fitted in the boot and it wasn’t the LWB version. The only real gripe I had with it was that the front ARB bushes needed changing more frequently than the oil (assumed this due to Moose Test detuning). So I’m a fan of these cars - but that one looks very very grim.
Great review , try find someone starting out a business see if they will take it off your hands perfect little starting point , however I'd have words with your staff who paid 1200 for it , if all else fails maybe a RUclips auction one this might be good
Always liked the original shape A Class, it had some character and was a brave departure for the brand at the time, which might not have happened but for an adventurous forward thinking boss then.This one has certainly has been neglected though, my 61 plate C class is in lovely condition, spent 2 hours cleaning yesterday, sad to see them neglected.
Another great video, love the honesty and no bullshit. Keep it up, I've been hooked for ages now!
Carvertical is basically the definition of bullshit. Otherwise agreed.
Don't like those air fresheners 🤔
No comment... I didnt dare say anything on the video about that
@@HighPeakAutos 🤣🤣
You didn’t need to say anything - we all thought it 😅
Absolutely love Mrs bucket can imagine onslow daisy rose and daddy driving up to her house in this while she has guest's 😂