Road Test: Mercedes-Benz A Class A190 Elegance 5dr Auto

Once seen as the freshest thing on four wheels, Merc's baby has become a common sight on our roads to the point where nobody notices it any more. Even the long-wheelbase version has become familiar so Mercedes must be doing something right for the car to be so popular.

Perhaps it's the promise of a Merc for 14 grand that is so appealing to many, although by the time you've gone for this 1.9-litre version with a decent trim level you're looking at more like 17 grand, which changes things rather a lot. Things like the fact that although there are five seat belts, there's only really room for a quartet of passengers because the car is so narrow - and it feels it. In traffic the A-class gets blown about by large lorries and when it gets really windy on the motorway, the car gets blown about more than most cars thanks to its height.

But in long-wheelbase form the ride isn't bad and because the thinly padded seats are so comfortable it's even better to travel in. So it's a shame the driving position is compromised by not having a reach-adjustable steering wheel as the car really needs one. The seating itself is pretty versatile as the rear seat can be slid backwards and forwards so you have acres of leg room but not much luggage space or vice versa - and when I say acres of leg room, I mean it - there are limousine levels of space on offer.

Although the A190 didn't find many friends in the Top Gear office, I thought it was pretty good generally, despite torque steer and an automatic gearbox that was too slow to change up sometimes when used in manual mode. What the car needs is a decent manual gearbox, but as we all know, Mercedes isn't too good at those.

The torque steer is served up because the car is so light yet has 125bhp on tap - which makes is surprisingly quick. At least everyone else around you is constantly surprised by it! Hauling in the car there are discs all round, which do a very efficient job and of course there's the usual electronic gadgetry like ESP and ABS to keep it all working properly.

Whether or not the A-class is good value for money is something that's up to the individual - there are plenty who'll pay more just to have that Merc badge up front. It's certainly got its good points, but personally, I'd be putting that much money elsewhere.

Richard Dredge