Mercedes A-Class family hatchback: what else are buyers considering?
The A-Class is one of the best premium family hatchbacks around, so it's unsurprisingly popular with What Car? readers. But which other cars do A-Class shoppers consider, and do they deserve a pl...
If you're in the market for a new car, chances are you don't have just one model in mind. And while we can tell you which cars are the best in any given market segment, data from What Car? New Car Buying shows that shoppers usually consider cars from many different classes.
The latest A-Class is one of our favourite family hatchbacks, offering a stunning interior and a fantastic infotainment system. It's also good to drive, and there are versions to suit everyone, whether you want a peppy petrol, an economical diesel or even a hot hatch.
If you want to know more about the A-Class, you can read our full review, or you can see how much we can save you with our Target Price discounts. But below and over the next few pages, we'll look at the cars that real shoppers have been considering alongside the A-Class and offer our advice on which would be wise buys. We'll also show you the percentage of buyers interested in each car while they were researching their next model and how that had changed by the time they were ready to buy.
Alternatives to the Mercedes A-Class
Audi A3 Sportback
Interested when first researching 22% | Interested at buying stage 23%
The Audi A3 Sportback is a former What Car? Car of the Year and the A-Class' closest rival, so naturally it's also the car that A-Class buyers are most readily considering when they start researching. Interest in it grows slightly, too, which shows the staying power of the now six-year-old A3. An all-new version is due to go on sale next year, but the current model is still spacious, comfortable and packed with clever technology.
Read our full Audi A3 Sportback review or see our latest A3 deals
Volkswagen Golf
Interested while researching 18% | Interested at buying stage 17%
A-Class buyers clearly start considering the need for a premium badge right away, because while the Volkswagen Golf has slightly less clout than the German trio that dominate this market (the A-Class, A3 and BMW 1 Series), it's still considered more special than, say, the Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra. It's objectively brilliant, too, scoring a full five-star road test verdict next to the A-Class' four stars. The lure of that three-pointed star proves too strong for most in the end, though, because interest in the Golf falls slightly as buyers become ready to put their money down.
