The GTD is now over two years old and normally around this time I'm itching to get into something new, but strangely not this time. I'm still loving the Golf and it does everything I could expect of a mid size hatch, with a decent turn of speed, good comfort, decent fuel economy, pretty good refinement and lots of toys and gadgets.
Well over the last few days, I've been away on business, and this time instead of the usual BMW's they get us, I got a brand new A class Mercedes. I thought it would be the ideal opportunity to compare the Golf against one of it's main rivals. To be fair, the A class wasn't a sporty model but still a well equipped lower powered model (a 180D AMG line with 109PS).
First impressions on getting in were that the ergonomics were a disaster. The electronic handbrake is a small switch down on the bottom of the dash, and doesn't auto release so you have to reach down to release every time. Also didn't like the single stalk combining indicators and wipers into one unit - very fiddly. Some of the centre console switches (like the heater rear window), were tiny and right at the bottom of the central dash and you really had to have a good look to see what you were pressing.
Didn't like the design of the dash either. Very flat on top and quite square, with end caps that didn't flow into the door cards and looked like the designer couldn't' be bothered. I also found the waist line on the doors very high, with the windows starting quite high up, and adding to the claustrophobic feeling of the interior that the tiny rear window give you. I've said this before as well, but I think the tablet stuck to the centre of the dash as the infotainment system looks weird and cheap.
It's not all bad though. I do think like BMW and Audi, the infotainment controller knob in the middle of the centre console is far more intuitive and safer to use than a touch screen, and the unit in the Merc worked very well. The seats as well come in for some praise. Whilst they were not sport seats, they were leather units and have a nice seat squab height action where the front and rear of the squab can be adjusted independently of each other, and I quickly found myself in a nice comfortable driving position. The headrest as well were great as they actually tilt forwards (unlike the Golf's one), so I could have my head resting on it during long motorway journeys without having to have my head right back.
The engine, whilst not winning any prizes for acceleration, was pretty smooth and quiet however, and coupled with a sweet manual 6 speed box, drove quite well (although I still massively prefer the DSG box of my GTD). Economy was good to, over 600 miles on a single tank with a calculated MPG (on refilling) of 71.2mpg. Not too bad considering I wasn't hanging around and the engine had to be worked to get up to speed.
I had some passengers on day two and both of them bumped their heads on getting in the rear on the sweeping C-Pillar, and both complained of a lack of rear leg space, something I've never had with any passengers in the GTD. Overall though, whilst a competent car, the overall build quality was no better than VW and in places visibly worse, and I never really gelled with it. My test has always been if I look back at a car after parking it, I liked it. Well I never once looked back at the Merc, it was just a box on four wheels to me, and certainly didn't have the emotional attachment I have with the GTD (still looking at it in shop windows as I drive past and love seeing other GTD's, GTI's and R's on the road). Again part of that may be the GTD is MY car and bought with MY money and not a hire car.
Bear in mind with the above that this wasn't a sports model (I believe that would have been the 220D - 177hp), so maybe that was part of it, but I just didn't gel with the design at all, and still much prefer the Golf on the outside and especially on the inside where I still think after 3 years, the MK7 interior is still one of the classiest in the business. Now if VW could just steal the I-drive controller from Audi, I think it would be pretty much perfect.
All the above subjectively my opinion though, as there are enough A class Merc's on the road to suggest they must be a decent car ?
