Mercedes-Benz A-Class 1997–2001 car dimensions: 3575 mm long, 1719 mm wide and 1575 mm high. Unladen weight is 1,115 kg. Braked towing is 1,000 kg.
The cabin feels open thanks to the high seating position, flat floor and large windows. Climate control is available as an option or standard on higher grades such as Elegance. Cruise control is offered as an option. Parking sensors (Parktronic) are available as an option. No touchscreen, camera or advanced driver aids such as AEB, blind-spot or lane-keep appear in period specs.
Boot space starts at 390 litres with seats up. Folding the rear seats raises capacity to 1340 litres. Removing the front passenger seat can increase it further to around 1740 litres. The low load sill and flat floor make loading straightforward.
Braked towing capacity is 1000 kg and unbraked is 400 kg on most variants. Payload is typically 385 kg. The variable seating and large load volume suit light work or family use, though no heavy-duty cooling or reinforced suspension packages are listed for this generation.
The cabin has a high seating position, completely flat floor and large windows that create a spacious MPV-like feel. Wide doors make entry easy. Seats are manually adjustable with height adjustment on the driver seat. Climate control is available and the optional louvred sunroof opens a large area over the cabin.
Petrol models return combined fuel use of about 7.1-7.2 l/100 km
ASSYST calculates service needs up to 40 000 km
Euro NCAP awarded four stars in 1999
Standard dual front airbags, front side airbags, ABS and belt tensioners
ESP and BAS standard from February 1998
Petrol engines use roughly 7 litres per 100 km on the combined cycle while the later diesel units are more frugal. Tank capacity is 54 litres.
The ASSYST system monitors oil quality and sets flexible service intervals that can stretch as far as 40 000 km under favourable conditions. Fixed intervals start around 15 000 km.
The sandwich floor lets the engine slide under the cabin in a frontal crash. Standard kit includes dual front airbags, side airbags, ABS, belt tensioners and force limiters. After the early elk-test issues, ESP became standard from February 1998 and the car scored four Euro NCAP stars in 1999.
Regular oil and filter changes keep the engines healthy. Watch for corrosion on sills and underbody on older examples and check the CVT or automated gearbox carefully if fitted.
Length 3575 mm, Width 1719 mm, Height 1575 mm, Wheelbase 2423 mm (A-Class 1997–2001)
Sources: manufacturer data, auto-data.net and Mercedes-Benz public archive/press, autoevolution.com, French/Italian Wikipedia and elchfans.de.