Strange Promo From Maybach: Models Now Cost $100,000 Less

Strange Promo From Maybach: Models Now Cost $100,000 Less

The Maybach story will soon come to an end, as Mercedes-Benz executives took the decision of putting the exclusive luxury brand to sleep once and for all after talks with Aston Martin on a possible collaboration failed last Autumn. The sales have painfully decreased every year since 2002, when the 57 and 62 models were introduced, and numbers for Q1 of 2012 don't look great either. 100,000 (approx. 鈧?6500) for each client who picks a Maybach as new personal car. 279,050 (鈧?12,660), which is less than one would pay for a Bentley Mulsanne or Rolls-Royce Phantom. The only difference is that those cars sell like hot cakes, whereas Maybach doesn't, sadly. To conclude, it will be quite impossible to convince customers in choosing a 57, 62, Landaulet or S version over the strong competition or the S 600 V12 model from Mercedes-Benz, which costs almost 鈧?1,000 less. Refinement and classiness are not sufficient values: above all, Maybach remains an old-fashioned limousine, with outdated technology and a rather ridiculous purchasing price.

All A-Class models come standard with leatherette upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, a panoramic roof, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Standard driver assistance features include forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and automatic emergency braking. The standard MBUX infotainment system features two 7-inch screens, five USB ports, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. An upgraded infotainment setup replaces the 7-inch screens with two 10.25-inch screens, and you can opt for features like wireless device charging and a Wi-Fi hot spot. Proximity keyless entry, remote start, and 64-color interior ambient lighting are also optional. You can add other active safety technologies via the Parking Assistance package - featuring a surround-view parking camera and automatic parking assist - or the Driver Assistance package, which adds blind spot monitoring and emergency stop assist. Leather upholstery is available, as are heated and ventilated front seats. The AMG line adds unique wheels, exterior styling, and a lowered suspension. Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Mercedes-Benz dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Mercedes-Benz deals page. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is new for 2019 and has solid driving dynamics, engaging engine power, and a high-end interior. New technology and an inviting back seat only increase the A-Class' appeal as a daily driver. Just make sure you鈥檙e OK with its small trunk. Don鈥檛 just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.

What is it: The 2019 A-Class is the newest addition to Mercedes-Benz's North American lineup, though previous generations have long been sold in other markets. American buyers get the choice of one bodystyle (a four-door sedan), one engine/transmission combo (a 2.0-liter four mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch) and either front- or 4Matic all-wheel drive. Highlights: The A-Class sedan is meant to complement, rather than replace, the CLA (or at least that's the official line at the moment). But from its road manners to the look and feel of the cabin to available tech, it feels a good measure nicer than the other small Benz. This particular tester gets all drive assist bells and whistles you can think of, a bunch you probably couldn't 鈥?and some frankly superfluous extras. Our Opinion: I think there's a decent car under the flash on this Mercedes-Benz A220 鈥?I'm pretty sure of it, in fact 鈥?but it's a little tough to tell.

No, that's not quite accurate: it's totally overwhelming. To start, there are two 10.25-inch digital screens in front of you. The central one is a touchscreen that can also be manipulated with a touchpad. The other one 鈥?the digital instrument cluster 鈥?mostly uses steering wheel controls, and you can change its appearance as well as the information it displays as long as you fiddle with it long enough. There's a configurable heads-up display that you have to nudge one of the steering wheel controls upward to access. Get ready for menus within menus within menus and redundant ways to access each. 310 for 64-color ambient party lighting on the door panels and even within the air vents that are supposed to resemble turbines but come off as disco-lit metal sphincters. There is a lot going on here. Strip a lot of that away, or at least disable it, and the A-Class seems like a fundamentally good small car. It feels less crashy and more than a bit more "premium," as diffuse as that term may be, than the CLA (which this does not, apparently, replace).

The A220 has, at 107.4 inches, a longer wheelbase than the CLA (at 106.3 inches), even though it is slightly shorter overall. The rear seat area feels more usable, even for me, a six-foot tall male. In addition to the extra legroom, I think it's because the A-Class is a sedan, while Benz bills the CLA-class as a four-door coupe. Which means that on the former less rear headroom is sacrificed in pursuit of a sleeker profile. Still, there's nothing about the ride that screams "supple," especially with the lowered suspension (courtesy of the AMG Line package) and big 19-inch wheels. You are getting a notably different Mercedes experience in this car than you would in a C-Class, which feels grander and more relaxed even when it's stripped down to the base grade. This is an experience the automaker has long offered in other markets, but it's a bit harder to wrap your head around here in the United States, where Benz has always been a luxury brand exclusively. 48,000 (estimated). Wowzer. I'd like to know what this car is like when it's closer to the base price. I suspect it feels less anxious.