2019 BMW 125i V Mercedes-Benz A250 Comparison Review

2019 BMW 125i V Mercedes-Benz A250 Comparison Review

Ordinarily, pitching a pair of premium German arch rivals against one another couldn鈥檛 represent a more natural face-off. But despite being oh-so-closely priced and positioned in their makers鈥?ranges, there鈥檚 one level where the Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport and BMW 125i couldn鈥檛 be more misaligned. In part, yes, but it鈥檚 more about the backstories behind it. See, this BMW is almost certainly the last of Munich鈥檚 rear-driven small cars. The Mercedes-Benz, though, represents the first of a new dawn in Stuttgart-bred front-drivers. Essentially, these close segment rivals are at completely opposite ends of their respective evolutionary curves. BMW will soon wave the white flag, its 1 Series and 2 Series set to follow its Merc and Audi contemporaries down the front-driven small car route. And it鈥檚 the A-Class, as much as any factor, that鈥檚 forced BMW鈥檚 hand. What do we hope to learn here? If the 125i is the all-round finer small car, we鈥檒l see what BMW stands to lose. Should the A250 Sport win, we鈥檒l see what Munich has to gain - perhaps justifying, for both marques, the move to front-wheel drive.

And, as properly hot hatchbacks - albeit a rung below their performance-leading M135i and A45 brethren - any difficultly in splitting the two inevitably questions if the choice of driven wheel really even matters. 48,900 (plus on-roads) ask. 4000 extra. There鈥檚 also no added cost for a self-shifting transmission, as the eight-speed paddleshifted torque convertor automatic that backs the 125i鈥檚 2.0-litre turbocharged four is the default specification. 12,490 of cost options are factored in. 62,900-list M135i, of which some of these features are standard. 51,000, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox tied to its 2.0-litre turbo four the only transmission available. Like its nemesis, our test example has fallen over the options cliff and hit a number of pricey outcrops on the way down. 550 more affordable than our orange BMW. However, neither car is left wanting in basic specification. Both cars get parking sensors and reverse-view cameras, cruise control, switchable driving modes, LED headlights, heated wing mirrors, multifunction steering wheels, speed-variable power steering, Bluetooth connectivity, sat-nav.

In basic form, the A250 Sport gets manmade leather and microfibre trim, while the 125i is fitted with cloth and synthetic suede. Both offer wide-ranging electronic safety systems, each with their own staged warning and autonomous braking functionality when potential frontal collisions are detected. That said, the A-Class gets nine airbags to the BMW鈥檚 six. Of the two, it鈥檚 the BMW鈥檚 cabin that struggles the most to drag itself out of last decade, particularly the wheel and instrumentation, both of which look downright 鈥榗lassic鈥? That鈥檚 no foul - the BMW鈥檚 more mature and conservative design will win favour with some buyer tastes - and the stylised curves across the dash, infotainment screen and door trims inject an air of freshness. It鈥檚 the more austere offering, perhaps, though one not lacking for classiness, which extends to the quality of materials and general fit and finish. Two years on from its release, the once cutting-edge A-Class interior design is beginning to look downright conventional, though it dodges the BMW鈥檚 dowdiness with an abundance of perforated, faux carbon-fibre, double-stitched, red-accented and alloy-tinged jewellery.

It鈥檚 鈥楽port鈥?in nature as much as name, then. The material mix, particularly the quality of the plastics, is a little more hit and miss once you have a good dig around. That said, the A250 Sport鈥檚 interior presentation alone has no doubt enticed many a buyer - young or young at heart - into the Mercedes-Benz fold. It鈥檚 a shame, then, that the Benz lets the team down in ergonomics. The A-Class has a shallow footwell and high-set brake pedal, restricting legroom. And the naturally low-set front seats, which are shapely and offer good lateral purchase, provide little under-thigh support. In short, the front seating is plain awkward. The BMW鈥檚 longer cabin, deeper footwell and larger floor-to-seat base design allows a more natural seating position with better long-haul support and comfort, and without unnecessarily robbing the second row of knee room. 3790 worth of front seat updates alone, it鈥檚 of little surprise that the BMW pews are about the finest you鈥檒l find in any small car.