My resoundingly unscientific research into this matter suggests that there are two basic opinions about the A-Class. One is that this is not a type of car Mercedes knows anything about and that it should stick to large saloons. The other is that the A-Class is absolutely terrific.It is without doubt an extraordinary interpretation of the small-car idea. Perhaps the most impressive innovation is the twin floor, which not only adds a great deal of extra luggage-carrying potential but also enhances passive safety - in the event of a head-on crash, the engine and gearbox are pushed between the two floors, cleverly missing the lower limbs of the front seat passengers. Brilliant.The only unfortunate side-effect is that it makes the A-Class quite a tall car. Tall plus short plus narrow equals inherently unstable, as was proved in epoch-making fashion when a magazine put the car through a high-speed slalom (the now infamous "elk test") and discovered its tendency to fall over.Amid massive embarrassment, Mercedes fixed that, but they couldn't do much about the slightly choppy ride unavoidable in a car of this shape.That's the second last criticism you'll read about the car here, and the last one is some way off yet. During a week with the A140 Classic I put it through pretty much as unfair a test as could be devised for what is effectively an upmarket town car, yet it sailed through with amazing ease.The really unfair part was that twice in two days I drove several hundred miles over relentlessly twisty A-roads. I've got to tell you that the A140 would not have been my first choice for this, but hey, that's the way the diary works sometimes.Now, I'm frankly the wrong shape to drive cars for long distances. Too tall, too susceptible to lower back pains. Two and a half hours is usually my limit. But these trips took an average of five hours each, and I hardly stopped at all on either of them. The seats may not look very special, but they were good enough to hold me comfortably in position for much longer than I've experienced in any other car, of any type.It's not all down to the seats, though. If the A140 didn't handle well it would have tired me out as I tried to persuade it round all those corners. But it handles amazingly well - unbelievably better than I had expected, and certainly well enough to make a lot of notionally sporty cars look plain silly.I admit I still wouldn't fancy trying an elk test in one, but as long as you have a chance to straighten up, however briefly, between two corners, it will tackle both enthusiastically. And that's not just because it's down on power. With 82bhp it's no road burner, but the 1.4-litre engine is a willing little unit which provides smart performance that's just right for the car. More power might impress people who think straightline acceleration is what it's all about, but it would ruin the fuel economy and possibly the excellent balance too. And those five-hour trips would still have taken five hours.I've handed the car back now and I wish I hadn't. I'm looking forward to the next car that impresses me as much as this one did, but I think it will be a long wait.What? Oh, yes, the last criticism. This particular A140 was the Classic version, which is Mercedes-speak for entry-level (well-enough equipped for me, all the same), yet it costs the best part of £15,000. That's an awful lot of money for a bottom-of-the-range 1.4, and it means that the A-Class will, for most owners, be the family runabout, sharing driveway space with at least one executive or luxury saloon.But there's a reason why it's so expensive, and the reason is that it is simply excellent.Second opinion: Originally, I was one of those who held Opinion A as in paragraph one above, but longer acquaintance with the A-Class has changed all that. I never took much note of the elk test - it's done without easing the throttle on a left-right-left swerve, after all. Wouldn't most drivers lift? As the miles go by, you can't help but appreciate that Mercedes has put big-car engineering into the small-car class. And doesn't that little engine rev? Impressive power output for a 1.4. Very comfortable driving position. Dead-right opinion above about corners separated by straights. Rather a lot of wind and tyre noise, although the tyres are very surface-sensitive in that regard. I wish the tail end design didn't sweep up the way it does, but this was, after all, the Mercedes styling department's first effort at a car of this size. Overall, pricey but impressive. Ross Finlay. Engine 1397cc, 4 cylinders Power 82bhp Fuel 39.8mpg Acceleration 0-62mph: 12.9 seconds Top speed 106mph Price £14,490 Details correct at publication date
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