To be honest, I think the A220's design is mostly successful, given its scale. The idea of a small Mercedes is a tough sell, and the A220's styling works well with what it has. Overall, the sedan simply has a lightness that could appeal to some buyers. But it might be a turn-off to longtime Benz fans.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel is outfitted with the usual batch of buttons, thumbwheels, and switches, controlling many vehicle functions and enabling the driver to keep those hands on the wheel.
Apart from my reservations about the design, which aren't terribly substantial, I really liked the A220. It's a capable daily driver, and even though its trunk isn't huge, it's big enough to provide some versatility for weekend road trips and grocery store runs. The back seat is snug, but this is a subcompact sedan, so expecting more would be pointless.
With a passel of performance features added in, I found the A220 to be one of those cars whose power can be fully accessed by mere mortals. Too many driver-oriented cars have so much punch that owners never get to use their vehicle's full potential. Not so with the A220. I felt that I could grab all 188 ponies and 221 pound-feet of torque and direct it joyfully to the wheels.
The 0-60 mph time is about six seconds, which is plenty quick. You're also going to get reasonable fuel-economy, something in the ballpark of 30 mpg (the official numbers are 24 city/35 highway/28 combined). Impressive, and a strong argument for torque-y little turbo-fours.
My tester came with a $2,250 Driver Assistance Package that combines assorted safety features — lane-keep assist, blind-spot-assist, evasive steering — with some semi-self-driving tech, such as steering assist and augmented adaptive cruise control. They all worked as advertised, although I enjoyed driving the A220 so much that I didn't rely on them.
There are cheaper four-doors in the world. But if the Mercedes name appeals to you — and it should, because Mercedes is doing some nice stuff these days with its cars and SUVs — the A220 is an excellent starting point. My test car pushed $50,000, but it was optioned up the Teutonic wazoo; the A220 with front-wheel-drive and diminished tech can be had for far less.
I'd call that a good deal, enhanced by the fact that I enjoyed the A220 at least as much if not more than any small premium sedan I've driven in the past few years.
That's why it's a 2019 Car of the Year runner-up.
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