As a premium car from a premium brand, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class will probably cost you more to buy than an equivalent Volkswagen Golf, although the difference may not be as much as you’d imagine.
Both cars are fuel-efficient: according to official figures the A-Class will give you more than 60mpg if you go for a diesel model, while the most-efficient petrol model will give you up to 52mpg.
The Golf has more than just diesel and petrol models, with a plug-in hybrid option called the Golf GTE and the pure-electric e-Golf, which promises up to 186 miles on a single battery charge. Petrol Golfs will deliver up to 50mpg, depending on the engine, while diesels can manage as much as 74mpg.
It’s worth noting that service, maintenance and repair on the A-Class is likely to be more expensive than on the Golf, a reflection of its premium status.