Talking Cars 225: Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Why Brand-New Cars Still Have Problems

We also answer questions about tire testing and how drivers can report safety defects to government agencies

By Keith Barry

October 24, 2019

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Main theme: We just finished testing the 2019 Mercedes-Benz A220. We talk about what makes it a fun-to-drive sport sedan—and the issues that kept us from recommending it. We also discuss why even brand-new cars can have problems, and what owners can do about them.

Driven this week: 2019 Mercedes-Benz A220

Audience questions:

Do tires perform differently on front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and all-wheel-drive cars? What about on different kinds of pavement?
Why are so many people complaining about broken windshields on the Kia Telluride and Subaru Forester?
Are European cars more reliable in Europe? Or do Europeans just not care about reliability?

As with other "Talking Cars" episodes, this one is available free through Apple Podcasts. (Subscribe to the audio or video.) You'll also find the audio on Spotify (log-in required) and video on YouTube.

• Tesla Smart Summon, Hyundai Palisade, episode 224
• Pedestrian Detection, Ford F-150 Raptor, episode 223
• California Emissions, Ford Escape, episode 222
• Lincoln Aviator, episode 221
• Audience Questions, episode 220

Have a Question?

We'd love to include it in a future show. Click here to upload your video questions to our Dropbox folder. Please send high-definition (1920x1080) MP4 video files with high-quality audio. Or send an iMessage question to our TalkingCars@icloud.com account.