CAR WARS! Mercedes-Benz's All-New A-Class Gets Into The Ring With Volkswagen's All-New Golf GTI

I'd take the Merc all day

The VW Golf beat the Mercedes A Class in this blog's linked Autobild article.

Therefore it is completely wrong to claim that "And I have to say, all the signs seem to point to that Mercedes may have just beaten Volkswagen at its own "hot hatch" game." It did not.

In Autobild article go to the "Zur Bildergalerie" (or go to my link below), and read the descriptions/explanations for the next 26 pictures to understand Autobild's detailed assessment (only part of which is in the main article). The conclusions are at pictures 25 and 26. Use Google Translate if you don't understand German.
http://tinyurl.com/a32n4ab

Other German tests have also rated the VW Golf over the Mercedes A Class.

Autozeitung's test is clearer:
http://tinyurl.com/b83zb84

In Autozeitung's megatest, the Mercedes A180 came in eight place (BMW 116i came in ninth), while the VW Golf came in first and Audi A3 came in third.
http://tinyurl.com/bsmey9a

Auto Motor und Sport
http://tinyurl.com/d9yu9u3

Satriani, were not crunching numbers like nerds. The merc is way better looking AND I am a VW owner.

Realistically if someone wanted a "fun" car they wouldn't be after a FWD car.

00R:A hot hatch is simply a high-performance hatchback car. Being "way better looking" alone doesn't give a hot hatch the first prize. In any case, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

You don't have to number crunch: your own Autobild article clearly contradicts your claim "And I have to say, ALL the signs seem to point to that Mercedes may have just beaten Volkswagen at its own "hot hatch" game." Indeed every German mag that has compared both cars chooses the Golf over the Merc A. Obviously all the signs don't support your claim.

It doesn't matter that the Golf is FWD. Your own Autobild article and other German mags say the Golf is fun to drive ("fahrspaß") .

Autobild on the Golf: "Doch sorry, Mercedes,..... selbst die Sport-Abstimmung spricht ungleich komfortabler an als der grobe A 250 Sport. Die Lenkung des Golf reagiert angenehm direkt und präzise. Und stets feinfühliger als im Benz. Auf der Rennstrecke lernen wir dann die Differenzialsperre kennen und lieben, .... der GTI zieht sauber und kaum untersteuernd aus Kurven heraus – ein Gesamtkunstwerk. Der GTI fährt sich flüssiger als der Benz, stresst schlichtweg weniger – und das, ohne langsamer zu sein. Das Fazit: "Schnell, agil, präzise. Dazu technisch anspruchsvoll. Beim neuen VW Golf GTI ist der Fahrspaß programmiert und ungebrochen groß. Doch das ist nur die eine Seite. Die andere ist seine ausgeprägte Alltagstauglichkeit mit dem überraschend hohen Komfort und dem praxisgerechten Platzangebot."

Autobild is Germany's largest car mag so obviously they know their German cars and they've tested 'driving fun' in numerous car models. Have you actually tested and driven the car? Or even seen the car in real life?

I'm not at all a hot-hatch person, never wanted to be one, and thought that type of car was for kids. But I must say that A-class turned my head to the point I'm actually considering one.