Mercedes Benz A180 presented to Car Swap winner

It was a normal day at work for Katie when she walked out to find her 20-year-old Holden Commodore had been replaced with a shiny new Mercedes-Benz A180.

Her boss had snuck her out for a “coffee in disguise” while Fifi and Dave from Hit1019 The Fox replaced her car.

When it came to buying a new car, Katie and her husband Wayne agreed it wasn’t big priority on the list of financial decisions the family of three had to make at the time. But her 20-year-old Holden Commodore had seen better days and had become unreliable. It was for this reason Katie decided to enter the WhichCar and The Fox Mercedes A180 Car Swap last August. And it couldn’t have come at a better time – the Commodore broke down just in time for Christmas.

“By simply entering the competition, I couldn’t lose. I had nothing to lose except an old car,” Katie said.

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Katie and her husband Wayne meet their new car.

The blue Commodore Katie was previously driving was inherited from her husband, who had inherited it from his father when he was 18. So the Commodore had its day and now with a new baby boy, Spencer (one), and a job that required a lot of driving, Katie knew it wouldn’t be long before they’d have to find a more reliable set of wheels.

“Money wise, it wasn’t feasible for us to get a new car because we had a young son and a mortgage. But at the same time, it wasn’t ideal for driving with Spencer.

“It is so amazing to win the A180. Aside from it being a Mercedes, I now have a reliable car to feel comfortable and safe when I have my son in the car. “

Luxe badge aside, the Mercedes A180 comes with some great features to suit Katie’s lifestyle; Bluetooth to help with client and family calls while on the run, fuel efficiency, navigation and enough space for the family of three, plus the dog.

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Katie takes sits on the A180s sport seats for the first time. 

“Every chance I get, I want to drive it, but I’m also a little scared to drive it because I want to keep it as new as possible.

“It’s a dream and I’ve been very happy with it. Not having a price tag attached to the car is also a big bonus.

“I like the hands-free feature; it really makes my job easier when I’m visit clients. And my husband likes the Sports mode – he likes to pretend he’s in a rally car.” (Don’t worry Wayne, we do that in the WhichCar office too).

Katie and Wayne plan to take their new car along the Great Ocean Road next. “We’re really looking forward to and then we’ll really test it out and see its capabilities.”