The German built stuff should last better than the ones built in South Africa, Brazil, or worse, India.
Whilst it's still a bit tatty around the edges, I can't grumble about the A Class, sure some items are an absolute bastid to get at, but that's a side effect of packaging.
I did consider a very tidy L reg C220 to replace it if it had failed the MoT, although the later C Class is a better looking car, especially in metallic burgundy or dark blue
As said, plenty of choice, so if you fancy one, shop around... Nice cars aren't significantly more expensive than the rough ones. Also, old enough to have a decent choice of petrol engines
You could always buy a rough one with some MoT left to see how you get on with it (obviously allowing for the state of it), and then seek out a nice one as a long term prospect.