UK Consumer Magazine, "Which", has just rated the B class the safest small family car. Amongst the many safety features they especially commended the ESP system developed by Mercedes and Bosch. The electronic stability programme greatly reduces the likelihood of accidents.
Add to this the European NCAP tests giving the A class the best in class award and Mercedes are having a good time on the safety front.
That is great!
But what about the Euro NCAP tests? When will they test a B Class and apply to it some stars? Maybe 4 or 5.....?
You're right. It always seems to be a long time lag from a new model until the NCAP tests are done. But given the B class's sandwhich floor, which lifts passengers above the main impact in side crashes, and which diverts the engine down and under the floor in head-on crashes, It's hard to see why it won't come out at least as good as the A class, which got remarkable results. I did over 5k miles in my 'B' in the first 3 months and I thought it was the most under-rated car by journalists. To offer E class space, with S class boot/trunk space and miserly fuel consumption in a car you can park like a Golf seems pretty far out in front of the pack to me.
To offer E class space, with S class boot/trunk space and miserly fuel consumption in a car you can park like a Golf seems pretty far out in front of the pack to me.
Given some time, I'm sure that the reviewers will come around. Mercedes takes their product and their customers' comfort and safety very seriously, and regardless of what the reviewers say, the B class is an excellent Benz.
Given some time, I'm sure that the reviewers will come around. Mercedes takes their product and their customers' comfort and safety very seriously, and regardless of what the reviewers say, the B class is an excellent Benz.
That may be so but they are not disabled friendly
Have tried to get a rotating seat fitted for my disabled wife but all the makers of them say that they cannot be made as Mercedes wont give info regarding the electrics involved (Airbags etc)
So if you are disabled think carefully before buying M/B
This apparently applies to all the newer models
That may be so but they are not disabled friendly
Have tried to get a rotating seat fitted for my disabled wife but all the makers of them say that they cannot be made as Mercedes wont give info regarding the electrics involved (Airbags etc)
So if you are disabled think carefully before buying M/B
This apparently applies to all the newer models
That sounds very unlike Mercedes. Have you tried contacting them directly yourself?
Yes I was talking with someone from their technical department
I would be interested in the pinout of the red plug/socket under the seat as with this plug disconnected you get srs & belt system malfunction warnings come up on inserting the key & driving.
This is good news. I have been thinking about getting the B-Class for my wife and kids but worried about its safety. Especially since it is a small car, she currently drives a 98 e class wagon. The e class was rated the lowest deathrate for the yr tested so i am hesistant to change it.
This is good news. I have been thinking about getting the B-Class for my wife and kids but worried about its safety. Especially since it is a small car, she currently drives a 98 e class wagon. The e class was rated the lowest deathrate for the yr tested so i am hesistant to change it.
Wish I could remember where I read it but Merc resisted making small cars for years because although they pass crash tests, the tests are not like hitting a bigger car head on. They only changed their minds on small cars when they discovered the sandwich floor, which meant that an A class could hit an E class head on and the occupants of the A had the same chance of getting out alive. The sandwhich floor is like a huge structural beam, of course. The B class is bigger still than the A and should therefore be safer still. Being up higher -due to the sandwhich floor- means you are above the point of main impact in side crashes to which most cars are very vulnerable. In addition, mounting the engine at 52 degrees to the vertical, coupled with the sandwhich floor, guides the engine downwards and below the passenger compartment in the event of a head-on shunt. Very clever stuff! Thing that annoys me about Merc is that they never put all this info in their sales brochures. You get a hint of it but they undersell themselves in my view.
B Class is Safest -official! 
Not interested in disabled though 
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