Canadian B-Class -> how many?

[CA-B200]

Originally Posted by A.N.

Budget Rent-a-Car rent B200's here in Edmonton.

Anthony

Thanks! When I make it up to Edmonton that is where we will rent a car.

Any other cities in Canada have them for rent?

[A.N.]

I'm not sure but maybe some else knows.

Anthony

[BeeClass]

I live in West Vancouver where there are a lot of B Class cars on the road.
While I do not have an accurate count, I do see several B Class even on short trips and in every main parking lot and I would estimate there must be several hundred in West Van and they seem to be gaining in popularity.

[Mike Tee]

132 more B Classes are on a ship headed to Halifax. This brings the total to 6685.

[jtcb]

Mike, how do you know? Is there a website to check? Does MB provide this kind of info to the public?

[Mike Tee]

I track them on the Wallenius-Wilhelmsen website. It's easy once you know how.

I also know that there are 728 next-generation smart fortwos in Canada, and that 10,239 diesels were imported!

So I don't need Mercedes' help. I have all the VINs...

[Derek Lecours]

10 years with the A class and over 500,000 sold and we didn't get any over here. Thankfully we did get the B class.

[Mike Tee]

Derek you are up late!

I used to think that I would not want a B-Class, but would want an A-Class.

Then I saw the B in person in Paris back in late summer 2005....looked good....got an English language brochure from the showroom on the Champs Elysées.....and the documents I posted here about a month ago, so I was keeping my options open.

And then I have come to respect the additional room inside, being particularly useful for my family of 5. We would have been a tighter squeeze in an A-Class, though we'd have fit in there. The A-Class is a bit lighter and so should get slightly better fuel economy (strangely the European tests show that it is thirstier in the city than the B 200!), but I think that we'd have bought a B even if the A 200 was sold alongside it here.

Still it would be cool to see the A sold here. And I believe that they have sold well over 1.7 million since 1997! You're right about the new model having sold 500K, which is pretty good too.

[Derek Lecours]

Yes.....2 hours past my bed time....

[Mike Tee]

Let's get back on topic: As of February 5, there will be 7008 B-Classes in Canada. It is selling at a rate just behind the diesel smart fortwos when they were introduced to Canada.

The number of smart club members/fortwo owners who lust after a B 200 is amazing. People are always asking me about it. I have nicer things to say now that it is continent inside.

I know a few smart owners who either have a B or dearly want to get one. So I guess Mercedes' marketing strategy of making the B the "missing link" between the smart and the run-of-the-mill Mercedes sedan range is working. Close to 7000 sold (more than a few to smart owners) seems to be driving the point home.

I wouldn't buy a Mercedes sedan, the reasonably-sized ones are too cramped and boring to look at. The B is a strange looking thing which is never boring to observe.