I'm going to be buying my first car here within a month or two and i have three choices in mind. Mercedes B200, Toyota Prius and Mazda 3 Sport.
I was hoping to get some information on the B200, like what are the pros and cons, also does the B200 take only premium gas the book liturature says unleaded...isn't that like regular? Are they also good for winter driving cause the winter in Edmonton is a killer how much would i be looking at when i get winter tires??
I have a B180 diesel automatic now for 6 months and find the engine noise and vibration transmitted into the passenger area unacceptable.
While the overall concept is brilliant there are just too many areas where MB tried to save money.
Example:
1) there is no under bonnet (hood) acoustic insulation
2) accellerator pedal has no rubber covering
3) underside of rear seat has only one rubber insert (it was designed for two)
Have a long test drive before you commit yourself.
Personally I would choose a Golf.
Test drive all the cars you mentioned on an Edmonton winter day to find out for yourself as to which one fits you the best.
Check out the ‘Anyone know what winter driving is like?’ thread for the winter tires question.
All gasoline sold for highway use in Canada and the US is unleaded. Regular and premium refers to the octane rating. The B200 and turbo both use premium fuel.
A diesel B200 is not available in Canada. We would like to get one but our Canadian dealer tells me that there are no plans to bring them into Canada in the near future.
The hood/bonnet insulator does not really quiet down the cabin noise.
All of the B200’s I have seen and driven in Canada all come with rubber on the pedals.
What is this rubber insert for the rear seat you refer to?
Hmmm, in hindsight, I am sort of glad we were not offered the CDI in Canada....after thinking I'd like one for the past two years, I think they may be more trouble than they're worth. The EGR valves clog up on Canadian diesel, necessitating a de-coke every 80,000 km and the noise/vibration/insulation testimonial above is pretty damning too.
The B 200 will run on regular but then the timing would be so retarded that the power would be down. Use premium....the compression ratio is 11:1.
I don't see the Mazda 3 as a comparable car - they are mega cramped inside. The Mazda 5 is closer, though it's only a 4+2 seater with the two kiddy jump seats in the back.
The Prius has inadequate rear headroom and is as fun to drive as a refrigerator would be. You can't get any basic options like sunroof, heated seats and so forth. It's inexcusable in a car that expensive.
What the heck, I am biased. I did look at the Mazda 5 and Prius too, before ordering.
To clarify my comments regarding missing pieces on the B Class:
1) Under hood insulation
The B Class is supplied as standard without it. I ordered it from the MB dealer and fitted it myself. It reduces the noise level inside the car by 5dbA (sound pressure level). Why is it not supplied as standard???
2) Accellerator (gas) pedal
The B class is supplied as standard with a plastic accellerator pedal. The pedal transmits eccessive vibration onto the drivers foot. I have fitted a soft and hard rubber covering on it which relieves the sensation. Why is a rubber cover not supplied as original fitted equipment???
3) Missing rubber bushing on underside of rear seat.
If you hinge the larger section of the rear seat forward you will see two black plastic locating fittings on the floor which fit into two corresponding openings in the metalwork on the underside of the seat. Only one opening is fitted with a rubber bushing. Why is the other one not supplied???
In the interest of safety I ordered one from the MB dealer and fitted it myself.
Maybe the entry-level diesel engine on the B 180 CDI does not include the hood insulation? Perhaps the B 200 CDI does have it. If not, I would ask which version of the B does, because if you could order it, it must be fitted to something (probably a diesel) as OEM, ex-works.
I have noticed the same foot-massage effect in two other diesel cars I've driven over in Europe: 1995 Peugeot 405 D and Renault Scénic 1.9 dCi. Front-engined diesels seem to have this problem. My smart does not.
I would have asked the dealer for a free grommet if the second one was missing. It must be an assembly error. If mine is missing, I will definitely get one free of charge from my dealer.
B 200 CDI Does not have the under bonnet insulation. I gather from an earlier post that this insulation is a "Taxi" option designed to make the cars not so noisy whilst collecting & dropping of passengers by cab drivers.
Also in earlier posts is a section about the missing rubber bung under the rear seat with an explanation as to why it is not fitted. ( It is not shown as being fitted in the parts manual either apparentely) It does look pretty tatty without it & neither of my B classes had it fitted. I bought mine for my first B (It cost about £1) and I took it out and fitted it into my new B.The dealer promised, about 18 months ago, to raise it as an issue with M/B but obviously no one out there (apart from us owners) seems bothered about it.
Regarding the accelerator pedal my 200 CDI has the plastic pedal but I don't notice much vibration from it. My previous B had the Sports pack which (in the UK) gives you stainless steel pedal covers which have bobbly rubber studs set in them but again I did not experience much vibration.
These are available as an accessory.
Manual (3 pedal covers) part no B6 647 2161 about £43
Automatic (2 pedal covers) part no B6 647 2160 about £36
I think the vibration is actually an individual car specific problem some cars suffer from it & others don't & it's just a matter of luck if your car has it or not.
I have B180CDI and I am very pleased with it. The engine noise is quite acceptable and much less then for example the VW Touran.
Somehow I have a nice rubber covered accelerator pedal standard, must be something country specific.
My previous cars were alfa romeo's, Audi's, VW's and a Chrysler. I find the Benz very comfortable to drive, and the interior is far better then it's competitors.
Most people make the understandable mistake of comparing the B to its elder brother, like the C or even E class. But this is unfair, it's like comparing a VW Golf to a VW Passat and then complaining about the lack of luggage space.
The B Class should be compared to a VW Touran, Renault Scenic, Ford C-Max, etc, only then will you that, although the car is expensive, it's well designed and comfortable.
Winterdriving is good since the B is frontwheel driven and has ABS and ESP standard.
The bonnet is not insulated, true, but tests on a german forum indicated that insulating the bonnet only dampens the noise outside the car and not inside. That is why taxi's are fitted with extra insulation, because they tend to be waiting for passengers with a running engine.
I'm going to be buying my first car here within a month or two and i have three choices in mind. Mercedes B200, Toyota Prius and Mazda 3 Sport.
I was hoping to get some information on the B200, like what are the pros and cons, also does the B200 take only premium gas the book liturature says unleaded...isn't that like regular? Are they also good for winter driving cause the winter in Edmonton is a killer how much would i be looking at when i get winter tires??
Your choice of those 3 cars is great. The 3 cars are totally different though. Read all the other posts here and you should get a better understanding of the B class. If you want a 'big little' car with a lot of safety, the B200 is the easy winner.
Cheers , Derek
Last edited by Derek Lecours : 10-08-2007 at 02:38 PM.
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