I have been reading the forum for a couple of weeks now and have noted that there are lots of negative comments about the B class. I am concidering buying a 180cdi SE with tiptronic gear box. I would like to know what the b class is really like to live with. Ride comfort, road noise, economy, squeeks and rattles, quality of finish etc etc.....
Living in the uk i would like some feed back regarding service costs and pre paid service packages, the dealer network and the reliability.
I am also going to be towing with the car so any thought about semi auto gears and towing would be helpful.
This is my first post and any help would be greatfully recived.
I have the B200 CDI & although I haven't towed with it I have had it heavily laden with a lot of heavy mobility gear.
I find the autobox good but I would check with your dealer regarding the towing aspect as with the older style autoboxes they used to recommend an oil cooler I don't know if this is any different with the box the B uses.
If you can stretch to it I would also recommend the B 200 CDI the extra power/ torque would come into it's own if you are towing.
As with any forum you are probably going to have more emphasis on the gripes than on the good points (eg if everybody's car starts on the first turn in the morning it is hardly worth mentioning but if it doesn't members want to know about it & why) it's a bit like the news, really, bad things are always more newsworthy.
There are some issues with the B but wether there are any more than any comparable car is difficult to say. I am reasonably happy with this one but my first B had problems (the typical friday afternoon built car)
Before you buy make sure that you order all the M/B extras that you are ever likely to need e.g. :-
Electric mirrors (the standard don't fold in very well or at all really)
Parking sensors
etc are all very expensive to have retrofitted
The 17" wheels look very nice but do get kerbed very easily
If you do get one I hope you will enjoy driving your B like most of us do
As with any new car get a good test drive first & bargain with the dealer regarding the price you may be able to get some or all of your extras in the asking price. Bear in mind that if you are to choosy with your extras you may have to wait up to 3 months for delivery & this may well affect any part exchange value of your car. If your spec is available at a dealers in this country they may get you a car from that dealer which means you do not have to wait for so long. There is a possibility, though, that you may find that cars with electric mirrors etc are not on hand in the showrooms in which case you will have to wait for yours to be built for you to your spec.
The ride is good, better when laden, rather like my Peugeot 405, but not as good as my 404. The front seats took a little getting used to for me - typical German car seats, they have to break the DRIVER in, not the other way round. Now they are fine, or rather I am fine
The car is uncannily quiet on the highway, wind noise in particular is virtually absent. The quality of fittings seems good but I do have a couple of tiny pieces of black plastic loose in the instrument binnacle at the moment....not sure where they came from!
The finish is decent but more French than German. It is a good humble car from Mercedes, which is nice, because the insufferable arrogance of the owners of some of the more expensive ones is hard to believe!
Keith is certainly correct in that this forum is a place for owners to vent their frustrations with dealers and to register their concerns and complaints. So, by their very nature, forums contain more bad news than good.
I think the B is very easy to live with on a day to day basis and it offers lots of useful versatility for people and luggage. We have only had our B 200 T for 4 months - but we have not had a single problem and we both enjoy driving it. The sandwich floor construction accounts for some of the best features - the elevated driving position which provides great visibility and the excellent crash protection which is equal to the safety of an E Class .
Mike is right about the road and wind noise. At highway speeds, the B is very quiet and you can talk to passengers using a normal voice, or hear the radio without damaging your hearing.
We use about 10 l / 100 Km in the city and 7.5 l / 100 km on the highway at 75 MPH. The 200 diesel should give about 30% better fuel economy.
We think the B is a great combination of space, functionality and comfort in a relatively small package, with reasonable - to good fuel economy.
Hard to believe that at the time of writing this, there are all of 3 ( count.. 'em) replies and 70 tire-kickers.
The originator of this thread has only asked for your comments. Lets try to help him or her. He / she only asked for your considered opinion.
In other words, if you are reading this and have not commented, please get off your.... fingers and type a reply.
Thanks for your input.
Breakdown-wise, the car should be among the better ones out there, as German ADAC breakdown statistics have shown for the post-2004 A-Class (identical mechanically). In non-critical matters, the car is likely to be a bit more finicky than a Japanese Appliance, but some people would rather stab themselves in the face with a sharp pencil before driving a Blandmobile. Me included.
OK, I hadn't dived in because we've had the car for less than 2 months, but I will give initial impressions.
Ride comfort is excellent, the car is very, very quiet on the highway even with snow tires. I am very happy with the fit and finish and no squeaks or rattles so far. Car is very functional and easy to use, but storage areas for small items could be improved, particularly the center console storage which interferes with the cup holder. The high driving position is very comfortable, and the headroom is amazing. I sat in the back for the first time yesterday and there was a three or four inches of headroom (I'm 5'10"). I find the passenger seat footwell a little cramped, however.
Fuel economy so far is reasonble - about 10.5 l/100km, mostly city driving. This is for a B200 (gas). Weather has been bad, so this will likely improve.
The only problem we have had so far is the CD player broke. Fixed under warranty - no big deal.
So far so good, I really like this car actually. I drive long distance often, and it's a great cruiser, very silent on highway speed. Like Mike said seat are hard, but very comfortable, with good side support. What impressed me about this car is how roomy it is, WAY more than me last car and also smaller. The sandwich concept is great, and driving position is excellent.
Fuel economy is not the best, but what actually makes it worst is that we have to fuel our puppies with 91 octane, which is usually 10 cents more expensive than regular (87 octane), this is only true in Canada/USA though. This is a for B200 gas
The car as been reliable (ie was never left on the side of the road) so far. Little glitches, but easily fixable and free of charge form the dealership.
Hi 4matt and welcome!
Many of your concerns have been well addressed and should help you form a positive feeling for the B.
You've also asked about dealer repair and service costs in the UK.
Each of us have had different experiences at our various dealers and there is no standard.
Being a MB, we have seen high estimates on certain repairs(ie: starter replacement), but on the other hand we no of no one yet on this forum to have had that repair made.
The B should satisfy most of your needs as it has with most of us here.
Cheers, Derek
Bit more info on service costs in the UK they are a bit up on a say Renault and the like but probably on par with Honda & possibly BMW but there again it is a Mercedes.
You do get with the service package (in the UK ) the Mobilife 24 hour roadside service & I can vouch that this works very well. Their assistance line sorts everything out for you.
Fellow member Trout has informed us,in another thread, that he has managed to get his service at a cheaper price so it is possible to make savings whilst still keeping your warranty safe, sound & quibble free.
My local dealer was very helpful with setting up the purchase of a mobility modified vehicle and my sale (apart from a wait for a computer code from M/B in Germany for the mobility seat) went reasonably smoothly.
I would use my dealer for a new M/B again and my experience with them for service & warranty issues (on my previous B) has been good. I have also found their parts department to be very helpful when enquiring about & buying accessories. My dealership matches up to the perceived brand image. ie a quality dealership. What more can I say.
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