I am presently thinking about a B200 to replace my Audi A4 wagon.
I went to the dealership, in Montreal, and looked at the B200 and B200T. I have not performed a test drive yet.
My questions to owners are the following:
1/ the non turbo is certainly less powerful than the turbo. Is it really a problem if you drive on a slope (especially with 4 people in the car)?
2/ What do you think about the CVT with the non-turbo? I am used to drive manual gears but a lot of interesting demos are available but only with CVT. Otherwise I need to wait for a brand new.
3/ Quality of the standard sound system? In my Audi I have a Bose system.
4/ Cost/year for service/maintenance over a 3-4 year period?
5/ Finally, do you have any problem with snow accumulation on windshield during winter (sides)?
Welcome to the forum. If you use the search engine you'll find that most of all of theses questions were asked :
1) I think the non-turbo give you plenty of kick. I've never found the car to slow down because of steep slope, and I go very often in the USA (Vermont)
2) The CVT is really good and smooth, one of the best auto transmission I had. Some people prefer the manual tranny, it's a question of choices
3) If I had to do it again I would take the Harman Kardon ... the STD system is great, much better than my previous car, but I'm a music fan.
4) Expect about 300$ for the annual service
5) That was a concern I had also, especially after reading a CAA review of the B. If you clean the snow from your car properly, before you drive it it's not an issue. Especially after the winter we just had
I find the 134 net HP more than enough on hills with five aboard and 200 kg of luggage too, on mountain roads. It's all about using the engine's potential to its fullest. Don't attack an 8% grade at full GVW with the car in 5th gear @2200 RPM and hope for it to climb the hill. Put it in 4th....
On the CVT versus non-CVT car, test one of each. If you like to accerate fast, you will probably find the non-turbo CVT car to be incredibly noisy when accelerating. The Turbo has enough torque low down in the rev range that it does not have to hit 5K RPM+ when the throttle is wide open, so the noise is very acceptable in the Turbo.
The manual is really smooth and the fuel economy potential is maximised with it too.
1. Many on this forum love the 200 Turbo and the extra umph it has, whereas Mike and myself(and others) are very satisfied with the non-turbo 200.
3. The standard sound system from 05 is a quality system with very, very crappy rear speakers that must be changed out to enjoy the true depth in the 100 watt Alpine radio. The Hamon-Kardon system is an expensive option that will greatly improve the sound.
4. You have to pay MB houly rates whether you're in an S class or the B class. So far it has not been excessive.
Early B's have had some recalls that the later posters haven't complained about.
5. I've been lucky with the snow issue on the windshield but heavy snow must be manually cleared off if traveling for an extended period in very heavy snow. The A pillar design gives great strength but some snow will collect unfortunately.
Overall a great car that's so solid and fun to drive, and very economical to drive.
Thanks for your advices. Just bought a brand ''almost'' new B200 (demo). No gadgets except pano roof and heated seats and autotronic. Got a very very good deal...
Is it possible to replace rear speakers on a leased car ?
The test drive of the non-turbo convinced me that the engine is enough for family use (and will save me a few $$ in gas and car price for other pleasures...)
Hey tintin, Congrats on the new B! I changed my rear speakers and it is a big difference. I think it would matter if they somehow found out since it's a leased car. But really how would they find out? After the switch my car still looks stock.
I do not have the car yet, but how do you change them without damaging the plastic cover? What speakers do you recommend (size/power/brand name.....: I will start to shop for).
Thank you for your help
oops just found the other posts about rear speakers.... Now I think I will go to a dealer to have them replaced ( I do not want to mess anything). Besides I am still not sure about the standard size (speaker diameter) and the best brand. Thanks.
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