High driving position = good road view & seats high up making it easier for my disabled wife to get in & out + plenty of space for 4 & mobility equipment. For us an excellent choice.

 

reason: The car before was almost to the end of the lease, and the B was coming out at that time. It looks younger, so more suitable for me to drive than the previous car.

replaced: E320 kompressor

 

we had a Toyota Rav4, went to get a C class, then saw a B class in amongst the used cars, had a test drive, liked it, went in to talk money, only to be told it had already been sold, with that I had to have one, went home rang a dealers, and he had a new one, with the bits nailed to it that I wanted. so shot down there, and collected it 2 weeks later........have not done many miles, collected it in august 06, and have done 3740 miles..........

 

The C Class is a joke, a two seat car with jump seats for midgets in the back, so that was out. E-Class: no manual transmission at all, I am not old enough to want that, white patent leather shoes or a retirement home in Florida , so that was out. A3 was for midgets both front and rear, unsuitable for a family of 5.

B has room for 5, more passenger space than an E-Class, nearly as much as an S-Class LWB, bigger trunk than E or S, better FE than all but the E 320 CDI (I bet my B is doing better than a CDI would anyway), practical shape, doesn't cost silly money, anti-snob factor (makes some other Benz owners squirm, which I like doing), in summary, it's the closest thing to a Renault Scénic that we could find over here. We would have bought the Renault had it been available.

I'll leave the silly money for our next car, which may take few years to happen....but I am thinking of something interesting at the moment....we will however keep the B and the smart.

 

Check the B Gallery and see why.
The bikes go in the way we want and the gear goes in around. The kayaks fit well on top and it hugs the road all at the same time.
It stops on a dime and has air-bags galore with ESP. Great looks too.

The near perfect package at a very reasonable price. If it doesn't break...it's a keeper!

 

My reason is that I was leasing a Toyota Sienna which is the worst vechicle in reliablity that I have ever owned, the B has the tall body so when I put my babies in the car I don't have to bend my back and fact that it fits 5 people comfortablely plus have lots of cargo space....I still remember in a recent costco visit we loaded up the cart with all kinds of grocery etc and at that time we basically forgot that we did not have the van anymore ...guess what ..I fitted a fully loaded costco cart of stuff into my B along with 5 people although I have stolen some foot space in front of the baby car seat..

vehicle replaced : a POS Toyota Sienna

 

B-170 Facelift

Wife wanted a good car, looked at Citoen/Nisan/Toyota and A-Class.
1-Seating position better than A[Immediate decission]
2-More space than C
3-Park Assist/Automatic

Now that we got it:
1-light enough on feul.
2-Nimble in town
3-Good on long distances, switch to S mode if I see a long hill.
4-Just a pity mirrors not folding.
No complaints so far.

 

quote " Just a pity mirrors not folding "

Yes a great let down on this standard of car

 

I checked out at least 18 different vehicles in the US over a period of a year and a half and then I discovered an ad for the B while on vacation in Canada.

I was looking for a vehicle that met these criteria...

Safety
Cloth seats
Seating position
Solid quality workmanship
Decent fuel economy
Simple interior controls
Good visibility
Good acceleration
Enjoyable and comfortable to drive

...and the B fit. Thanks to a determined husband we got the B.

I replaced a big SUV. Sold it to a Mercedes master technition for weekend off road outings with the family.

 

CA-B200

There is a post advertising for you to visit a car meet in this forum. At least it sure sounds like they want you. http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w245-b-class/1402654-southern-california-b-class-available-nov.html

Hope you can attend and do us all proud. :bowdown:

Bill

I think a determined husband with a determined wife :thumbsup::thumbsup: Not to many people would go to all the trouble.

 

Thanks Bill I did get it.

Hope you can attend and do us all proud. :bowdown:

Oh no I may have to take two...no make that THREE days off to prepare for this! Who moved my Q-tips?!?!

 

I'm sure if you go your dance card will always be filled:thumbsup:

Bill

 

Hi All. As we can't (easily) get the B-class yet in the US and I am anticipating its introduction here soon, may I ask a question or two?

I want to get an image in my mind about the B-class. My nephew got a Mazda 5 and I would like to know if anyone here can post a comparison between the Mazda 5 and the Mercedes B-Class?

Also, are the diesel engine options 'worth it' ?

Thanks, Bill (different Bill )

 

Don't expect a diesel B in North America....or even a first-generation B Class in the USA. Reportedly the next generation one may be sold there in 2011 but it will probably be based upon the C-Class RWD platform.

The Mazda 5 is potentially a B-Class competitor, but in North America they give it two separate seats in the middle row, which means that to transport 5 people, one of them has to sit in the rear jump-seat (located in the rear crush space) and the trunk capacity is halved. The fuel economy is worse too. At least in Europe you can get the 5 with a bench rear seat.....

So it's no contest.

 

The Mazda 5 is potentially a B-Class competitor

Thanks, are they similar in size? I have this impression that the B-class is a tiny car (I guess prejudiced by the Smart)

So, we won't get a "real" B-class? Pity...

 

The B Class is a good example of optimized design and packaging. It has often been quoted that the B Class, because of the sandwich floor design, provides the occupant crash protection equal to the E Class. Further, the interior passenger space rivals that of the large Mercedes S Class and the B's trunk is huge and flexible because of the split/folding seats.
With minimal overhangs front and rear and with a long wheelbase of about 110 inches, the B class is able to provide a large interior space and a comfortable ride. The exterior dimensions are small enough to be handy for city driving and parking; however, the car still has enough ' road presence' to be seen and respected when on the road.

B Class = :thumbsup::thumbsup:
Mazda 5 = :surrender:

 

The comparables:

Mazda 5:
4.505 metres long
1.665 m high
2.75 m wheelbase
1.755 m wide (excluding mirrors)
1.53/1.52 m track front/rear
1.47/1.46 m interior width front/rear

Mercedes B-Class
4.27 m long
1.575 m high
2.778 m wheelbase
1.777 m wide (excluding mirrors)
1.556/1.551 m track front/rear
1.43/1.45 m interior width front/rear

So the B is very nearly as big as the 5, slightly shorter and slightly lower, but virtualy as large inside. It looks WAY larger than my smart (see my avatar photo).

 

I never did answer the "what did it replace" question. A 1989 Peugeot 405 DL that we still own. It's a small car with a massive interior, a fine family car.

 

Thank you all !

 

The smart looks like a hardtop....too hot down there for a cabriolet?

 

It has the panorama roof. We're not fond of convertibles because it’s too hot and sunny most of the year. I know they are out there but we don't see too many cars with the top down around here. I don't even think about having the sun screen rolled back unless it's a cloudy day or after the sun goes down.

That’s why I (and many others) think that fall and winter are the best times to visit southern California :thumbsup:

 

We may visit again next........ summer.......but for a longer stay this time. Probably hit LA too.....we'll be in the B again.

 

Isn't Mazda 5 sits seven?

 

4 adults and two kids in jump seats in the trunk......

 

I got my B200 because my lease expired on my Chevy Malibu Maxx. I had a deposit on a Jetta Sportwagon TDI for over 1 year, but VW was unable to provide me with a delivery date and I needed a ride. The B met my following criteria:

• able to fit on the 'short' side of my garage
• quality, quality, quality - go long (10 years) if I'm happy after the 3 year lease
• ample room (2 small children) for the city/suburbs (already have a large, comfortable long haul car)
• safety - crash protection; winter driving
• decent fuel economy
• in/around the $30K price range
• availability - my B was on the boat when I went shopping and they were able to give me an *accurate* delivery date

The Jetta I had ordered would have been ~$4K more than my empty B200, but it was loaded including DSG, panoramic roof, leather... VW's lease rate was 6.9% versus 2.9% for the B200 as well.

Overall, I'm happy with my decision though I still wish they'd offer a diesel for the B here in Canada and maybe add one extra gear for highway driving.

 

except for the Malibu, ditto on your experience waiting for a TDI jetta wagon.

when I saw that the TDI had a financing/leasing and engine premium over the 2.5L gas engine for the same car, of over $6000, I knew I had to go looking for an alternative vehicle. No way you can save $6k in gas. The B200 turbo met all our needs in spades. don't know why I never looked at this car in the first place.

VW's delay and lack of information, made me go shopping for an alternative. the timing couldn't be more perfect with all the promotions and incentives. cars like the B200 are actually cheaper to lease. Best part of leasing is in 3 years time, TDI's and diesels will hopefully be as common here as it is in Europe and the premium will disappear. Not to mention there will be a lot more choices from various brands and body styles.

 

I got the B to replace a Saturn SW2 Wagon.

Why ? :

- Best offer on the market for a hatch (wagon ... ish)
- Seating position + comfortable
- LOTS of space with small footprint (great for urban driving/parking)
- Good visibility
- Safe
- Quality
- Decent mileage
- The wife LOVED it.

If this car is reliable it might stay with me for a long time .... fingers crossed !

 

I got the B to replace a Saturn SW2 Wagon.

Why ? :

• Best offer on the market for a hatch (wagon ... ish)
• Seating position + comfortable
• LOTS of space with small footprint (great for urban driving/parking)
• Good visibility
• Safe
• Quality
• Decent mileage
• The wife LOVED it.

If this car is reliable it might stay with me for a long time .... fingers crossed !

Daniel,
My feelings exactly and great fuel economy!
My wife also loves her 09 Forester(it's pulling through the snow today) which replaced her old SW2.
👍

 

Nest18

- The wife Loved it :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Number 1 Answer

Bill