Buying advice for a B-Class

[Akshay]

Hi I've been looking at a few B-classes recently and wanted to know what to look out for. The car is for my elderly parents so the high seating position is ideal from that perspective, but is there anything I need to look out for?

Their budget is around £10K, a diesal or smaller petrol would suffice.

Are there any things I should be aware of and any problems this model has? This will be their first MB.

 

[Swozza]

I've had 3 of these as loan whilst mines been in for repair. The interior feels cheap and the ride was poor. Its not what I expected from a MB. We have a small fleet of Vauxhalls and I'm comparing it to a Mervia. The Mervia pound for pound IMHO is a better car.

 

[kwakdonut]

I'd go for the A Class instead - not much in it size wise. The 180CDi with an auto box is best. Essentials are Air Con, nice to haves are COMAND, leather, panorama glass roof, digital climate.

 

[fuzzer]

is dont an acceptable reply in this thread?

 

[A210AMG]

^ whats wrong with the B class?


We have had the previous shape A class (horror..) and loved it for 3 years, wife likes the B class, and I would consider the B180Cdi as a replacement.

Don't understand the build quality angle as as a family we currently own, an SL500, ML, E211 E320, A class * 2 and the B class is on par with them? Granted a B150 in classic trim would be low on my list?

Have you owned one and had a bad one?

 

[74merc]

I saw a B Class recently with quite a lot of rust on the tailgate. Could have been a bad repair, but I'd be suspicious nonetheless.

 

[HumberMart]

I don't have any complaints about the build quality of the B Class, and my wife is totally satisfied with hers (other than economy is still below 40 after 3,500 miles).

They are well packaged and practical, but I do have my own issues with them...

IMHO the 2L diesel is 10 years behind the times with refinement, and I suspect the petrol would be a far better choice (esp. considering the diesel isn't over economical - or quick).

The ride is not good on the 17" wheels of the sport version, and little better on the 16's of the SE (by all accounts), and it doesn't steer/handle as well as a golf plus.

I think it's a car you need to 'love' to be fully plased with. Fortunately my wife does, but I couldn't, despite the fact I like the looks and concept.

 

[Alfie]

Hi I've been looking at a few B-classes recently and wanted to know what to look out for. The car is for my elderly parents so the high seating position is ideal from that perspective, but is there anything I need to look out for?

Their budget is around £10K, a diesal or smaller petrol would suffice.

Are there any things I should be aware of and any problems this model has? This will be their first MB.

I have owned a B class and an A class. I'd go for the B as it is way more comfortable. Always found the ride to be good. Car is very spacious especially in the rear and for elderly people it is easy to get into and out of due to its ride height.

The petrols are more refined than the diesels.

Very practical cars, well built and reliable.

 

[Mudster]

Avoid the sport due to hard ride.

Mrs M has an A class, which is ideal for her and easy to get in and out of (she suffers from Multiple Sclerosis). I find the ride hard and the 150 petrol with an auto is slow and thirsty.

 

[hawk20]

I have owned a B class and an A class. I'd go for the B as it is way more comfortable. Always found the ride to be good. Car is very spacious especially in the rear and for elderly people it is easy to get into and out of due to its ride height.

The petrols are more refined than the diesels.

Very practical cars, well built and reliable.

I too have owned both A class and the B class. B has a better ride and provided you avoid the sport it is a good ride IMO. It is quieter inside than the A class with more sound deadening. The boot is much bigger. I thought it was a great car. It has the legroom front and rear of an S class in a very handily sized package and the boot is the same volume as an S class too.

I've driven petrol and diesel versions and prefer the diesels. We had the 200cdi Auto and that did 0-62 in under 10 seconds which feels nippy enough in normal driving. We got 45 mpg fairly easily on long runs and could get close to 50mpg with care.

The comfort seats are a useful extra (only £80) as they give adjustable height for driver and passenger, adjustable lumbar support and an excellent tilt mechanism for the squab. (Wish the new E class had the same).

 

[jeremytaylor]

Sis-in-law had a broken spring on her B-class. And a failed water pump which meant dropping the engine to change it

Fortunately both were when the car was under warranty.

Looks like they might be expensive cars to run without a good warranty.

The auto is a CVT 'box, which would put me off them personally.

 

[Rory]

Their budget is around £10K, a diesal or smaller petrol would suffice.

Are there any things I should be aware of and any problems this model has? This will be their first MB.

Probably not the answers you were expecting, so far!

Apart from the cars themselves - space, the way they drive etc, which your parents can make up their own minds on, the problem with A & B Class is that the way they're built (engines squashed in etc) can make them very expensive to repair, and bear in mind that even though it's a £10K car to them, it'll still have Mercedes level repair costs. Whatever you do, make sure there's a *good* warranty in place.

They can be quite reasonable to own if bought new on subsidised PCP packages and then disposed of at 3 years old once the factory warranty has run out.

 

[Akshay]

Hmm, some interesting points made so far and I'm being out off by the running costs and potential problems that could arise. At the end of the day I want my parents to have a reliable car especially at their age so looking for cost effective garages isn't something I'd expect anytime soon, and with their budget we'd be looking at a model out of warranty.

A pity really as they've never owned a Merc. Things like this tend to put me off. Other cars I'm looking at are the VW Golf and Toyota Auris.

 

[Rory]

Is Honda Jazz too small?

 

[Charles Morgan]

Far be it from me to recommend the new Honda Jazz, but it is an extremely good car, with excellent interior space, build quality and performance. My mother has had Jazzes for nigh on 10 years now, and not a single problem, ever, plus good economy and generally low cost maintenance.

 

[Akshay]

Yes the Jazz will be far too small for them. They do sometimes go long distance with passengers so a little bigger car would be more comfortable and practical.

 

[HumberMart]

IMHO, a Golf Plus would be best fit.

 

[jeremytaylor]

Yes, a Golf Plus might suit them if a normal Golf is too low. Doesn't have a star on the bonnet (but then nor does a B - it's on the grille) but otherwise feels the same if not better quality.

 

[Rory]

Yes the Jazz will be far too small for them. They do sometimes go long distance with passengers so a little bigger car would be more comfortable and practical.

I must admit I wouldn't choose to drive a long way in a Jazz, although the new one has a lot better seats, but you do see a heck of a lot of them on the motorway. Maybe I just notice them more, but I've tried to allow for that, and I'm still surprised.

Jazz's big space issue (old and new model) is the front seats don't go back very far. I think anyone over 6ft ish, or with longer than average legs, would struggle. But the space for passengers and luggage is remarkable. Ours has a glass roof which helps the feeling of spaciousness. Apparently golf clubs won't fit across the boot in the new model though, which has caused some owners dismay. Presumeably the ones who play golf!

Also the newer Jazz automated manual box gets a bad press - old one was CVT which was fine. Manual box versions are fine.

This is the first time we've replaced a car with the same again - my wife just wasn't interested in looking at anything else. I liked the fact that in 6 years the car only needed routine servicing & tyres. Not even a bulb blew.

 

[J400uk]

Jazz is a good car but A/B Class much nicer IMO, feel very well put together with top quality materials.

Golf Plus is Ok, but its not as good as a normal Golf. Its ugly, cheap looking interior plastics, slow performance, top-heavy, poor fuel economy and worse of all are the residuals, after 3-years its worth a significant amount less than a normal Golf, I'm talking 4-figures here. Does handle better than Mercedes' small offerings, but other than that a largely pointless car.

My suggestion to the OP would be to test drive them all. Don't dismiss the Mercedes because of running costs, they may not be expensive as you think. Honda and VW dealers are also expensive, and the latter have a very bad reputation these days.