Soon-to-be B180CDi SE driver

[iJay]

hello all...
i just placed an order for a B180CDi SE with my local dealer.
i test drove the car for 3 straight days ( two weeks ago)and came out impressed with the car.
a lot positives but negative feedbacks i gave when i gave the car back to the dealer:
- noisy diesel engine
- ride is 'bumpy' but realized that the car wat fitted with sports package (sports suspension) so they let me drive an A-class (told the same suspension with normal B-class) overnight. I found the ride difference immediately.

last weekend, for two whole days, i test drove a bmw 1-series -120d SE (i am looking for a new hatchback car). now this car is super quick. very very very impressed with the drive and the ride. and the diesel engine is quite.

why did i still go for the merc? space is nil on the bmw

anyone got a b-class here?
any practical advise to someone getting an 07 reg merc b-class?

 

[Dieselman]

Had a B150 from the dealer recently for two days.

For: Space, comfort, driving position very smooth auto box.
Against: Dashboard, wooly steering, VERY poor performance.

Looks are a personal thing so don't apply and you are going for the diesel which will be much better than the 150 petrol for performance and economy. I did nearly 300 miles and 32mpg.

The auto box was almost linear in it's operation and I nearly couldn't detect the shifts. Strangely it wouldn't select 7th in either S or C mode unless manually selected. I guess that was due to the lack of torque not able to pull the extra long (34mph/1000r/m).

All in a nice car but not what I would want.

 

[DC_insider]

I have had 2 B180 CDi SE - one with sports suspension and one without. I don't recommend the sports suspension unless you do all your driving on perfectly smooth roads. It is uncomfortable and noisy on our less than perfect roads. Also, the lower ride height can cause issues with speed bumps.

Standard suspension is much better but there is more body roll.

The auto is a CVT transmission so has no actual gears to shift and is therefore very smooth.

 

[Dieselman]

The auto is a CVT transmission so has no actual gears to shift and is therefore very smooth.

I wondered if it was CVT but it does change gear and has manually selectable ones.
Does it introduce these steps just to add feel or are there two boxes.
A true CVT has no selection and no steps, this felt like a regular auto with greater torque converter slip control.

 

[Alfie]

I wondered if it was CVT but it does change gear and has manually selectable ones.
Does it introduce these steps just to add feel or are there two boxes.
A true CVT has no selection and no steps, this felt like a regular auto with greater torque converter slip control.

The CVT box has pre-programmed settings which can simulate set ratio's.

As for advice to anyone getting a B class, get COMAND , panoramic roof, parking sensors and heated seats. I recently saw SYM's B class and he has had leather retro fitted which was very nice and reasonably priced too.

My wife loves her B class. I just wish it was the diesel and not the 170 petrol. all in all its a very versatile and capable car.

 

[Dieselman]

The CVT box has pre-programmed settings which can simulate set ratio's.

It definately changes gear. The revs drop and you can feel it change. A proper CVT shouldn't do that as it's constantly variable.

 

[High-Lo]

My wife praises her B180CDI SE. Best choice I think and very economical.

 

[DC_insider]

It definately changes gear. The revs drop and you can feel it change. A proper CVT shouldn't do that as it's constantly variable.

It may simulate the feel of a gear change but as it is a CVT there are no gears to change.

I'm sure that the box is made by ZF for Mercedes, From the ZF website:

The ZF-Ecotronic CVT offers greater drive comfort and faster acceleration, combined with substantially lower fuel bills and lower pollutant emissions when compared to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The engine operates more consistently in its optimum speed range than it is able to when connected to a multi-ratio transmission.

A ZF-Ecotronic has no gears any more: instead it can provide an infinite range of ratios which can be varied continuously. Power is transmitted between the 2 adjusting discs by means of an ultra-strong steel-link chain. The axial distances between the disc pairs and therefore between their contact surfaces can be varied, causing changes in the ratio transmitted by the link belt. This variation is continuous over an infinite range.

The transmission control unit takes due account of vehicle and engine data, as well as variable data relating to the prevailing roadspeed, accelerator position, and acceleration. From these data, the ZF-Ecotronic computes the control commands for engine and transmission which enable the full potential of engine power to be delivered in any phase of operation. The system is also autodidactic and is able to adapt its approach to shift management to suit the driving style of any given driver.

The ZF-Ecotronic can be supplied for cars with longitudinal or transverse engines rated up to 140 kW (200 bhp), and for either FWD or RWD models.

 

[BonzoDog]

My wife has a B200CDI with Autotronic (CVT) and it is excellent. Negatives quickly; noisy engine at low speeds and choppy ride at low speeds. Good points; safe, comfortable, spacious, solid, good roadholding, quiet and stable at speed. The Autotronic is a CVT but there is a single step change at some point at low speed. I have ignored it for so long I cannot remember. Otherwise it is continuously variable. If I need an extra turn of speed I nudge it down 1 with the Tiptronic and it is away but it is rare that I can be bothered.

 

[iJay]

does the B-class has an aux input in the glove compartment?
forgot to check when i test drove the car.
bmw 1-series has.

 

[hawk20]

Had a B200cdi with Auto, cruise, leather etc. Collected from factory. great trip. had for a year and 15,000 miles. great car. Massive space. My wife called it an S class you can park! Good ride and 0-60 in 9.6 seconds. Excellent. Fifty per gallon on a run, easy as wink.

Gearbox is CVT and no steps if leave in D and let it do it all by itself. But if you use tiptronic it selects seven ratios till you go back into drive. In the handbook.

 

[BonzoDog]

does the B-class has an aux input in the glove compartment?
forgot to check when i test drove the car.
bmw 1-series has.

My wife bought hers because it would take her iPod. This required the dealer to do some work for which we were charged an unsuitably large amount.

 

[richard]

does the B-class has an aux input in the glove compartment?
forgot to check when i test drove the car.
bmw 1-series has.

No, but it easy to add - see www.mercupgrades.com in the retrofit comand-aps document.

R

 

[richard]

My wife bought hers because it would take her iPod. This required the dealer to do some work for which we were charged an unsuitably large amount.

Retrofitting IPOD kit is actually quick and easy - I've done it on a B and promise to write it up soon !

if your car has the integrated phone, it possibly doesnt even need its cluster re-programmed to display tracknames & steering wheel control


Richard

 

[richard]

Its definetly CVT carefully hidden by software ;-)

If you operate kickdown it puts the revs straight to about 4500 (max torque) and the speed then climbs - a bit of an odd feeling to be honest - but rather effective

Richard

 

[iJay]

No, but it easy to add - see www.mercupgrades.com in the retrofit comand-aps document.

R

will this void any warranty?

 

[BonzoDog]

Retrofitting IPOD kit is actually quick and easy - I've done it on a B and promise to write it up soon !

if your car has the integrated phone, it possibly doesnt even need its cluster re-programmed to display tracknames & steering wheel control


Richard

Personally, I would like a destroy iPod button. Whenever I use her car the display is set to Ipod and 'girly' music wafts around.

 

[BonzoDog]

Retrofitting IPOD kit is actually quick and easy - I've done it on a B and promise to write it up soon !

if your car has the integrated phone, it possibly doesnt even need its cluster re-programmed to display tracknames & steering wheel control


Richard

Personally, I would like a destroy iPod button. Whenever I use her car the display is set to Ipod and 'girly' music wafts around.
Somewhere in there I have been allowed to put my own tracks but i don't like fiddling around while I drive as it is usually heavy traffic (road conditions, not music).

 

[SL55]

Some interesting reading on the B class can be found at:

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/b-class-w245/

of particular interest is the missing rubber grommet under the rear seat squab, seems to be a common theme on all B class vehicles.

SL55.

 

[richard]

will this void any warranty?

I can't see how it could - its an official dealer retrofit, not an unofficial modification, and it only connected to the COMAND/Audio-20CD
I guess if you break something whilst doing it then thats your problem - and since it is actually just 3 wires and two sockets (one at each end) its really hard to get it wrong

Cheers
Richard