Tell me about the B Class 2013 Onwards any good?

[ioweddie]

I fancy a high up driving position, got a c220 sport plus but thinking about a
B Class, any comments good or bad please.

 

[theogeor]

I fancy a high up driving position, got a c220 sport plus but thinking about a
B Class, any comments good or bad please.

We have 2014 B180 SE and after 5k miles we are very happy with it. Ride is smooth car is very comfortable and spacious and it provides a perfect balance for a car that can do the school run but at the same time to be good on the motorway. .
Most w246 sold are the Sport and not SE and that has an impact on the ride but it looks better.
Any specific model in mind ?

TG

 

[ioweddie]

My sport saloon is a great car but harsh on the pothole roads of the IOW, I agree the w246 look much nicer in sport guise but I would probably still feel the bumps even though its a higher ride, not sure about an se though. I have even thought about a quasqui (only a thought).
My saloon is a c220 diesel but the engine is pretty noisy so also considering something petrol as not doing many miles now.

 

[Wheelsnuts]

I have a 2012 (W246) B200 CDI automatic sport with 30,000 miles on the clock. As you suspect, you can feel the bumps but, in my opinion, the ride is acceptable and it handles very well. However, if it's a smoother ride you are after, you might prefer the SE. The engine is not too noisy unless accelerating hard in sports mode but petrol might be a better choice if you don't intend doing many miles. As far as I am concerned, I am very happy with the car: it suits my needs perfectly.

 

[rhud]

If you place any credence on the reviews,the B Class is not favoured. Golf SV? Audi Q3?

 

[Wheelsnuts]

There's an interesting B Class facelift thread in the Mercedes News section. Worth a read.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I had a new B-Class diesel as a loan car when my C350 petrol was getting the engine management light sorted recently. I know it's not really fair to compare the two cars, but I thought it was awful. I wasn't expecting anything performance-wise because of its smaller engine, indeed all things considered it wasn't too bad for what it was. BUT. It was noisy, particularly at low speeds. It felt unstable and certainly didn't encourage me to drive it "enthusiastically". I suppose the weird auto gearlever is something you could get used to, but I didn't like it. And of course I hated the iPod-like display.

But it's all a matter of taste and all that's important is what YOU like. Take one for a test drive. Most MB dealers seem to be offering 24+ hour test drives on new cars, so do that and get to know it. Even if you're buying used and saving the massive depreciation, it will give you a good idea what they're like.

 

[henley]

The driving position is great especially if you don't like driving with your legs stretched out in from of you. The SE is a lot better ride than many folks try to make out. I have a 200CDI SE, done 4,500 miles and its far from being noisy. Its an acquired drive, but once you get to know it, you may be hooked. I bought mine with size consideration to fit a smaller garage and in difference to an earlier post, no I wouldn't swap it for a Golf or A3.
I had the previous model B Class petrol engine, but this present 200CDI is quieter and a lot more refined. Quality budget motoring.

 

[geraldrobins]

Its worth noting that the facelift models have a different engine choice and there is now an SE, Sport and AMG Sport. The sport now has 17 inch wheels as standard and is not a lot more than the SE. The SE now has more kit I believe.

 

[Dickie Fix]

We've recently taken delivery of our new B200 CDI SE Executive and are very happy with our choice. We had 3 on our short list, all diesel automatics: the Golf SV, the 2 Series Active Tourer and the B Class. The Golf SV drove OK, but seemed somewhat spartan and overpriced with all the options we wanted, the 2 Series was really good to drive but we didn't like the dark cabin or the restricted visibility caused by the A pillar quarterlight. The B Class was not only good to drive, but also the classiest and a very nice place to be. With all the options we wanted, it was also the cheapest - and that was before adding the 3 years free servicing.

 

[rhud]

We've recently taken delivery of our new B200 CDI SE Executive and are very happy with our choice. We had 3 on our short list, all diesel automatics: the Golf SV, the 2 Series Active Tourer and the B Class. The Golf SV drove OK, but seemed somewhat spartan and overpriced with all the options we wanted, the 2 Series was really good to drive but we didn't like the dark cabin or the restricted visibility caused by the A pillar quarterlight. The B Class was not only good to drive, but also the classiest and a very nice place to be. With all the options we wanted, it was also the cheapest - and that was before adding the 3 years free servicing.

Does yours have 16" or 17" wheels, and how do you find the ride? Seems to be a variety of opinions about this, with some reviewers saying Golf SV is better in this respect.

 

[ioweddie]

I decided against one after testing a 64 plate sport, appears cheap inside and I did not like the handeling, prefer the c class, having a test drive in a couple of weeks

 

[Dickie Fix]

Does yours have 16" or 17" wheels, and how do you find the ride? Seems to be a variety of opinions about this, with some reviewers saying Golf SV is better in this respect.

Our SE has 16" rims with 205/55 Michelin Energy Savers and we're very happy with the ride. Motorway travel is smooth without being floaty while your average pot hole causes an audible but muted 'thump'. I don't remember which Golf SV variant I tried. In fact I can't recall much about the test drive (prised out of a reluctant salesman who would have rather have gone to lunch) other than it was OK, nothing special.

Now we have a few more miles on the clock, we've been able to make use of the excellent factory-fitted (Westfalia) folding towbar and take our caravan on a couple of outings. I've been towing for 33 years and whatever car I've had, they've always returned about 30mpg. The B is averaging 36mpg over the same routes according to the OBC and my manual calculations are v close to that figure and these are cross-country routes to Derbyshire and Halifax.

The auto 7G-DCT is equally impressive, seemingly oblivious to the 1+ tonne it is pulling along, almost always in the right gear automatically but responding instantly to a downchange using the paddles when the need arises (think A53 Buxton to Leek). The 'hold' function inspires confidence when at traffic lights on a hill and the ECO stop/start just makes things even better.

And the negatives? Er, nope, can't think of any yet.

 

[B-BOY]

My car has just gone in to a local cal dealer and they have given me B Class AMG Line courtesy car on a 15 plate. I must admit I like it, it's not powerful and yes it does lean on corners a bit but feels solid and is comfortable in high position as well.

Test drive and see for yourself, not sure if you have a dealer on IOW but you will need to test drive it on those roads especially down Military Road on the southside.

 

[Teflonso]

I looked hard at the B Class to supplement the E estate I have. Several test drives, looked at specs & extras, etc. etc. A very attractive car in many ways but I concluded I was going to be spending loads more to get the car with the essentials and toys I wanted. The Sport version wasn't as bumpy thumpy as the reviews would have you believe, but it was still a bit firm on the rather poor roads around me.

So I've ended up with a Grand C-Max Titanium X. As standard, it's got all the things the B Class needed to make it perfect for me and if you are talking kids and the school run then the sliding rear doors are the bees knees. Seven seats too, so long as you don't mind exposing your toddlers to certain death in the event of getting rear ended at speed.

Granted, the 2 litre diesel sometimes sounds a bit agricultural - maybe that's because of the massive contrast when I swap to the silky smooth E350. The dual clutch gearbox isn't as accomplished as a VW/Audi DSG but only really if I'm listening for it or inadvertently push a non-existence flappy paddle to flip up a gear. It still goes plenty quick enough though.


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