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THAT’LL B THE DAY

Models Covered: 5dr hatch B150, B170, B200, B200T petrol, B180CDI, B200CDI diesel [base, SE]

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Mercedes doesn’t often get it wrong but with the B-Class, it developed and brought to market a car that rather confused the public. What was a B-Class? What did it compete against and why should I buy one? Mercedes said it was a premium mini-MPV but the asking prices were way above other cars in this sector. Which was one reason why, while the renaissance of Stuttgart’s smaller A-class continued apace, the B didn’t fare so well, squeezed into a microscopic market niche. If you wanted an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series but needed more versatile space, didn’t care about handling and had a decent budget, you might buy one. As you might if you wanted a mini-MPV and didn’t mind paying over the odds for a three-pointed star on the bonnet. A pretty limited marketplace in other words. Seasoned used car buyers will know what happens next. With a lack of image and little in the way of used market driven demand, residuals crumble and bargains can be picked up for the used buyer who thinks the B-Class’ blend of qualities are just the ticket.

Perhaps emboldened by the sales success of long wheelbase variants of the first generation A-Class, Mercedes figured that this was a potential revenue opportunity, plushing up the stretched chassis and charging more for a car they dubbed the B-Class. Landing in dealer showrooms in August 2005, the B-Class met with a deafening wall of buyer apathy, most quite unwilling to shell out over £17,000 for the entry-level 95bhp model while decently specified 2.0-litre petrol versions were looking rather self conscious with a sticker price of well over £20,000 on them. A B200T turbocharged model was introduced to give the range a little added sassiness but otherwise there wasn’t a great deal to interest customers looking for the biggest bang for their buck in terms of either practicality, sexy styling or sharp driving manners.

Sit in the back of the B-Class, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. So why weren’t we all beating a path to our local Mercedes dealer? The big caveat for many was the asking price. Many looked at those prices, compared them to something like a Renault Scenic or a Focus C-MAX and decided that the gulf was just too large. At one point, Mercedes tried to dub the car a ‘Compact Sports Tourer’, but despite the great strides in driveability made by the A-Class upon which the B-Class is inspired, ‘sporty’ is perhaps a stretch too far, even in range-topping 193bhp 2.0-litre turbo guise. Still, at least the car is quite versatile. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep foot well. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior appointments.

Opening price for a Mercedes B150 is £10,050 on a 2005 05 plate. Opt for the SE model and you’ll be looking at £10,975 for an 05 plate car. The 1.5-litre engine doesn’t have a whole lot of go and the 1.7-litre B170 is a better bet with the SE here costing from around £11,275. The diesels are a better bet altogether and the B180 CDI is possibly the most attractive model in the whole line up from a used perspective, prices kicking off at £12,975 with the manual ‘box or another £1,000 on top of that with the CVT continuously variable transmission. The B200 CDI SE starts at just under £13,425. Insurance ranges from Group 7 through to Group 10 for the mainstream models, with the B200 Turbo standing alone at Group 14.

A full Mercedes dealer service history is absolutely essential, especially for the most recent models whose lengthy warranty – effectively for the life of the car – is dependent on proper servicing by an authorised agent. Check that all the accessories work and watch out for cosmetic damage which can be expensive to correct. These are popular cars for families, so check for wear and tear in the rear. Also look for the usual signs of wheel kerbing and poorly repaired accident damage.

(approx. Based on B150 model) Allow around £55 for a set of front brake pads and £35 for the rear and about £175 (excluding catalyst) for a factory exhaust system. A full clutch replacement would cost around £195, a radiator is about £145 whilst a starter motor can be up to £250. A new alternator would be in the region of £495.

The petrol line up opens with the 95bhp B150, then there’s a 115bhp B170 and a punchy 136bhp B200. Mercedes even offered a 193bhp turbocharged version of this engine which will make 60mph in 7.2 seconds and run onto a top speed of 140mph. Most buyers instead opted for the diesel-engined models and Mercedes offered a pair of Euro IV-compliant units, the entry-level being marked out by the109bhp B180 CDI, while the premier diesel powerplant was that fitted to the 140bhp B200CDI. A manual transmission is the default gearbox but most models were available with an optional Autotronic CVT gearbox. Its ‘manual’ mode features seven gears although like a proper automatic, it has a torque converter. The B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction, especially evident when packing one of the more powerful engines.

The B-Class has proven something of an oddity in the Mercedes range. Despite offering decent quality and plenty of space for four, the B-Class has underperformed. As a used buy however, it’s one of the safest around, the diesels being particularly attractive now that the sharp edge has been taken off the prices. Comparing a one or two year old B-Class with something like a lower middle order mainstream mini-MPV now makes the Mercedes look rather attractive. Get one that’s been babied and you’ll have little cause for complaint.

TO BE OR NOT TO B
The B-Class confused buyers at first but Mercedes has responded by attempting to make it too good to overlook. Andy Enright reports

The Mercedes B-Class is a much improved car and hard to fault in comparison with rival compact MPV products. It doesn’t quite offer the interior flexibility that family buyers look for but the build quality, design and engineering are all first rate. It feels a class above the rest. The problem is that this is reflected in the price.

Mercedes is company currently enjoying a renaissance. Even the most ardent fans of the marque will admit that quality slipped on certain models in the late nineties, but recognising that sales rely on an impression of bomb-proof build quality, the company has got its act together. While it’s easy to make a £90,000 car drip with feel-good factor, Mercedes have latterly shown that its more affordable models are now well up to scratch. Take the B-Class, Mercedes’ take on the five-door family saloon. It’s a small car but feels built like a tank. Trouble is, many buyers weren’t sure quite what a B-Class was when it first appeared. Mercedes calls it a Sports Tourer. That may be pushing things a bit. A round of revisions has aimed to imbue the B-Class with more of what we think of as traditional Mercedes qualities. Strong build quality, a genuinely upmarket feel and some dizzyingly clever technology are all now available to B-Class buyers. Mercedes dub the car a Sports Tourer, but despite the great strides in driveability made by the A-Class upon which the B-Class is inspired, ‘sporty’ is perhaps a stretch too far. Still, although it won’t make the cover of evo magazine, the B-Class is nevertheless a quality steer. The petrol line up opens with the 95bhp B150, then there’s a 115bhp B170. Most buyers will instead opt for the diesel-engined models and Mercedes have a pair of options, the entry-level being marked out by the 109bhp B180 CDI and the premier diesel powerplant is that fitted to the 140bhp B200CDI. A manual transmission is the default but all models will be available with an optional Autotronic CVT gearbox.

"Strong build quality, a genuinely upmarket feel and some dizzyingly clever technology…"

The B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction, especially evident when packing one of the more powerful engines. Hill Start Assist is a relatively new function that prevents roll back on steep slopes. There’s even an optional Active Parking Assist system which can parallel park the B-Class for you. Mercedes has worked to sharpen the appeal of the B-Class and the unassuming front end now looks a lot more purposeful thanks to revised headlights and grille. The rear styling has also been tidied up and there are now no models that don’t sport body-coloured mirrors, door handles and skirt panels. The B-Class has always been more about the inside than the outside though. Sit in the back of the B-Class, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. The quality of the interior trims has improved with both seat materials and fascia trims being a lot more in keeping with the Mercedes image. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. The big caveat for many will be the asking price. You’re looking at a premium of between £2,000-£3,000 over comparable models from mainstream manufacturers, a price some will be willing to pay. There will be others of course who will look at these prices, compare them to something like a Renault Scenic or a Focus C-MAX and decide that the gulf is just too large. But Mercedes say that unlike those two apparently obvious rivals, the B-Class doesn’t purport to be a mini-MPV, instead targeting family buyers who would have previously bought something aspirational but practical. Vehicles such as Volkswagen’s Passat, Saab’s 9-3 Sportwagon and Volvo’s V50 would sit squarely within this category. That’s the Mercedes take at least. Equipment levels are fairly generous but it’s the latest features that really pique the attention. Clever touches like crash responsive emergency lighting, flashing brake lights, and improved infotainment systems all mark the B-Class out as something removed from the norm. The optional Active Parking Assist utilises ultrasonic sensors and the car’s stter-by-wire system to manoeuvre the B-Class into a suitable parking space. All the driver need do is control the accelerator and brake. In a bid to further drive down emissions and save fuel, there are now B150 and B170 BlueEFFICIENCY models available to order which feature an ECO start/stop function. This generates fuel savings of up to nine per cent in city traffic, the engine cutting out when the vehicle shifts to neutral at low speeds while depressing the brake pedal. A starter-generator fires the engine back into life far quicker than a conventional starter motor. Fuel economy isn’t bad with the diesel B-Class models, both achieving just over 50mpg on the combined cycle. The B150 petrol model manages 42.8mpg and the B170 is barely any thirstier with 41.5. The automatic gearbox options knock a couple of mpg off these figures. In the final reckoning, the B-Class’ success or failure very much depends on whether customers will swallow the Mercedes party line that goes some way to explaining its pricing premium. After all, a 2.0-litre Renault Scenic, which does the family accommodation thing as well, if not better, will cost around £3.000 less. Of course, the Mercedes is the more aspirational model and will retain a good deal more of that value when the time comes to sell on, but it’s still quite a big ask. If you appreciate quality and don’t mind shelling out, the B-Class shouldn’t disappoint. The latest B-Class differentiates itself further in terms of quality, design and smart engineering that isn’t common in the compact MPV sector but you do pay for the privilege. The interior ambiance, the driving experience and the innovative design all stand out but whether you buy one will come down to how highly you value that three-pointed star on the grille.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes B-Class range PRICES: £18,840-£22,540 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7E-14E CO2 EMISSIONS: 137-175g/km PERFORMANCE: [B170] Max Speed 114mph / 0-62mph 11s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [B180 CDI] (urban) 39.2mpg / (extra urban) 61.4mpg / (combined) 50.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

B LUCKY
The entry-level B-Class comes with a more manageable price but less in the way of an engine. Is the B150 worth a look? Andy Enright reports

Perspective is an odd thing. You’ll probably either view the Mercedes B150 as a very inexpensive Mercedes or a very pricy mini-MPV. The £18,840 asked for the car isn’t a whole hill of beans in Mercedes terms, but it places it up against some very competent rivals, all of whom have a lot more going on under their bonnets. Do you trade bhp for badge equity or should you give the B the bird? In order to make an informed judgement, let’s take a closer look at what you’re getting.

The first thing that will strike most observers is how much bigger the B-Class is than they expect. Pictures seem to show a chunkily compact little thing, but despite the fact that the B150 is a few millimetres shorter than a Ford Focus, it’s tall and reasonably wide. It also tips the scales at 1,300kg which is why the 95bhp engine struggles to move it with any great alacrity. Load the car up with passengers and luggage and performance and economy take a real hit. The trouble is, if you want a car that can haul this amount with reasonable go and which won’t drink like a fish, you’ll need to fork out another £2,000 for the B180 CDI diesel, a hefty undertaking by most standards. Mercedes quote a sprint to 60mph in 13.2 seconds and a top speed of 108mph for the B150, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine sounding a touch thrashy towards the red line. Drive the car a little more responsibly and you should be able to see 42.8mpg on the combined cycle although few will be able to replicate this figure. The engine is rare in offering only two valves per cylinder and the rather paltry torque figure of just 140Nm means that you’ll have to downshift if you’re to make decent progress up long motorway grades. In a bid to further drive down emissions and save fuel, buyers can now opt for a B150 BlueEFFICIENCY model which features an ECO start/stop function. This generates fuel savings of up to nine per cent in city traffic, the engine cutting out when the vehicle shifts to neutral at low speeds while depressing the brake pedal. A starter-generator fires the engine back into life far quicker than a conventional starter motor. Although the engine isn’t anything to get excited about, Mercedes have come a long way in developing compact car chassis since the days when the old A-Class fell over in the ‘elk test’. The B-Class handles tightly and competently, with perfectly placed pedals, very good body control, keen turn-in and brilliantly optimised electronic control systems.

"If the raison d’etre of the B150 is to highlight how good other B-Class models appear, it can be deemed an unqualified success"

Keener drivers may complain about a slight lack of steering feel and fidgety low-speed ride but this is a far better handler than most would give it credit for. Even the basic architecture of the car does a lot to keep the centre of gravity low. There’s far less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B150 enjoys decent front end traction, although the 95bhp rarely troubles the traction control system. Mercedes has worked to sharpen the appeal of the B-Class and the unassuming front end now looks a lot more purposeful thanks to revised headlights and grille. The rear styling has also been tidied up and there are now no models that don’t sport body-coloured mirrors, door handles and skirt panels. The B-Class has always been more about the inside than the outside though. Sit in the back of a B150, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. So why aren’t we all beating a path to our local Mercedes dealer? The big caveat for many will be the asking price. Yes, we’re used to Mercedes charging a premium, but at £18,840 (for either SE or Sport variants), you’ve got to really want one in order to sign the dotted line. Although many will look at these prices, compare them to something like a Renault Scenic or a Focus C-MAX and decide that the gulf is just too large, the B-Class doesn’t purport to be a mini-MPV, instead targeting family buyers who would have previously bought something aspirational but practical. Vehicles such as Volkswagen’s Passat Estate, Saab’s 9-3 Sportwagon and Volvo’s V50 would sit squarely within this category. That’s the Mercedes take at least. Mercedes dub the car a Compact Sports Tourer, but despite the great strides in driveability made by the A-Class upon which the B-Class is inspired, ‘sporty’ is perhaps a stretch too far. Still, although it won’t make the cover of evo magazine, the B150 is nevertheless a decent steer. And a practical one. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the range includes air conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. Front parking sensors should have made the list too, as the front of the car slopes rapidly away and the body-coloured rubbing strips don’t look as if they’d withstand too many scrapes with a concrete bollard before they started to look a little secondhand. The Mercedes B150 would appear to be a car contrived to give the B-Class an attractive lead-in price. Most things unique to this model aren’t particularly noteworthy and the B180 CDI, although £2,000 more expensive, would seem a far better buy. There’s a lot to admire about the B-Class but just not this particular car.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes B150 range PRICE: £18,840 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 7E CO2 EMISSIONS: 158-171g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 108mph / 0-60mph 13.2s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 34.0mpg / (extra urban) 50.4mpg / (combined) 42.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

BIG AND CLEVER
The Mercedes B Class won’t be everybody’s cup of tea but it’s a very smart way of bringing big car qualities to a smaller package. Andy Enright reports on the B170 model

First the good news. Mercedes have put their period of poor interior quality behind them. Sit behind the wheel of a B170 and apart from the nose which dives straight out of view, you could well be at the wheel of a big E-Class saloon or a beefy R-Class Sports Tourer. It features plastics quality that’s so far removed from the normal family hatch fare that it barely stands comparison. The fit and finish is superb and almost smacks of the old school over-engineered Mercedes style. Step out and you’ll think that Mercedes could ask a hefty sum for this car and you’d be tempted to stump for it.

The Germans don’t disappoint. You’ll need £20,130 for an B170 SE and virtually the same amount for the more aggressively-styled Sport variant. The closest rival to the B-Class is probably Ford’s Focus C-MAX, another very well built five seater. Equivalent models retail at around £3,000 less than the Mercedes. So why bother? Try to justify it in purely financial terms and you’ll soon come unstuck. The superior residuals of the Mercedes can’t claw that premium back. If we’re honest, it’s all to do with badge equity. The plain truth is you’ll feel better at the wheel of a Mercedes B-Class than you will if you’ve got a Blue Oval staring back at you and customers will pay for the premium. Nobody likes to be suckered when buying a new car and the cynical may well point out that this so-called brand equity is simply a fancy way for the premium manufacturers to milk their label conscious customers. The reality is that it is, like anything else in the buying process, a transaction and like all transactions, it must fit the laws of supply and demand. Having sampled the B170, I agree that Mercedes will have no problem at all shifting their entire UK allocation. It’s one of those cars you step out of and think, "I want one of them."

"The B170 may be stacked against some very talented opposition but none have quite the same reassuring implacability"

The first thing that will strike most observers is how much bigger the B-Class is than they expect. Pictures seem to show a chunkily compact little thing, but despite the fact that the B170 is a few millimetres shorter than a Ford Focus, it’s tall and reasonably wide. It also tips the scales at 1,300kg and that’s why the B170 makes such a decent choice. The model below this, the B150, has to make do with a weedy 95bhp engine that struggles to move it with any great alacrity. Load the car up with passengers and luggage and performance and economy take a real hit. Savvy customers will realise that the £1,200 or so to trade up to the B170 completely transforms the car’s behaviour. Instead of a 1.5-litre engine that gets to 60mph in 13 seconds, B170 customers get a far punchier 116bhp unit that’ll knock a couple of seconds off the benchmark sprint without compromising fuel economy too seriously. Mercedes quote an average fuel consumption figure of 48.7mpg for the B170 which is quite some showing. If you’re thinking of running one as a premium dual purpose company hack, you’ll be pleased to hear that emissions are rated at just 163g/km. In a bid to further drive down emissions and save fuel, buyers can now opt for a B170 BlueEFFICIENCY model which features an ECO start/stop function. This generates fuel savings of up to nine per cent in city traffic, the engine cutting out when the vehicle shifts to neutral at low speeds while depressing the brake pedal. A starter-generator fires the engine back into life far quicker than a conventional starter motor. On the road? Well, don’t get me wrong, the B-Class is no paragon of driving nirvana, but it’s come a long way since the days of the infamous A-Class elk test. It handles tightly and competently, with perfectly placed pedals, very good body control, keen turn-in and brilliantly optimised electronic control systems. Keener drivers may complain about a slight lack of steering feel and fidgety low-speed ride but this is a far better handler than most would give it credit for. Even the basic architecture of the car does a lot to keep the centre of gravity low. There’s far less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B170 enjoys decent front end traction and the 116bhp output won’t stress the traction control too heavily on dry tarmac. Mercedes has worked to sharpen the appeal of the B-Class and the unassuming front end now looks a lot more purposeful thanks to revised headlights and grille. The rear styling has also been tidied up and there are now no models that don’t sport body-coloured mirrors, door handles and skirt panels. The B-Class has always been more about the inside than the outside though. Sit in the back of a B170, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. Mercedes dub the car a Compact Sports Tourer, but despite the great strides in driveability made by the A-Class upon which the B-Class is inspired, ‘sporty’ is perhaps a stretch too far. Still, although it won’t make the cover of evo magazine, the B170 is nevertheless a decent steer. And a practical one. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the range includes air conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. Front parking sensors should have made the list too, as the front of the car slopes rapidly away and the body-coloured rubbing strips don’t look as if they’d withstand too many scrapes with a concrete bollard before they started to look a little secondhand. Mercedes have got all the basics right with this car but basics don’t tease £20,000 cheques out of customer pockets. The genius in the B-Class lies in the way Mercedes have woven in a durable yet intangible thread of desirability. Making a bulbous 1.7-litre family hatch seem good value for money in this rarefied atmosphere requires some sly machinations and, once again, Mercedes are at the top of their game.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes B170 range PRICES: £20,130-£20,155 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8E CO2 EMISSIONS: 137-175g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 114mph / 0-60mph 11s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 48.7mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

BE MINE?
Stylish family transport in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class offers a quality school run alternative to the usual alternatives. Steve Ghosley takes a look at the B180 CDI…

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is a little hard to define in terms of which sector it belongs to. Is it a compact executive estate, premium compact MPV or prestige family hatchback? Whichever one it is, Mercedes-Benz have made sure that it won’t be found wanting when compared to the best any of these sectors can offer. The B-class represents comfortable, safe, family transport of the highest quality.

Here we examine the entry level diesel model, the B180 CDI, available in SE or Sport trim at identical prices (£20,850). This isn’t cheap and buyers at this level have a vast range of different products within their reach that could perform a similar role. The B180 CDI goes up against some accomplished and very different vehicles but aims to carve a niche out for itself with its own particular set of qualities. The B180 CDI features the three-pointed star’s 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve common-rail injection unit that’s offered with a 6-speed manual ‘box or the new Autotronic self-shifting option. This engine is the less powerful version of the same one found in the B200 CDI. It generates 109bhp compared to the 140bhp generated by its more powerful stablemate. The claimed combined economy of 54.3 mpg is pretty impressive though, given the B-Class’s ample dimensions and a 0-62mph acceleration effort of 11.3 seconds is also to be commended. Top speed is 114mph and that should be plenty, while CO2 emissions of 146g/km place the B180 CDI in a lower tax bracket than the entry-level B150 petrol model. The B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle although the ride is on the firm side. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The diesel engine in the B180 CDI isn’t the most refined unit you’ll encounter, with vibrations in the cabin and noise at higher revs becoming wearing over time but performance is more than adequate. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction and the B180 CDI has little trouble getting its full quota of grunt down onto the tarmac.

"The B-class represents comfortable, safe, family transport of the highest quality "

Mercedes has worked to sharpen the appeal of the B-Class and the unassuming front end now looks a lot more purposeful thanks to revised headlights and grille. The rear styling has also been tidied up and there are now no models that don’t sport body-coloured mirrors, door handles and skirt panels. Standard trim features electronically heated and adjustable door mirrors, front and rear fog lamps, a rear windscreen wiper with intermittent function, a roof mounted aerial, an alarm system with immobiliser including interior protection, air-conditioning, electric front windows, a Mercedes-Benz Audio 20 radio/CD player and a multi-function steering wheel with trip computer. There are also 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, automatic headlights, rain sensing windscreen wipers, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake lever, and rear electric windows. Safety has always been a strong selling point for Mercedes-Benz and the B180 CDI is comprehensively equipped regardless of trim level. Both trim levels feature driver and passenger airbags and side airbags plus curtain airbags for front and rear passengers. There are anti-lock brakes with brake assist plus an electronic stability programme (ESP) with acceleration skid control (ASR). The remote central locking comes with an automatic locking feature and crash sensor. Few cars can match the standard safety features of this B-Class. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The B180 CDI performs and handles competently enough but its greatest strengths are its interior packaging and the Mercedes-Benz build quality which seems to have returned to former glories. The B180 CDI does look expensive in the context of the wider market but everybody knows you pay a premium for the three-pointed star and the excellent fuel economy will at least help you recoup some of your outlay. It may be a tad costly but it is certainly a class act.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes-Benz B180 CDI range PRICE: £20,850 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8E CO2 EMISSIONS: 137-158g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 114mph / 0-62mph 11.3s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [urban] 44.1mpg / [extra urban] 64.2mpg / [combined] 54.3mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

OIL B BACK
Economical diesel power and the family-focused Mercedes B-Class would appear to be a match made in heaven. Steve Walker finds out at the wheel of a B200 CDI model…

We won’t waste any time trying to pigeonhole the Mercedes B-Class into a convenient sector of the market. It’s one of an increasing number of vehicles that defy categorisation by established means so it’s better not to go down that road at all. What is clearer is that, be it a compact executive estate, premium compact MPV or prestige family hatchback, the B-Class is designed to provide practical family transportation. And, like other vehicles of this ilk, it’s well suited to diesel power.

Here we examine the range-topping diesel in the B-Class range, the B200 CDI. Available in either SE or Sport trim at £22,540, it isn’t cheap and buyers at this level have a vast range of different products within their reach that could perform a similar role. An extremely well-specified Renault Grand Scenic dCi would be an option, a BMW 320d Touring wouldn’t be too far out of reach or how about a 2.0 TDi 140bhp Volkswagen Touran along with over £1,000 left in your pocket? The B200 CDI goes up against some accomplished and very different vehicles but aims to carve a niche out for itself with its own particular set of qualities. The engine first and it’s the three-pointed star’s 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve common-rail injection unit that’s offered with a 6-speed manual ‘box or the Autotronic self-shifting option. The claimed combined economy of 52.3 mpg will raise a fair few eyebrows given the B-Class’s ample dimensions and a 0-62mph acceleration effort of 9.6s is also to be commended. Top speed is 124mph and that should be plenty while CO2 emissions of 140g/km place the B200 CDI in a lower tax bracket than the entry-level B150 petrol model. The B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle although the ride is on the firm side. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The diesel engine in the B200 CDI isn’t the most refined unit you’ll encounter with vibrations in the cabin and noise at higher revs becoming wearing over time but performance is more than adequate. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction and the B200 CDI has little trouble getting its full quota of grunt down onto the tarmac.

"…combined economy of 52.3 mpg will raise a fair few eyebrows…"

Mercedes has worked to sharpen the appeal of the B-Class and the unassuming front end now looks a lot more purposeful thanks to revised headlights and grille. The rear styling has also been tidied up and there are now no models that don’t sport body-coloured mirrors, door handles and skirt panels. The B-Class has always been more about the inside than the outside though. Sit in the back of the B200 CDI, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the range includes air-conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. Front parking sensors should have made the list too, as the front of the car slopes rapidly away and the body-coloured rubbing strips don’t look as if they’d withstand too many scrapes with a concrete bollard before they started to look a little second-hand. Mercedes would have us refer to their B-Class as a Compact Sports Tourer but there’s not much that’s sporty about it and so the relaxed nature of the CDI diesel engine suits the car well. The B200 CDI performs and handles competently enough but its biggest strengths are its interior packaging and the Mercedes-Benz build quality which seems to have returned to form in this instance. The 2.0-litre CDI powerplant does look expensive in the context of the wider market but everybody knows you pay a premium for the three-pointed star and the excellent fuel economy will at least help you recoup some of your outlay.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes-Benz B200 CDI range PRICE: £22,540 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 10E CO2 EMISSIONS: 140-165g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 124mph / 0-62mph 9.6s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 41.5mpg / (extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 52.3mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm August 2nd 2008

BIG AND CLEVER
The Mercedes B Class Won’t Be Everybody’s Cup Of Tea But It’s A Very Smart Way Of Bringing Big Car Qualities To A Smaller Package. Andy Enright Reports

First the good news. Mercedes have put their period of poor interior quality behind them. Sit behind the wheel of a B170 and apart from the nose which dives straight out of view, you could well be at the wheel of a big E-Class saloon or a beefy R-Class Sports Tourer. It features plastics quality that’s so far removed from the normal family hatch fare that it barely stands comparison. The fit and finish is superb and almost smacks of the old school overengineered Mercedes style. Step out and you’ll think that Mercedes could ask a hefty sum for this car and you’d be tempted to stump for it.

The Germans don’t disappoint. You’ll need £18,485 for an entry level B170, but most will want a little more equipment and will instead target either the £19,435 SE model or the Range-topping £19,690 Sport variant. The closest rival to the B-Class is probably Ford’s Focus C-MAX, another very well built five seater. Equivalent models retail at around £3,000 less than the Mercedes. So why bother? Try to justify it in purely financial terms and you’ll soon come unstuck. The superior residuals of the Mercedes can’t claw that premium back. If we’re honest, it’s all to do with badge equity. The plain truth is you’ll feel better at the wheel of a Mercedes B-Class than you will if you’ve got a Blue Oval staring back at you and customers will pay for the premium. Nobody likes to be suckered when buying a new car and the cynical may well point out that this so-called brand equity is simply a fancy way for the premium manufacturers to milk their label conscious customers. The reality is that it is, like anything else in the buying process, a transaction and like all transactions, it must fit the laws of supply and demand. Having sampled the B170, I agree that Mercedes will have no problem at all shifting their entire UK allocation. It’s one of those cars you step out of and think, "I want one of them." The first thing that will strike most observers is how much bigger the B-Class is than they expect. Pictures seem to show a chunkily compact little thing, but despite the fact that the B170 is a few millimetres shorter than a Ford Focus, it’s tall and reasonably wide. It also tips the scales at 1,300kg and that’s why the B170 makes such a decent choice. The model below this, the B150, has to make do with a weedy 95bhp engine that struggles to move it with any great alacrity. Load the car up with passengers and luggage and performance and economy take a real hit. Savvy customers will realise that the £1,200 or so to trade up to the B170 completely transforms the car’s behaviour.

"The B170 may be stacked against some very talented opposition but none have quite the same reassuring implacability"

Instead of a 1.5-litre engine that gets to 60mph in 13 seconds, B170 customers get a far punchier 116bhp unit that’ll knock a couple of seconds off the benchmark sprint without compromising fuel economy too seriously. Mercedes quote an average fuel consumption figure of 48.7mpg for the B170 which is quite some showing. If you’re thinking of running one as a premium dual purpose company hack, you’ll be pleased to hear that emissions are rated at just 163g/km. Don’t get me wrong, the B-Class is no paragon of driving nirvana, but it’s come a long way since the days of the infamous A-Class elk test. It handles tightly and competently, with perfectly placed pedals, very good body control, keen turn-in and brilliantly optimised electronic control systems. Keener drivers may complain about a slight lack of steering feel and fidgety low-speed ride but this is a far better handler than most would give it credit for. Even the basic architecture of the car does a lot to keep the centre of gravity low. There’s far less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B170 enjoys decent front end traction and the 116bhp output won’t stress the traction control too heavily on dry tarmac. Sit in the back of a B170, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. Mercedes dub the car a Compact Sports Tourer, but despite the great strides in driveability made by the A-Class upon which the B-Class is inspired, ‘sporty’ is perhaps a stretch too far. Still, although it won’t make the cover of evo magazine, the B170 is nevertheless a decent steer. And a practical one. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the Range includes air conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, Plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. Front parking sensors should have made the list too, as the front of the car slopes rapidly away and the body-coloured rubbing strips don’t look as if they’d withstand too many scrapes with a concrete bollard before they started to look a little secondhand. Mercedes have got all the basics right with this car but basics don’t tease £20,000 cheques out of customer pockets. The genius in the B-Class lies in the way Mercedes have woven in a durable yet intangible thread of desirability. Making a bulbous 1.7-litre family hatch seem good value for money in this rarefied atmosphere requires some sly machinations and, once again, Mercedes are at the top of their game.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes B170 Range PRICES: £18,485 - £19,435 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8E PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 114mph / 0-60mph 11s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 48.7mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

B LUCKY
The Entry-Level B-Class Comes With A More Manageable Price But Less In The Way Of An Engine. Is The B150 Worth A Look? Andy Enright Reports

Perspective is an odd thing. You’ll probably either view the Mercedes B150 as a very inexpensive Mercedes or a very pricy mini-MPV. The £17,235 asked for the car isn’t a whole hill of beans in Mercedes terms, but it places it up against some very competent rivals, all of whom have a lot more going on under their bonnets. Do you trade bhp for badge equity or should you give the B the bird? In order to make an informed judgement, let’s take a closer look at what you’re getting.

The first thing that will strike most observers is how much bigger the B-Class is than they expect. Pictures seem to show a chunkily compact little thing, but despite the fact that the B150 is a few millimetres shorter than a Ford Focus, it’s tall and reasonably wide. It also tips the scales at 1,300kg which is why the 95bhp engine struggles to move it with any great alacrity. Load the car up with passengers and luggage and performance and economy take a real hit. The trouble is, if you want a car that can haul this amount with reasonable go and which won’t drink like a fish, you’ll need to fork out another £2,000 for the B180 CDI diesel, a hefty undertaking by most standards. Mercedes quote a sprint to 60mph in 13 seconds and a top speed of 108mph for the B150, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine sounding a touch thrashy towards the red line. Drive the car a little more responsibly and you should be able to see 42.8mpg on the combined cycle although few will be able to replicate this figure. The engine is rare in offering only two valves per cylinder and the rather paltry torque figure of just 140Nm means that you’ll have to downshift if you’re to make decent progress up long motorway grades. So it’s a dynamic duffer then? Far from it. Although the engine isn’t anything to get excited about, Mercedes have come a long way in developing compact car chassis since the days when the old A-Class fell over in the ‘elk test’. The B-Class handles tightly and competently, with perfectly placed pedals, very good body control, keen turn-in and brilliantly optimised electronic control systems.

"If the raison d’etre of the B150 is to highlight how good other B-Class models appear, it can be deemed an unqualified success"

Keener drivers may complain about a slight lack of steering feel and fidgety low-speed ride but this is a far better handler than most would give it credit for. Even the basic architecture of the car does a lot to keep the centre of gravity low. There’s far less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B150 enjoys decent front end traction, although the 95bhp rarely troubles the traction control system. Sit in the back of a B150, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. So why aren’t we all beating a path to our local Mercedes dealer? The big caveat for many will be the asking price. Yes, we’re used to Mercedes charging a premium, but at £17,235, you’ve got to really want one in order to sign the dotted line. Although many will look at these prices, compare them to something like a Renault Scenic or a Focus C-MAX and decide that the gulf is just too large, the B-Class doesn’t purport to be a mini-MPV, instead targeting family buyers who would have previously bought something aspirational but practical. Vehicles such as Volkswagen’s Passat Estate, Saab’s 9-3 Sportwagon and Volvo’s V50 would sit squarely within this category. That’s the Mercedes take at least. Mercedes dub the car a Compact Sports Tourer, but despite the great strides in driveability made by the A-Class upon which the B-Class is inspired, ‘sporty’ is perhaps a stretch too far. Still, although it won’t make the cover of evo magazine, the B150 is nevertheless a decent steer. And a practical one. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the Range includes air conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, Plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. Front parking sensors should have made the list too, as the front of the car slopes rapidly away and the body-coloured rubbing strips don’t look as if they’d withstand too many scrapes with a concrete bollard before they started to look a little secondhand. The Mercedes B150 would appear to be a car contrived to give the B-Class an attractive lead-in price. Most things unique to this model aren’t particularly noteworthy and the B180 CDI, although £2,000 more expensive, would seem a far better buy. There’s a lot to admire about the B-Class but just not this particular car.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes B150 Range PRICES: £17,235 - £18,185 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7E PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 108mph / 0-60mph 13s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

TO B OR NOT TO B?
Think Of The B-Class As A Bigger, Plusher A-Class And You’re Not Too Far Off The Mark. Andy Enright Reports

Mercedes is company currently enjoying a minor renaissance. Even the most ardent fans of the marque will admit that quality slipped on certain models in the late nineties, but recognising that sales rely on an impression of bomb-proof build quality, the company has got its act together. While it’s easy to make a £90,000 car drip with feel-good factor, Mercedes have latterly shown that its more affordable models are now well up to scratch. Take the B-Class, Mercedes’ take on the five-door family saloon. It’s a small car but feels built like a tank.

Perhaps we should qualify the word ‘small’. Sit in the back of the B-Class, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. So why aren’t we all beating a path to our local Mercedes dealer? The big caveat for many will be the asking price. Yes, we’re used to Mercedes charging a premium, but at £17,235 for the entry-level 95bhp B-Class and £20,685 for the 136bhp 2.0-litre car, you’ve got to really want one in order to sign the dotted line. Although many will look at these prices, compare them to something like a Renault Scenic or a Focus C-MAX and decide that the gulf is just too large, the B-Class doesn’t purport to be a mini-MPV, instead targeting family buyers who would have previously bought something aspirational but practical. Vehicles such as Volkswagen’s Passat, Saab’s 9-3 Sportwagon and Volvo’s V50 would sit squarely within this category. That’s the Mercedes take at least.

"The B-Class marks a return to the sort of quality we demand from Mercedes-Benz"

Mercedes dub the car a Compact Sports Tourer, but despite the great strides in driveability made by the A-Class upon which the B-Class is inspired, sporty is perhaps a stretch too far, even in Range-topping 193bhp 2.0-litre turbo guise. Still, although it won’t make the cover of evo magazine, the B-Class is nevertheless a quality steer. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the Range includes air conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, Plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. Front parking sensors should have made the list too, as the front of the car slopes rapidly away and the body-coloured rubbing strips don’t look as if they’d withstand too many scrapes with a concrete bollard before they started to look a little secondhand. The petrol line up opens with the 95bhp B150, then there’s a 115bhp B170 and a punchy 136bhp B200. Mercedes even offer a 193bhp turbocharged version of this engine which will make 60mph in 7.2 seconds and run onto a top speed of 140mph. Most buyers will instead opt for the diesel-engined models and Mercedes have a pair of Euro IV compliant units, the entry-level being marked out by the109bhp B180 CDI and the premier diesel powerplant is that fitted to the 140bhp B200CDI. A manual transmission is the default gearbox but all models will be available with an optional Autotronic CVT gearbox. Its ‘manual’ mode features seven gears although like a proper automatic, it has a torque converter. The B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction, especially evident when packing one of the more powerful engines. In the final reckoning, the B-Class’ success or failure very much depends on whether customers will swallow the Mercedes party line that goes some way to explaining its pricing premium. After all, a 2.0-litre Renault Scenic, which does the family accommodation thing as well, if not better, will cost around £3.000 less. Of course, the Mercedes is the more aspirational model and will retain a good deal of that value when the time comes to sell on, but it’s still quite a big ask. If you appreciate quality and don’t mind shelling out, the B-Class shouldn’t disappoint.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes B-Class Range PRICES: £17,235-£23,035 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7E-10E [est] PERFORMANCE: [B170] Max Speed 114mph / 0-62mph 11s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [B180 CDi] (combined) 50.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

TIME FOR PLAN B?
The Mercedes B-Class B200 Turbo Is Designed To Appeal To The Young Executive Types. Steve Ghosley Finds Out If It Does…

Mercedes’ B Class is being sold as a ‘compact sports tourer’ by the Germans, rather than a Zafira or Scenic-like mini-MPV. It’s a slice of marketing-speak much easier to swallow in the case of the derivative featured here, the desirable B200 Turbo petrol model. Here’s a people carrier that better-heeled families will doubtless aspire to own but more importantly, it’s also a car that young thirty-something’s without kids who lead an active lifestyle might see themselves driving. Name another MPV you could say that about?

Priced at £23,060, the B200 Turbo is never going to be a cheap option and family buyers at this level have a vast Range of different products within their reach that could perform a similar role. An extremely well-specified Renault Grand Scenic 2.0-litre turbo would be an option, a BMW 320i Touring wouldn’t be too far out of reach or how about a 2.0-litre FSi Volkswagen Touran Sport along with some money left in your pocket? The B200 Turbo goes up against some accomplished and very different vehicles but aims to carve a niche out for itself with its own particular set of qualities. The engine is an all-new 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve turbo-charged and intercooled unit mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. A newly developed, continuously variable Autotronic automatic option is also available. Performance, one of the strong selling points of this car, is impressive. The 0-62mph sprint is achieved in only 7.6s and this amply-proportioned B Class can top 140mph where traffic conditions allow. Mercedes-Benz claim an average economy of 34.9mpg, which isn’t bad for such a high-performance car, and the CO2 emissions figure of 195g/km is in the lower Range of comparable 2.0-litre models. This B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle, although the ride is on the firm side. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The engine in the B200 Turbo is refined and delivers its power smoothly through the rev Range, helped by the turbocharger. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over-zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction and the B200 Turbo has little trouble getting its full quota of grunt down onto the tarmac.

"The B200 Turbo offers a luxury family package with a serious amount of performance"

Sit in the back of the B200 Turbo, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class is only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the Range includes air-conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, Plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. This top of the Range Turbo also features 18-inch AMG five-spoke alloy wheels, stainless steel double exhaust pipes, sports suspension and fog lamps with chrome surrounds. As with all B-Class models, this car’s greatest strengths are its interior packaging and the Mercedes-Benz build quality. Mercedes have taken some flak over recent years regarding the finish and quality of their vehicles, but the B-Class shows that they have started to return to the levels for which they were once famed. The B200 Turbo offers a luxury family package with a serious amount of performance. As with all things Mercedes, nothing comes cheap. Whether they have judged their target market correctly, only time will tell.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo PRICE: £23,060 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 14 CO2 EMISSIONS: 195k/gm PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 140mph / 0-62mph 7.6s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 26.4, (extra urban) 42.8, (combined) 34.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm

OIL B BACK
Economical Diesel Power And The Family-Focused Mercedes B-Class Would Appear To Be A match Made In Heaven. Steve Walker Finds Out…

We won’t waste any time trying to pigeonhole the Mercedes B-Class into a convenient sector of the market. It’s one of an increasing number of vehicles that defy categorisation by established means so it’s better not to go down that road at all. What is clearer is that, be it a compact executive estate, premium compact MPV or prestige family hatchback, the B-Class is designed to provide practical family transportation. And, like other vehicles of this ilk, it’s well suited to diesel power.

Here we examine the Range-topping diesel in the B-Class Range, the B200 CDI. Available solely in Plush SE trim at prices from £21,815, it isn’t cheap and buyers at this level have a vast Range of different products within their reach that could perform a similar role. An extremely well-specified Renault Grand Scenic dCi would be an option, a BMW 320d Touring wouldn’t be too far out of reach or how about a 2.0 TDi 140bhp Volkswagen Touran Sport along with over £1,000 left in your pocket? The B200 CDI goes up against some accomplished and very different vehicles but aims to carve a niche out for itself with its own particular set of qualities. The engine first and it’s the three-pointed star’s 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve common-rail injection unit that’s offered with a 6-speed manual ‘box or the Autotronic self-shifting option. The claimed average economy of 50.4 mpg will raise a fair few eyebrows given the B-Class’s ample dimensions and a 0-62mph acceleration effort of 9.6s is also to be commended. Top speed is 124mph and that should be plenty while CO2 emissions of 146g/km place the B200 CDI in a lower tax bracket than the entry-level B150 petrol model. The B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle although the ride is on the firm side. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The diesel engine in the B200 CDI isn’t the most refined unit you’ll encounter with vibrations in the cabin and noise at higher revs becoming wearing over time but performance is more than adequate. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction and the B200 CDI has little trouble getting its full quota of grunt down onto the tarmac.

"…average economy of 50.4 mpg will raise a fair few eyebrows…"

Sit in the back of the B200 CDI, stretch your legs out and you’ll appreciate that it’s comparable with the amount of room in the back of an S-Class limousine. Only those at the extreme end of the ergonomic scale will have any problems with head or legroom and there’s ample room for three abreast. Despite this, the B-Class breaks the tape at only 4,270mm long. To put that figure into perspective, a Ford Focus measures 4,342mm from bumper to bumper, making this Mercedes something of a packaging marvel. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The dashboard is cleanly designed with a neat mix of contrasting colours and metallic detailing. Standard specification across the Range includes air-conditioning, a four-spoke steering wheel with multifunction buttons, an armrest between the front seats, electric windows and tinted glass, Plus brushed aluminium trim on the fascia, transmission tunnel and door panels. Front parking sensors should have made the list too, as the front of the car slopes rapidly away and the body-coloured rubbing strips don’t look as if they’d withstand too many scrapes with a concrete bollard before they started to look a little second-hand. Mercedes would have us refer to their B-Class as a Compact Sports Tourer but there’s not much that’s sporty about it and so the relaxed nature of the CDI diesel engine suits the car well. The B200 CDI performs and handles competently enough but its biggest strengths are its interior packaging and the Mercedes-Benz build quality which seems to have returned to form in this instance. The 2.0-litre CDI powerplant does look expensive in the context of the wider market but everybody knows you pay a premium for the three-pointed star and the excellent fuel economy will at least help you recoup some of your outlay.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes-Benz B200 CDI Range PRICE: £21,815 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 10E PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 124mph / 0-62mph 9.6s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 39.2, (extra urban) 61.4, (combined) 50.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm March 2nd 2006

BE MINE?
Stylish Family Transport In The Shape Of The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Is Offering A Compelling School Run Alternative To Ubiquitous Alternatives. Steve Ghosley Takes A Look At The B180 CDI…

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class is a little hard to define in terms of which sector it belongs to. Is it a compact executive estate, premium compact MPV or prestige family hatchback? Whichever one it is, Mercedes-Benz have made sure that it won’t be found wanting when compared to the best any of these sectors can offer. The B-class represents comfortable, safe, family transport of the highest quality.

Here we examine the entry level diesel model, the B180 CDI. Available in Standard or Plush SE trim, prices start from £19,235. This isn’t cheap and buyers at this level have a vast Range of different products within their reach that could perform a similar role. The B180 CDI goes up against some accomplished and very different vehicles but aims to carve a niche out for itself with its own particular set of qualities. The B180 CDI features the three-pointed star’s 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 16-valve common-rail injection unit that’s offered with a 6-speed manual ‘box or the new Autotronic self-shifting option. This engine is the less powerful version of the same one found in the B200 CDI SE. It generates 109bhp compared to the 140bhp generated by its more powerful stablemate. The claimed average economy of 50.4 mpg is pretty impressive though, given the B-Class’s ample dimensions and a 0-62mph acceleration effort of 11.3 seconds is also to be commended. Top speed is 114mph and that should be plenty, while CO2 emissions of 146g/km place the B180 CDI in a lower tax bracket than the entry-level B150 petrol model. The B-Class handles neatly enough, with less body roll than you may expect for such a high-sided vehicle although the ride is on the firm side. The electro-mechanical power steering feels a little odd at first, but trust it and it’ll direct the car’s nose accurately. The diesel engine in the B180 CDI isn’t the most refined unit you’ll encounter, with vibrations in the cabin and noise at higher revs becoming wearing over time but performance is more than adequate. The ESP stability control system can feel a little over zealous for real press-on driving but otherwise it’s fairly vice free. With a little more weight to carry around than the equivalent A-Class, the B-Class enjoys better front end traction and the B180 CDI has little trouble getting its full quota of grunt down onto the tarmac.

"The B-class represents comfortable, safe, family transport of the highest quality "

Standard trim features electronically heated and adjustable door mirrors, front and rear fog lamps, a rear windscreen wiper with intermittent function, a roof mounted aerial, an alarm system with immobiliser including interior protection, air-conditioning, electric front windows, a Mercedes-Benz Audio 20 radio/CD player and a multi-function steering wheel with trip computer. The SE trim adds 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, automatic headlights, rain sensing windscreen wipers, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake lever, and rear electric windows. The body trim, both inside and out, is also treated to the Mercedes-Benz ‘Chrome’ makeover. Safety has always been a strong selling point for Mercedes-Benz and the B180 CDI is comprehensively equipped regardless of trim level. Both trim levels feature driver and passenger airbags and side airbags Plus curtain airbags for front and rear passengers. There are anti-lock brakes with brake assist Plus an electronic stability programme (ESP) with acceleration skid control (ASR). The remote central locking comes with an automatic locking feature and crash sensor. Few cars can match the standard safety features of this B-Class. The rear seats all fold flat into the floor and the boot floor can even be raised to offer a flat loading surface. Other clever touches include a front passenger seat that folds forward to permit long loads and slots next to the rear doors to allow seat belts to be stowed safely out of the way when loading and unloading. The centre rear seat back can also pop forward, offering an armrest with a neat pair of cupholders when travelling four-up. The driving position is undeniably sporty. The wheel sits almost vertical and your legs stretch forward into a deep footwell. It almost feels like sitting in a jacked-up Lotus Elise but for the interior quality. In order to best appreciate the great strides Mercedes have made with the B-Class, acquaint yourself with, say, an old A-Class or an early M-Class model. Open the glove box and observe how the hinges look only marginally more expensive than a CD case. Pull at the floppy plastics of the lower dash. Marvel at how Mercedes had the chutzpah to put a plastic gearchange selector in the M-Class that wouldn’t pass muster in a Kia. The B-Class isn’t quite back to the over-engineered Benzes of the Seventies, but it’s as good as anything else out there in terms of perceived quality. Not only that, but the interior aesthetics are, to this eye at least, a lot happier than those in the latest BMW and Audi offerings. The B180 CDI performs and handles competently enough but its greatest strengths are its interior packaging and the Mercedes-Benz build quality which seems to have returned to former glories. The B180 CDI does look expensive in the context of the wider market but everybody knows you pay a premium for the three-pointed star and the excellent fuel economy will at least help you recoup some of your outlay. It may be a tad costly but it is certainly a class act.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Mercedes-Benz B180 CDI Range PRICES: £19,235 - £20,185 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8E PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 114mph / 0-62mph 11.3s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [urban] 39.2mpg / [extra urban] 61.4mpg / [combined] 50.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags / ABS / ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4270/1777/1604mm