B200 Mercedes

[PrairieBoy]

I have friend who is interested in possibly buying a used B200.I know Mike T owns one.I would appreciate it if Mike T and/or anyone else would post their opionons of ownership of this car ,both good and bad.Any and ALL coments .or opinions would be appreciated.Thankyou!!

[deezle]

There is about 14 pages of discussion about it. Here's the link to page 4 of that, but various aspects of it are discussed in some prior pages as well.

[smartzuuk]

They are selling really well in Canada... I drove one, it was a 6 speed turbo. First impression - awesome car. Fit, finish, handling, all way above average. Can't speak for the CVT.

[PrairieBoy]

Thank Deezle!

[PrairieBoy]

I havn't read all the B200 info yet, but i'm more interested in hearing from those who have LIVED with the car for a while .

[MikeT]

It's been great since the leaking sunroof was fixed a few months after I got the car. It was a fluke problem and it's been fine ever since. Decent looking hatchback, tons of room and I would recommend it if you don't mind the price premium. 41,000+ km so far.

[PrairieBoy]

Thanks for that Mike. I'm personally not a big fan of sun-roofs that open. They do tend to leak when they get old, as the one on my 1981 Cadillac does.I put a thin layer of silicone sealant over the sunroof's gasket to try to stop leaks.Unfortunately this did not stop the water from getting into the interior.The headliner is now water damaged and neads to be replaced.The water could be getting in through a bad windshield seal, or perhaps from under the padded limo type roof. The rest of the interior is beautiful. The back seat has never been used, or so it would seem.

[Nextourer]

The CVT is ok on the NA model. The manual mode is worthless and I couldn't really tell the difference between Comfort and Sport mode (the C/S button) but if you just leave it as it is in D, it works fine. It's a nice car, great seating position, comfortable seats, quiet and handles decently well. Of course the turbo is faster but I thought that the CVT didn't match the turbo very well and it would be better matched with the manual transmission.

[darren]

I've driven one a few times for extended periods as a loaner from M-B Oakville. They're quite nice. The size and seating position makes it feel more like a micro-van than a hatchback. The space is fantastic. The CVT is pretty awful... it just drones on and on. The 2.0 engine is adequate, but the vehicle really shines with the turbo. But you pay for that at the pump. I find the vehicle to be a little softly sprung... it leans quite a bit in corners, and isn't as stable in strong winds as i'd like it to be. I think it would really benefit from the addition of the Sport package, which gives it bigger wheels, lower-profile tires and a stiffer suspension.I find the ergonomics are a little questionable in places. The onboard computer and steering wheel controls are absurdly complicated and present the driver with a lot of pretty useless information. I was dumbfounded by the fact that there's no instantaneous fuel economy readout. And even more dumbfounded that if you had the fuel economy up on the display, you couldn't change radio stations or CD tracks with the steering wheel without flipping through menus to get into the audio mode first, which requires the driver to take their eyes off the road. Really poor user interface design.I disliked that the dash had a full numeric keypad and dedicated phone buttons for a phone integration kit that's not offered in North America. And i REALLY disliked the position of the turn signal lever and the stupid cruise control stalk. The turn signal lever is positioned too low, just barely out of reach (my pinky can JUST reach it when my hands are in the 10/3 positions) requiring me to move my hand every time i wanted to signal. In a hurry, i would often hit the cruise control lever instead. Again, poor ergonomics. And the cruise control offers ZERO visual feedback to the driver... even a light on the dashboard to indicate that it's engaged would be nice. I often had no idea if it was actually responding to my inputs or not.It's a nice car, and if you can live with its idiosyncrasies, it's a very versatile and well-built vehicle, with few real competitors in Canada. When we were shopping for a replacement for our aging VW Golf, the B-class was on our short list... until we drove one.

[fast316]

The only problems I've seen is no blockheater and the CVT doesn't like cold weather much. other than that great little cars, very practicle.

[Duck]

I can never figure out the dashboard instrumentation/buttons on the steering wheel. It drives me insane, but overall I think it's a fantastic car. My one buddy Calum always scoffs at it saying it's overpriced but the thing is that it's quality, dead silent inside, and it's tight... I think it's a great car. Just has quirks. I too don't understand the numeric keypad at all!-Iain

[MikeT]

+1: the CVT is god awful with the non-turbo. With the turbo it is acceptable (barely IMO).

[spinner]

Harsh, tossing ride, like being on the end of a metronome needle. Rear bench seats are hard as a wooden bench. Side mirrors are too low. The controls are unintuitive. It doesn't make sense to require premium gas. If the B is too low class or too uncomfortable for you, then have a look at the GLK.

[biggreenbooga]

Harsh, tossing ride, like being on the end of a metronome needle. Rear bench seats are hard as a wooden bench. Side mirrors are too low. The controls are unintuitive. It doesn't make sense to require premium gas. If the B is too low class or too uncomfortable for you, then have a look at the GLK.

I found this...I'm not sure if it was because it was a taxi... but the one I went it had the most pounding ride in the back seat. Worse than my smart. It was pounding.... yet the car floated over the road at the same time.I think they look nice though.... just not sure about the ride quality.

[spinner]

Furthermore, and consistent with Mercedes-Benz Canada's level of support on the smart, parts won't be stocked and will require overseas shipping. Every problem will be two visits if it requires a replacement part.

[FlyingTigerDevelopment]

Had a 200 Turbo 6-speed for two years. Upgraded to 250hp with wheels and suspension to match. Premium vehicle in it's class in North America. Very practical and versatile. Can do 250km/h in the wet. Sporty feel. Mercedes-Benz quality and engineering at its lowest tear. Suspension and steering takes some getting used to. Great all around car. Cannot compare to any lower priced Japanese. Tonnes cargo space against it's nearest rival A3 and 1-series.

[Duck]

Gah it's nice (have one again as a loaner). I can't believe how quiet and just RELAXING and zero stress it is. It just goes... quietly... smoothly.-Iain

[spinner]

Great all around car. Cannot compare to any lower priced Japanese.

Indeed... I think. Huh?THERMOTRONIC on the B200 (non-Turbo) is a joke! It's just a thermostat, and an ineffective one at that. Driver has to constantly tweak the fan and other settings to get what they want. A/C can't be toggled with the A/C switch -- what were those crazy German engineers thinking? This will probably lead to a mold and mildew (smelly ventilation) problem.Whereas the auto climate control on the Honda Civic Hybrid or the Acura CSX -- both vehicles priced less than the B -- is as smart and automated as one could ever want, which makes it much less of a distraction to the driver. It has no problem with you telling it to force the A/C on or off. It just works around those parameters.

[lebikerboy]

Edited by mod for spring cleaning.

Edited April 28, 2009 by deezle

[MikeT]

THERMOTRONIC is not what the non-turbo B 200 has. But I won't say what it is, because..... well just because.Edited by mod for spring cleaning.

Edited April 28, 2009 by deezle

[spinner]

It's not just the dealership that is calling it something more than it is -- see attached image:... dual-zone even!(updated post to fix attachment)

Edited April 22, 2009 by spinner

[lebikerboy]

Thermotronic and Thermatic are two totally different systems but you don't seem to be aware of that...

[spinner]

Edited by mod for spring cleaning.

Edited April 28, 2009 by deezle

[lebikerboy]

Edited by mod for spring cleaning.

Edited April 28, 2009 by deezle

[spinner]

Other issues: Chrome trim running the length of the front dashboard looks nice but it catches the sun and blinds you; And, coin holder in glove box doesn't because of road bumps, and fishing out coins can be bad if they fall through the crack where it pivots. I see these as faults in design, particularly in regard to a lack of experience.

Edited April 27, 2009 by spinner