USED Mercedes-Benz B-Class MPV (05 - 12)

My car

As of today, I have clocked up 39,000 miles on my vehicle over 18 months.

I chose this car as 'something a bit different' for travelling all over the UK as part of my job, having previosuly driven a BMW 320D Touring, Saab 95 Estate and VW Passat Estate 1.8T.

No major problems to report. 'See you home' rev limiter has cut in twice since having the vehicle, which was easily reset by pulling over and turning off the engine for a few seconds - Merecedes could find no fault back then but it has not re-occured for 12 months+. Seems to get through more engine oil than any car I have had previously - an extra litre is added between services.

I thought the sports package firmed the suspension up nicely to give me a better feel for the road, as I probably drive this car harder than other (more typical?) B class drivers I seen on the road. This package also gave me nicer alloys and more wrap-around front seats to keep me in my place. Fuel economy runing at approx. 49 miles per gallon, which is acceptable.

Servicing intervals are fairly short.

Slightly elevated position gives a good view of the road ahead and helps give you more confidence when in amongst trucks and 'Chelsea tanks'.

Suprpised to hear that many others are having problems with noise, as my one has no such problems and cruises with a very comfortable noise level.

Overall I am satisfied with the car and recommend it, but I would probably go back to BMW as the 320D Touring was perfect for me.

My car

well packaged, quick & frugal. However, we have had a rattle coming through throttle pedal, since we purchased sept 06. apparently this is normal. as so many reviews say the same, guess it must be! i would recommend it? yes, but petrol, much more smoother

My car

I drive into London and therefore I have changed my car from the VW Touareg V6 TDI to the Mercedes B200 TDI... I couldn't quite manage the Prius this time round.

Other than the obvious differences, you can't fault the quality interior space and specification, with the boot size being exactly the same. You sit reasonably high up, somewhere in between a standard car and a Touareg, so you have good visibility.

My only criticisms would be the turning circle, which seems smaller than I've been used to, and there is too much slack on the steering wheel, so around town this is slightly annoying, along with a little bit more noise from the engine than the Touareg. On a more positive note, the automatic is unbelievably smooth with no sense of gearchange. Acceleration is a little slow, but that's what you have to give up when moving to category 'C' for carbon dioxide emissions and surprisingly good fuel consumption.

My family all enjoyed the Touareg and from my perspective, it was one of the most exciting cars I have driven, but I don't feel unhappy with the B200 CDI. The compromise is compensated by 'best in class' fittings, safety features and styling with no heavy aroma of cheap plastics. After reading some reviews with some nervousness, I've come to the conclusion that Mercedes need to invest a little more in PR as from my experience the reviews bear little or no resemblance to the car I'm now driving... so far!

My car

I have owned this car for 5 months. It is not that pricey if taking into account what you DON'T get: noise, cramped space, poor road holding. Of course, it is a compromise but it is quite a good one. I tried VW Golf, Touran, Toyota Verso, Audi 4, BMW 3 Touring etc. befor landing on the B class. It is good for a family of three. We like the high seating, the long-distance comfort, the nice interior but are less pleased with the wide turning radius and the narrow boot. Most annoying to us, however, is the fact that you are restricted to M-B's own child seats, which only face forward. This is sub-standard to a Scandinavian parent. The statistics show that a child should face backwards as long as possible for highest safety.