b class

[Rory]

But if that is not tasty enough, take the 1.5% HP deal which I doubt even Rory would find hard to grumble about.

Seriously, the first thing I would think about is *why* has it got a 1.5% APR HP deal.

I'm sure I read on here that lots are being used as Taxis in Germany to replace E Class (as they're so roomy). Well I was in Munich for a few days recently so I looked out for them and I didn't see a single one. Great lines of E's (and the odd 5 series and random other car) but no B Class taxis.

 

[rhud]

I really like the B Class - but the price differential over an A with reasonable (but not excessive) specification is what I suspect puts people off. You are getting a bigger boot for your money,but not much else. The fact that the A is so relatively roomy is a bit of a body blow to the B.

 

[S80]

Not many B-classes around here at all (Cambs).

I must have seen about three, and TBH I didn't think it looked any different to many other Euro MPVs :neutral:

Some of which - particularly the Citroën C4 Picasso - offer as much for less £££.

No three-pointed cachet, of course - if that's important.

 

[hawk20]

Not many B-classes around here at all (Cambs).

I must have seen about three, and TBH I didn't think it looked any different to many other Euro MPVs :neutral:

Some of which - particularly the Citroën C4 Picasso - offer as much for less £££.

No three-pointed cachet, of course - if that's important.

Miles more legroom in the B class. Miles.

 

[hawk20]

Seriously, the first thing I would think about is *why* has it got a 1.5% APR HP deal.

.

Because there is the worst recession since the thirties. And it is not just on the B class. ML and others have similar offers. For those who can this is an unparallelled time to buy a car.

The B class is dear but it is unlike any other car. Apart from being a hatchback, which offers versatility and which many people like (more than choose saloons BTW), its big advantage is that it offers S class space in a car about the size of a Golf. My wife dubbed it 'an S class you can park'. For those who like space, or need space, it has no equal amongst parkable medium sized cars. Also scores very highly on safety. There's something very appealing about having the benefits of a hatchback, the space of an S class, the parkability of a Golf and 50 miles per gallon to boot. Yes it is expensive. And that puts some off. Good. MB's were never meant to be either cheap or as common as a 3 series.

Oh, and as for the boot, while the Golf has one of the smallest boots in its class at around 350 litres, the B class has an S class sized boot at over 500 litres.

 

[Rory]

The B class is dear but it is unlike any other car.

I think it's quite a lot like the Honda FRV, but Honda have just announced they're going to cease production of it. And FRV had the advantage that it could seat 6 if needed.

 

[hawk20]

I think it's quite a lot like the Honda FRV, but Honda have just announced they're going to cease production of it. And FRV had the advantage that it could seat 6 if needed.

Not in terms of legroom. No Honda I've ever been in has the legroom the MB normally offer. Even the CRV I had needed a Recaro seat fitted to get proper thigh support as the seat would not go back far enough. New one is just the same.

 

[mastereng]

Just to add a comment on what Mercedes are doing with the B Class in the UK, I saw a brand new one coming through our local village and to my surprise it pulled over and stopped (I was out walking the dog). When the window was wound down, the American accent asked me for directions to the airport. Clearly a car load of tourists in a hire car. So are MB doing with the B Class what they did with the original A Class and dumping them into the rental fleets?

 

[S80]

hawk - do you have long legs, by any chance?

I'm sure that, for many people, legroom is not the sole criterion used for car selection!

 

[rf065]

I'm sure that, for many people, legroom is not the sole criterion used for car selection!

Can't say I noticed all this extra room when I last drove a B Class, if it has more than a S Class then they must be pretty poor or it is being measured in a flattering manner to make it sound bigger than it is. I did not think the boot was extra large either as we keep being told.

Russ

 

[Rory]

Can't say I noticed all this extra room when I last drove a B Class, if it has more than a S Class then they must be pretty poor or it is being measured in a flattering manner to make it sound bigger than it is. I did not think the boot was extra large either as we keep being told.

Oh no. I should don a hard hat if I where you.

 

[S80]

Oh no. I should don a hard hat if I where you.

Are you telling us the roofline is low, also? :lol:

 

[hawk20]

hawk - do you have long legs, by any chance?

I'm sure that, for many people, legroom is not the sole criterion used for car selection!

No. But if you need it, you do need it. So it is a crucial factor for some. Just as a friend of mine who is tall in the body cannot get in many cars without his head touching the roof. For him they are useless, however good in other ways. Car makers make big cars because some people need them as well as those who like them. The B class is uniquely big inside for the size it is outside. Some need or want that benefit. You must admit it is unusual to have S class space in a medium sized car. And nice.

 

[hawk20]

Oh no. I should don a hard hat if I where you.

Take a tape measure. Science not subjective views.

Read Autocar review which says what I have said that the legroom is equal to an S class, front and rear.

Or sit in the front seat, push the seat right back, and bet you, you can't reach the pedals well enough to drive. (Unless you are very long-legged indeed).

Bootspace is scientifically measured to a European formula and whether you like it or not it has 500 litres on that measure. A Golf has 350. An S class also has about 500 litres. And being a hatchback, remember, means you can fold the seats down and use all the space up to the front seats. You may not want that. I may not want that. But many people find this advantage of hatchbacks very appealing.

 

[hawk20]

Here are three quotes from Autocar in reviews on the B class: -

1. First, it’s very spacious. The engine and transmission sit partly in front of and beneath the passenger cell and slide out of harm’s way in the event of a frontal impact. The long wheelbase (2778mm) is a big help here: the edges of the rear wheels are pushed right back to the vertical tailgate line, which means outstanding overall legroom for a car that’s 270mm shorter than a C-class saloon.

2. In the front, the driver’s seat and steering wheel have a huge range of travel and make it easy to tailor a comfortable driving position.

3. Here the B-class starts to get its act together. Spend any time at all in the cabin and you’ll see that it possesses a quality and ambience quite beyond that of any small MPV from a less prestigious manufacturer. So often in the past we’ve been critical of Mercedes interiors, but this one shows that Mercedes still knows what it takes to reclaim its once unquestioned position as the highest quality producer of mass-market cars out there.
There’s an excellent driving position, seriously classy instruments and a fascia laid out pretty much as well as anyone could reasonably hope. The B-class is spacious too, offering fine head and leg room front and rear for the whole family. And it doesn’t stop there – look in the boot and even with the rear seat in place there’s an impressive 504 litre capacity. Drop the back seats down and you’ll soon see that if your choice is between this and a C-class estate and carrying capacity is important, then it is to the B-class that you must turn.

 

[hawk20]

I would tend to avoid the auto's as the suffer with torque converter issues and the cost to replace is horrendus as the engine is often removed.

Can beat a manual B-class.

My local dealer has not heard of any of these problems. And I've seen none in recent threads.

The B class only comes with manual or a CVT auto box. I thought CVT boxes did not have a torque converter. I'm no techie, sadly, but this is the site which gives the easiest to follow examples of how these boxes work for those like me who like a simple explanation and good pictures
CVT gearboxes How they work

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cvt1.htm

Absolutely brilliant.

BTW although front-drive cars are usually more difficult to repair than rear drive cars, on the A and B the engine drops pretty easily and the fixed repair times at an MB dealer for say a clutch change are only a bit over 1 hour longer on an A or B class than they are on a rear-engined C class.

 

[rf065]

Oh no. I should don a hard hat if I where you.

I think I got away with it. :lol:

Russ

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I think I got away with it. :lol:

Russ

I'd keep a low profile Russ.

 

[PeterCLK]

Did CVT boxes start life in the DAF 66?

 

[hawk20]

Did CVT boxes start life in the DAF 66?

1490 - da Vinci sketches a stepless continuously variable transmission
1886 - first toroidal CVT patent filed
1935 - Adiel Dodge receives U.S. patent for toroidal CVT
1939 - fully automatic transmission based on planetary gear system introduced
1958 - Daf (of The Netherlands) produces a CVT in a car
1989 - Subaru Justy GL is the first U.S.-sold production automobile to offer a CVT
2002 - Saturn Vue with a CVT debuts; first Saturn to offer CVT technology

Now Mercedes Lexus, Ford and many others use them.