2005 Mercedes-Benz B200 Reviews

From time to time you may have read my mutterings that fashion takes precedence over function in cars far too often. Which is why I admire the Mercedes-Benz B-Class so much, it's a major case of function pushing fashion aside. It is immensely practical, with a spacious interior (you need a large Mercedes S-Class to get more rear legroom), a tall seating position that provides good visibility, and variable luggage space that can be tailored in many ways.Mercedes-Benz B-Class is smaller on the outside than most compact SUVs so easier and safer to drive, as well as being lighter and therefore more economical and cleaner.Access to the rear seats through wide opening doors is excellent. As befits any mover, the Merc has numerous stowage areas including a handy centre console and sensible door pockets.The B-Class was launched in Australia in May 2005. Some are getting on in years, but with good maintenance and sensible driving should still have plenty of life left in them. As befits such a sensible vehicle it remained on sale for almost seven years, albeit with upgrades and a mild facelift until April 2012 when an all-new model was launched.Petrol, turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines are on offer, with the turbo-petrol units providing performance that can almost be called sporting in the latest, 2012, generation.There's a solid, quiet, refined feel in the Benz B-Class that belies it size. It's not quite as quiet and smooth to ride in as the larger Merc sedans, but it comes impressively close.Handling is pretty good for a mid-sized front-wheel-drive car, with decent balance, and minimal understeer at normal speeds. Exceed sensible cornering efforts and it remains controllable, with electronic aids moving in to help when required.These small Benzes aren't cheap in absolute terms, but you do get some excellent engineering and good build quality. Many owners are happy to pay thousands extra so they can be seen sitting behind that famed three-pointed star.Mercedes-Benz is well represented in almost all areas of areas of Australia, even in the far outback as diesel Mercedes cars have been a favourite with Aussie farmers for decades.Many owners get all their work done at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. These cars generally fetch higher prices than ones serviced elsewhere. You may pay more in the first place, but recoup your cash when it comes time to trade-in time.This isn't really the sort of car you should attempt to work on yourself, though a good home handyperson can do some of the routine service work.A correctly driven and maintained Mercedes B-Class should have plenty of life left in it, but it's still best to have one inspected by a Mercedes mechanic.If you find what appears to have been major repairs to the body either pass it up altogether or book it in for an after-crash inspection at a reputable panel repairer.Check the interior, particularly the rear seats and the luggage area for signs of rough and ready use.Before going for your test drive try and arrange for the engine to be completely cold, after an overnight stop is ideal. Make sure the engine starts easily and idles smoothly within a few seconds of kicking over.Check the engine never shows any signs of hesitation to your push on the throttle pedal. Also, that it pulls easily and strongly even on hills and with a load on board.

The Mercedes B-Class is an exceptionally practical vehicle built on a stretched version of the Mercedes A-Class platform. The release of an all-new model in March 2012 has generated added interest to those on the used-car market.A taller than average five-door hatchback, the B-Class has a huge amount of interior space, with almost as much legroom in the rear as in the big S-Class Mercedes. The B-Class’s front seats are large and well shaped and provide good support. There's plenty of space for two big Aussie males in the rear and three children will have stretch out room.The boot is bigger and more useable than that of many much larger cars. Not only is it huge, the luggage area is very versatile, and you can even create an almost van-like interior by removing every seat but the driver’s. The removable seats are an extra-cost option so may not be fitted to the one you’re examining.We wouldn’t go as far as to call the B-Class a ‘sports tourer’, as Mercedes has tagged it at times, but it does have a reasonably sleek style in its class.Petrol, turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines are all on offer, with the turbo-petrol units providing performance that can be called sporting without using too much imagination.The manual gearbox comes as a five or six-speed unit, but isn’t particularly common. Mercedes also gives you the choice of a continuously variable transmission that has seven manually-selectable preset ratios for use in specific driving conditions.There's a solid, quiet, refined feel in the new Benz B-Class that belies it size. It’s not quite as quiet and smooth to ride in as the larger Merc sedans, but it comes impressively close.Handling in the B-Class is very good for a mid-sized front-wheel-drive car, with decent balance, and minimal understeer at normal speeds. Backed up by Mercedes' inbuilt electronic stability program, this is one of the safest cars in its class size.These aren't cheap cars in absolute terms, but you do get some excellent engineering and there are a host of luxury and safety features. Of course, you do pay several thousand extra dollars for the privilege of sitting behind that three-pointed star, but many think it’s worth the money.Mercedes-Benz is well represented in almost all areas of areas of Australia, even in the far outback as diesel Mercedes have been a favourite with Aussie farmers for generations.This isn’t really the sort of car you should attempt to work on yourself, though a good home handyperson can do some of the routine service work. It’s common for owners to get all their work done at authorised Mercedes-Benz dealerships and these cars generally fetch higher prices than cars serviced elsewhere. You may pay more in the first place, but recoup your cash when it comes time to trade in your ‘serviced by Mercedes’ car.WHAT TO LOOK FORA correctly driven and maintained Mercedes B-Class is unlikely to have any faults, but it’s still best to have one inspected by a senior engineer at your motoring club.Take a good walk around the car checking for signs of damage to the bumper corners, the wheel rims (the front left is the one that generally suffers at the hands of poor parkers), and the door panels at their widest sections.If you find what appears to have been major repairs to the body either pass it up altogether or book it in for an after-crash inspection at a reputable panel repairer.Check the interior, particularly the rear seats and the boot for evidence of harsh use.Before going for your test drive try and arrange for the engine to be completely cold, after an overnight stop is ideal. Make sure the engine starts easily and idles smoothly within a few seconds of kicking over.Check the engine pulls easily and strongly even on hills and with a load on board. And that it never shows any signs of hesitation.CAR BUYING TIPCars with prestigious badges can be driven just as badly as those from the lowliest on the image stakes. Don’t fall for the fancy badge, have it fully inspected.

If the Mercedes-Benz A-Class suited young singles and couples without kids starting out in life along with older couples at the other end of the journey whose kids had fled the nest, the B-Class was the car for couples in the midst of family life.The B-Class was a logical extension of the A-Class concept, a larger version of the small peoplemover capable of hauling a tribe of kids to school, sports days or wherever they need to go.Outwardly it looked like an A-Class, there was the same upright stance, the same sloping front, and the same sweeping roof, but it was longer. That extra length was used to create a roomy and versatile interior that was perfect for its intended use.At launch there were two models, the B200 and the B200 Turbo, but they were joined a few months later by the B180 diesel. All were five-door, front-wheel drive hatches cum wagons capable of accommodating five adults and packed with features and safety equipment. Mercedes offered a choice of two 2.0-litre petrol engines, one of them turbocharged for extra zip, and a frugal 2.0-litre turbodiesel.All engines could be had with a Continuously Variable Transmission, CVT, which was the auto choice, or that could be with either five or six-speed manuals. The manual 'boxes were generally praised for the their ease of use, but the CVT copped some flak for being sluggish and unresponsive.On the road the B-Class demonstrated good grip and nice chassis balance, but for a more sporty drive there was a sports suspension package available as well. All models were well equipped with all the standard features wanted in a car today, including air, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, cloth trim, fog lamps, alloy wheels, central locking and CD sound.IN THE SHOPAnyone buying a Mercedes-Benz needs to do so in full knowledge that servicing and parts come at a premium, which makes it important to seek out a specialist who can service your car, and source parts, at a more economical rate. When checking a car prior to purchase test all the gadgets to make sure they work, fixing them later can cost a motza. If you're unsure get a mechanic to help you.Check for a service record, as like all engines, Mercedes-Benz powerplants suffer when forced to run on dirty oil. Also check for panel damage, particularly around the front, which is hard to see and can make it hard to judge when parking. Also check the interior for the damage that can naturally occur when transporting kids.IN A CRASHFive stars from ANCAP say it all. The B-Class is well geared for a   crash with front, side and curtain airbags, plus ABS brakes and ESP stability control.UNDER THE PUMPFor economy the diesel delivers to the tune of 6.2 L/100 km on   average and the pick of the B-Class bunch. The petrol engines deliver 7.2 L/100 km (non-turbo) and 7.9 L/100 km (turbo), and what's more 'Benz says they can handle E10.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $47,400 to $51,400Engines: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel, 80 kW/250 Nm; 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 100 kW/185 Nm; 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder, 142 kW/280 NmTransmissions: CVT auto, 6-speed manual, 5-speed manualEconomy: 6.2 L/100 km (B180 CDI), 7.2 L/100 km (B200), 7.9 L/100 km (B200 Turbo)Body: 5-door hatchbackVariants: B180 CDI, B200, B200 TurboSafety: 5-star ANCAP

Basically it's a case of name your wagon when it comes to the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class.The people from the three-pointed star badge call it a Sports tourer.Their marketing campaign claims... "Same star. Different planet. The new Compact Sports Tourer".Different planet all right.Where do you begin to describe the B-Class and just what the devil is it and what are its competitors?It is crystal clear that Mercedes-Benz identified some time ago that people were prepared to part company with a little extra for a little extra, no matter what the vehicle segment. And they then began to build cars, regardless of segment, that are in a premium position."The B-Class, given the platform which exists with A-Class and the desire for a car which is a bit bigger (than A-Class) is a niche we're willing to fill," said Mercedes-Benz senior manager of corporate communications, Toni Andreevski.A perusal of the B-Class gives you the distinct impression, initially at least, that it is really a hatchback, albeit with Benz quality, charm and functionality.This long hatch comes initially with the choice of a standard B200 and B200 turbo.A 180 or 200 CDi diesel will follow in the second quarter of next year which is expected to trigger a lot of sales activity.At the recent launch the B200 with the creamy CVT transmission offered the cosy ride qualities carried over from the new and impressive A-Class.It handles adeptly which is helped by the fact that the engine and transmission are placed lower down, the sandwich concept taken from the A-Class helping not only in safety but in driving dynamics.The B200 delivers 100kW of power and 185Nm, nothing huge to write home about, but it is quite refined even when the stress levels rise and maximum revs are required for more urge.It is quite a predictable mover with crisp steering via the electro-mechanical set-up where power regulated assistance is matched to road speed.The transmission is clever and smooth with the Autotronic principle operating the continuously variable transmission (CVT) concept.There are two settings to the shift characteristics: C for comfort keeping the engine accelerating gently at low speeds, while S for sport mode lifts the revs for more aggressive changes.The transmissions also adopt the sideways manual shift whereby the driver can nudge the lever either away or towards them to change up or down.In turbo-spec the B-Class obviously gains a fair modicum of torque — 280Nm available from as low as 1800rpm through to 4850rpm.There is 142kw of power, almost 50 per cent more than the standard.On greasy surfaces and even on a dry surface on a cool day, the turbo seemed to scrabble for front-end grip and when all's said and done, the standard was probably the pick of the pair.It was lively enough when the driver need to call on more reserves and it seemed to have more useable power.Quality and functionality are top of the tree and the ride quality shines. There is plenty of leg, shoulder and headroom, and build quality is well matched to the badge.With the optional Easy Vario system — whereby the front passenger seat can be removed along with the three rear seat backrests and the standard height-adjustable rear luggage floor — the B-Class is a triumph in form and function.While it remains a perplexing new badge on the showroom floor, the B-Class is yet another way into the Benz moniker.The good thing is that as with most pioneering projects from the Stuttgart star, the B-Class is no dud. You might still ask why they've created such a niche but the bottom line is: why not?