Long story short, I met some friends downtown, we drank alcohol, it rained and was all of a sudden freezing cold and I had no jacket... so I didn't walk home but took a taxi. Managed to sneak this shot.
Anyway, I wasn't expecting this car to be so A) Refined, and B) Comfortable.
When comparing it to my dad's E350 CGI the ride comfort of this car was pretty impressive. The suspension was pretty quiet overall and also comfortable, but not boaty or floatish in feel. I remember the first generation B-Classes which I drove and they literally road like 1970s Cadillacs... This one? Felt like a sports car! The seats were pretty plush and soft (and had MB Tex) but offered decent side support).
The driver said the car is a 2014 model. When I glanced at the dashboard this car had just reached 200,000 km (124,274 miles) on it, and the engine was smooth and quiet. No, really quiet. Really, really quiet. And it was a diesel! I had to look twice to check the RPM dial... it's a diesel. It didn't sound or feel like one at all. I don't know if these things get better (quieter) with age, or if Mercedes' has some pretty impressive sound deadening and reducing insulation in the engine/cabin compartment, but whatever it is... impressive! There were also hardly any vibrations. In fact I didn't feel any despite trying to.
The automatic transmission was smooth, quiet and not noticeable at all. Typical modern Mercedes'.
Interior quality was typical of the A-, CLA- and GLA-Class range; good without being too fancy. It's a good quality cabin but does not blow you away like the C-Class cabin does. That being said, I'm not a dashboard fetishist and don't go feeling or touching the interior at every stoplight, and my BMW 118i cabin is noticeably "cheaper" than this...
Overall, I came away with a very positive impression of the car. I think this car, while not looking like a typical Mercedes-Benz, is definitely worthy of the star on the hood; and it's a base model car. Compared to the first generation B-Class the second generation model feels more composed, sportier (without sacrificing comfort) and more refined. To me this signifies that Mercedes-Benz has really worked hard on improving their whole lineup, even the smaller cars (and engines). If you live in a country where fuel is pricey and space is tight, this could be an interesting premium car for you, and in typical MB fashion you can spec it the way you want (personalize it).
If my dad ever wants to replace his E350 CGI with a B-Class (or GLA-Class), I don't think I'll have sleepless nights now that I've experienced it. :lol:
(https://s2.postimg.org/najers0k9/WP_20170714_22_22_08_Pro.jpg)
CLA interior is total shit. I really don't like that car
B Class and the 2 series active tourer are a step too far for BMW and MB IMO.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 17, 2017, 10:02:37 AM
The automatic transmission was smooth, quiet and not noticeable at all. Typical modern Mercedes'.
I couldn't disagree more, if we're talking about the 7-speed dual-clutch. I agree it is impressively quiet though. My thoughts:
Quote from: 93JC on October 08, 2015, 09:34:18 AM
I drove a new Mercedes-Benz B250 last night. What a turd. Things I liked: the ride is okay, the interior is okay, and it's very quiet.
It has a 208 hp 2.0 L turbocharged four, and you wouldn't know it had any more than about 130 hp when driving about town. All of the blame can be laid at the feet of the atrocious 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Daimler can't design a good transaxle for transverse applications to save their lives. First gear is too short and the throttle response is terrible; you have to put your foot three quarters of the way to the floor to reasonably keep up with city traffic from a standstill, whereupon the transmission will do a herky-jerky dance into second gear at about 18 km/h. Once in second it starts to pick up some steam. As a result every single stoplight is a rope-a-dope attempt at building speed.
People who buys these things must be desperate to have a Mercedes-Benz badge on the hood of their car because anyone who cross-shopped it with anything else would be hard-pressed to justify spending money on one. For the $32,000+ this thing costs it ought to be "good", and the kindest judge would give this car a verdict of merely "okay" at best.
Quiet and comfortable to be sure, but otherwise I found it thoroughly unimpressive. Terrible value for money.
I don't know who is the bigger paid shill, MCM or Wimmer :lol:
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 17, 2017, 08:54:52 PM
I don't know who is the bigger paid shill, MCM or Wimmer :lol:
You are. Just for obscure Chinese coilover companies.
Quote from: CALL_911 on July 17, 2017, 05:41:57 PM
CLA interior is total shit. I really don't like that car
The interior isn't that bad at all.
Quote from: 93JC on July 17, 2017, 07:29:58 PM
Terrible value for money.
Value for money is not something that ever went hand-in-hand with Mercedes.
But you gotta admit that these days they have improved their value for money. You do get more for your money as compared to five years ago for example.
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 17, 2017, 08:54:52 PM
I don't know who is the bigger paid shill, MCM or Wimmer :lol:
Remember when you were bitching about underpowered Euro shitboxes... and then you got to drive a 75-horsepower Fiat Panda which blew your mind? :devil:
Try that with a B-Class. You'll probably appreciate it. :praise:
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 03:19:48 AM
But you gotta admit that these days they have improved their value for money. You do get more for your money as compared to five years ago for example.
The E211 started at €35,515, the current E sedan starts at €43,018.
You get more tech, but you also pay substantially more.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 03:19:48 AM
Value for money is not something that ever went hand-in-hand with Mercedes.
But you gotta admit that these days they have improved their value for money. You do get more for your money as compared to five years ago for example.
Compared to other competing cars? Or because all cars give you more features and other upgrades compared to five years ago?
Quote from: ifcar on July 18, 2017, 07:37:16 AM
Compared to other competing cars? Or because all cars give you more features and other upgrades compared to five years ago?
Compared to themselves in the past. Remember the 2000s in Europe (of course you don't!)? A W203 C-Class didn't even come with air-conditioning as standard. These days you get that in every lower end MB.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 07:44:04 AM
Compared to themselves in the past. Remember the 2000s in Europe (of course you don't!)? A W203 C-Class didn't even come with air-conditioning as standard. These days you get that in every lower end MB.
But aside from people who only buy Mercedes, a current-model car is most relevantly compared against its current-model competitors. Any car should have made progress from the same model five years ago.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 07:44:04 AM
A W203 C-Class didn't even come with air-conditioning as standard. These days you get that in every lower end MB.
You can't just say that you now get good value because they stopped ripping off the customer. If a Hyundai has AC as standard, it is not good value if a C class has it as standard.
Quote from: MexicoCityM3 on July 17, 2017, 09:01:35 PM
You are. Just for obscure Chinese coilover companies.
:golfclap:
Man, MB's are such good value for money now! They even come with 4 wheels, a roof and doors! The POS Benz Motorwagen didn't come with any of those things!
(https://www.daimler.com/bilder/konzern/tradition/geschichte/anfaenge-des-automobils/benz-patent-motorwagen-w1120xh448-cutout.png)
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 03:19:48 AM
Value for money is not something that ever went hand-in-hand with Mercedes.
True, and as I said if not for the fact some people are desperate to drive a Mercedes-Benz I don't think the B-class would sell at all in Canada, but they sell a few thousand of them a year. But they don't sell anywhere near as many B-classes as other manufacturers sell their compact SUVs.
QuoteBut you gotta admit that these days they have improved their value for money. You do get more for your money as compared to five years ago for example.
As others have pointed out this is irrelevant if their competition is still better.
Quote from: 93JC on July 18, 2017, 01:01:31 PM
True, and as I said if not for the fact some people are desperate to drive a Mercedes-Benz I don't think the B-class would sell at all in Canada, but they sell a few thousand of them a year. But they don't sell anywhere near as many B-classes as other manufacturers sell their compact SUVs.
I don't understand why the B-Class is even being sold in Canada. Isn't fuel cheap there? Aren't your garages and parking spaces huge?
The B-Class makes sense for certain markets where space is limited and car dimensions need to be small, so most of Europe and plenty of Asian countries come to mind.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 03:20:42 AM
Remember when you were bitching about underpowered Euro shitboxes... and then you got to drive a 75-horsepower Fiat Panda which blew your mind? :devil:
Try that with a B-Class. You'll probably appreciate it. :praise:
That Panda also weighed about 2000lbs, and would still get eaten alive on American roads :huh:
The B-Class is a mediocre vehicle with an added Mercedes tax. If it were sold under any other brand you'd acknowledge it for what it is.
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 18, 2017, 02:10:54 PM
That Panda also weighed about 2000lbs, and would still get eaten alive on American roads :huh:
Every B-Class has twice the power of a Panda.
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 18, 2017, 02:10:54 PMThe B-Class is a mediocre vehicle with an added Mercedes tax. If it were sold under any other brand you'd acknowledge it for what it is.
And you know this because you've... driven one?
If the car made a crap impression on me I'd call it out on that, Mercedes or not.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 01:49:09 PM
I don't understand why the B-Class is even being sold in Canada. Isn't fuel cheap there? Aren't your garages and parking spaces huge?
The B-Class makes sense for certain markets where space is limited and car dimensions need to be small, so most of Europe and plenty of Asian countries come to mind.
The B-class doesn't really sell well in Asian markets, either
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 01:49:09 PM
I don't understand why the B-Class is even being sold in Canada. Isn't fuel cheap there? Aren't your garages and parking spaces huge?
Fuel is less expensive than in Germany for sure, but still quite a bit more expensive (20-40%) than in the US. (€0.657/L) We don't get anything other than what I presume is the top-of-the-line engine for the B-class in Europe: 2.0 L turbo, 208 hp. No diesels.
Are our parking spaces and garages huge? Not necessarily. I even said as much in your thread "The Curse of Small Parking Spaces in Europe" (https://www.carspin.club/index.php?topic=33391.msg2274247#msg2274247). I'll snap a photo of the spaces at my office at some point; I wouldn't park my little Mazda 3 in some of them let alone a bigger car.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 01:49:09 PM
I don't understand why the B-Class is even being sold in Canada. Isn't fuel cheap there? Aren't your garages and parking spaces huge?
The B-Class makes sense for certain markets where space is limited and car dimensions need to be small, so most of Europe and plenty of Asian countries come to mind.
You're describing *any* tall car with a compact footprint. The B-Class only comes to mind first if you demand a Mercedes.
Quote from: 2o6 on July 18, 2017, 05:37:32 PM
The B-class doesn't really sell well in Asian markets, either
It still remains an alternative in those markets for those who want or need a smaller premium car.
Quote from: 93JC on July 18, 2017, 05:59:32 PM
Fuel is less expensive than in Germany for sure, but still quite a bit more expensive (20-40%) than in the US. (€0.657/L) We don't get anything other than what I presume is the top-of-the-line engine for the B-class in Europe: 2.0 L turbo, 208 hp. No diesels.
Seems like the strategy is: "Offer it there for those who want/need a small premium car."
Also, I believe Canada is often used as a "test-market" by Mercedes'. If something sells well in Canada, it may be eventually sold in the United States.
Quote from: 93JC on July 18, 2017, 05:59:32 PMAre our parking spaces and garages huge? Not necessarily. I even said as much in your thread "The Curse of Small Parking Spaces in Europe" (https://www.carspin.club/index.php?topic=33391.msg2274247#msg2274247). I'll snap a photo of the spaces at my office at some point; I wouldn't park my little Mazda 3 in some of them let alone a bigger car.
I'd love to see the shots. I'm always thinking Canada, like the US, has huge parking spaces and garages to accommodate big SUVs and pickups.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 18, 2017, 05:35:45 PM
Every B-Class has twice the power of a Panda.
My wife's MKX has 4x the power of the Panda... Panda was still way more fun to drive.
And you know this because you've... driven one?
If the car made a crap impression on me I'd call it out on that, Mercedes or not.
[/quote]
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 21, 2017, 09:26:54 AM
My wife's MKX has 4x the power of the Panda... Panda was still way more fun to drive.
And you know this because you've... driven one?
If the car made a crap impression on me I'd call it out on that, Mercedes or not.
When did your wife get an MKX? I thought she was driving the Rabbit still.
May I think. It was in my sig before...
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on July 21, 2017, 10:56:21 AM
May I think. It was in my sig before...
Not there now. Nothing in your sig except for the crazy reflections picture of your G, something about a toilet, and the most annoying hashtag ever to be used.
Got some time in a rental CLA250 over the weekend.
Pros:
-great front seat legroom
-power
-interior materials seem fairly rugged
Cons:
-the 7spd transmission is extremely jerky with bad ratios, just terrible
-rear seat room is nonexistent
-plastic plastic everywhere
-build quality doesn't feel anywhere near the traditional "Mercedes Tank" standard
Final Verdict:
No thank you. I wouldn't think twice about buying the 2-Series over it.
Quote from: Tave on August 09, 2017, 10:30:15 AM
Got some time in a rental CLA250 over the weekend.
Pros:
-great front seat legroom
-power
-interior materials seem fairly rugged
Cons:
-the 7spd transmission is extremely jerky with bad ratios, just terrible
-rear seat room is nonexistent
-plastic plastic everywhere
-build quality doesn't feel anywhere near the traditional "Mercedes Tank" standard
Final Verdict:
No thank you
Is it bad that with a manual transmission, I would buy one? I drove a Car2Go one in Seattle and Portland, and I liked it (but not for the price).
The 7Gtronic always got some criticism for being "jerky", but I've never experienced one that was, and I've driven a number of MBs with that transmission.
My dad's E350 CGI has one and it's smooth and works quietly and unnoticed in the background. Never had an issue with it.
Felt smooth and fine in the B-Class taxi as well.
Transmissions in an E-class and B-class are completely different. One is a car with longitudinally-mounted engines and rear-wheel-drive, the other has transversely-mounted engines and front-wheel-drive. One has a torque converter, the other has dual-clutch plates. They're not even close to the same.
The problem I had with the B250's 7-speed dual-clutch was mostly first gear: it's too short, and the shift to second gear is jerky. The new Smart ForTwo's six-speed has the exact same problem. Once up to speed the shifts are okay, but getting off the line is terrible. I haven't had any seat time in a CLA or GLA yet (Car2Go just started offering them for rent about a week ago) but I suspect it's very much the same as the B-class.
Drove a CLA250 last night.
The driver's seat did have plenty of leg room, but getting in I bumped my head on the A-pillar, and leaning forward to find the steering wheel tilt-telescope release I bumped my head on the headliner. This car is preposterously short of practical head room; the entire roof line is a moronic concession to 'style' over substance. Rear seat room is, as Tave said, practically non-existent. This is a four-door car but in practice you wouldn't want to subject any adult passengers to the back seats.
Unlike the B-classes I've driven and Tave's assessment I found the 7-speed in this thing was actually pretty smooth. The problem is first is still far too short, and I found if I drove the car leisurely it would downshift to 2nd rather than all the way to 1st at stop lights. The programming is aggressively 'thrifty', upshifting whenever it can. I puttered along a stretch of 70 km/h (40 mph, fairly low-speed) freeway on my way home last night and the transmission went into 7th gear at around 65 km/h. When I started up a gentle slope, a gradual undulation in the road, it had to shift down to 6th to maintain speed and jumped back into 7th on the way down. The car has power but it does not want you to use it, and like the B250s I've driven it doesn't feel very swift at all.
I will give it props for being very quiet though.
What bothers me most about the A, CLA and GLA are the fat A-pillars. That's quite a nuisance (and safety issue) if you're say driving in a city or residential area environment and don't see cyclists, pedestrians etc. coming from either side.
I'm sure people figure out a way to live with it, but I just wanna say that the thin A-pillars in the 1er are a breath of fresh air. The driver's visibility outwards is perfect.
(https://s29.postimg.org/s428hs8nr/Wimmer_BMW_118i_Interior_2_-_Copy.jpg)
Oh yes, outward visibility in the CLA is atrocious. At times I felt like it was driving while looking out a pillbox's gun-slit. The one I drove had blind-spot monitors, and it absolutely needs them as standard equipment because shoulder-checks are pretty much pointless.
Quote from: 93JC on August 17, 2017, 12:01:08 PM
Oh yes, outward visibility in the CLA is atrocious. At times I felt like it was driving while looking out a pillbox's gun-slit. The one I drove had blind-spot monitors, and it absolutely needs them as standard equipment because shoulder-checks are pretty much pointless.
Yeah, I hate the view outwards from the CLA, in all directions. It's not a bad-looking car, but it suffers from poor outward visbility.
Were you also bothered by the wide transmission tunnel up front? I mean the engine and transmission are transversely mounted, there's no excuse for the transmission tunnel between the driver and front passenger to be so wide and space-robbing.
Quote from: cawimmer430 on August 18, 2017, 04:47:34 AM
Yeah, I hate the view outwards from the CLA, in all directions. It's not a bad-looking car, but it suffers from poor outward visbility.
Were you also bothered by the wide transmission tunnel up front? I mean the engine and transmission are transversely mounted, there's no excuse for the transmission tunnel between the driver and front passenger to be so wide and space-robbing.
It's not that wide, and it's prolly to compensate for AWD.
Quote from: 2o6 on August 18, 2017, 09:24:26 AM
It's not that wide, and it's prolly to compensate for AWD.
I would think for AWD they just need enough space to fit a prop shaft - that shouldn't take up so much space, especially since the engine and transmission are already transversely mounted and not inside the transmission tunnel.
Quote from: 93JC on August 09, 2017, 06:36:53 PM
The problem I had with the B250's 7-speed dual-clutch was mostly first gear: it's too short, and the shift to second gear is jerky. The new Smart ForTwo's six-speed has the exact same problem. Once up to speed the shifts are okay, but getting off the line is terrible. I haven't had any seat time in a CLA or GLA yet (Car2Go just started offering them for rent about a week ago) but I suspect it's very much the same as the B-class.
It's the same for ALL DCT regardless of who manufactured them, probably an engineering design compromise. The VW DSG-s have the same problem (my 2008 Passat had one)
Quote from: AltinD on August 20, 2017, 09:12:36 AM
It's the same for ALL DCT regardless of who manufactured them, probably an engineering design compromise. The VW DSG-s have the same problem (my 2008 Passat had one)
The Focus's DSG has a horrible time with overall jerkiness, but the 1st gear in it is pretty normal.
Well, I was talking about regular DCT-s, not crappy ones. :D
Quote from: AltinD on August 20, 2017, 09:12:36 AM
It's the same for ALL DCT regardless of who manufactured them, probably an engineering design compromise. The VW DSG-s have the same problem (my 2008 Passat had one)
Okay, but "They're
all shitty!" doesn't absolve Daimler from the blame of having decided to use a DCT in the first place.
Who said DCT are shitty? They are great
:confused:
You did! I said, "The problem I had with the B250's 7-speed dual-clutch was mostly first gear: it's too short, and the shift to second gear is jerky. The new Smart ForTwo's six-speed has the exact same problem. Once up to speed the shifts are okay, but getting off the line is terrible," and you said "It's the same for ALL DCT regardless of who manufactured them, probably an engineering design compromise. The VW DSG-s have the same problem."
Ergo, in other words, "they're all shitty".
I rode on a donkey the other day. Surprisingly nice, sorta like this B class.
Quote from: 93JC on August 17, 2017, 11:52:55 AM
Drove a CLA250 last night.
The driver's seat did have plenty of leg room, but getting in I bumped my head on the A-pillar, and leaning forward to find the steering wheel tilt-telescope release I bumped my head on the headliner. This car is preposterously short of practical head room; the entire roof line is a moronic concession to 'style' over substance. Rear seat room is, as Tave said, practically non-existent. This is a four-door car but in practice you wouldn't want to subject any adult passengers to the back seats.
Unlike the B-classes I've driven and Tave's assessment I found the 7-speed in this thing was actually pretty smooth. The problem is first is still far too short, and I found if I drove the car leisurely it would downshift to 2nd rather than all the way to 1st at stop lights. The programming is aggressively 'thrifty', upshifting whenever it can. I puttered along a stretch of 70 km/h (40 mph, fairly low-speed) freeway on my way home last night and the transmission went into 7th gear at around 65 km/h. When I started up a gentle slope, a gradual undulation in the road, it had to shift down to 6th to maintain speed and jumped back into 7th on the way down. The car has power but it does not want you to use it, and like the B250s I've driven it doesn't feel very swift at all.
I will give it props for being very quiet though.
Drove a
GLA250 4Matic yesterday; pretty much exactly the same as the CLA, just more head room. Not terrible, but I couldn't imagine paying the $40,700 MSRP.
Quote from: 93JC on August 31, 2017, 11:26:41 AM
Drove a GLA250 4Matic yesterday; pretty much exactly the same as the CLA, just more head room. Not terrible, but I couldn't imagine paying the $40,700 MSRP.
The AMG GLA is one of the funniest looking vehicles on the road. The styling tries to be an SUV, but the car is hunkered down and lowered to the point of being shorter than a GTI. It's just hilarious.