Mercedes
B200 Turbo – A Little Car that Can
By Jim Bray
(photos by the author)
Maybe
Nissan shouldn't have cancelled its Axxess so many years ago.
That old car, long dead now, may have been ahead of its time because
it almost seems like a "down market prototype" for the
new Mercedes-Benz B 200 "Compact Sports Tourer."
While one could make the argument the B is really more like a miniature
minivan than a "Sports Tourer," it's actually a fairly
apt description of the beast. It's definitely compact and surprisingly
sporty – and during my week of touring around the foothills
of the Rocky Mountains in it I really started to like the little
critter: it's fun to drive, roomy, efficient, classy – and
features a wonderfully expansive sunroof through which you could
very nearly parachute. When it's open, of course.
The bad news is that U.S.-based consumers can't get their hands
on a B200 unless they can somehow sneak one across the border from
Canada, bringing a new wrinkle to the illegal immigration discussion.
This is a shame, but what can you do short of starting a letter writing
campaign to the folks at Mercedes-Benz? Perhaps ask the U.S. Government
to grant amnesty for "compact sports tourers?"
Anyway,
the B200 is a front wheel drive vehicle, a configuration for which
the three pointed star is not known usually. Driving the front wheels
makes a certain amount of sense for a vehicle such as this, however,
if for no other reason than not needing to run a drive shaft under
the passenger compartment to the rear wheels means they can open
up the interior a bit more. And open it up they have.
Mercedes-Benz points to the B-Class's "sandwich concept" as
a reason for its spacious interior, citing the "space-saving
arrangement of the engine and transmission partly in front of and
partially beneath the passenger cell" as how the B can offer "the
interior spaciousness of larger sedans and wagons despite its compact
external dimensions."
This sandwich concept, which I suppose is also meant to ensure
that this little bread and butter car has enough meat in it to be
attractive to buyers, is also touted as a safety benefit. The company
says that by inclining the engine and transmission as well, the B
achieves a "greater effective front end length available for
crash deformation." Mercedes-Benz says the sandwich concept
also offers significant advantages in a lateral collision because
occupants are seated above the impact zone.
Assuming
you aren't run into by a bus, pickup truck, or evil SUV, I suppose.
Anyway, the B200 is available in two main versions, "regular" and "turbo," My
tester was the turbo, and it's a little sweetheart. The engine is
a two liter inline four cylinder model with only two valves per cylinder
that, with the turbo, cranks out 193 hp @ 5,000 rpm and 206 lb-ft
torque from 1,800 - 4,850 rpm. This is more than adequate power for
a little car like the peppy and fun B, which also has good throttle
response and feel and exhibits very little turbo lag. The B's like
a puppy: happy and anxious to please.
The
non-turbo version is rated at 134/136 horsepower and torque, respectively.
This is probably more than adequate, though undoubtedly not as much
fun.
The
Turbo's engine is mated to either a 6-speed manual or optional continuous
variable transmission (CVT). My tester had the CVT, and I continue
to be amazed and delighted by these critters.
A
CVT has no actual gears and it's a little strange to be driving along
and never feel the car shift, but on the other hand the CVT keeps
the B always in the power band and if you kick down the gas pedal
the car moves ahead as if you've downshifted even though you haven't.
The CVT also has a pretend manual mode (called "sport")
with seven virtual gears. It works well and has its uses (for instance
it comes in handy when you're going downhill and you want some engine
braking – or if you just want to wind 'er up through "the
gears" in a moment of wild abandon), but for 95% of my time
with the B I was more than satisfied with the CVT in its native mode.
The
garden variety, non-turbo B200 comes standard with a 5-speed manual
tranny; the CVT is optional.
B's
come with a dual-circuit hydraulic braking system, with ABS and Brake
Assist, and Electronic Stability Program. Electromechanical power
steering offers good boost and good road feel; the B doesn't seem
as hard wired into your consciousness as something like a Mini
Cooper S or Mazda Miata,
but it doesn't claim to be a pure sports car either, so this is only
to be expected.
The
suspension includes a newly developed parabolic rear axle coupled
with coil springs, single-tube gas-pressure shock absorbers with
selective damping system and coil springs, and a torsion stabilizer
bar. Up front, the B's slung with McPherson struts, wishbones, twin-tube
gas-pressure shock absorbers with selective damping system and coil
springs, and another torsion stabilizer bar.
The
ride is sporty firm but not jarring and it does a pretty good job
of smoothing out frost heaves and stuff like that.
Standard wheels are 16" aluminum-alloy rims wearing a decent
set of 205/55 R 16 tires.
The
interior is attractive and very comfortable, as one would expect
from the three pointed star company. The front seats are terrific.
My tester's were heated and powered, though manual adjustment is
standard. The steering wheel on my tester tilted and telescoped,
too – though
that's also an extra cost option.
Another
option I would not want to live without is that Panorama louvered
glass sunroof. Besides being wonderfully expansive, it's pretty quiet
at reasonable highway speeds. You haven't lived until you've
driven a quiet rural highway on a starry night with the sunroof open
fully. It's marvelous.
For
some reason, however, the folks at Benz have chosen not to give the
sunroof one touch open and/or close capability, so you have to keep
your finger on the switch to operate it.
Getting
in and out of the B200 is child's play, thanks to the large door
openings and high seating position. And once you're inside, you're
treated to an excellent greenhouse with lots of glass and well-situated
pillars.
Instrumentation
is analog and attractive, though the onboard computer system's a
little hard to fathom at first. The AM/FM/CD stereo thunders, and
the disc player handles MP3 and WMA files as well as conventional
compact disc. A 6 disc changer is available; my tester didn't offer
DVD-A capability, though it may be available if you upgrade to the
optional Harman/Kardon LOGIC7 digital surround sound system.
Other
nice touches include a four spoke, leather-trimmed steering wheel
with multifunction buttons, power windows with one-touch express-up/down
for all four windows, power mirrors and a terrific (though optional)
Bi-Xenon headlamps with active curve illumination that swivels the
lights when you corner. You also get air conditioning, an armrest
between the front seats, tinted glass, and attractive brushed aluminum
trim.
The
rear seat is comfortable and roomy for at least two passengers. It
also splits and folds down. Overall, there's a surprising amount
of storage space considering the small size of the vehicle.
Safety
equipment includes two-stage front air bags, seat belt tensioners
in the front and on the outer rear seats, adaptive belt force limiters,
active head restraints and head/thorax sidebags.
Nothing's
perfect, of course, but my complaints were only of the niggling variety.
For example, the cup holder on the center console in front of the
shifter is placed really badly; if you want to put a bottle there
you have to wriggle it into place or – better still – wait
until you shift out of Park.
And
I couldn't get the steering wheel-mounted buttons to jump up and/or
down radio station presets – just up and/or down to the next
station on the band. This was annoying but not fatally so, since
the reach to the stereo isn't onerous.
The
outside mirrors are also a tad small, though they offer good visibility
rearward and, while the windshield wipers do a good job overall,
they also leave about 1.5 inches untouched on the left of driver's
side of the windshield. This is a common vehicular affliction, though,
from a variety of carmakers.
An
interesting wrinkle is the sunglasses holder which, instead of being
on the roof between the front seat passengers, is up on the top left
where a handle would sometimes be. Not a problem, just unusual.
All
in all, I enjoyed the Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo a lot more than I
had expected. What I thought would be a luxurious but weird little
vehicle turned out to be a very nice little car, very nice indeed – pleasant,
comfortable and fun.
The B, according to Mercedes-Benz, "meets the wishes of today’s
younger and discerning motorists who are looking for a car with generous
space, exemplary comfort, excellent practicality, an exciting design
and a high level of driving pleasure."
Something
tells me they wouldn't silly enough to turn away customers who may
not be quite so young, however. This is good, because I could see
myself opening up my garage to a B200 Turbo if I were in the market,
and according to my kids I'm about as old as Methuselah. The B200
could be the perfect answer for professionals who need something
small yet classy, sporty yet efficient. Videographers, house call-making
veterinarians or salespeople who need room to haul stuff with them
could find the B200 a marvelous solution.
The
B200 starts at about $31,000 Canadian, while the B200 Turbo starts
at about $35,000. My reasonably-but-not-excessively optioned tester
tips the fiscal scales in the neighborhood of $48,500.
That's starting to get a little dear, but on the other hand, this
car is a little dear.
