I’ve been offered a 67 plate B class with the 2.2 diesel engine, Sport spec, 26k miles. Significantly below market value as far as I can tell – it’s a hand-me-down from my mum, she’s getting a new car and offering the Merc to me as a favour. Currently driving a 2010 Skoda Superb estate which is getting pretty long in the tooth but is otherwise perfectly fine. I do about 5000 miles/year at the moment.

Any reason not to take my mum up on the offer? Never had a Merc, they’ve never interested me as a brand, have no idea what they’re like.

It’s a diesel…

Its an old man car…my view may be tainted by a horrendous Merc company car I inherited from my retiring predecessor.

I’m fully aware that it looks a hateful thing but it’s effectively half price and I drive a diesel at the moment anyway. It’s going to be a tool to get me 5000 miles a year for about a year, at which point it’ll be part-ex on something that stirs the soul a little bit more. I just want to know if they’re a disastrous vehicle that will lead to financial ruin just to keep on the road.

Had one years ago, sports suspension was hard, surprisingly poor in snow

Other than that quite OK

If you’re planning on replacing in a year’s time anyway why bother?

I got a 2015 B220 4matic. Brabus tuning. It hauls in the snow. Has flush mount roof rack points so you can get some good low aero bars.

Even in stock form 2.2 pulls well and you will hit 130-145 np. No issues at all 45k miles. The interior is really hard wearing after many bike trips. Also do not get tired driving it on long journeys. Prior to lockdown, Lemans etc.

If you’re planning on replacing in a year’s time anyway why bother?

If it is half price then the trade in value will probably be more than he paid for it (getting a car and getting paid for it) the only issue is if your mum is ok with you selling it after a year

Well, having seen three Mercs carted off on flatbed transporters having had the batteries go flat, resulting in the car being impossible to get started again, one of them sat in our arrivals area for several weeks, one of our more techie blokes spent some hours with a laptop and specialist Snap-On kit, just trying to get the bloody thing out of Park, to no avail.
I went to pick up a nearly new A-Class from a dealer yesterday, after its super whizzy full-width LED dash display went black while it was being fetched for despatch, and couldn’t take it away due to several other issues involving the aircon and some other electronic problems hadn’t been resolved.
So my view of them may be slightly coloured. And it ain’t rose-coloured!
But I also hate their ergonomics, like instead of a proper stalk on the steering column for the wipers, they have a stupid little bit on the end of the light/indicator stalk, and a column-mounted stalk for the auto shift in its place.
I get annoyed every time I drive one, and I’ve probably driven a couple of hundred or so, at least. 🤬

It’s the car of choice for German pensioners.. The ones who drive very slowly on the B roads

Aren’t they assembled by Renault? Or using Renault based wiring looms? Plenty of stories around about electrical gremlins.

surprisingly poor in snow

[facepalm]

… must resist not turning this into a tyres thread…

All makes have problems, most Mercs aren’t sexy IMHO but I like everything on the stalks (sort of copied by Tesla) and my small sample of x4 Mercs over 15 years have all been pretty good really. One E class estate did 200k without blinking and the cabin looked like new when we got rid despite 3 kids and using it for cycling trips. My 7 year old existing E Class estate just sailed through its MOT again and has not blinked after 100k. Build quality is not quite as good as the last one but is pretty good. Two others were completely trouble free and one of those did it’s job really well after my daughter drove it into the back of a lorry; it was a mess but she and her friends were completely unharmed. As for Renault, I swore I’d never buy one ever again after having a terrible one in the 90’s but currently have a ‘18 Zoe which has been completely trouble free after 18 months.

after its super whizzy full-width LED dash display went black while it was being fetched for despatch

Chap I know has a v whizzy A class that’s been back to the shop a number of times for this also.

I have a ten year old c class estate. It’s built like a tank. It’s a wonderful car if not the most clever. Proper rwd and mine is full on retirement lump sum spec.

No advisories on mot in ten years and 106k miles.

My neighbour is a civil engineer, 100k miles per year, gets a new premium car every 2 years cycles through Jag, Merc, Audi, BMW on his whim. The Merc he says was the best built and his favourite apart from the seats.

No idea what a b class is like. But Merc do still make great cars.

Haven’t driven a Merc in years but I wasn’t a fan of the extra pedal/release handle setup instead of a handbrake last time I did, not sure if they still have this but it would put me off buying one

The B class is a fairly versatile mid-size MPV-alike. Not exciting, but useful and roomy enough. Nice driving position. Enough oomph in our last one that it felt OK on motorways and around town.

We had 2 of them. Last one was probably a 2014 B200 if I remember correctly. Servicing, even at independents is fairly steep. Had no big problems with it. But parts were typically Mercedes-priced and dealerships while efficient and polite are always keen to identify ‘preventive’ maintenance.

Would’ve got one of the electric ones if they’d still made them. Only reservation I’d have is are you paying for flash stuff that is slightly OTT on such a car?

Edit. Ah! A hand me down. Doh! I didn’t spot that, just read ‘b class’. Take it. nicer than the Skoda. And a practical car.

I like everything on the stalks (sort of copied by Tesla

Good spot!

the stalks in the model S up until the most recent refresh (no stalks!) are Mercedes ones. I recognised them instantly when I got out of my Mercedes and into a Tesla for a test drive a few years back.

I think this was part of a technology transfer and sourcing agreement that MB and Tesla had some years ago.

Cheers folks. Seems like they’re not too bad. I’ve told my mum we’ll take it.

Thats French electrics for you!

Glad I’m not the only one who won’t have a Merc because of that stupid single column stalk. Hateful.

5k and diesel isn’t a great choice unless you’re just doing a long journey one a week.
I’d part-ex it asap. The value in diesel has dropped so much over there last year and is only going to drop more and more.

There are so many individual modules on Mercs now that even mercedes dealers have to get specialists to remotely connect to the cars from Czech Republic. The reliability on mercs isn’t great so I wouldn’t want the looming that of expensive to repair bills. The mechanics are fine, it’s all the modules that break.