Topic: CD Article: 2006 Mercedes-Benz B200 Turbo

[mdxtasy]

$55K for a ragtop M3?  That's cheap.  Year?  Not that I'd be buying it.

[onearmed]

You really need a test drive, I think most people would choose the A3 after driving both.  My personal opinion is that the A3 has a better engine, transmission, interior quality, price and handling.  That's a little too much to overlook at least for myself being a measly 5 11'  .

[The Mighty Duck]

Saw a B200T parked today...  surprised the hell out of me.  Good looking vehicle, though.  Unmistakable Mercedes.

 

[mdxtasy]

Saw a black B200.  While the A3 is more sports oriented....the efficient use of space in the MB is very tempting to those who want utility in their vehicles.  I actually like this little MB....but I'm with johngen....keep it simple.  Anything over $40K-$45K and I'm going elsewhere.

[Shnak]

2-Dropping the CVT drops the price by $1500.  No enthousiast would pick that over the close-ratio 6-spped, right?

No enthusiast would buy a tall wagon in the first place. So your point is moot. 90% of B200/T sold will be with the CVT transmission, you can be sure of that.

[Shnak]

If I were shopping one, I'd only buy the base B200 and add just a few desireable options.  Keeps from being burned too hard on depreciation and lowers your cost.  If I was getting one to $40K, I'd say "goodbye tall roof" and "hello Legacy wagon."

On the other hand, it's tough to justify a $30k+ car with only a 2.0L 130hp engine... I'd have to go for the B200T myself, the base engine just isn't enough IMO. Unless it was a diesel engine developing that 130hp (with like 220 of torque!  ), 130hp just isn't enough for a vehicle like this once loaded up with passengers and cargo, although it is very light. But still... B200T would be the only way to go for me.

[Shnak]

You really need a test drive, I think most people would choose the A3 after driving both.  My personal opinion is that the A3 has a better engine, transmission, interior quality, price and handling.  That's a little too much to overlook at least for myself being a measly 5 11'  .

And as soon as you're talller than 6', all that you mentionned goes all the window because it just can't be used! 

Now if they'd come up with an A3 Plus (like the Golf Plus in Europe) that is a few inches taller than the current A3, that would be more interesting for folks for me...

[johngenx]

$55K for a ragtop M3?  That's cheap.  Year?  Not that I'd be buying it.

I think it's an 03, but the window sign was gone and a "sold" sign was propped on the dash.  They have another, but it didn't have a price placard and I didn't feel like being accosted.  I stopped last week because they have a 1986 911 Turbo and I couldn't resist a look.  Driving by yesterday I noticed another late 80's 911 so I wheeled in again and saw the M3 had been sold.

[mdxtasy]

When I went to pick up my e30.....the place was filled with 911's.  One 944 Turbo and a 928S4.  Oh how it would have been nice to pull the trigger on one.  The front of the garage has a few beautiful ones for sale.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

1-Mistake in the original article, the B200 Turbo comes standard with a 6-speed manual, not a 5-speed.

A B200 Turbo, with premium package (Panorama sunroof and heated seats) and 17" allloys with summer performance tires lists for $38,265

That nicely splits the pricing of the other cars...

I was wondering about the 5-spd when I read the article but didn't go see if it was a typo.

And thanks for that update on packaging. That would be a REALLY desirable package I'd be drawn to and indeed represents decent value.

The A3 is a no-go for me space wise. The B-Class is utterly brilliant in comparison. Many shoppers don't test drive further than around the block... if at all. The B has the showroom wows. A Golf Plus with the 2.0T would be a nice alternative I've thought about lots as well Shnak. While the Euro media cited it as the question no one asked, I think it's a great addition which happens to be selling well and is something I'd value.

[Shnak]

1-Mistake in the original article, the B200 Turbo comes standard with a 6-speed manual, not a 5-speed.

A B200 Turbo, with premium package (Panorama sunroof and heated seats) and 17" allloys with summer performance tires lists for $38,265

That nicely splits the pricing of the other cars...

I was wondering about the 5-spd when I read the article but didn't go see if it was a typo.

And thanks for that update on packaging. That would be a REALLY desirable package I'd be drawn to and indeed represents decent value.

The A3 is a no-go for me space wise. The B-Class is utterly brilliant in comparison. Many shoppers don't test drive further than around the block... if at all. The B has the showroom wows. A Golf Plus with the 2.0T would be a nice alternative I've thought about lots as well Shnak. While the Euro media cited it as the question no one asked, I think it's a great addition which happens to be selling well and is something I'd value.

Talking about the Golf Plus, weren't there plans to bring them over here? Or were those plans scrapped?

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Talking about the Golf Plus, weren't there plans to bring them over here? Or were those plans scrapped?

I thought there were plans to bring a Canadian-only vehicle - most likely the Golf Plus or upcoming Cross Golf Plus. However, now that Adrian Hallmark is head of VWoA and Len Hunt is out, that plan may have disappeared. I'm not a fan of Hallmark. Hopefully with Canada distancing itself from VWoA we may get something unique. That type of vehicle (I would prefer the Touran, actually) would fly well here, especially with 4MOTION.

[mrice]

As with any Mercedes, checking all the option boxes jacks the base price up significantly. Be a little more careful with options and you can get into the B200T for significantly less. Configuring one the way I'd buy it comes out to $40,700 or right on top of a well-equipped A3. However, the looks of the B200 would be an issue for me -- I'd have to choose the A3.

I must say folks, me my wife went out to buy an A3 and learned full and well that vw's and audis and porches are sold in magazine and newspapers and ads, fore the sales reps were almost all useless, with the exception of a large urban dealer in downtown toronto that offered all 3 brands in one show room.

so basically we were literally talked out of them so we we're disapointedly drving home from the last dealer sales morons we spoke to and for fun, we popped into a benz dealer thought hey lets have some fun driving a 6 figure test drive..

and low and behold, wow what the heck is this thing? a baby benz? so we took one for the weekend. left behind our diesel bug and WOW! were we sold, it is such a friken yuppy car it is not funny, my wife and I run an AD agency and THANK GOD we got a BENZ instead of a vw on roids (the A3 felt like a bigger heavier faster diesel bug when we tested a turbo even!) cause having a that magic tristar helps with the bidness when you roll..

at any rate, it's been a fantastic ride and my wife with sever scoliosis is able to be the CEO of her growing agency (i am just the founder guy now)

so at barely poking into our 3o's we got a BENZ that has been for both of us and many of our friends the nicest car any of them have ever driven.

oh and CVT reliability, seems ok, just one thing, the car gets Hyper, it has this auto adjusting to driving session fuzzy logic to the computer (spoken to MB bout it) and if you drive kinda aggressively and get off the hwy and want to drive like miss daisy keep your foot over the brake pedal for the benz gets a little hyper, (audi 5000's anyone?... not quite but if an old lady got caught she'd be scewed this puppy will lunge 10 feet in a second when cruising for a parking spot @ 5k. after pulling off the hwy flipping the CVT all over the place..)

[GONE GREEN WITH MY RIDE]

As with any Mercedes, checking all the option boxes jacks the base price up significantly. Be a little more careful with options and you can get into the B200T for significantly less. Configuring one the way I'd buy it comes out to $40,700 or right on top of a well-equipped A3. However, the looks of the B200 would be an issue for me -- I'd have to choose the A3.

I must say folks, me my wife went out to buy an A3 and learned full and well that vw's and audis and porches are sold in magazine and newspapers and ads, fore the sales reps were almost all useless, with the exception of a large urban dealer in downtown toronto that offered all 3 brands in one show room.

so basically we were literally talked out of them so we we're disapointedly drving home from the last dealer sales morons we spoke to and for fun, we popped into a benz dealer thought hey lets have some fun driving a 6 figure test drive..

and low and behold, wow what the heck is this thing? a baby benz? so we took one for the weekend. left behind our diesel bug and WOW! were we sold, it is such a friken yuppy car it is not funny, my wife and I run an AD agency and THANK GOD we got a BENZ instead of a vw on roids (the A3 felt like a bigger heavier faster diesel bug when we tested a turbo even!) cause having a that magic tristar helps with the bidness when you roll..

at any rate, it's been a fantastic ride and my wife with sever scoliosis is able to be the CEO of her growing agency (i am just the founder guy now)

so at barely poking into our 3o's we got a BENZ that has been for both of us and many of our friends the nicest car any of them have ever driven.

oh and CVT reliability, seems ok, just one thing, the car gets Hyper, it has this auto adjusting to driving session fuzzy logic to the computer (spoken to MB bout it) and if you drive kinda aggressively and get off the hwy and want to drive like miss daisy keep your foot over the brake pedal for the benz gets a little hyper, (audi 5000's anyone?... not quite but if an old lady got caught she'd be scewed this puppy will lunge 10 feet in a second when cruising for a parking spot @ 5k. after pulling off the hwy flipping the CVT all over the place..)

Seems all the threads on the B Class died after 2005, should be lots say after being on the road for 3 years. MB has been promoting the hell out of this thing and they are everywhere. For roughly the same money ( insurance premiums were within $20) as a new CRV they are way more value than Honda. Stunning in Red exterior with black interior...................I'm waiting for the 2008 offerings which should be out soon.