Topic: First Drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz B 250

[safristi]

FWD "haters"..............i remember when the original Mini showed up and blasted ALL the RWDrive wallahs into the weeds in everything..Monte Carlo/club racing and getting around town in a snow storM or rain (Edinburgh Scotland)    4WD was an outlier.....and now is for mamby pambies in Central Canada...gets them further into the ditch syndrome


 Now all you Top level RALLY DRIVERS can attack.......

 This lil Merc is on my radar screen as Mrs Saf wants a CUV with some legroom and we have $29K in the bank from the Veloster trashing...do they have a diesel in the future like the GLK!?(also on the list)

[mixmanmash]

Is an A service really only $200?  It was over $200 on a four cyl MB the last time I used the dealer, at least 10 years ago. They usually find at least another $100-200 of things to fill out the bill. I agree that service costs on some MBs can be reasonable, but you have to stay away from the dealer. And no need to wait to use an indie until no warranty.

That's how much my dad paid about 2 years ago at our local Benz dealership.  He doesn't go there anymore since the ownership has changed for the worst but uses an independent shop.  Funny enough, the Independent shop is owned & run by all the former employees of that Benz Dealership.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I just had the Outback in for service yesterday. $65 at the dealership.

I think the most expensive service so far has been $3xx.

So there's that. 

[dirtyjeffer]

when my parents bought their VW TDi wagon a few years ago, one of the things they liked was the service packages for it...the "oil change" package (Service A) is $100, but it only needs to be done annually, whereas most other dealerships charge about $40 for the standard "Service A" package and it would need to be done 2-3 times a year...so, in the end, it really isn't any more expensive.

[mmret]

Is an A service really only $200?  It was over $200 on a four cyl MB the last time I used the dealer, at least 10 years ago. They usually find at least another $100-200 of things to fill out the bill. I agree that service costs on some MBs can be reasonable, but you have to stay away from the dealer. And no need to wait to use an indie until no warranty.

Service A is about $350

Service B is about $550 or something.



I checked around with some MB / Euro specific Indies but they all charge 250-300. I get it that 8 litres of Mobil 1 0W-40 doesn't come cheap, but seriously, that's still a lot for an oil + filter and a look around. The guy I ended up going with charged $300 but most importantly, he drove to your house and did it with an oil extractor. The convenience factor made up for it.

[Waterlooresident]

So its basically a TURBO MATRIX ?   Cool !  I'll take mine in Black.   

The new Scion FR-S is turning out to be a car that is biting its owners in the butt.  Snap oversteer is something that many are learning about the hard way ( go into a turn a little bit too fast, let up on the gas = BOOM, you're in the weeds!).  No thanks, I'll have my car with front wheel drive ONLY, thank you. 

I found the Matrix had a horrible dash, with all that Aluminum trim it looked 'cheap'.  Plus the dash was about 2" too high, making it difficult to see the road.  Driving down the road with a face full of dash, unable to see where you were going; that was the memory I still have of the latest Matrix. I passed on that.  And 132 hp just wasn't enough.

Now the Golf GTi is FUN , FUN, FUN,  but my God those ENGINE MAINTENANCE DEMONS are a killer!  You have to be rich to afford the yearly maintenance on a VW after its out of warrenty!   Ignition coils going bad, window mechanism failures, etc, etc.  No thanks, that's why I didn't want a Golf or any VW / Audi.  I just wonder what the MB is like?  I hope its a bit better.

I'm really impressed by the 42mpg hwy figure, that's about the same as the Mazda3.  But the Mazda 3 is known to turn into a RUST BUCKET around the 5 th year, so I'm staying FAR AWAY from any Mazda 3 !

[aquadorhj]

The new Scion FR-S is turning out to be a car that is biting its owners in the butt.  Snap oversteer is something that many are learning about the hard way ( go into a turn a little bit too fast, let up on the gas = BOOM, you're in the weeds!).  No thanks, I'll have my car with front wheel drive ONLY, thank you. 

umm..  is that a fault of the car?   i think that's part of the excitement.     

[tpl]

All those 911 owners who loved their oversteer on lift off...and the Corvair and Beetles and several French cars of the '50s.     Nothing like a bit of lively handling to get the sphincter clenched.

[johngenx]

No drop throttle oversteer in a FWD car?  Really?  You do know what causes it, right?  Overcooked corner has used up all the traction, and a sudden lift causes the weight to transfer forward, unloading the rear tires.  Can be quite pronounced in a FWD car thanks to the lack of rear weight.  A brake stab can also be a nightmare thanks to the unloaded rear tires.

Physics is physics, and drop throttle when overcooking a corner can cause any car to pivot on its axis, regardless of which wheels are being driven.  The old 911 did it, and thanks to the large mass located behind the rear axle (uh, the engine) it would then become difficult to reign in.  But, the 911 didn't suffer because of RWD.  It's because of where the engine was located...

However, if you're not confident that you can handle a RWD sports car, then buy a Prius and be happy.  Seriously.

[safristi]

I see dozens of them sphincter tightening dramas occuring by the minute........................on the way to 7/11 it's a miracle i'm still alive....

[Sir Osis of Liver]

No drop throttle oversteer in a FWD car?  Really?  You do know what causes it, right?  Overcooked corner has used up all the traction, and a sudden lift causes the weight to transfer forward, unloading the rear tires.  Can be quite pronounced in a FWD car thanks to the lack of rear weight.  A brake stab can also be a nightmare thanks to the unloaded rear tires.

Physics is physics, and drop throttle when overcooking a corner can cause any car to pivot on its axis, regardless of which wheels are being driven.  The old 911 did it, and thanks to the large mass located behind the rear axle (uh, the engine) it would then become difficult to reign in.  But, the 911 didn't suffer because of RWD.  It's because of where the engine was located...

However, if you're not confident that you can handle a RWD sports car, then buy a Prius and be happy.  Seriously.

It didn't take much for my Escort GT to snap into oversteer. Taught you to think about what the hell you were doing.

This is the first I've heard of snap oversteer in the FRS/BRZ. I thought they both had initial understeer and progressive transition to oversteer, which is where the entertainment lives.

[HeliDriver]

No drop throttle oversteer in a FWD car?  Really?  You do know what causes it, right?  Overcooked corner has used up all the traction, and a sudden lift causes the weight to transfer forward, unloading the rear tires.  Can be quite pronounced in a FWD car thanks to the lack of rear weight.  A brake stab can also be a nightmare thanks to the unloaded rear tires.

Physics is physics, and drop throttle when overcooking a corner can cause any car to pivot on its axis, regardless of which wheels are being driven.  The old 911 did it, and thanks to the large mass located behind the rear axle (uh, the engine) it would then become difficult to reign in.  But, the 911 didn't suffer because of RWD.  It's because of where the engine was located...

However, if you're not confident that you can handle a RWD sports car, then buy a Prius and be happy.  Seriously.

Agreed, but what's the Queen got to do with it?     

[johngenx]

Agreed, but what's the Queen got to do with it?     

Hahahahaha!  Rein!!  How did that g get in there?

[tpl]

probably g force'd its way in.  corners are like that.

[dirtyjeffer]

was at the Home Show today and Mercedes had a couple of cars on display, one of which was a B250 with Premium Package...i really like the looks of this car...the turn signal style gear shifter was a little odd, but the interior looked pretty first rate to me...decent size, nice powertrain, and from the reviews it looks to offer a solid ride as well.

[Fobroader]

So its basically a TURBO MATRIX ?   Cool !  I'll take mine in Black.   

The new Scion FR-S is turning out to be a car that is biting its owners in the butt.  Snap oversteer is something that many are learning about the hard way ( go into a turn a little bit too fast, let up on the gas = BOOM, you're in the weeds!).  No thanks, I'll have my car with front wheel drive ONLY, thank you. 

I found the Matrix had a horrible dash, with all that Aluminum trim it looked 'cheap'.  Plus the dash was about 2" too high, making it difficult to see the road.  Driving down the road with a face full of dash, unable to see where you were going; that was the memory I still have of the latest Matrix. I passed on that.  And 132 hp just wasn't enough.

Now the Golf GTi is FUN , FUN, FUN,  but my God those ENGINE MAINTENANCE DEMONS are a killer!  You have to be rich to afford the yearly maintenance on a VW after its out of warrenty!   Ignition coils going bad, window mechanism failures, etc, etc.  No thanks, that's why I didn't want a Golf or any VW / Audi.  I just wonder what the MB is like?  I hope its a bit better.

I'm really impressed by the 42mpg hwy figure, that's about the same as the Mazda3.  But the Mazda 3 is known to turn into a RUST BUCKET around the 5 th year, so I'm staying FAR AWAY from any Mazda 3 !

Yeah, get a Prius and enjoy something boring. The rest of of who still have blood in our veins enjoy a car which takes a little skill to pilot. FWD cars are the ones in which snap oversteer is a big problem because you cant control them afterwards with the throttle.