2007 Mercedes-Benz B200 Road Test

Is it a real Benz?

Loyal Mercedes-Benz owners must be having a hard time lately. Their cars probably had reliability issues, although the situation seems to be improving year after year. Worse, though, is that the company launched the B-Class in Canada last year, which probably made quite a few S-Class owners unhappy, as their favourite brand is now selling a hatchback.

And I'm not even talking about the smart fortwo, which shares the same showroom...

The B-Class is the entry-level model of the prestigious brand.

Few horses
It's ironic to see a company selling 604-hp and 738-pound-feet cars on one side of the showroom, and 134-horsepower B200s on the other side. The small 2.0-litre engine, with a single camshaft and only 8 valves, generates 136 lb-ft of torque; it's clear that the B200's mission isn't the same as the S65 AMG's.

But in my humble opinion, however, this engine is up to the task. The B200 is no bullet, but it accelerates adequately, and obviously has no problem keeping up with the traffic flow. 100 km/h is achieved in about 10.5 seconds. Equipped with the Autotronic continuously-variable transmission, the B200 seems hesitant and is slow to react during launches; the gearbox is calibrated for maximum fuel efficiency.

And maximize fuel it does: I averaged 9.3 L/100 km, which is much appreciated. The engine requires super unleaded, though. For quicker driving, you can activate the transmission's Sport mode, which changes gears more aggressively.

Mercedes-Benz markets the B-Class as a "Sports Tourer", which is a little optimistic. The car is not very sporty, because the steering, although light and pleasing, is slow and doesn't encourage one to hit the twisty roads at a high velocity. However, the suspension is very comfortable on the highway, and absorbs road imperfections very well during city commuting. In normal driving situations, I was pleasantly surprised by this car.

The B200 offers good road manners under normal driving conditions.