Oh yes, but there I go again completely missing Mercedes' point. The B200 is about fuel conscious luxury, not irresponsible
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| Am I completely missing Mercedes' point? Is the B200 all about fuel conscious luxury? If so then buy a more sophisticated, more luxurious hybrid and call it a day. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
gas guzzling opulence. And other than the lack of those leather seats... oh, and no available DVD-entertainment system.... it's a pretty well equipped little luxo-hauler.
Would I recommend it? Not a chance, but then again I'm a pragmatic that believes a product needs to stand up to all competitors on a dollar for dollar basis and not merely rely on its premium badge for acceptance into the best-buy club. The only way the B200 would be a good deal is if its residual (resale) value was so high after three years that it only cost a few thousand to own, and while Mercedes-Benz products rate higher
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| So, if you only have $31,000 to spend and you really must have a Mercedes-Benz, this is the car for you. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
than most in this department, only time will tell if the automaker's least expensive model will miraculously only lose three to four percent in value per year. More likely, it will lose about 10 percent per year, for a total of thirty (but this is just speculation).
So, if you only have $31,000 to spend and you really must have a Mercedes-Benz, this is the car for you. If, on the other hand, you'd like to get more vehicle for your money, I can recommend just about anything else, including that Mazda5 I was comparing the B200 to earlier. If you "need" a premium badge to be attached to your next purchase, how about Volvo's extremely capable V50? It is eons better looking, quicker, more nimble and about as roomy as the B200, for about the same base price.
