Skip advert
Advertisement

Mercedes-Benz B-class review - Practical people-mover not Mercedes' best effort - Mercedes-Benz B-class performance and 0-60 time

A compact MPV for those that value the Merc badge

Evo rating
RRP
from £21,825
  • Refined, spacious, classy, good electric version
  • Very ordinary to drive and most models dull to look at

The fastest accelerating B-class is the electric B 250e, its instantaneous torque pushing the car to 62mph from rest in a respectable 7.9 seconds. It's largely irrelevant to British buyers that it tops out at a modest 100mph, but the way it gets up to that speed is deeply satisfying.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The conventional models in the line-up are rather disappointing in comparison - and not just because of the raw figures. The quickest of the 'normal' cars is the B 220d, posting an 8.3-second 0-62mph on the way to 139mph. The 4Matic version accelerates just as quickly despite its 70kg weight penalty, thanks to extra traction off the line. It feels fast enough for the type of car it is, but the diesel engines are all a bit gruff and they certainly don't encourage the driver to trouble the red paint on the rev counter.

Wear ear defenders and it's theoretically possible to get the B 180 CDI to 62mph in 11.6 seconds (11.9 with the auto), while the B 200d does it in 9.9 seconds (9.8 with the auto). The turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engines aren't much faster, posting a best time of 8.4 seconds in the automatic B 200 or a worst of 9.3 seconds for the manual B 180. They do fare better at the top end and at least they're smooth and quieter than the diesels.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Aston Martin Vantage (2006) Fast Fleet test – living with a £30k V8 Aston
evo Fast Fleet Aston Martin Vantage
Long term tests

Aston Martin Vantage (2006) Fast Fleet test – living with a £30k V8 Aston

How much does an early V8 Vantage really cost to run? We’re starting to find out
21 Aug 2025
Best cars of the 1980s – performance icons from the decade of excess
Best '80s cars
Best cars

Best cars of the 1980s – performance icons from the decade of excess

The performance car as we’ve come to adore it has its origins in the 1980s. Family cars got fast, fast cars got faster, all of them were huge fun
19 Aug 2025
Used Porsche Cayman GT4 for under £60k – A Porsche GT model for less than a new A110
Porsche Cayman GT4
News

Used Porsche Cayman GT4 for under £60k – A Porsche GT model for less than a new A110

Porsche 981 Cayman GT4 values have reached the point where they are on a par - or below - the current crop of sports cars, so a former Car of the Year…
21 Aug 2025