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Mercedes Benz B-Class Electric Drive
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Rifleman
Now owns 2 Model S's!!!
My wife and I are seriously looking at the B-Class to replace our Volt when we turn back into the dealer at the end of its lease in september. Hopefully it is available in Ohio by then. We say in one at the NAIAS, and were really impressed with it. Our current thinking is to lease a B for 3 years, and then buy an X when we turn the B back in.
We leased ours from out of state and the dealer tossed in delivery to our home for "free"- got it shipped to our door on a flatbed from Oregon, 200 mi away. With a signed statement by the local dealer/service center that they do maintenance and service. The people from Mercedes Benz of Portland (Pierre Machen) were super straightforward and helpful remotely; even helping taking measures for carseats and other tasks above my expectations.
First impressions of the vehicle to come.
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Tedkidd
Member
Already there, at least at the two places I called. I did some research in December:
smartcenterbedford.com
(888) 854-3314
Dominick Will have both within 60 days
smartcenterofnortholmsted.com
(440) 249-7008
Sean - they have both cars
(888) 854-3314
Dominick Will have both within 60 days
smartcenterofnortholmsted.com
(440) 249-7008
Sean - they have both cars
You can check out B class AND Smart at these stores. Might want to take some test drives and start lining up your deal!
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Some B-Class experience notes in no particular order:
Note: these are for the 2014 model with premium package, range package, media, and some other options. No parktronic.
Lease and delivery
- MB of Portland, 2300 down + 350/mo, 12k mi/y. Got prepaid maintenance. Awesome crew to work with
- Delivered home in a flatbed with 80% charge.
- Local service centers sent me signed docs saying they'd service it and do repairs.
Size
- very comfortable front and back; I'm 6 ft.
- 2 car seats + adult passenger (not fat) fit in the back simultaneously. Not super comfy, but enough to take my parents or friends around. We are looking at thinner carseats to get extra space
Charging
- 36 kWh battery and Tesla built drivetrain.
- Comes with an ugly, huge, L1 charger that got stuffed in a closet and we got a Jesla instead. Between WA sales tax rebates and PSE $500 rebate it's a great deal.
- Charges at 40A @ 240V. Car has current draw limiter but seems just to provide '8A, 12A, MAX' options.
- The range package is an option (built in for 2015 models) to range charge. Yup, you pay extra for the privilege. W.out range charge I start the day with indicated 77 miles in the Guess-o-meter. I drove a 25 mile circuit and it had gone to 65. I have a sense Mercedes wants to go *underpromise* in all caps when it comes to range.
- There is a general lack of data about charging current, voltage, etc.
- Efficiency is indicated in miles/kWh which slaps your brain around when you are used to kWh/mile. Suburban driving with some agressive play puts it at 2.5..3 miles/kWh (HA see what it does)
- You can set times for charged-by and cabin-climate-adjusted-by.
- No CHAdeMO; but aftermarket mods for the brave may pop up later this year.
Comfort & User Experience
- Definitely a Mercedes Benz with quality feel, but also behind the times in details
- Key is one of those retrograde fobs you have to insert in a slot and turn. No proximity opening of doors. Even my '12 Prius plug in had contactless keys that can stay in a coat.
- No touch screen and just operates the console screen via the MB knob. The '12 Prius plug in had touchscreen too.
- Dash seems outdated and has 'classical' details - maybe too many. A physical needle to indicate battery SOC? really? Another one to tell you battery readiness (eg for low temp)
- Lots of mini apps for unrelated stuff. It shows MB is a large company with many departments. You have the road assist app, the MBrace app (which is the app to honk your horn and unlock your car and see where the car is on a map while stationary). Then you have the 'my Electric Benz' app which is really just a mobile website with a painful pairing process and I haven't got mine to work yet.
- Has Valet mode where you can geofence and get alerts when exited. Haven't tried it.
- Largish trunk for vehicle class. 2 large suitcases and some stuff on top.
Driving
- Has 'eco' and 'sport' modes; 'eco' seems to add 10% to the guess-o-meter.
- Zippy and fun for an EV. Not insane.
- No artificial pedestrian noise-hum-annoy-thing
- Steering wheel has the 'shifter paddles' used to change Regen behavior - "Regen -" is an agressive regen, "Regen +" is more of a coasting experience
- Regen default is 'auto' which adjusts its intensity based on sensed (radar) traffic ahead. It's nice to feel regen adjust itself based on a car in front as you approached stopped traffic or lights go red.
- Typical MB blind spot alerts.
Summary / TL;DR
I'm very happy so far even given my nitpicky nature. The only issues I have are with the comfort thingies (keys, apps). Some of these get improved in '15 models.
Seems superior to the Leaf based on our testing, and had the interior space we wanted for the carseats which was the main differentiator besides the 'tesla inside'
We are very happy and seems a worthy sidekick to the Model X that is possibly in our future.
I hope MB increases availability and people start sharing the experience; seems a great EV to have in the ecosystem.
Feel free to ask more details or pics and I'll post in free time.
Note: these are for the 2014 model with premium package, range package, media, and some other options. No parktronic.
Lease and delivery
- MB of Portland, 2300 down + 350/mo, 12k mi/y. Got prepaid maintenance. Awesome crew to work with
- Delivered home in a flatbed with 80% charge.
- Local service centers sent me signed docs saying they'd service it and do repairs.
Size
- very comfortable front and back; I'm 6 ft.
- 2 car seats + adult passenger (not fat) fit in the back simultaneously. Not super comfy, but enough to take my parents or friends around. We are looking at thinner carseats to get extra space
Charging
- 36 kWh battery and Tesla built drivetrain.
- Comes with an ugly, huge, L1 charger that got stuffed in a closet and we got a Jesla instead. Between WA sales tax rebates and PSE $500 rebate it's a great deal.
- Charges at 40A @ 240V. Car has current draw limiter but seems just to provide '8A, 12A, MAX' options.
- The range package is an option (built in for 2015 models) to range charge. Yup, you pay extra for the privilege. W.out range charge I start the day with indicated 77 miles in the Guess-o-meter. I drove a 25 mile circuit and it had gone to 65. I have a sense Mercedes wants to go *underpromise* in all caps when it comes to range.
- There is a general lack of data about charging current, voltage, etc.
- Efficiency is indicated in miles/kWh which slaps your brain around when you are used to kWh/mile. Suburban driving with some agressive play puts it at 2.5..3 miles/kWh (HA see what it does)
- You can set times for charged-by and cabin-climate-adjusted-by.
- No CHAdeMO; but aftermarket mods for the brave may pop up later this year.
Comfort & User Experience
- Definitely a Mercedes Benz with quality feel, but also behind the times in details
- Key is one of those retrograde fobs you have to insert in a slot and turn. No proximity opening of doors. Even my '12 Prius plug in had contactless keys that can stay in a coat.
- No touch screen and just operates the console screen via the MB knob. The '12 Prius plug in had touchscreen too.
- Dash seems outdated and has 'classical' details - maybe too many. A physical needle to indicate battery SOC? really? Another one to tell you battery readiness (eg for low temp)
- Lots of mini apps for unrelated stuff. It shows MB is a large company with many departments. You have the road assist app, the MBrace app (which is the app to honk your horn and unlock your car and see where the car is on a map while stationary). Then you have the 'my Electric Benz' app which is really just a mobile website with a painful pairing process and I haven't got mine to work yet.
- Has Valet mode where you can geofence and get alerts when exited. Haven't tried it.
- Largish trunk for vehicle class. 2 large suitcases and some stuff on top.
Driving
- Has 'eco' and 'sport' modes; 'eco' seems to add 10% to the guess-o-meter.
- Zippy and fun for an EV. Not insane.
- No artificial pedestrian noise-hum-annoy-thing
- Steering wheel has the 'shifter paddles' used to change Regen behavior - "Regen -" is an agressive regen, "Regen +" is more of a coasting experience
- Regen default is 'auto' which adjusts its intensity based on sensed (radar) traffic ahead. It's nice to feel regen adjust itself based on a car in front as you approached stopped traffic or lights go red.
- Typical MB blind spot alerts.
Summary / TL;DR
I'm very happy so far even given my nitpicky nature. The only issues I have are with the comfort thingies (keys, apps). Some of these get improved in '15 models.
Seems superior to the Leaf based on our testing, and had the interior space we wanted for the carseats which was the main differentiator besides the 'tesla inside'
We are very happy and seems a worthy sidekick to the Model X that is possibly in our future.
I hope MB increases availability and people start sharing the experience; seems a great EV to have in the ecosystem.
Feel free to ask more details or pics and I'll post in free time.
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Rifleman
Now owns 2 Model S's!!!
Great writeup EchoDelta, thanks!
What range does the Guess-O-Meeter give you when charged in full range mode?
What range does the Guess-O-Meeter give you when charged in full range mode?
Thanks - the questions help me add relevant info.
Answer- TBD, we were out the weekend and I didn't want to leave it sitting at 100% SOC for days.
Here are pics from the app. Note my car is still 'unpaired' and a dealer will call me today to see what can be done. I assume a backend issue.
To make it easier to add Q&A including contributions from other owners I created this wiki page. Feel free to add questions.
Mercedes B-Class Electric Features and QA - Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum
Mercedes B-Class Electric Features and QA - Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum
Rifleman
Now owns 2 Model S's!!!
EchoDelta,
My next question would be whats your take on actual highway range? Do you feel that the GOM range is accurate when driving 65-70 mph with the HVAC on, or do you feel like it is slightly optimistic (like every other ev out there, including my beloved Model S)
Another questions would also be what is the effect of "eco" mode on driving dynamics? Does it severly limit top speed or acceleration? Does the car always start in one mode, or does it remember what mode it was in the last time it was driven?
My next question would be whats your take on actual highway range? Do you feel that the GOM range is accurate when driving 65-70 mph with the HVAC on, or do you feel like it is slightly optimistic (like every other ev out there, including my beloved Model S)
Another questions would also be what is the effect of "eco" mode on driving dynamics? Does it severly limit top speed or acceleration? Does the car always start in one mode, or does it remember what mode it was in the last time it was driven?
I'll have to do some experiments on flat highway; and will be out of country for ~ 2 weeks starting thu. I wish I could get to a kWh/mi vs speed curve.
(Need to verify) seems to always start in Eco mode. Not sure what it actually does now that I think about it. Doesn't seem sluggish at all (but it's not insane). Today I hit 80mph in eco mode, and burnt rubber on start from a stop sign with eco too.
Rifleman
Now owns 2 Model S's!!!
I spent a little bit of time calling every MB dealer in the state today. I was able to find one that has a B-Class sitting on their lot, but it is already sold, so they cant let me take it for a test drive. The rest were happy to order one, but will not have an inventory car in stock to check out without a commitment to buy.
Tedkidd
Member
The dealer in Buffalo still had the silver 14' I drove in January when I decided on my Smart. $49k. They let me take it for a few days while performing a headlight repair.
The car is absolutely awesome. This is the fifth time I've driven one, first really extended drive. It is everything EchoDelta describes and more. So nice to drive - except the front wheels can have a tendency to spin when you hit it at speeds under 15.
They offered me a blistering lease deal. Since my TDI has been driven like 3 times in 4 months I'm thinking of selling it and seeing of this Smart can be my only vehicle - but it was still very tempting. My business partner took the 2014 B. $200 a month with under $2k down. (No range mode, which IMO does handicap its sales appeal.)
MB Rochester has a blue one. Might be a 14, in which case i bet you can get it for under $300. Long way to go for a test drive,
The car is absolutely awesome. This is the fifth time I've driven one, first really extended drive. It is everything EchoDelta describes and more. So nice to drive - except the front wheels can have a tendency to spin when you hit it at speeds under 15.
They offered me a blistering lease deal. Since my TDI has been driven like 3 times in 4 months I'm thinking of selling it and seeing of this Smart can be my only vehicle - but it was still very tempting. My business partner took the 2014 B. $200 a month with under $2k down. (No range mode, which IMO does handicap its sales appeal.)
MB Rochester has a blue one. Might be a 14, in which case i bet you can get it for under $300. Long way to go for a test drive,
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So I am not ready to pull the trigger on a Model S, so this looks like the next best thing. I went to check out a Volt, and it seems too small. Range isn't a huge issue for me as this will be an around town car. I didn't get to drive the B Class, but a customer was there charging his, and let me check it out (Thanks!). It is definitely a much nicer interior than the Volt, and more roomy.
Walking into a Mercedes dealership is a terrible experience though, even in Maine. You all can imagine the customers they are expecting, and how they portray themselves... this would be the biggest factor for me NOT buying the B Class. Ugh!
Anyways, it looks like they are running a 0 down, $289 a month special for 10k miles on the 2014s. Seems like a good way to get my feet wet in the EV world. Any advice?
Walking into a Mercedes dealership is a terrible experience though, even in Maine. You all can imagine the customers they are expecting, and how they portray themselves... this would be the biggest factor for me NOT buying the B Class. Ugh!
Anyways, it looks like they are running a 0 down, $289 a month special for 10k miles on the 2014s. Seems like a good way to get my feet wet in the EV world. Any advice?
I got one (2014 with range package) few months ago and I'm super happy with it. You need to get a better charger - I got a Jesla (tesla Umc modded with J1772) and be ok with lack of CHAdeMO.
I think the range package is important (2014, its included in 15) and the radar based regen is awesome. It is more spacious than we thought.
For the '14 model minor nags are the key fob that needs to go into a slot and the lack of touchscreen. My Prius did better. And nav map shows gas stations ... eye roll. Despite these nags, we are very happy.
I got mine shipped for free to my home from Oregon, they don't have them in WA yet due to federal incentives and tax issues w autoNation. I shopped around via phone.
From the header on their web page:
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive has a dynamic design, a high-quality interior and a high-torque electric motor for locally zero-emission driving
I was behind one of these yesterday near the Petaluma ssupercharger. Looked like a decent car from the rear. never saw any other angle in person
Without fast charging, leave alone Supercharging, the MB B-Class ED is a step back in time. If MB does not step up, the Bolt and Model III will eat their lunch.
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