Used Mercedes B class?

[Canucks3322]

I'm looking for a nice 5 door hatchback for my gf around $10 grand and I happen to see a couple of these Mercedes B classes for around this price range (maybe a bit more for something around 120-130,000km)....does anyone know anything about these as far as reliability?? I think they look half decent and the interiors are pretty nice for the price range but not sure if there are some catastrophic problems with them? It would be perfect for her and her dogs....

Didn't find much on google, someone on here must have a mom or a sister or grandma that owns one lol...

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-image.html?adId=554793157&image=0&enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

This one here looks pretty decent and he's priced it pretty low according to vmr?!

[CanmoreOrLess]

These guys do a nice job in covering used vehicles and what to expect. As one could expect, German and used cars are a nightmare if it is you paying the repair bills which are more frequent than a typical Japanese vehicle. I'd say look for something Japanese, the Honda Element is perhaps the best vehicle for dogs and in the SC version can be rather appealing. What about a Subaru, etc?

http://www.autos.ca/used-car-reviews/used-vehicle-review-mercedes-benz-b-class-2006-2011/?all=1


Difficult to find an Element on Kijiji, that might be the real issue.

"You can come close to the ElementÕs utility for less money, but it would be hard to match its reliability for anything that comes in much cheaper."
http://www.autos.ca/used-car-reviews/used-vehicle-review-honda-element-2003-2010/?all=1

[rage2]

German cars aren't any different to Japanese cars in terms of repair bills, because the same 3rd party have aftermarket parts available. The B is an exception though, because the car isn't available in the US so there's no aftermarket support for parts. That means you're paying dealer prices for OEM parts.

[Canucks3322]

^ Damn, good to know...at 130,000km though would it really need that much, my gf drives maybe 15,000km a year and we'd keep it maybe 1-2 years....the other option I'm looking at is a 2008-ish Jeep Patriot with well under 100,000km but also has 4 wheel drive, again, I know nothing about those vehicles....:banghead:

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by Canucks3322
^ Damn, good to know...at 130,000km though would it really need that much, my gf drives maybe 15,000km a year and we'd keep it maybe 1-2 years....the other option I'm looking at is a 2008-ish Jeep Patriot with well under 100,000km but also has 4 wheel drive, again, I know nothing about those vehicles....:banghead:

Patriots are absolutely awful to drive in my opinion.

[Canucks3322]

It'll be mainly my gf's to drive. .. plus we could use it camping and its got the awd and bit of ground clearance for the winter. ...I guess I just wanna know if there's any known big issues like a tranny made of glass or something. .

[XylathaneGTR]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo


Patriots are absolutely awful to drive in my opinion.
Agreed. I've had the displeasure of driving a few Patriots as rentals (including a trip from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg).
Uncomfortable ergonomics and seats, unforgiving ride, and one with awful play in the steering. Cheap hard plastics for miles, everything is unpleasant to the touch.
Might be a different experience when you're not in it for hours upon hours at a time, but my experiences with them have been unfavourable.

[CanmoreOrLess]

Buy a Wrangler, at least you'd get your money back in the resale.

[Canucks3322]

Ya I like wranglers too but out of my price range and gas guzzkers... will be daily driven.

[ExtraSlow]

patriot is an awful car man. Same story with the compass.
Mazda3, Mazda5 and Honda Fit are all decent options.

[Canucks3322]

Ok Patriots are out.... Still wondering about the Mercedes. .. will have test it out. Thanks for the advice folks.

[idriveabox]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
These guys do a nice job in covering used vehicles and what to expect. As one could expect, German and used cars are a nightmare if it is you paying the repair bills which are more frequent than a typical Japanese vehicle. I'd say look for something Japanese, the Honda Element is perhaps the best vehicle for dogs and in the SC version can be rather appealing. What about a Subaru, etc?

http://www.autos.ca/used-car-reviews/used-vehicle-review-mercedes-benz-b-class-2006-2011/?all=1


Difficult to find an Element on Kijiji, that might be the real issue.

"You can come close to the ElementÕs utility for less money, but it would be hard to match its reliability for anything that comes in much cheaper."
http://www.autos.ca/used-car-reviews/used-vehicle-review-honda-element-2003-2010/?all=1

The Element is a great dog car and awesome for camping. Reliable, easy to work on - basically a tank.

Would recommend the 5 spd for more punch and be prepared to go through windshields!

[rage2]

Originally posted by Canucks3322
^ Damn, good to know...at 130,000km though would it really need that much, my gf drives maybe 15,000km a year and we'd keep it maybe 1-2 years....
I've just heard horror stories about the B since you can't get parts anywhere except the MB parts counter. There was one that needed brakes and CV's, and the parts bill was $6k on a $10k car.

We're not keeping ours when warranty expires next year.

[n1zm0]

Originally posted by idriveabox
The Element is a great dog car and awesome for camping. Reliable, easy to work on - basically a tank.


A guy we go camping with has one, it's really a versatile vehicle, they just fold all the seats or take them out or something (can't remember which one it was) and they slept in the vancar all weekend, then after we were using it to transport firewood he just sweeped all the crap out off the plastic floor.

[Canucks3322]

Definitely staying away from the Benz lol. .. Never really lookedt elements will have to check those out. .. like the all wheel drive and also if we go camping we won't even need a tent. .