B180 Blue EFFICIENCY CDI

Great chassis, comfortable, Quiet but too much tyre noise and could do with a more rigid body

The new B Class is a revelation. We also have a 320d, BMW 3 series touring and swapped a four year old 'A' to get the new model, which has taken the Beamer's place as our long-distance (800 miles) journeyman.

The chassis is terrific - every bit as good as the 3 series, probably the benchmark at this level; the car handles pretty much any road condition with aplomb. The ride is firm - we have the 17" wheels on the Sport chassis - the new 'B' holds the road like a limpet, cornering feels good and safe, it goes where you want it and the brakes give real confidence. The car, despite being a good height overall, is, however, a bit short on ground-clearance and sc***es Mother Earth too easily.

The automatic headlights are just fine; it really pays to have the bi-xenon lamps on the Sport spec.. The smallest diesel engine gives us plenty of power, even with four up and a full boot, though we feel that if Mercedes Benz decided to 'AMG' this model, it would cope fine. The 'chain-gang' engine revs easily, with no thrash. The manual gearbox we have is light and positive to use and works well with the clutch. The pedals could be better placed, one to another, though spacing is fine for big feet. Fuel consumption is very good indeed, averaging around 60 mpg plus on a mix of motorway and town driving. The cabin is well laid out, well built and works. The dash is clear and easy to see and use. We would prefer the better instrument lighting of the 3 - the 'B' looks a bit cheap - but that's really a quibble. The electric hand brake needs practice but it's no problem once you get used to it.

The 'B' has got quieter as it has got older. Now, with 20k miles under its belt, the excellent engine is more refined than before, though it still needs to quieten a bit to compare favourably with the 3 at 82k miles. We could do with cruise control and memory seats, which we have on the Beamer, to hold speed limits and because my wife is a lot shorter than I am. Both these are extras that weren't fitted when we got the car at 4,000 miles.

This car came with Dunlops, which are quiet in use and grip well but make strange noises on different surfaces. Maybe we should go back to the Contis on the BMW, which has the same size wheels. Still, I get out after a full day's driving without an ache and only the 3 series does things that well, so no complaints, really. Maybe the only 'problem' is that the body does not feel quite so solid as the Beamer and makes more noise over bumps and potholes; something Mercedes need to fix on the next version.

So, if you want to pay £10,000 less than for a BMW 3 series and get as good if not a better ride and superb handling, get a new model Mercedes Benz 'B' 180CDi You won't be disappointed.

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