Mercedes-Benz B Class variants
Total price
Monthly payment

Finance representative example (PCP)

Total cash price £26,999. Borrowing £24,299 with a £2,700 deposit at a representative APR of 11.9%.

48 monthly payments
£423.68
Fixed interest rate
11.9%
Total amount payable
£35,693.78
Cost of credit
£8,694.78
Optional final payment
£12,657.00
Purchase fee
£10.00
Annual mileage limit
6000 miles

Mercedes B-Class buying guide

The Mercedes B-Class comes with a selection of trim and engine choices. This guide will explain each in more detail so you can pick the B-Class that's perfect for your needs.

What Mercedes B-Class trim levels are there?

There are five main trim levels for the B-Class.

The range kicks off with the Sport model. Despite its entry-level status, it's still a Mercedes, so comes well-equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated front seats, keyless starting, two-zone climate control, autonomous emergency braking, and an infotainment system with built-in sat nav.

Sport Executive Edition ups the ante with larger 18-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors and faux-leather upholstery. The infotainment system gains a larger 10.25-inch screen along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.

Drawing styling inspiration from Mercedes' high-performance AMG cars, AMG Line Executive Edition adds more visual upgrades. You get sportier-looking 18-inch alloys that ape proper AMG wheels, an AMG-inspired body kit, blacked-out styling details and a meaner-looking front grille. Inside, you'll find part-faux-leather upholstery and front sports seats, along with ambient lighting and stainless steel pedals.

AMG Line Premium Edition takes another step up, keeping the visual upgrades of other AMG Line cars but adding keyless entry, a larger 10.25-inch driver information screen and illuminated front door sills.

Finally, AMG Line Premium Plus Edition sits at the top of the B-Class range. Outside, the main additions are upgraded LED headlights with automatic high beams and an openable panoramic glass sunroof with a rain sensor and tilt function. Inside, traffic sign assist joins the safety package, allowing the car to read road signs and display them in the information cluster.

What's the Mercedes B-Class's interior and technology like?

The cabin is a really strong area for the B-Class and might be enough to sway you away from rival MPVs such as the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. All the materials feel expensive and are well screwed together, and the dashboard is both elegantly simple and neatly styled. You still get physical heater and air-con controls, which are easier to use on the move, and the trackpad in the centre console lets you use the infotainment system without fiddling with the touchscreen.

On top of the dashboard, the twin-screen setup is essentially unchanged from the A-Class, CLA, GLA and GLB. That means a single unit containing the centre touchscreen for the infotainment system and the driver's screen behind the steering wheel. Entry-level B-Class Sport cars use a pair of seven-inch screens with thick black bezels. Sport Executive models upgrade the centre touchscreen to a 10.25-inch unit, while AMG Line Premium cars bump the driver's screen up to 10.25 inches too. If your budget allows it, we think the fully upgraded setup is the best thanks to its clearer graphics and overall more high-tech look.

While the B-Class's MPV body might not look as slick as the A-Class hatch's, it substantially boosts its practicality. The higher roofline means very tall passengers in both the front and the back won't be brushing their heads on the roof, and the extra length brings with it much more rear legroom. That alone makes the B-Class a better choice than the A-Class if you have kids or regularly use the back seats, but the substantially larger boot seals the deal with a wide, square load area perfect for pushchairs or big suitcases.

Mercedes B-Class engine range explained

Mercedes B-Class B180 petrol

Entry-level petrol-powered B-Class cars come with a 1.3-litre turbo four-cylinder under the bonnet. Like all B-Class models, this engine comes paired with an automatic gearbox, which suits the car's relaxed driving experience. With 136hp and a 0-62mph time of nine seconds, this engine is probably powerful enough for most buyers and can average as much as 45mpg if you drive gently.

Mercedes B-Class B200 petrol

B200 cars keep the same 1.3-litre turbo petrol engine but boost the power to 163hp. This extra kick takes the 0-62mph time down to 8.2 seconds and means this engine feels a little more relaxed when overtaking on the motorway. Fuel economy is essentially the same as the B180.

Mercedes B-Class B250e plug-in hybrid

The B250e plug-in hybrid is a little more expensive but can dramatically cut your running costs. Again, the 1.3-litre turbo petrol features but, this time, gets the help of a torquey electric motor for a total of 218hp. That means a surprisingly quick 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds and the potential for more than 250mpg if you make effective use of both power sources. If you can charge at home or at work, the 37-mile electric-only range might be enough to cover your commute without ever having to fire up the engine.

Mercedes B-Class B180d diesel

If you're a higher-mileage driver, you might want to look at one of the B-Class's diesel options. The range starts with the B180d, powered by a 116hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder. While the power figure is modest, the 9.8-second 0-62mph time means it shouldn't run out of puff at motorway speeds. Oddly, while this engine is shared with more powerful diesel B-Class cars, its 53mpg claimed average is the lowest of the lineup by a small fraction.

Mercedes B-Class B200d diesel

Jumping up to the B200d means the same 2.0-litre diesel engine but with the wick turned up to 150hp. That cuts the 0-62mph dash down to 8.3 seconds, which means this version feels more relaxed at motorway speeds. The claimed 55mpg average consumption figure is the best you'll get in the B-Class shy of the plug-in hybrid.

Mercedes B-Class B220d diesel

If you want the long-legged range of a diesel but with the overtaking power you'd expect in a Mercedes, test drive the 190hp B220d. The 0-62mph time falls to 7.2 seconds, which means it's noticeably quicker under full throttle but also means it's a bit calmer when you're just accelerating up to motorway speeds. The 54mpg average means there's only a tiny economy penalty for choosing this engine.

Mercedes B-Class FAQs

There's only one version of the Mercedes B-Class – a five-door MPV with a hatchback bootlid. You can think of it as an A-Class that's just a little larger in every dimension.

The B-Class has exactly the same footprint on the road as the A-Class hatchback, measuring in at just over 4.4 metres long and 2.0 metres wide including its door mirrors – an impressive feat considering the extra cabin space. The body does gain 122mm over the A-Class, which gives it the additional headroom six-footers will appreciate. Its direct rival, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, is a few millimetres shorter and a fraction wider but you'd need a tape measure to be able to tell.

Inside, the B-Class feels like a big five-seat car, with plenty of room for passengers in the four outer seats. The fifth centre-rear passenger will be brushing elbows with those either side, but they'll be much more comfortable than they would be in the A-Class.

For most buyers, either of the petrol options will be more than enough for day-to-day driving, with responsive acceleration and decent fuel economy. All engines include an automatic gearbox as standard, which we think suits the car's relaxed character.

Diesel buyers are also well served by the B-Class's lineup, although we think the slightly more powerful B200d and B220d cars are better all-rounders than the entry-level B180d.

The plug-in hybrid B250e has excellent performance and economy figures, but we'd only suggest budgeting for the extra purchase price if you have a regular commute and the ability to charge at home or at work.

As a premium brand, Mercedes is known for charging a little more for parts and servicing compared with mass-market cars. That means you should expect to budget more for annual maintenance costs. It's worth doing so, however, because a Mercedes service history will help preserve the value of your car.

Like rival premium German brands, Mercedes has a mixed record for reliability. Build quality seems strong and many of the parts and engines are used in other models across the lineup but, with so many on-board features, there are more potential things to go wrong than some simpler, more affordable models.

That said, a recent What Car? reliability survey placed the B-Class at the top of the MPV segment for durability, above rivals like the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer.

For added peace of mind, consider adding an extended warranty to your purchase to protect you from unexpected repair bills.

Yes, the Mercedes B-Class makes an excellent family car. Those seated up front will appreciate the plush materials and the high-tech feeling you get from the screen setup. At the same time, passengers in the back benefit from substantially more head and legroom than the A-Class hatchback. It's also easier to load kids into their car seats thanks to the wider rear door opening, and the boot is large and square, making it easy to chuck pushchairs or holiday bags in.

While the B180 and B200 are the least efficient models, they can still return an impressive 45mpg if driven with a light right foot. Diesel versions can average between 53 and 55mpg – again, depending on how gently you drive.

The mpg winner here is the B250e plug-in hybrid. This version can average more than 250mpg if you make careful use of both the engine and on-board battery pack, or travel around 37 miles on electric power alone. This is noticeably more expensive to buy than the non-hybrid versions, however, so it's worth doing the maths to see if your fuel savings will outweigh the extra purchase price.