10 days with b-class

[GGV]

10 days with b-class

For more than 16 years I was driving Toyota Camry V6. It is great car. Unfortunately, it's started to show the age
and expected repair cost was several times more than residual value. Camry Hybrid was in list of candidates... but,
I became EV addict So I picked b-class.

Facts:
- Odometer: 440 miles
- 2 calls to dealership:
- How to turn off right lights (was not able to find this switch in manual)?
- What is my VVC code (for mbrace setup)?
- Call from dealership: incentives+down payment cannot exceed 25% of MSRP (WHY???). Well, lease was re-written with numbers:
Model: 2015, MSRP: $47870, 3 years, $371/month, $3100 drive off, 15k miles/year
- MBrace App setup
- EvAccess App (must-have app!)
- Car-phone connectivity setup
- Multimedia system setup (playing music from CD/SD/phone/Sirius/FM)
- Charging from public charger (Blink) - not impressed. it's says 208V, 30Amps but average power is ~4kW. And expensive...
- Learning about D-/D/D+ modes, trying to figure out how to use them properly.
- Driving in S mode all the time
- Collision warning was triggered couple times when front car break sharply
- JuiceBox40 is delivered

In ToDo List:
- Install NEMA 14-50 plug & mount JuiceBox
- Learn how to configure/use voice commands
- Garage opener setup
- Get child (backless) booster seat.
- Check if multimedia system supports non-Latin symbols
- Stop worrying about maximizing the range; get fun while driving

Overall impressions:

I was interested to get commute car. Driving ~45+ miles daily, both on highway and city stop-and-go. Office parking is in packed underground garage.
Need ability to put 2 adults and 2 kids. I started with test driving Leaf & Ford Focus Electric and found EV addictive.
Unfortunately, above cars are sacrificing a lot of comfort to bring electric platform. e-Golf is not available for lease for Washingtonians.
KIA is not yet available.
Mercedes B-class electric is more expensive than I planned but...

I love this car from the first test drive: powerful, comfortable and fully adjustable seats, spacious for driver and 3 passengers, capable for cargo if needed.
Not screaming "it's electric!!!" but nicely/thoughtfully designed ("internally geeky" ).
Below are my impressions after 10 days of ownership.

- Turning radius - pretty good, I feel capable to do u-turn on 4 lanes road (from left lane to opposite right lane, without u-turn 'pocket')
This maneuver was challenging for Camry, impossible for Mazda6 Wagon, Toyota Sienna.
- Stability during turns is very good.
- A/C is ice cold! Air vents are nicely designed for adjustment.
- Car is heavy. It could be concern from driver viewpoint but from passenger view it's much better. My wife got motion sickness on Leaf
(BTW, it is one of "no-go" for my friends who tested Leaf), she never had a problem on b-class
- Breaks are strong. Though, I'm interested if they are still good in 1 or 2 years.
- Display is large! Interface is intuitive, no RTFM needed.

Negatives:
I think, MB b-class got a lot of positives from electric drive-train (if compare to gas or diesel),
but there are some inherited issues from b-class platform

- Not quiet on highway - road noise is significant, especially on rough highway pavement. Camry Hybrid has better sound insulation.
- Firm suspension. It's far from comfort - road imperfection are very noticeable and loud.
- Occasional interior plastic rattling on rough highway
- Mirror visibility: I wish side and center mirrors are bigger. Toyota Sienna mirrors are more comfortable to me.
- <rant>Why, why headrests can't be lowered down up to seat level?!</rant>
- Climate controls... Grr... In Toyota's there are large switches; its could be changed even without looking at them. Here, in b-class,
I have to _search_ for them if I need adjustment.

Open questions:
- I am resetting D-mode to D- and driving mode to S every time when I'm starting the car. Is it possible to keep current settings after restart?
- How to switch to D-auto?
- Is it possible to have both digital speedometer and trip meter/odometer on console?

 

[Comanchepilot]

There is no reason the incentives plus down cannot exceed 25% MSRP. For example - the maximum reduction for a $48950 lease [our 2014] would be ~$12250-yet - our Cap Cost was $30350 . . .

MB had a $5k credit at the time we leased - the federal credit was $7500, plujs there was another $3k going to the dealers behind the scenes -and the dealer gave us most of the that - we got about $18500k off MSRP - but the price was computed off Invoice = but it was still more than 25% of MSRP.

Your lease is way high - but within the realm for a 15 year lease. Did you use an MB Financial lease?

It just sounds like more dealer BS to increase their financial threshold for referral fee.

D-Auto pretty much is like kissing a sister - it works- but not well - wife loves it but I use D- when I drive - we are 800' above the freeway entrance- when she drives to it she uses power - when I drive to it I still have 100% charge when we get there -

A 30 amp circuit will generally deliver about 24 amps = using 208v. and you're at 90% efficiency into the battery is 4400Kwh - right about what you are seeing - you'll do 17% per hour.

What are 'right lights?'

VVC code you should have received at delivery - most MB dealers are electric clueless. Even if you got the code - it takes MB 24-36 hours to set your car up - so you go through the set up -and then it does not work. Great, huh?

 

[Comanchepilot]

The only serious what were they thinking design moment is the lack of charging delay. Even Chevy has a programmable charger built into the system. It forced us to buy another charger - adding $300 net to the price of the car - we sold the Voltec charger we had previously but did have a 40 amp line installed at the time and the Voltec was only using 16 amps effectively - or 3.3Kwh. The Volt took 5 hours to charge at night - and if the wife left early - sometimes the Volt was not fully charged.

Charging at an effective 32 amps at 220v is 7kwh and the Benz uses about 45% of the charge to get home in the evening - means only 2 hours to fully charged. . . . thats really nice-

 

[GGV]

- It's quite difficult to negotiate deal when there is no stock vehicles in WA state. Option is get car from Oregon.
- D-Auto mode enables radar-based recuperation. Pages 132-133 of manual. (BTW, my question is solved)
- "right lights" -> right-hand standing lights. Page 98 of manual
- VVC - code. I've got this code on 3rd day but setup was immediate. Can't say anything about 24-36 hours delay.
- WA state has flat electricity rate. So, I am not complaining about charging delay. To me, it's looks like responsibility of charger.

Still happy with the car

 

[padamson1]

Some answers/comments to OP questions:

- <rant>Why, why headrests can't be lowered down up to seat level?!</rant>

Headrests in rear can be pushed down to seat level and even removed. Check other thread on this subject http://www.mybclasselectricdrive.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=211&p=2618&hilit=headrest#p2618.

- Climate controls... Grr... In Toyota's there are large switches; its could be changed even without looking at them. Here, in b-class, I have to _search_ for them if I need adjustment.

IMHO Still much better than LEAF

Open questions:
- How to switch to D-auto?

Tap gear shift lever down and you will return to D-auto from D-.