B250 Owner's reliability experiences

[oilerlord]

From the research and other owner's experiences I've read, I'm prepared to accept the quirks and compromises that come with this car...as long as it stays reliable over the long term.

In your experience with the car, what regen mode do you usually drive in (D+, D, or D-)? Also, when you touch the brake pedal, doesn't regen already happen on it's own regardless of the mode you choose? I suppose the various D modes are really more like "coasting" modes. I believe regen has it's purpose though you never recover anywhere near the energy it took to get the vehicle up to speed with regenerative braking. In my experience, coasting preserves momentum so I'd probably use the D+ mode all the time assuming that when I touch the brakes, regen still applies. Please clarify this when you have a moment.

 

[JeffRay]

Hi, as I mostly do stop and go in an urban environment, I just keep it in Auto mode. To go back to shifting to start and stop is too much work for this fella. No question the less you touch the brake the more juice you recover. Other folks have estimated what they save by not using Auto but for me, not worth it as I have enough to get by with a weekly charge in warm weather and have to charge twice a week in cold weather. There are those that have longer work commutes who really know how to maximize their mileage.

 

[oilerlord]

You're right of course...hypermiling / preserving momentum to get an extra 10 miles of range for the 20 cents in electricity I'd be saving - isn't worth the trouble. Do you think the constant regen may shorten the overall life of the battery? I'm thinking that over the years that the thousands of times over the you lift off the throttle, and charge the battery may actually cause extra wear. I'm sure that I'm overthinking this but just curious.

 

[wtzouris]

I use D-Auto and very gentle accelerator / braking when I am hyper-miling and D- for city driving, bumper to bumper, and sporty driving. I like the feeling of instant regeneration on curves and highway off ramps, and even when approaching a red light. So I might be in D-Auto and then tap to D- when I see a slow down, and then pull and hold the paddle to get back to D-Auto. All the modes give you about the same efficiency, it really depends on how you drive. Hot weather is the most important factor to good range. 70 degrees or hotter. 100+ mile range.

 

[oilerlord]

Another question, Does the car have a skidplate that covers the entire bottom of the car? I'm guessing it does if not only for aerodynamics. Our winters and spring thaws get pretty messy and a lot of gunk would collect under the car if it isn't covered / protected from the elements. I'm surprised that they didn't put a shroud in the motor compartment for the same reason. Perhaps the motor would get too hot if they covered it up.

 

[JeffRay]

I don't know what a skid plate is but there is a large battery on the bottom of your car but I have never looked. Doubt it though.

 

[oilerlord]

Yeah, I sort of figured out there is a large battery on the bottom of the car on my own

Tesla's come with a plate that protects the battery from damage & the elements:

Was just wondering if the B has a similar plate protecting the underside of the car. I'm assuming there is one, just looking for someone to confirm this. Thanks.

 

[JeffRay]

For what it is worth, I watched the YouTube video again of the production line. The battery goes on top of a metal plate so it may be the skid plate you are referring to. However, the plate only covers the battery, not anything else. Go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDJSpMLxRxU. Very interesting video.

 

[oilerlord]

Watched that video a few weeks ago...it's pretty cool how these cars go together. Tesla increased the thickness of the skid plate on the Model S due to a much-publicized fire that was caused by the battery getting ruptured. I like how Tesla (and other manufacturers) are starting to install protective covers that run the entire underside length of the car. Not only does it keep everything clean, but also improves aerodynamics, and reduces road noise. Not a big deal, but I had hoped that Mercedes did the same with the B250e. At least the precious battery is protected.

 

[jetkit]

I am in South Florida. I fully charge daily, and commute 87 miles 5 days/week. No issues so far.
This is on Florida highway speeds from 65 to 75 mph. I moved from a c300 and this is MUCH better. I had several S classes and still have a 2007 SL550. I can hands on compare the B class. This is a great car.

We also have a Nissan Leaf. Wife uses it for a 40 mile daily commute. Don't even compare.
The leaf is ok in city drive, but will not withstand the SF parkways for much long. I tried, and could not use it for my commute.

One thing I noted comparing the estimated range in the dashboard, the B is a lot more honest in predicting range. Neither the Nissan leaf or the Tesla (friends car, not mine) do a good job there.

I purchased it used, less than $23K, and was the best money I ever placed on a car.
Fingers crossed, if it holds, I will turn 100k miles on it in no time. That is over 4k gallons of gas I will not burn, and $12k in my pocket.

 

[oilerlord]

I purchased it used, less than $23K, and was the best money I ever placed on a car.
Fingers crossed, if it holds, I will turn 100k miles on it in no time. That is over 4k gallons of gas I will not burn, and $12k in my pocket.

How long have you owned your car, and how many miles on it?

I'm still waiting to have my 2014 B shipped to Montana...can't wait to start driving electric, and charging it up with my solar. This will be the first car I've owned that has the potential of paying for itself over the long term. You may save more than $12K; gasoline prices are unusually low these days, which may have also factored into why we were able to buy our B's for peanuts.

 

[jetkit]

Got it in january. 500+ miles per week.
We may trade in the leaf on another B.
Will see.

 

[AndyWest]

Picked up a 3 year old, off lease 2016 b250e - wife has taken it over. So far so good, except faint whining noise I can hear with window down and close to a wall. With windows up the car is pretty silent. Everything works as it should. I also visited a local dealer (W.I. Simonson MB in Santa Monica) and got quoted some absurd prices for "maintenance". Their "Value" package would check the tire pressure, correct under-hood fluid levels , check the brakes and brake fluid, change cabin air filter, check traction battery and replace silicone desiccant cartridge plus "complimentary" car wash - all for $917.85. Oh, and replacement for wiper blades are included. I've just wanted the traction battery inspected (which should be free as per MB USA) and they outright refused! Don't feel they have been honest with me at all.

 

[JeffRay]

AndyWest,

Perhaps another CA owner can direct you to an honest MB dealer for the desiccant cartridge work plus annual battery check to maintain the battery warranty plus traction warranty. You can check tire pressure, brake fluid. There are no other fluids to check other than washer fluid (other than battery coolant)

Find another LA deale but do your annual battery check.

The faint whining noise as described is likely the pedestrian warning. If you hear a high whining noise when driving, which is rare, that is a precursor to a motor problem. Not talking about the pleasant hum when picking up speed, that is normal.

Welcome, trust wife enjoys the ride.

 

[AndyWest]

AndyWest,

Perhaps another CA owner can direct you to an honest MB dealer for the desiccant cartridge work plus annual battery check to maintain the battery warranty plus traction warranty. You can check tire pressure, brake fluid. There are no other fluids to check other than washer fluid (other than battery coolant)

Find another LA deale but do your annual battery check.

The faint whining noise as described is likely the pedestrian warning. If you hear a high whining noise when driving, which is rare, that is a precursor to a motor problem. Not talking about the pleasant hum when picking up speed, that is normal.

Welcome, trust wife enjoys the ride.

JeffRay,

So I got a chance to ride in a friends 250e, and it did not have the electric whine! I took my 250e to the dealer immediately, and they agreed to change out the drivetrain. Took them couple days to do it, and after a weekend with a loaner (GLA 250) I couldn't wait to get my 250e back. GLA felt like "basic car", I couldn't believe how much nicer 250e is. 250e drives like a luxury car, heavy and solid, while GLA 250 had a bone shaking ride with a whiny, underpowered engine. It did have power hatch, but that's about it. So there it is - I guess the engine whine is a common thing as my friend had the engine replaced under warranty as well. Also got my battery inspected as well.

 

[Cardonman]

Good for you! I just had the battery in for recertification. A car wash and 30 point inspection at $0 cost. The new service rep couldn’t believe it. (!)

 

[oilerlord]

45,800 mile update:

No issues with the car whatsoever, however I've noticed the battery doesn't have the "cold cranking power" in winter that it had when I picked it up with 6K miles on it. In particular, and as others have reported, once the outside temperature goes under 50F - range plummets but I'm noticing I lose a few more miles each winter, especially the colder it gets. In the summer, I'm still at 90-100 miles on the available 28 kWh capacity.

I thought about trading it in for something else, but you can't beat zero car payments and I can't find any logical reason for doing so. For those with a second car available for longer trips, you'd be hard pressed to find another EV that beats this Benz on overall value given it's level of luxury and practicality.

 

[JeffRay]

Hey oilerlord,

Great to hear from you. Assume you saw the winterizing post which I am going to try. Yeah, it is my second car which I use only to get about NYC in all but the winter months. Having just experienced sub freezing overnight temperatures, I have decided to avoid driving it first thing in the morning if I left it on the street overnight. Will drive if parked inside a commercial garage or if my wife's wagon is not available. Will even drive my roadster which does not have a working heater as I am getting tired of constantly seeking a free charge either at the dealer or overnight at work place.

 

[oilerlord]

Yeah, it's been a while since I posted here. Too bad the 250e community is so small. I think MB would have had a bigger hit on their hands if they were somehow able to cram a 60 kWh battery in the thing, but then again, they never intended to sell a lot of these cars. It's pretty obvious 250e's were made to be leased, not owned. I'm nowhere near an (authorized) MB EV service center, but I have done my own desiccant cartridge replacements. I'd be curious to know the state of my battery's health to see if it's within the warranty's normal degradation - or if they'd even honor a warranty claim if the time came to do that. I'm guessing I'd be out of luck on that one.

 

[dooferorg]

Reading this thread since I'm looking at the idea of buying a 2014 through 2016 B250e. It's good to know about some of the issues that people have faced.