Considering a used b250e

[jasonator]

I am in Tampa, we dont get the option too many times to purchase an EV...save for the Leaf or i3, neither of which suits my needs.

I found a used one with 12,400 miles in Miami, mint condition 2014......for a low low price of $20K

I will be trading down from a 2012 Tundra (Gas Hog) to this car.

I have read about the battery desiccant and maintenance on that...., but what scares me is the drivetrain issue i keep seeing. Is there a way to know in advance? Is this a widespread issue? Has it been fixed/resolved?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Jason.

 

[JeffRay]

J,

Not scary if you inherit a warranty of any length or can buy an extended one. Based on what members have posted, it has ultimately been MB's cost to fix, not ours. Also, it is a fraction of the members here. Ask the seller about the remaining warranty and if a dealer an extended warranty.

BTW, there are deals on new 2017 B250e that bring the cost down to around $30K+ depending on whether FL has an incentive. That would make the cost over 3 years something like $14K and you would be covered by a full warranty. You would save $6K and can apply it towards the next electric you get.

Your choice, I had a 2014 without issues and just leased a 2017.

 

[GlennD]

My 2014 had only one problem. The charger coolant pump failed and Mercedes of Anaheim quickly fixed it. My car had the range extender option. Most 2014 cars did not. My dealer only had one car in stock with it. Fortunately it was white and I wanted a white car.

My 2017 has blind spot warning and I will never again buy a car without it. I also have paddlers and I normally shift into D- for maximum regen. I find the default of rader regen a complete waste. I want to stop now! Like my VW it is just something to set at startup. In the VW I set regen to max but not B mode. Nothing is sticky so it is added to your startup routine

 

[jasonator]

Thank you,

I looked on MBUSA and the lease is $299 a month with a $5000 down payment.....works out to $469 a month.....the tax advantage wouldn’t factor in very well for me, as I understand it, I wouldn’t get a “refund” per se.....

I like owning my cars anyway..... wife is a little “clumsy” on the road and inevitably she ends up with bumps and bruises.....I don’t want to live in perpetual fear she is going to curb a rim that I’ll have to pay for!

Im looking for peace of mind that this is a solid car that will last us with little to no maintenance or repair costs. I’d hate myself if it went out at 30k miles and needed an $8k DU unit....

This will be her dog training car with the occasional trip to Home Depot.

Which brings me to my next question.....is there a roof rack for these? I’d like to know I can grab a 4x8 sheet of drywall and put it on top for a mile or 2....

Any other advice/insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[JeffRay]

J,

The deals are better than advertised although I don't think that FL has a state rebate of $2500 like other states. See other posts about recent deals as this is last year that MB will be making these so called compliance cars. The argument for new is full warranty for piece of mind. I totally understand the oops factor you cited though.

The deal you cited for new is pretty good compared to the 300+ used B class that cargurus.com listed nationwide. You probably are looking at a private sale then. Just see about remaining warranty and extended one. Ask to see the maintenance records as you will want to know that they did all annual battery check and did the recall software upgrade. With such low mileage, your concern is not likely to be the battery for local errands, annual maintenance is minimal and some owners do it themselves. I don't know what a DU unit is.

As to racks, don't know but others have installed rear bike racks and the car is basically the B-Class gas car that is sold in Canada. A google search brought up a bunch to look at further.

Good luck J.

 

[JeffRay]

J,

Google says 280+ miles from M to T. Our car in warm weather might go 90-110 miles on a full charge. A small logistical thing to point out to you. If a dealer, they can arrange and charge you transport. If private, you will have to arrange. If you wanted to drive it yourself, you will have to make 2 four hour stops to recharge for a total door to door of approximately twelve hours. Doable but something to consider.

Also, read up on home charging and range experience. Should be just fine for what you stated but this is largely a car that works for our 90% needs inside a 40 mile radius from home charger.

Last, with the rear seat down it is spacious like a Honda CRV so good for dogs in crate(s) in the back and for Home Depot to boot.

 

[GlennD]

From another source it seems like Mercedes will kick in 10K and most dealers will discount another 4K. My 2017 B250E with a list of 48K leased for 32K.. This is my second one and I still like it. It fits my needs. Far better than a low slung car like my old VW eGlof. I am 70 years old with a bad left hip so I appreciate the SUV style seats.