Living in Minnesota, I see a lot of Canadian cars, but these one leaves me confused. I know the US didn't get the Mercedes B-class, and being a 2004-2006, it seems too new to import into the States. Coming a scant 2 or 3 weeks after I shot that awesome Mercedes Vaneo (which I will post soon), the B had me stopping in my tracks. I knew what it was, since this car shares styling cues with the C class sedan, and that horrid R-Class MPV/SUV/Whatever-the-hell you call it.
My first impressions were good. While not being overly big, the B-Class doesn't appear overly small, either; in fact, it seems like it could easily be Mercedes' starter in the US lineup, save for that dreadful A-Class. The design is pleasing, with no obvious design flaws. The exterior flows nicely, and the side crease is welcomed, although a cliche design element. The rear end is typical Mercedes, with the taillights looking like a cross between being German and Korean, and the same can be said for the front as well.
Being a newer car, I can't really comment on how interesting the interior is because, well, it's too modern for me to care too much. However, I do like that this particular car isnt loaded up with needless electronic gadgets as I didn't see a navigation system nor did I see any COMAND controls (Mercedes' iDrive), so that's a relief. If there's one thing I hate most about newer cars, it's the lack of driver involvement, and every time I see a newer non-economy car that isn't shrouded with electronic nannies, it makes me have that much more faith in car buyers.
Sadly, Mercedes has no plans to offer the B-Class here, and that's quite a shame. With the BMW Mini becoming a big POS, and getting fatter, America needs a true "small car" besides the upcoming Fiat 500.
No comments:
Post a Comment