Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £18,424 to £22,070
Roomy, reasonably practical and usefully family-sized; excellent crash protection; fuel-saving stop-start tech in some models; optional auto-parking system
Expensive; not especially refined; uninspiring to drive; awkward styling; cheap-feeling cabin
The Mercedes badge is about all the B-Class has to distinguish itself from its opposition; there are numerous more accomplished all-rounders now on the market.
There's space, and plenty of it: that 'sandwich' floor allows for a flat floor and lots of cargo capacity, three adults can cram into the back without too much ado and there's headroom for all but the tallest. The seats are comfortable and well-shaped.
The 544-litre boot is easily accessed through the wide tailgate opening, and there's an additional storage area under-floor. The rear seats can be folded near-flat, their bases tumbled or their backs removed, for added versatility, though they do not slide as in, say, the (seven-seat and cheaper) Vauxhall Zafira.
The ride is disappointing, however; SE models have so-called Comfort suspension settings with Sport models riding 10mm lower, but neither do a great job of soaking up ruts, bumps and road imperfections. The larger wheel/wider tyre combinations give a more jolting ride still, as well as contributing to higher road noise levels. The diesel engines aren't quiet idlers, either.
Mercedes has now canned the entry-level 'standard' spec, with just SE and Sport models now on offer. SE versions have 16" five-spoke alloys, a fixed glass roof, air conditioning, auto headlights, the voice-controlled Comand control system (fiddly, and not intuitive to operate) and a radio/CD player. Sport models have 17" alloys, extra chrome exterior trim, stainless steel pedals, different instrument dials and aluminium interior trim details, and further options include sat nav (not the smartest system around), a louvred sliding roof, the active parking assist, a six-CD autochanger, surround-sound audio, auxiliary inputs for iPod/MP3 and other portable devices, rain-sensing wipers, extra interior lighting and lumbar-supporting seats. Careful how the price tots up...
