What are the running costs?

• Diesel the more frugal option
• No plug-in hybrid
• Mild hybrid economy boost not huge

On paper the B-Class isn’t as efficient as the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, but it’s not far off. Officially, the petrol should do mid-40s mpg with the diesel better at mid-50s. When driven with restraint on motorways and A roads, we were able to get close to the claims in the diesel, with 52mpg achievable, while harder driving had us returning mpg in the 40s.

Diesel models get a regular stop/start system while the petrol is a mild hybrid. This allows the engine to be turned off for extended periods of time even when the car is moving. It does save a little fuel, but the petrol will still be a thirstier option. That means any B-Class you choose will get you between 5.1 - 7.9 mpp (miles per pound).

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Servicing and warranty

Servicing intervals for the B-Class are every 12 months or 15,500 miles – whichever comes sooner. A range of service packs are available, and can be passed on if the vehicle is sold to a new owner.

Every new B-Class comes with a comprehensive three-year, unlimited mileage warranty from the manufacturer, along with three years’ roadside assistance. Compared with up to 10 years offered by rivals, Mercedes-Benz’s warranty is beginning to look off-the pace.

Reliability

• Few reported reliability issues, but fewer owners
• No recalls listed for pre-facelift models
• Plenty of advanced kit, which could eventually be costly to fix

The overall quality and reliability of the B-Class seem to be have been a bit of an issue. The old B-Class’s reliability record wasn’t good – but at least our Mercedes-Benz B-Class owner’s reviews haven’t reported any major problems, mainly because there aren’t many owners to deliver any A-Class-style negative feedback.

It will be worth keeping an eye on the fancy interior as time goes on, however, as the array of high-tech components offering plenty of potential for things to go wrong, and we hear that trim durability isn’t as good as it should be. We’ll keep monitoring the situation.