The Mercedes B200 CDI Sport is Ford B-Max’s German counterpart. Being powered by a 154 horsepower 2.0-liter engine it’s 16 horsepower more powerful than the B-Max. That extra power comes at a price, though. The Mercedes’ base price is $39,000, a full five extra grand compared to the Ford.
The standard transmission is a six-speed manual, but a seven speed DSG dual-clutch automatic can also be bought as an option, and in my opinion, it fits the car better.
Standard wheels are 18-inchers, but 17 inch rims can also be installed as a $2,000 option. The 17-inchers improve the ride quality.
The rear seats can be folded, but if you opt for the $1,000 Easy Vario pack option, you can move the rear bench altogether. This increases the trunk’s capacity from 486 to 666 liters. If you fold the rear bench and front passenger seat you get a total of 1,545-liters, which still is 178-liters less than the C-Max.
The dashboard gets the new tablet-style 5.8-inch color screen display for controlling the sat-nav and infotainment system.
Although any Mercedes is usually a winner (especially when comparing to a less expensive model), one must give in that the Ford C-Max is the wiser choice here – unless you’re an ardent Mercedes fan.
