2013 Mercedes B 180 CDI review, test drive

The big news is the ride, which is a huge improvement on the petrol car. This is down to the smaller, 16-inch wheels and higher, 55-profile tyres that are standard on the diesel (the petrol has 225/45 R17s). The suspension is still somewhat stiffly set up, though, and you will feel this most on sharper bumps.

While the B 180 petrol is available only in Sport trim, the diesel is available only in Style trim, which is also the reason the latter will likely cost less than the former. What you sacrifice in the step down is the dual sunroof setup and the 17-inch wheels. Otherwise, it has all the other features, with a fully powered driver’s seat, leather upholstery, seven airbags, a COMAND interface with a variety of media connectivity and a whole lot of safety tech.