Used test: VW Golf Plus vs Merc B-Class

Compact MPV buyers generally have a choice: a boxy, van-like car or a big, swollen hatchback. The Mercedes B-Class and VW Golf Plus fall in the latter camp, and both models sit at the premium end of the market.

Introduced in 2005, the Merc is aimed at top-spec versions of the Ford C-MAX and Vauxhall Zafira. While it has only 109bhp, the B180 CDI diesel model offers 250Nm of torque, and is a perky performer. Plus, with 50.4mpg economy and 146g/km of CO2, it won’t break the bank, either.

Although it is shorter than a Renault Mégane, the B-Class has more luggage space than even a Laguna estate. With the seats up, it offers 544 litres; the Easy Vario Plus system expands the capacity to a huge 2,205 litres.Inside is an elevated driving position and efficient seating arrangement, while rear leg and headroom is on a par with more luxurious Mercedes models.

The B-Class is well equipped as standard, but essential extras in used examples include sat-nav and 16-inch alloys. The Golf Plus also arrived in 2005, targeting buyers who didn’t need the seven seats of the bigger Touran.

Its platform and engine range (apart from the GTI hot hatch’s powerplant) are shared with the recently replaced Golf MkV, but the Plus is 67mm taller. While it’s the same length and width as the hatchback, the extra headroom allowed VW to adjust the seat layout and create 155 litres more luggage space (seats up) without affecting the handling.

So despite being a roomier choice, the Plus still drives and feels like a Golf. Performance from the 2.0-litre TDI turbodiesel engine is blunted by the weight of the larger body panels, but the VW covers 0-60mph more than two seconds quicker than the Merc, at just over nine seconds.

Yet while the Golf Plus makes sense with its convenience and flexibility, we choose the B-Class. Its refined diesel has a 600-mile range, and that versatile luggage space looks even more tempting when you consider the stronger residuals.

Candidates

Merc B180 CDI Sport (2005 to date)
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 109bhp
0-60mph: 11.4 seconds
Economy: 50.4mpg
CO2: 146g/km
Prices: £7,700-£21,000
Insurance group: 8
Why? The unusual appearance is offset by its quiet and luxurious cabin, flexible load space and supreme engine. Its premium badge will cost you more, but it should suffer less depreciation than the VW.

VW Golf Plus GT TDI (2005 to date)
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 138bhp
0-60mph: 9.1 seconds
Economy: 47mpg
CO2: 159g/km
Prices: £5,600-£15,000
Insurance group: 13
Why? You get extra space, a
bigger boot and a bright, lighter and airier cabin without the stigma that often comes with a van-like MPV. The Plus handles like a large Golf because that’s what it is.