2006 Mercedes R-Class Review

Specifications

Luxury Crossover Leaves a Wide Footprint

Some time ago I was flying across the country in business class, something I do as often as I can, and I found myself sitting beside the president of a major financial company. When he found out what I do, which normally happens when I pull out a press kit and begin punching out a news story, preview or road test, he asked me, “I normally only drive BMWs, but I just bought a minivan. Guess which one I bought.” I knew immediately, and answered “A Honda Odyssey, of course.” He smiled and said, “Howd you know?!”

You could easily substitute Mercedes-Benz for BMW in this scenario, or any luxury marque for that matter, as none makes a minivan. No doubt, if BMW, Mercedes-Benz or some other premium brand produced a minivan this person would have, at the very least, considered it, but nothing even remotely similar was available from the top-tier carmakers - at least it wasnt back then. Mercedes-Benz, mind you, is trying to capture this market, with an all-new model that comes close to providing the same type of functionality.

Yes, the new R-Class comes close, but if youre used to the amazing flexibility of the worlds most versatile automotive genre, it wont quite hit the mark. Although, for many it will, so before I get into where it comes up short, lets define whats good about it? First and foremost, the R350 and R500, the two models currently available (an R55 AMG and R63 AMG are on the way), are both incredibly spacious inside. Amongst luxury brands, nothing comes close to offering as much room for driver and passengers, even those relegated to the third row. Yes, theres room for full-size adults back there, so now those who have teens or often carry around their aging parents or customers aplenty (it would be ideal for real estate agents), dont have to give up on premium appointments to get the room they need.

Those rear seats fold flat into the floor too, making room for extra luggage if the third row isnt needed. If all seats are full, the Rs cargo volume is compromised - understandably. I loaded up a variety of items, something I normally have to do in order to deal with life while living with a test vehicle, and all it took were two tugs on rear straps that popped the rear seatbacks forward. They wouldnt fold flat until I went around the side, tumbled a second-row forward, an easy and efficient process, and then pulled forward the lower seat cushions. Not as convenient as an Odyssey minivan, or the class-leading Stow n Go seating system in M-Bs second-cousin Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country, but it worked. I suppose this is as good a time as any to say what didnt work, in this regard with the R-Class.

I think its most inconvenient aspect is its side doors. Theyre amazingly wide, which is good for ingress and egress, no doubt, but just try getting in and out of them, or the front ones for that matter, in an average shopping mall parking stall. The problem is the Rs width, at 85.4 inches, compared to the Odysseys 77.2 inches, which is a difference of a substantial 8.2 inches. Can you see why it was near impossible to use the side doors when parked in a regular stall? Who dreams up cars like this anyways? Obviously not those who live anywhere in North America, despite this one being produced in Mercedes-Benzs Tuscaloosa, Alabama assembly plant. If the Odyssey was a particularly narrow minivan the Rs worst challenge wouldnt be so bad, but in fact the Odyssey is amongst the wider of its segment, the Toyota Sienna a mere 0.08 inches wider and the DaimlerChrysler vans measuring slightly more at 78.6 inches, still much narrower than the R. Add to this that the minivans feature convenient sliding side doors, which are often powered no less (talk about luxury), and the Rs inconvenience is glaringly apparent. It was so bad, actually, that on a number of occasions I had to park closer to the vehicle on my right than I normally would, just so that I could open a side door and let the kids out. Kaden, my five-year old, took to getting in and out via the rear liftgate - do you think Ill be able to get him out of that habit easily? After realizing that by parking over the parking stalls rightmost white line, I was forcing the neighboring driver to enter his/her vehicle from the passenger side and straddle the center console, if he/she wanted to leave before I arrived back, I chose to park closer on the left side and do the straddling myself. Believe me, after a day of trying to find parking spots at the other end of the lot (it really needs two to allow reasonable access to its four side doors) the R remained parked in my garage more often than not. In short, living with the R-Class, which (for S-Class owners thinking of moving up from a sedan to a crossover) is 11.7 inches wider than a 2007 S550 and, get this, even spans 4.1 inches more from outside fender to outside fender than the 81.2 inch wide Hummer H2 and is only 1.1 inches narrower than the overwhelmingly wide Hummer H1 Alpha (yeah, the HUMVEE), is ridiculously inconvenient.

But its not all bad, right? If you arent the type to go to shopping malls, grocery stores or any other facility that uses traditional parking stalls youll be fine. Sure its a bit long, but its 203.0 inch length wont be much more difficult to parallel-park than similar vehicles in this segment. Again, it dwarfs Hummers H2, with some 13.3 inches additional length from front to rear bumper. OK, thats not fair. The H2 only seats five and the R can hold seven. Compared to the minivan most likely purchased by premium buyers, once again the Honda Odyssey, the R is only 3.2 inches longer, making it manageable, at least. Its shorter than the new 205.1 inch long S550, mind you, by some 2.1 inches, and GMCs gargantuan Yukon XL by an amazing 16.3 inches, so for those looking to step down from a full-size SUV, the R might work well - and yes, the R is a freakish 6.5 inches wider than the Yukon XL, so you might want to think about what kinds of parking spaces you normally use before purchasing.

Still, these full-size SUV owners, used to a tall ride height and massive headroom, wont be straining to see the road ahead or traffic around, or feel confined when inside the R-Class. Its visibility is exemplary from the drivers seat or anywhere else, and its head, shoulder, hip and legroom is also impressive even for taller occupants. Despite its higher seating position, than Mercedes traditional E-Class wagon, for instance, the R remains lower to the ground than the large SUVs and even all minivans. This gives it a sportier profile, better overall aerodynamics and a lower center of gravity, which benefits handling.

Other than a clunky noise that emanates from the front suspension when riding over speed bumps or hitting a bump or pothole on the road, a un-Mercedes-like characteristic that Ive also experienced in Chevys current Malibu, it handles fairly well for such a heavy vehicle, enhanced by adjustable shock absorbers that are a bit on the rough side when set to the sport position. Did you hear me say heavy? OK, such an ambiguous word isnt descriptive enough to do the Rs substantive weight justice. It tips the scales at an imposing 4,905 lbs in base R350 trim and 5,004 lbs when outfitted with the V8 as an R500. Its curb weight makes the leading minivans, once again, seem like bantamweights in comparison; the R500 even outweighs the mighty 2007 S550 sedan by 539 lbs.

The R350, therefore, is hardly energetic off the line, despite its sophisticated seven-speed automatic - which incidentally comes with paddle-like buttons on the reverse side of the steering wheel stalks. Shifts arent particularly fast, but theyre pretty smooth and the 3.5L, DOHC, 24-valve, V6 engine is also an impressive piece of engineering, sporting 268-horsepower at 6,000 rpm and a maximum of 258 lb-ft of torque at a fairly low 2,400 rpm. Those wanting more oomph should opt for the less technically advanced but much more powerful 5.0L, SOHC, 24-valve V8, boasting 302-horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 339 lb-ft of torque at 2,700 rpm. Its a throaty sounding V8, not unlike V8s out of Detroit, and responds well to throttle input.

Where the R shines, like most Mercedes-Benz vehicles, is in interior design and refinement. Im not going to attempt to compare its specific details to others in this class, mostly because no rival premium automaker has attempted to enter the full-size crossover segment. Suffice to say that its an extremely nicely put together vehicle, with beautifully detailed luxury touches throughout. Its seats are wonderfully comfortable, switchgear high quality and wood, metal and leather surfaces in league with others in this class. Those who like the design of Mercedes-Benz interiors will like the R, as it follows a similar design theme to others that preceded it, especially with regards to the dash and center stack.

A few negatives include a gas cap that didnt fit flush to the body, not acceptable in this class, and cheap plastic used to form the panel on the inside of the rear liftgate - its plastics quality is also a little lackluster when poking around the not immediately visible areas throughout the rest of the cabin. Whats more, Mercedes-Benz still incorporates archaic manual foot-actuated parking brakes in most of its cars instead of the slick electronic types used by its rivals, plus the brand forgoes one of my favorite new features in standard trim, the “look Ma no-hands” automatic entry and ignition systems, dubbed Keyless Go in Mercedes-speak and costing an extra $1,080, a feature that comes standard on some BMWs and almost all Lexus models. Also, features that are available on minivans that cost much less, such as a power rear liftgate, arent standard even with the $55,500 R500. And why the heck arent heated seats standard with the $48,000 R350? Other items that dont come standard that should include Sirius satellite radio, an iPod integration kit, electric pop-out rear windows (base minivans have these), a cargo net, leather and wood trimmed steering wheel, and a much needed Parktronic audio-visual parking assistance system. Customers dont appreciate getting the nickel and dime treatment when purchasing a premium car, especially when a loaded R500 will end up setting them back a staggering $78,520 - thats some minivan!

Lacking the features of less expensive non-premium brands or not, M-B drivers at least can feel cool. After all, theyve got that priceless three-pointed star attached to the grille. But the Rs styling? Whats up with that? OK, this is one of those “to each his or her own” type of things. Personally, its the first Mercedes-Benz Ive driven that Ive actually been a bit embarrassed to be seen in. Cmon, if this isnt a soccer moms station wagon I dont know what is. Or is it a minivan cum crossover thingy? Its funny though. I drive a lot of soccer mom type vehicles; heck, Jennifer is a soccer mom and I suppose Im a soccer dad for that matter. I never feel awkward pulling up to the community center in the drivers seat of an Odyssey, Sienna or Town & Country minivan, or a Chrysler Pacifica or Ford Freestyle CUV, or any number of car-like crossovers. But the R-Class is so, well, odd looking, and so… I cant really put my finger on it. Just how many, “Hey, that thing looks like a hearse,” comments I heard during the week would be impossible to number, especially because both the R350 and R500 testers Ive had were painted black. Some people will inevitably like how it looks, however, possibly you. So please take my opinion for what it is, merely one persons personal preference.

So whats the final verdict? Styling preferences aside, I find it difficult to recommend a vehicle that is so difficult to live with. After all, anytime you take a car somewhere, unless for the proverbial Sunday drive, its to arrive at a destination, which will require parking. Being that this behemoth is one of the widest vehicles on the planet, complicated by extremely long rear doors that open ultra-wide, well, its pretty well the most inconvenient vehicle Ive had to test in eons. What a shame, because it has so many other redeeming features. But dont just take my word for it. Please, take it for a ride. But when youre out on the road enjoying its exceptional power, fine ride, decent handling, and impressive creature comforts, do your due diligence and take it shopping before you charge up the platinum card.