Mercedes R Class Review
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Mercedes R Class Tested January 2007
Rating
Quick Summary
Not Recommended. This curiously impractical 4x4 MPV will appeal to Mercedes badge-snobs, but almost nobody else.
Road Test
The R Class is one of those vehicles that must have seemed like a great idea on paper. Mercedes calls it a "grand tourer", but in essence it's a large MPV based on the same set of mechanical underpinnings as the ML and GL off-roaders.
Yet the reality is a sore disappointment, with the R Class looking expensive and impractical compared to proper people-carriers while offering far less of the rugged appeal of a conventional 4x4. External styling is particularly disappointing, with the R Class clearly designed around American tastes and doing nothing to hide its gargantuan proportions.
The cabin is well-finished and features lots of switchgear and components that are familiar from the rest of the Mercedes range, but the standard wheelbase version really lacks space in the back. Standard equipment levels are very stingy, despite which the R Class still wears very steep pricing.
At least it drives reasonably well, with wafty driving manners and good refinement from noise at motorway cruising speeds. The range has now been pared back to just the 300 CDI and 350 CDI, which is an improvement - the V8 petrols were amongst the most pointless cars ever launched.
Next: ratings and breakdown
We like:
1. Comfortable to spend time in
2. Will impress the shallower neighbours
3. The fact it's likely to remain a rare sight
We don't like:
1. Too big for Britain
2. Too expensive for anywhere
3. Lacklustre design
Sum up:
Most fun: n/a
Most sensible: R320L CDI
Worst:
