Mercedes-Benz R350 2006 Review

7-day Test

(R500 model pictured)

The R-Class is one of those vehicles that started life as a concept car (as the Grand Sports Tourer at the Frankfurt show in 2002) and was in showrooms in the US by October 2005. It went on sale in Australia in April '06.

It's built in the same Alabama plant as the M-Class, on a stretched M-Class platform that's more than a foot (300mm) longer. This gives it space for three rows of two seats, but the R-Class rides a lot lower, and in doing so, Mercedes deliberately steers the R clear of the controversy over big SUVs.

However, the R is big; it's more than big, it's vast -- and it's also a four-wheel drive, though you'd not know it to look at it -- it's probably fairer to use the subtly different "all-wheel drive" description. Having all-paw grip sharpens up the handling, but it still feels ungainly, missing the delicate poise that was once a Mercedes hallmark.

To look at, the R-Class is sleek and on its own, seems smaller than it really is; it's an exemplary piece of design (to see CarPoint's video following the design of the R-Class click

But Mercedes thinks big, and the R is about as big as it gets -- at 5.15 metres long and 1.922 metres wide in long-wheelbase form, it fills carparks to overflowing and takes up its full share of the freeway. The standard chassis is 4.92m long -- still a large machine. Not only is it a big vehicle, but its corners are impossible to see, so drivers will learn to love -- and rely upon -- the fore and aft park-proximity sensors.

The steep windscreen, vast dash and bulky A-pillars conspire to conceal the nose from the driver's view.

The R-class does provide high luxury for four of its six passengers, but typical of vehicles that pack extra guests into the luggage area, the third row of seats is best occupied by short people, as the seats are smaller and closer to the floor. Multi-adjustability for all seats is good, the front row even getting pneumatic lumbar support to go with its electrical movements.

Access to the back row is reasonable -- the second row seats tilt and slide forward and the vast doors -- hinged, not sliding -- make a big gap in the side of the vehicle for access. And while the seats can be folded into various passenger/load carrying configurations, even with them all up, there is at least some luggage space right at the back.

On the subject of luggage and doors, the R350 was fitted with a $1150 optional electric tailgate: a button in the driver's door opens and closes it remotely. A similar button in the tailgate itself failed to close the door properly.

Beyond that, the interior worked seamlessly, although we can't help but think a conventional rear bench would add to the versatility of the vehicle. As it is with five onboard you are forced to use the third row and this limits your luggage options.

The omission of satellite navigation system as standard equipment in a vehicle nominally intended for taking the long way home is a serious oversight.

There's a perky, modern 3.5-litre V6 up front, driving all four wheels equally via the world's first production seven-speed automatic transmission -- but the 200kW and 350Nm is blunted by the R350's 2200kg bulk; fuel consumption varied between 13.7 and 11.5l/100km. Somehow, it misses out on the bank-vault-like feeling of solidity, safety and serenity that has been a Mercedes-Benz cornerstone for decades; the R350 rolls and pitches in corners and creaks like a wooden boat in a most un-Mercedes-like manner.

The seven-speed gearbox is controlled by a pseudo-indicator stalk on the steering column, just hanging out for someone to do the unthinkable and shift into Park or Reverse at an inappropriate moment -- astoundingly, there's no lockout beyond the brake pedal. Buttons behind the multi-function steering wheel encourage manual shifting, which is just as well, as in this incarnation the auto is a lazy thing and would deliberate for seconds before dropping down a few cogs.

When presented with a steep hill on a dirt road which usually confounds two-wheel drives, the R-Class unsurprisingly sprinted up it without flinching and just an occasional flicker of the traction-control lamp, but coming at it in one of the higher gears actually had the car slowing to a crawl before it registered the need for a lower ratio.

Mercedes suggests its seven-cog box offers narrower increments across a wider total span, but in reality, it's unimpressive in the R350.

The test car was fitted with the optional $8500 Touring package which includes burr walnut interior trim with chrome highlights, a compass, outward-tilting electric rear vent windows, the electric front seats, leather upholstery, aluminium window frames, silver grille, body-coloured door handles and extra interior illumination. This is all standard on the R500 (for more on the R500 see our video

As if that wasn't enough, there's a stonking AMG-tweaked R63 lurking too.

Australia hasn't embraced the R-Class at anything like the rate that DaimlerChrysler would like to believe we would, falling well short of the predicted 40 sales a month. Put it down to a sudden distaste for big, thirsty engines or for four-wheel drives, but one way or another, the R in R-Class may as well stand for Rare.

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