| 2006 Mercedes-Benz R Class |
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That's one big van!
By TERRY JACKSON
The first time you see the 2006 Mercedes-Benz R Class, you’ll likely say, “Wow! That’s one big van!’’
And you’d be right. At 203-inches long, it’s 5 inches longer than a Cadillac Escalade.
Your second reaction might be, “It’s just a Chrysler Pacifica with a Mercedes body.’’
You’d be wrong, but it’s an understandable mistake.
The R Class is based on the M Class SUV and is built in the same Alabama factory. But the spirit of the R Class is more in line with the Pacifica from the other wing of the DaimlerChrysler corporate house.
Oh, one other thing: because it’s a Mercedes, the R Class is not for the working-class masses like the Pacifica. The cheapest R Class, the V6 R350, starts at a tick under $49,000, plus options. The V8 R500 starts at about $56,000, and when loaded with options can sticker for about $70,000.
So what’s the R Class all about?
Neither SUV nor minivan, the R Class, like the Pacifica, takes bits and pieces from both genres to create a vehicle that is a comfortable and competent conveyance for six passengers.
The R Class is a an all-wheel-drive vehicle for better traction in the wet and the dry, but it lacks the two-speed transfer case and ground clearance of a true four-wheel-drive SUV, so don’t plan on doing any off-roading.
There are three rows of seats like many minivans and SUVs, but there are just two seats per row for a maximum carrying capacity of six people. Some other vehicles use the same interior room to jam as many as nine people together -- though to get to that capacity at least two of those passengers had better be small children.
There are four doors on the R Class, and they are front-hinged like those on an SUV, rather than sliding open like most minivan doors do. But the rear doors on the R Class are as big as any on a minivan, to provide easy access to the rear seats.
With the seats in rows two and three folded down, there’s nearly eight feet of cargo room in the R Class, giving it a capacity on a par with the largest of SUVs.
When it comes to styling, the R Class steps into a class of its own with a swoopy profile that doesn’t fit with either an SUV or a minivan.
The windshield is raked back at an angle suitable for an SL sports car, and the side view gives the impression the R Class is moving fast when it’s standing still.
Overall, the R Class is the most stylish, most luxurious way to transport six people in absolute comfort.
Here’s the inside-out story:
In base form, the R Class comes with a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 268 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. Ante up additional funds, and the R500 comes with a five-liter V8 that makes 302 horsepower at 5,600 rpm.
Both engines are mated to a seven-speed – yes, there are seven forward speeds – automatic transmission. Together the engine and transmission drive all four wheels through a system that transmits power to which ever end needs it the most in slippery conditions.
This is a weighty vehicle, tipping the scales at about 4,800 pounds, so acceleration is modest with the standard V6. Mercedes estimates it would take 7.8 seconds to get to 60 mph in the R350.
That was the model we drove, and those numbers sound about right. So it’s not hard to believe Mercedes when it says the V8 R500 will get to 60 mph in a sprightly 6.5 seconds.
Fuel economy, as if that matters to someone who can afford an R Class, ranges from 17-23 mpg on the V6 and 15-20 on the V8. We averaged about 18 mpg in combined city-highway driving in our test R350.
(For those who need more power, M-B unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show the AMG R63, which has a 510-horsepower 6.3-liter V8.)
The suspension is fully independent on all four corners and with the R500 there are meaty, performance-oriented tires mounted on 18-inch wheels.
An air suspension option that costs $1,200 automatically cinches the body down a bit to help reduce highway wind resistance, and the driver can manually raise the body a bit if the road gets a little rough.
Suspension settings of “sport’’ and “comfort’’ settings are available at a touch of a button, and a driver can feel the difference. Here’s a bet: Once a driver sets the suspension at “sport’’ he’ll never go back.
It’s not as though the R Class handles like a sports car, but with speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering it does go where it’s pointed and handles sharp turns without much body roll.
Inside, the R Class has almost every amenity available on a car today.
The six seats are very comfortable and are not unlike first-class accommodations on a jetliner. There are well-designed cupholders for all occupants, power outlets and optional rear-compartment DVD entertainment screens located in the headrests.
Overhead there’s a panoramic glass sunroof that extends back to the third-row seats, which gives the interior a bright, airy feel. But it must be said that in warm-weather climates, the expanse of glass can make the interior into an oven when parked. Dual-zone air-conditioning helps keep things nice when the vehicle’s under power.
So who should buy a Mercedes-Benz R Class?
There’s no debate that this is the most luxurious, most styling people mover on the market. It should definitely appeal to a buyer with a couple of kids who abhors the image of a minivan and doesn’t care for the tough-guy image that big SUVs carry.
The price seems a little steep, but expect Mercedes-Benz to meet its 30,000-unit sales target this year.
About the Author
Men.com automotive editor
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