Category: Large MPV 
Price Range: £36,970 to £53,630
Passenger space, refinement, easy to drive, high power and equipment levels, Mercedes badge
Not much luggage space six-up, looks like an MPV, very expensive
It's essentially a very posh MPV with four-wheel drive, but as yet, it's the only one of its kind
Despite its sheer size and bulk, the R-Class is immensely easy to drive, feeling as much like a Mercedes as any other. Its steering is light and not the most communicative, but it feels accurate and responsive, and less vague than that of the US-market versions tested earlier.
The (optional) adaptive air suspension helps to control body roll - though it can wallow a bit on the comfort setting if pushed hard - and it's absolutely predictable and confidence-inspiring.
The Europe-bound R has undergone much specific tuning and tweaking for more precise, rewarding handling - and it shows. It's no sports car, of course, but it's remarkably agile for something so huge and heavy.
But although the dash-mounted gearchange lever for the seven-speed auto 'box is simple, the steering wheel-mounted paddleshifts for "manual" gearchanges are fiddly and not intuitive to use. We doubt many owners will bother with these, though.
The six-cylinder R 320 CDI diesel is undoubtedly the best real-world choice.
Giving acceleration 0-60mph in 8.7 seconds (8.8 in the LWB), with 224bhp and 376lb ft of torque, it is capable and strong. The R 350 V6 petrol unit is a little quicker (0-60mph in 8.3 or 8.4 seconds, 143mph) but in normal road conditions, it doesn't really feel any faster and it doesn't have the same flexibility mid-range - particularly noticeable in the longer-wheelbase version, in which it feels a bit underpowered. This engine can also sound a bit coarse if pushed hard.
No quibbles about the R500, however: this can do 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds (seven, in LWB form) and 152mph, and remains smooth, quiet and refined while doing so.
The R-Class doesn't feel quite as fast in real-life conditions as the figures suggest, though, as the new 7-GTRONIC transmission tends to select higher gears than a driver might for rapid acceleration: you'll need to use the paddleshifts to kick down if you're out to push the engines near their potential. Otherwise, the gears are set out to be a little laid-back. We suspect this may be modified for the upcoming R 63 AMG...
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes R-Class
wrote on 01 05 2007