demise of the R Class

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
As a four seter the car has excellent room and although Hawk makes an issue about legroom, I feel that is a red herring and so what??? I foound the legroom in the first old mini to be exceptional, but who cares?

If you fill Ray's MPV with passengers, is there any room for their luggage? The RT-class fails because to me it looks toooo American. That is great if you like the style but if you don't it will not sell.

How many car owners regularly drive with all the seats occupied and the boot full of luggage?
 
How many car owners regularly drive with all the seats occupied and the boot full of luggage?

The answer is families, especially on holidays, and when camping, or caravanning or boating, or going to weekends away. And when you need it you need it. It is not everyday but it is often enough, and important enough to be essential.

Those who sail, camp, caravan, have horses, dog owners and all sorts of people with hobbies need big roomy estates. When the children were younger we always had either an E estate or a Volvo.

And it is families who tend to buy large estates, SUV's and crossovers. If they got the R class right and marketed it properly, there is a market out there. And in the US, the big estate, or SUV or crossover is a massive market.
 
Read the American road tests - this car, and other crossovers, is for "soccer moms" to take the kids to sports events at the weekend. Also, a typical professional US family eats out several times per week - so they need a car which will take the whole family to a restaurant, but they wouldn't need loads of baggage space for a trip like that.

It's a posh Chrysler Pacifica.

It doesn't make sense in the UK because it wasn't designed for the UK. MB are chancers. I'm not sure if that's brave or stupid.
 
Read the American road tests - this car, and other crossovers, is for "soccer moms" to take the kids to sports events at the weekend. Also, a typical professional US family eats out several times per week - so they need a car which will take the whole family to a restaurant, but they wouldn't need loads of baggage space for a trip like that.

It's a posh Chrysler Pacifica.

It doesn't make sense in the UK because it wasn't designed for the UK. MB are chancers. I'm not sure if that's brave or stupid.
I know what you mean but surely these comments are out of date now. It now is very suitable for the UK now that the funny 6 seat layout and no boot has gone. The new version is really a big estate and the boot is vast.
 
I must admit after reading all this, I'm now very tempted to go to the dealers and sit in one, just to see what all the fuss is about.

I briefly looked at the R-Class and Q7 about 18 months ago, but really wanted the option of 7 seats which it didn't have at the time. I test drove the Q7 but was not impressed with it's performance. I then test drove a E-Class estate and was blown away (soooo many toys). The ride (airmatic), handling, acceleration (E320 CDI), quality and yes, toys are all excellent. It's far more chuckable than my previous much smaller cars and gives me the confidence I need given an increase in the number of miles I do per annum.

However, since I always have an eye on the next car, perhaps I might just give the R-Class another look.
I have to admit that I am disappointed with the fuel economy and emissions figures on the car though, not a major issue for me, but disappointing nevertheless. Perhaps if they turned it into a hybrid :rolleyes:
 
I know what you mean but surely these comments are out of date now. It now is very suitable for the UK now that the funny 6 seat layout and no boot has gone. The new version is really a big estate and the boot is vast.

I guess that, generally, the kind of people for whom it would be most suitable, can't afford it. Or, these days, they can't afford to run it.

That's its problem in the US - there are loads of similar vehicles at way lower price points. I mentioned the Chrysler Pacifica, and the Buick Enclave (which Buick pitch mainly against Audi Q7 in the US) is a very nice vehicle that is apparently selling well.
 
I think the only extra things the R-class gives that an E-class estate doesn't is 4x4 and forward-facing rear seats. Otherwise the E-class is far handier in so many ways.

I haven't driven an R so I can't say how it handles, etc. But I would be surprised if it was a better drive than an E.
 
But the E class 7 seater, whilst a very handsome & extremely capable car, is not a true 7-seater; the rear seats are only capable of being used by children!
The R class can accomodate adults in all seats.
 
But the E class 7 seater, whilst a very handsome & extremely capable car, is not a true 7-seater; the rear seats are only capable of being used by children!
The R class can accomodate adults in all seats.
Yes except the front ones and middle row -in my case!:)

What it offers for some over the E class estate (which I own and love) is a higher driving position (more like a 4x4) which many like, four wheel drive option, much more height in the stowage area (useful for some), and larger optional seats for two more adults/teenagers etc. Quite a package if they got it right. In a sense, it is just a larger estate car than the E -or could be if they put the seats back further to get the legroom that an E class offers.
 
Still toying with the idea of getting an LWB R Class. They offer a lot more in terms of passenger space than the E class estate which is important as I have two hulking teenagers (6' 1" and 6' 4" respectively) and my dogs are so big they cannot both be put into the luggage space for anything more than a short journey.

Whilst in the dealership waiting to pick up car I looked in the general direction an 08 plate LWB 320Cdi with 6200 miles on the clock Pounced upon and offered it for "only" £39,500.

COMMAND? No

Phone kit? No

Do you live in the real world? Not yet it seems
 
Satch

I would certainly recommend the R, but do your homework on prices and specs - £39.5k seems a bit toppy to me, should be able to get a 08 LWB in Sport or SE trim for the lower end of 30k from a main dealer.

Good luck.
 
Satch

I would certainly recommend the R, but do your homework on prices and specs - £39.5k seems a bit toppy to me, should be able to get a 08 LWB in Sport or SE trim for the lower end of 30k from a main dealer.

Good luck.

An outrage IMHO and tried on by a complete idiot to boot. Seemed to think I would be impressed by the fact it was an ex "Directors" car and it would be snapped up at any moment by the obvious hoards of buyers gagging to part company with their money in a financial crisis which is about to get a lot worse.

This one is a far superior spec, has lower miles and I still consider the price being asked to be toppy! I doubt you will be able to give them away in a few weeks time.

http://www.directmercedes.co.uk/veh...iant%3d%26startdate%3d%26perpage%3d%26page%3d
 
The MB website shows a good few 2007 and 2008 examples. Low mileage 2007 one's have asking prices around £24k upwards.

A nice one in Newbury -2008, with COMAND, parktronic, telephone etc, only 6k miles and asking £29,850. Choice of 2008 ones under £30k at dealers nationwide.
 
it is short of legroom in the front (less than my A class)
You keep on and on and on about the amazing legroom in the A class. But you miss the point that the A is two orders of magnitude lower in the league. It's frankly a pretty crappy car, certainly not of Mercedes standard. In that size and class of car for similar money one can purchase much better cars both from the "quality" competition and from others. Actually the reason the A has legroom is because they made the seats ridiculously short, which makes them pretty damned uncomfortable for longer journeys. Legroom? Give me some butt-room first :p
 
You keep on and on and on about the amazing legroom in the A class. But you miss the point that the A is two orders of magnitude lower in the league. It's frankly a pretty crappy car, certainly not of Mercedes standard. In that size and class of car for similar money one can purchase much better cars both from the "quality" competition and from others. Actually the reason the A has legroom is because they made the seats ridiculously short, which makes them pretty damned uncomfortable for longer journeys. Legroom? Give me some butt-room first :p
I suggest you get a tape measure. The seats in the A class are in every dimension I checked as big as the seats in the ML. Plenty of butt room.

Perhaps you would prefer that I said the R class has less legroom in the front, with the seat raised, than an E class or a C class?

Having had several back operations seats, legroom, driving position are very important to me. I think if you measure the A class seats(the current model) and then measure the R class seats (squab width, and depth, backrest height and width) you will be very surprised. I was. I did 3,000 miles in the A class in a fortnight and it was fine (had the 'comfort seats'). Better than the old C class IMO.
 
Last edited:
Where are the other R class owners leaping to it's defence?

Just as you wouldn't use an ML as a taxi and you wouldn't use an A class as a limo, the R has a specific category of it own, albeit a unique one.

So many of the responses on this thread are about how awful it is and then finsihed off with 'I haven't actually driven one' or 'I haven't actually been in one' etc. It would be useful of all of the complainers of the R class actually tried one out.

As for the comparison to the A class, whether it has more or less legroom is neither here nor there. If you think an A class is better for you, then good for you, I hope you are very happy with it - but they are hardly comparible cars.

I say again, yes it's unusual, yes it is big, but if it suits your requirements, (as it does mine) then there is nothing out there to beat it.

I get more compliments, thumbs up and smiles from strangers :D than I ever did with any other car I've owned, incl an S320 and Range Rover Autobiography:p
 
Where are the other R class owners leaping to it's defence?
I get more compliments, thumbs up and smiles from strangers :D than I ever did with any other car I've owned...:p

MAYBE you're getting smiles & thumbs up from drivers who first looked at buying an R class; then thought about it for a while; then asked their friends; then didn't buy one; and who now think you're VERY Brave.:)

Don't worry - I've made mistakes too - we all have. Enjoy. Be happy.:devil:

(Oh the depreciation, the depreciation....)
 
Don't worry - I've made mistakes too - we all have. Enjoy. Be happy.:devil:

(Oh the depreciation, the depreciation....)

Very drole. I didn't buy it new.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom