Educate me on the R Class

[flango]

OK as some of you know SWMBO is fancying returning to the MB fold with a 4x4. Last week we were in Cyprus and a friend took us out in an R63, what a car much better than the Porchester Cayenne S. He was also telling me this replaced his previous R55 I didn't even know AMG did the R class, anyway SWMBO has me now looking at R class. I suspect an AMG version will be near on impossible to find but I think a good R500 could be an option for her.

So what do I need to know about this beast. Fuel consumption not an issue as she only does 6k a year. I'm pretty clued up on the engine as well so any showstoppers lurking

TIA

 

[gaz_l]

They're bloody huge. The finance director at my old company had a 320 diesel, 6 seats in 3 rows I think. I drove it a couple of times and it's like driving a bus. Even with the 3 litre diesel and all its torque progress was leisurely, basically I think they're so heavy they generate their own gravity. I would imagine with a V8 petrol fuel consumption will be appalling. I drove a GL500 in the states which was similarly massive, with the 4.7 V8 I got something like 11MPG, without thrashing it.

I think an R500 will be an M113 engine? Probably nothing to be worried about there then. According to howmanyleft they sold precisely 12 R63s in the UK, of which 5 remain on the road - I'm guessing the others have been exported. I did see one for sale maybe a year or so back, but they are like the proverbial rocking horse droppings so I wouldn't waste too much time looking for one.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[flango]

Cheers Gaz I suspected that with the R63 but it is a great car. It's the size and the 6 seats that attracts SWMBO plus it's an MB.

Will see what others post then have a look around not planning on changing until back end of year when the Kuga is off lease so got plenty of time for a change

 

[gaz_l]

If she's comfortable with how big it is then great, but it's not a car for multi-storey car parks, at least UK ones. It was designed for the US market after all.

With regards to big=safe, probably so. I reckon you could have a collision with an articulated lorry or Cheddar Gorge and come out on top.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[flango]

If she's comfortable with how big it is then great, but it's not a car for multi-storey car parks, at least UK ones. It was designed for the US market after all.

With regards to big=safe, probably so. I reckon you could have a collision with an articulated lorry or Cheddar Gorge and come out on top.

Cheers,

Gaz

She's fine with size her previous 4x4 have included Ford Expedition and Ford Explorer and cars Audio A8L and BMW 7 series. She went through the small sports car phase then went back to 4x4 with the Kuga and now wants a premium brand 4x4 so the new G range not out of the window yet either.

I tried to get her in an E400 but think I'm failing miserably although she did say she might consider an S63 :-0 but I think that was just to shut me up

 

[Red C220]

It was based on the ML floorpan, so it's effectively an ML with different bodyshell.

If it's anything like the 2010 ML300 Sport we had the gearbox will be shocking. We got rid of ours after 4 months due to the delay on power take up and the banging into gears (this was an ex demo 7,000 mile car at the time we bought it.)

 

[Deleted member 6183]

It's a proper clunker.

 

[grober]

Built in the USA for supersized citizens. Now discontinued I believe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_R-Class

 

[developer]

A funny thing the R Class - from some angles they look great, especially in the performance trims, but from other angles they look awful.

Many cars are like this, but R's seem to excel at it .

 

[flango]

It's a proper clunker.

The R63 I was in last week definitely wasnt. Need to drive an R500 and see what it's like

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Ian, I imagine she deserves the S63. Just do it, you know it makes sense.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

The R63 I was in last week definitely wasnt. Need to drive an R500 and see what it's like

Go for it.

I think that you should buy one.

 

[flango]

Go for it.

I think that you should buy one.

I'd do it on a whim and just move it on if I didn't like it but unfortunately it's not that easy with SWMBO

 

[Peter DLM]

It's a lowered GL in effect, the later models from 2010 onwards can seat 7 and are genuinely nice. I had one for a week, an R350 L, and loved it.

With seats lowered it was vast.