R-Class opinions wanted please

[quasarman]

Hi all,

So my c-class estate will no longer be big enough (3 car seats needed) but I can't quite handle the thought of a full blown people carrier.

Part of me is leaning to a long wheelbase R but I'm reading mixed reviews and reliability issue warnings.

Can anyone lend any thoughts as to the potential pitfalls etc of living with one of these? I've seen an R500L in budget...

 

[Ian Donkin]

R500 will be thirsty, but the R320CDI is a nice place to be. Our SE LWB had pan roof, privacy glass, rear blinds, third row air con (a rare option), 6 seat config and was a nice place to be. Eerily quiet and 30mpg+ was very achievable.

I'm a fan

 

[kingdave]

Or stick with what you've got and get a multimac
Child Car Seats - 4 Child Car Seat, 3 Child Car Seat & Accessories
We've bought one second hand and it makes our a-class a 6 seater with 4 five point harnesses across the back. We're sorted for when baby no.3 turns up next week.

 

[BTB 500]

In-laws had an R350L (petrol) until this year and didn't have any reliability or quality problems with it. They are big/heavy/thirsty though ... if you don't need 4WD an E Class estate might be an option?

 

[quasarman]

Thanks for the info, could anyone tell me if these have a full size spare wheel well? I currently use lpg and would do so again (especially on a 500) if possible.

Multimac interesting but wow what a price tag especially considering already laid out hundreds on current car seats...

 

[WG M-B]

I don't like to say this but pretty much all of the R classes we look after have had plenty of money spent on them

 

[quasarman]

Can I bring myself to spend more money on a low mileage S-Max diesel than a decent R500L???????

 

[Ian Donkin]

Thanks for the info, could anyone tell me if these have a full size spare wheel well? I currently use lpg and would do so again (especially on a 500) if possible.

Multimac interesting but wow what a price tag especially considering already laid out hundreds on current car seats...

If third row under seat vents and aircon, vent ducts rob spare wheel space otherwise it's big enough for a 95l LPG tank I believe.

Like your thinking!

 

[kingdave]

Thanks for the info, could anyone tell me if these have a full size spare wheel well? I currently use lpg and would do so again (especially on a 500) if possible.

Multimac interesting but wow what a price tag especially considering already laid out hundreds on current car seats...

In manmaths terms the multimac can be as bad as you want it to be. For us, the cost to change our a-class for something that would take the car seats made the £800 2nd hand multimac a steal. When we punt it on again once the eldest is happy on a slim booster we're laughing.

 

[V12]

R320CDI LWB
Apart from the HK amp blowing and one glow plug being replaced, No problems in 60k miles.

Pretty much everything is lifted straight from the W164 ML.
Big heavy car so eats tyres and diesel.

Discontinued now, who knows what that means for future prices.

 

[Howard]

There was an R63 tooling around my way for a little while.

Presume it was Autocars test car ( they are next door ) .

It was a beast.

 

[quasarman]

If third row under seat vents and aircon, vent ducts rob spare wheel space otherwise it's big enough for a 95l LPG tank I believe.

Like your thinking!

Like the sound of that! I'm sure a few vents could be removed/blocked off?
R500L with close to 40mpg.......for less than an S-Max.......

 

[quasarman]

I don't like to say this but pretty much all of the R classes we look after have had plenty of money spent on them

Can you elaborate? My c-class has been eating its suspension components lately including snapping the roll bar and has always been pretty much an axle set of springs every 12 to 18 months. A couple of sub £500 repairs (at an indy) a year or so I can live with but is this in the ball park?