It only comes in XXL
I predict much ink will be spilled over what to call the new Mercedes-Benz R-class -- crossover, sport van, tall wagon. Might I suggest “bus”? A very nice bus, to be sure, a super-luxury bus with coruscations of affluence drawn from the company’s S-class larder -- things like optional DVD entertainment system with view screens in the front headrests (so then, “R” is for “rollin’,” yo?) and a huge power panoramic sunroof that Sir Joseph Paxton would envy. A bus like this would instantly bring an end to forced busing.
But a bus, nonetheless. Mercedes isn’t being coy about the R-class’ dimensions, referring to the R-class’ size as “commanding,” “generous proportions” and even “XXL.” Sounds like stretch pants, doesn’t it? Stem to stern, the R-class is 203 inches; that’s 10 inches longer than a Cadillac SRX, 5 inches longer than Caddie’s Escalade and 1 inch longer even than M-B’s S-class. The company is offering a short-wheelbase version of the vehicle in Europe that sneaks in under the 5-meter mark, which is the Continent’s unofficial threshold of decency.
The American version is, however, just plain huge, which I sense is how the Germans see Americans.
There’s a good deal of high-minded talk in the R-class literature about anticipating the future -- at one point, Pericles is invoked and we are introduced to the phrase “anticipative deliberation” (vorbeugendes Nachdenken), which sounds like a Berlin architect’s version of “planning.” But if I may politely challenge Mercedes on this point: A six-passenger, nearly 17-foot vehicle weighing almost 2 1/2 tons does not seem all that anticipative, considering the shaky state of the full-size SUV market. And I continue to pine for the company’s B-class vehicle, which in spirit and levels of luxury is comparable to the R-class, except 2 feet shorter. Mercedes, facing pressure from the weak dollar, decided not to bring the B-class to the U.S. this year, but if demand is sufficient, it still could. So demand, already.
By the way, if the R-class is an example of futuristic heteromorphism, think how ahead of its time was the 1991-1996 Buick Roadmaster station wagon.
TAKEN on its own, the R-class is a pretty wonderful piece of machinery. It shares its running gear with the new M-class SUV and is built in the same Alabama factory. Two engines are available: a 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6 good for 268 horsepower (R350); and the familiar 5.0-liter, 24-valve V8 producing 302 hp (R500). Both engines connect to the company’s seven-speed automatic transmission that, for all its hydraulic smoothness, seems to have no gears at all. Downstream from the transmission is the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which splits torque 50-50 between the front and rear axles.
The R-class omits the SUV hardware available on the M-class (the optional two-speed transfer case and lockable center and rear differentials) but the Airmatic height-adjustable air suspension with adaptive damping is available.
It’s not accurate to say the R-class is weighed down by all this equipment -- the V6 model has respectable acceleration and the V8 version, which I drove, has more than respectable pace -- but you can definitely feel the mass as the vehicle maneuvers. The four-wheel independent suspension damps transient body motions well, but this is not a particularly lively vehicle. It reminds me of a Carolina-style motor yacht with its deep-V hull stability.
You need only park the R-class next to an Escalade to appreciate the Mercedes’ wind-polished and organic form. This is a swell-looking vehicle, limned in sweeping, gestural lines that cavort over the vehicle’s astounding wheelbase of 126.6 inches. All of Mercedes’ recent styling phrases are emphatically restated. Note the slightly bowed character line peeling back from the front wheel well, suggestive of the new CLS, and the nearly perfect parabola over the windows from the A-pillar to the D-pillar. The windshield rake is a Lamborghini-like 61 degrees. And have you ever seen a door as big as the one amidships? I’ve had houses with smaller doors.
The second and third-row seats all fold flat, individually or together, leaving the vehicle’s squash court-like cargo hold nearly 8 feet from the front seatbacks to the tailgate.
The R500 is a bit more blingy. In addition to the larger 18-inch wheels (and larger brakes) the R500’s couture includes: a silver-colored grille with chrome ribs; chrome door handles, tailgate trim and side molding; blue-tinted sport glass and burl walnut interior trim. The AMG appearance package will offer a 19-inch wheel-and-tire package.
For as big as the R-class looks on the outside, it actually feels bigger on the inside. Each of the six passenger positions offers a discrete personal space. The front passengers get eight-way power seats and dual-zone climate control, as well as reading lights and armrests. The second and third row passengers also have their own armrests, reading lights, cup holders and audio plugs; an optional separate climate zone control is available for second-row seats, and there are a total of 11 climate vents onboard. A lot of fuss and bother went into the vehicle’s climate system, simply because the R-class has so much glass, inviting what’s known in the business as “solar gain.” Parked in direct sunlight, this thing will cook a Thanksgiving turkey.
STANDARD safety equipment includes anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control systems, front-row side air bags, rain-sensing windshield wipers, tire-pressure warning and a rollover sensor that will activate the vehicle’s vast window curtain air bags, which at 9 feet in length might actually be the longest on the market.
Mercedes hopes to sell 30,000 of these in the U.S. annually, and for all its marketing talk about late-forming affluent families and socialite empty-nesters, if you own a Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX56, Lexus LX470 or another luxury SUV, consider yourself targeted.
It pays to be affluent but it also costs. The R350 starts at $48,000 and the R500 at $55,500. If you get crazy with the options you can easily cross into the $70,000 range. That’s not a bus, that’s a coach.
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2006 Mercedes-Benz R-class
Base price: $48,000 (R350), $55,500 (R500), plus $775 destination charge
Price, as tested: $70,000 (estimated)
Powertrain: 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6, dual-overhead cam, with variable-valve timing and two-stage variable induction (R350); 5.0-liter, 24-valve V8, single-overhead cam, with two-stage variable induction (R500); seven-speed automatic transmission with lockup-torque converter and Touch Shift manual control; full-time all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 268 at 6,000 rpm (R350); 302 at 5,600 rpm (R500)
Torque: 258 pound-feet at 2,400-5,000 rpm (R350); 339 at 2,700-4,750 rpm (R500)
Curb weight: 4,766 pounds (R350); 4,845 pounds (R500)
0-60 mph: 7.8 seconds (R350); 6.5 seconds (R500)
Wheelbase: 126.6 inches
Overall length: 203 inches
EPA fuel economy: Estimated
17 miles per gallon city, 23 mpg highway (R350); 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway (R500)
Final thoughts: A Nietzschean uber-van
Automotive critic Dan Neil
can be contacted at dan.neil@latimes.com.
