What do you think about R-Class Benzes?

My wife is pregnant with another child and our Grand Cherokee will be too small to accomodate us. For as big as the Jeep is it has NO room in it. I've been thinking about trading it for a new Sienna since I work for Toyota now but she makes a face whenever I say the word mini van. Someone just traded an '08 R350 Mercedes in at my store with 17k on the clock and I'm really digging it. It can seat seven and it's loaded up with nav, roof, leather, the whole nine. I can buy it for the same price as a moderately equipped new Sienna. My problem is this... I don't see many R Classes on the road. In fact I didn't even know they existed before this one came along. Should I be scared? Here's a photo for reference

I liked the looks and package and actually shopped them a little bit last year when the Wife needed a replacement for her Honduh Pilot that was going off lease. She took one look and said ewwwwwww to the styling and that was that - I never even drove one. I seem them around rarely. I think the problem is they're a crossover that looks too much like a minivan and not enough like a tall wagon, I mean an SUV. I think they're very nice myself.

Oh, congrats on the pending new baby!

I think of this with a 3 pointed star and a bigger price tag.

I don't see many of them, but I'm not on the lookout for them either.

TJ wrote: I think of this with a 3 pointed star and a bigger price tag. I don't see many of them, but I'm not on the lookout for them either.

Except the R Class isn't stuck with FWD/FWD Based AWD suck and crappy Chrysler parts.

With that advice, pigeon, I'm going to bring it home tonight and see if it evokes my wife's gag reflex. Oh and thanks for the kudos. We're pretty happy to have a new someone to teach bad habits to.

The R stands for Re-gawddamned-diculous. Its a tarted-up Pacifica.

My wife and I are in the same situation, trying to decide between an R or a Pac.

The R is quite a lot bigger and nicer than the Pacifica and from the research I have done there do not seem to be any real trouble spots with them. If your wife likes the looks I would say go for it.

The nice thing about the R is the fact that Mercedes has not sold a ton of them so you can pick them up at quite a discount, I have seem 06 R with stickers for almost 70K go for mid 20's.

If we can not find one that we like soon we are going to get a Pac and keep looking for the right R.

The Merc is nice looking IMO and a helluva lot nicer looking than the generic looking Chysler. Probably better to drive too. I'd get it.

IMO If the Aztec didn't exist it would be a top contender for ugliest car ever built.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: IMO If the Aztec didn't exist it would be a top contender for ugliest car ever built.

I thought the Aztec already won that honor.

My question is how much would maintence on a Benz cost?

Oh, and Congrats on the kid.

I would much rather have the Pac if I had to pick. you can get one for CHEAP! Use the left over money to buy another one when it dies.

i like 'em, especially in black. wife thinks they look like hearses, especially in black.

Being the son of a mechanic I've always done my own maintenance and had my dad's shop at my disposal. That said I'm a little worried about the cost of parts if any repairs need be done but not overly concerned. It's still under warranty. It seems a lot of you guys like the Pacifica but it's never really appealed to me. The Benz is much bigger. If not this vehicle I think it's a Sienna for us.

You can pick up an 06 R with a little warranty left for not much more than an 07 or 08 loaded Pac, I would rather have have the R in that situation.

Let me give my 10 cents based on seat time in the R-Class. A couple of years I go I did some subcontractor work for Mercedes and got to drive a lot of models. An R-Class was standard issue for shuttling people and things around. One event I accumulated 1622mi and 48.4 hours on the hourmeter (we did a lot of standby). One day I spent 9:55hr in the seat, traveled 314mi, 32mph/avg 16.8mpg in the V8 R500. All of this data was jotted down from the on board computer.

That being said, I really like how comfortable, well appointed and efficient the vehicle is for what I asked of it. It is fun to drive and up-scale looking for the type of vehicle it is. Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I personally like the uncommon styling. I can see my wife looking good driving it and all Mercedes are solid-safe like a bank vault. Now that they are getting close to my used car price range, I too am considering an R-Class.

Overheard joke. "What Mercedes would a Pirate drive?" An Rrrr-Class. Sorry

trackdayplay said: in the V8 R500

They made a V8 model?! So if I buy this thing I already have an engine swap to do? Sheesh!

AMG R63

Modern Mercs have seriously reliability issues especially with regard to their electrical systems. My cousin has a GL450 and he complains every tiem I seee him that he spends more time driving his wife's 99 Bravada than his GL because it spends so much time in the shop.

Personally, I wouldn't buy any modern Mercedes but hey, its your money.

Time to go bigger!

As I said in a previous post about these ....vehicles, they look like German hearses. The first gen. was so UNpopular, that M-B is hurrying a re-fresh to market.

To me, they look like a minivan that is trying to pass itself off as a station wagon, if you want a station wagon. But it seems that if you REALLY want a wagon, and are paying these kinds of bucks, get a real M-B or BMW WAGON, not a minivan that is trying to fool you and your friends into thinking you were too clever to buy a minivan..

I hate Mini Vans with a passion but I could get used to that, for one it is a Merc, for two it seats 7, but the big question is what is its towing capacity?

The R63 would rock my socks

Try one of these, and post the results later.

I suspect it wouldn't be my socks

Makes me nervous when someone dumps (I mean, trades in) a 17k Benz on another, probably lesser, marque. Couple that with my perception that reparing a new Benz would seem to be un-grassroots (complexity and parts cost) and I would make sure to keep a very un-emotional stance during the evaluation.