Short Take Road Test
Back in 2005, when Mercedes-Benz launched its not-a-minivan-not-an-SUV-not-a-wagon thingy, erstwhile editor-at-large Patrick Bedard saddled up an R500 for a full-blown road test. Trying to understand what, exactly, the R-class is, Bedard posed the question: Could this be the passenger-car shape of 2016? Perhaps at that point the R-class was somewhat of a trailblazer—too far ahead of its time. Its sales numbers have been simply dismal, despite the market exploding with crossover-type people movers.
And although it’s not yet 2016, we are about at the halfway point, which just happens to coincide with the R-class’s first refresh. Thus, we are revisiting the R in the form of this 2011 R350 BlueTec diesel. Expectedly, on our way to 2016, a lot has changed in the automotive world. Bankruptcies, bailouts, and the serious expansion of alternative powertrains are now realities. But other than lowering the base price some $5000 in 2007, ditching the V-8–powered R500 for 2008, and this new face for 2011, the R-class hasn’t evolved much.
Typically, a mid-cycle refresh involves new sheetmetal, an interior overhaul, and revised powertrains, but the R-class’s 2011 freshening is limited to the skin. The hood, the grille, the fenders, the head- and taillights, the optional LED running lights, and the bumpers have been redesigned to align the R with the latest Mercedes look, as exemplified by the new E-class. The R350’s swanky window- and beltlines still mimic the seductive CLS’s, but the R350 seems to have lost a bit of its charm with the nose job.
Inside, you’ll have to be an R-class aficionado to really notice the alterations. They’re limited to a newly designed instrument cluster and altered piping on the seats. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering the R-class interior has always been a roomy and comfortable residence for the first two rows of passengers, but riders taller than six feet will find the third row only adequate. We are quite surprised to see the navigation-and-radio interface that first appeared in the 2003 E-class carry over in the refreshed R. It does have the latest COMAND software, but in a vehicle this expensive, we expect better.
The R350 is currently offered in the U.S. with standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive and your choice of a gas-powered 3.5-liter V-6 producing 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque or—for a $1500 premium—our tester’s 3.0-liter BlueTec diesel V-6, which pumps out 210 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. The diesel’s fuel-economy ratings of 18 mpg city and 24 highway easily trump the gas V-6’s 14 and 19. We achieved a respectable 20 mpg in the BlueTec.
Both V-6s are hooked to a seven-speed automatic that, in our tester, provided smooth shifts when driving Miss Daisy but proved lazy when we were impersonating John Force. The diesel likewise provides a hearty torque kick off the line, but the power disappears shortly thereafter. Accelerating to 60 mph took a lackluster 8.5 seconds, and the quarter-mile passed in 16.5 seconds at 83 mph. We know straight-line performance is no longer on the R-class’s agenda (Mercedes killed off the special-order 507-hp R63 AMG after one year), but the R500 was two seconds quicker to 60.
The R350 BlueTec still has old-style Mercedes steering, heavily weighted with a large on-center dead spot. It’s relaxing, and we appreciate the dead spot because of the tremendous amount of body roll that accompanies steering inputs. That said, the R350 BlueTec did manage to improve on the R500’s skidpad performance, from 0.75 g to 0.80. Braking from 70 mph takes 177 feet—pretty good for a six-seater—but pedal feel is noticeably absent.
Disappointingly, what isn’t absent is noise from the suspension and road. Even on a stretch of week-old asphalt, the chassis is always hard at work, sending tremors through the interior. On rough pavement, it only gets more aggravating. We have much fonder memories of the ride in the R-class. The BlueTec’s standard run-flat Bridgestones on 19-inch wheels could well be cause for the chatter.
The R-class doesn’t come cheap. The BlueTec’s base price is $52,615, and our test vehicle arrived loaded with about $15,000 in options. Premium Packages 1 and 2 include perks such as navigation, a rearview camera, an iPod interface, power front seats with memory, a power liftgate, a power steering column, an upgraded Harman/Kardon stereo, and keyless start for a total of $6050. On the list of additional amenities were a lighting package with xenon headlights and LED running lights ($985), park assist ($800), blind-spot assist ($600), a panoramic sunroof ($1090), heated front seats ($750), a rear-seat entertainment system ($1950), and more. The total: $68,260, a hefty sum to be sure, but on par with that of other luxury cars offering a similar blend of characteristics.
No doubt, the R350’s configuration endows it with great ability to move people and gear. But the unruly ride strips the diesel R-class of what should be its greatest asset: the ability to do so in supreme comfort. The second row remains the place to be, with comfortable bucket seats and lots of legroom, but what passenger can relax when it sounds as if the wheels were about to fall off? Given the harsh ride and steep price, the R350 feels severely outgunned in a piece of the market it helped identify.
