Xxyarielxx

I'm looking to buy a larger car for my wife. We have the E320 wagon and she loves it but we need more space as we are adding a third child. I would like to know ppls thought on this car. I have read about some issues but nothing too major. My father in law and I have done most of the work on my wife's car now as my father in law has owned Mercedes since 1989. Is there an issue with this car not being manufactured anymore? Is there another model that has a compatable parts? Thanks for your thoughts and advise!

user 69696969

I have only had my 2008 r350 for a short time. We love it. I believe the 2006 and 2007 500 had some major engine issues. The airbags in either the full airmatic or rear only, need replacing about every 80k. The panoramic roof has some issues.

The way I looked at it, mine was CPO and had regular services and all the right times. It was not perfect but I felt good about it. The 350 engine is in a few other vehicles and maybe also the transmission.

We were looking for a used 3rd row suv. No mini van, station wagon or truck like suburban. We were not even aware of the r class and were looking at a Mazda cx-9. My wife wanted me to check on a hyundai at a ford dealer(I was not going to buy one but I was doing as I was told). That's how I found the r350.

I also plan on doing as much of the work as possible. All of which would not be possible with some of the fine folks here on this forum, other forums and youtube. I hope to put 60-80k on mine, without major issues.

Seems to me that one of the reason it stopped being sold in the US was failed marketing and competition within MB. I liked the Pacifica when it came out and would have thought this was the same but research shows differently.

Either way good luck.

josworth

As I am sure you are aware... History and care are paramount... and that is true about anything used.

The R / ML / GL all share a platform... and SURPRISE... The R is still being built for export... in fact they are moving production to Indiana and AM General is taking over as a contract manufacturer. They export around 10,000 a year to China.

Well, the infamous engine issue only affects about 10% of the engines out there. Also, it tends to show up earlier in the car's life.

The R's failure here is more related to the weird look of it than anything else. It is really a love it / hate it type of thing. My wife likes the bizarre, and when I showed her the "weird" Mercedes she fell in love with it.

Another thing is Mercedes did the weird in turning a SUV into a car vs taking a car and turning it into a SUV (ala Crossover). Think of it as if Chevrolet were to make a lower wagon out of a Tahoe.

Now, if you find the right well cared for car you will probably love it. If you live in an area where the weather get's iffy, you will really love it. No matter how bad it gets up here in NE Ohio, her R trucks through anything without so much as a hiccup.

We have a 2006, but it is a fairly lightly equipped one. The only options when checking the VIN were leather interior instead of MB Tex, heated seats, and interior light package. Other than that, it is basic. No memory seats, no panoramic roof, no power lift gate.... all the less items to break.

Be sure to pop back on here and show us what you are looking at. Also, read through this forum to learn about it..

marc hanna

My only recommendation is to avoid the airmatic - it is problematic and very expensive to fix. The rear air suspension only version however, is quite reasonable to repair.

DukeBoy27

I would recommend it since you are already familiar with Mercedes functions/quirks/issues. Try to find a 2012 model, like what I have, if you go gasoline since it has the newer engine with more horsepower (or, if you are really lucky in finding one, a R63!). Depreciation is terrible (it has already depreciated more than the previous 4 cars I have owned COMBINED), so used cars should represent amazing deals. Must-have options are back-up camera, f+r parking sensors, and blind-spot sensors... the car drives small (really feels more like driving a E-class than something actually bigger) but it is actually pretty big and these tools will help getting around immensely. The giant sunroof may be entertaining for kids, but may also be costly to repair... I am keeping fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong with my sunroof, so far only the switch broke and it is being covered under factory warranty. Speaking of warranties, I'd recommend getting a good extended warranty with the car, especially if you are picking up a newer one that still cost a good penny. Like others have already pointed out, the R shares the platform with some previous-generation vehicles, so parts should be okay... the only things I would be remotely concerned about are model-specific items like body panels. When my car needed the rear-bumper replaced, the body shop reported some issues with obtaining a new one from MB (apparently for MY2012 the design was altered 3 times, go figure... the body shop still got the wrong one and had to custom manufacture support brackets to install it 100% properly). With regards to why it is not around anymore... well, it is quite simply too advanced for its time. Whereas it was in the class of its own for much of its life here in the US, now everyone makes something similar as SUV's become increasingly car-based and essentially tall wagons (think Ford Flex, Infinity J or whatever it is call now etc.). I do lament the lack of sliding doors, which really works better for kids, and having a really large cargo capacity of mini-vans... but those feelings typically go away when the thing is cruising down the highway at 70MPH and everything just feels great... or on a snowy day when the thing just powers through everything, like a butler who constantly says "yes sir, everything is fine, go back to steering". Good luck with your purchase and be sure to participate in the forum if you pick up a R!

josworth

Again, The R is still being produced. Production tooling is being moved. AM General has become a contract manufacturer of the R class. The R production will move to Indiana for export to China. So, along with production, parts are still in production as well.

The R is not for sale here in North America because of poor sales... simple as that. The majority of the buying public thinks it is weird looking and didn't like it from day one.

efzauner

May I also suggest thinking about Gas vs Diesel. I had a R320CDI 2008 for almost 4 years and I loved it to death. Just got a 2011 Gas R350 to replace it. While I loved the Diesel's torque and acceleration at speed, the engine gets noisy over 100K Km and when it needs repair, it is expensive: Oil cooler, glow plugs, turbo, injectors, Particulate filter etc. I had my fun with the Diesel, but I will stick to gas from now on.

Max Blast

The engine issues you refer to concern some 2006 and 07 R350s.

Search "balance shaft sprocket" for more info.

Panoramic roofs may have rattles or leaks, mine is tight and dry.

The rear-only airmatic equipped cars can be a DIY job that cost about $190 a side. I have no data on four corner airmatic, but believe Arnott sells replacement bags for 1/3 the cost of an MB one.

We've had our 2006 R500 for almost 2 yrs and it has tackled everything we've thrown at it and put in it. In short, I love the R.

We are reluctantly selling ours due to acquiring a newer, even roomier vehicle.

Yu Chem

Reading this forum you will most likely find good feedbacks. Lemon owners drop reading it as soon as they sell their car.

I've driven used 2007 R350 gas for 4 years. Made ~40K km on it. Had some issues with transmission and engine, almost all was fixed under ELW.
Traded it in recently for used 2012 R350 Bluetech. Very good car, much better feeling than the older R. I have found turbo-diesel much more responsive and definitely less costly to drive. 7 seats give enough space for my family.
This car is just perfect for long highway trips. Air suspension, thick glass, quiet and spacey interior turns 1,100 km all-night drive with 6 people + a dog into a pleasant experience.

Xxyarielxx

Thank you everyone for all your advice! Once we purchase one I will deff post it!