mashimaro1985

I was invited by keyes over at Van nuys CA to see the R class and drive it, I think when I saw the car, yeah it looks nice and all that but when it came to the interior I think the quality is not there for that kinda money......

Thats what I think anyways. MERCEDES WAKE UP!!!! AND MAKE SOME improvements!!!! I hope the new s class is not like that. -_- so sad!

TPAbnz

I test drove an R350. The car looked super on the outside but really cheap on the interior. The dash was a poor-quality looking hard black plastic that seemed sticky. It was 94F in the sun but it looked terrible. Ditto for the hard nubby plastic door panels. But the worst had to be the ultra-cheapo sun visors - vinyl (think '70's VW Bug).

The ride was nice and lots of room too. The interior just didn't seem on par with a vehicle stickered at $60k.

MKW

This $55-70 K as typically optioned car photographs well for brochures and ads.... but when you grasp that can " tinny " bottle opener piece in the front cupholders , flip the $1 sunvisors , hear that 80 dB " clack-clack-clack" turn signal .....

Nevada Jack

The bottle opener thing doesn't phase me and the turn signal seemed about like my E320 and other MB. But you are right on the Sunvisors. I was shocked when I felt it and took a closer look...I commented about it in my review I posted. No excuse for that type of quality in a MB.

I am going to Fletcher Jones this afternoon and take a real close look at the interior of the R350 they have (it has the Premium Pkg and is pretty well loaded.) Auto magazines have commented very favorably on the interior quality but comments on this and other forums has not been. It seems to be good looking but the feel and the fact it is a $55-70,000 car perhaps requires something more upgrade.

This is the first negative vibes I have felt about the R Class and I have been following it since the intial Vision concept hit the shows in 2002. I hope my very close look supports my likes rather than my dislikes...:-)

TPAbnz

Jack, get the same interior color and swap out your nice E-Class visors before you sell! It looks like the same mount. Let us know what color interior you check out at the dealer.

MKW

The painted silver cup holders on the demo already had two scratches down to bare black plastic - I wonder how they'll look after some use . I was thinking the loud turn signal relay would have to be tracked down and covered with Dynamat ! It is very loud compared to our E320 wagon and ML 430 - maybe it was defective ?
Could it be that since these cars are built in Alabama that the " tactile " and " aural " refinement of many of these bit component parts are just not " doable" by US oem suppliers, as say, Germany/Europe based suppliers ?

Nevada Jack

The color of the demo at the dealer is Charcoal (Black) interior. I think the overhead in all the cars is white or that gray cream because the sunvisor I noticed when I drove it was not black.

Nice thought on the "swap" but I think I will pass...:-)

Nevada Jack

The US suppliers can respond to any spec MB gives them...it is not the supplier I am sure. Some bean counter is controlling the bottom line and they just plain provide the supplier with a requirement for cheap products.

I get the feeling they used too many common parts with the ML and should have upgraded those small things that are visible and affect the buyer of a $70,000 Grand Sports Tourer.

Jakpro1

That breaks my heart.....the cost cutting has begun.

What REALLLLY pi$$es me off is that Benz in now offering an unlimited mileage super warranty for 2 years to people in Europe, but for us in the US, just "shut up and buy it"...

Ahhh, no.

MKW

I'll take the longer warranty period anyday- who's gonna put 100,000 miles a year on a MBZ in the US ? Ferrari has had the same unlimited mileage/ 2 year warranty for years in the US- where the avg owner puts on less than a few thousand miles for the whole term!

Nevada Jack

Well I went to the dealer and did a Sherlock Holmes inspection. The only item I found to be inferior quality other than the Bottle Opener was the Sunvisor. It is sturdy enough and nicely made but it would be so much better with a little padding and more style. It is not enough to break a deal.

The surfaces are fine...very similar to my E, perhaps a little less grain effect. The fit and finish was excellent..I did not see nor could I find a loose end or bad fit. The leather seats were nicely made (not Nappa) but fine quality and the double stitching adds a nice touch. The car is solid as a rock...doors, trunk and anything else feels vault like. The 2nd row seats folded easily with one lift of the lever (even for this "old fart.")

So I am sold on the R and think with the exception of the few valid complaints registered, MB did a nice job from concept to production.

My local dealer said he will call me within a week or so to look at a Silver?Ash R500 so I will report on the interior quality on a light color then.

G55K

I saw a silver with ash today at our local MB dealership. My brother wanted to check it out. His first comment; "This reminds me of the original ML320." He turned down a test drive after sitting in it for 5 minutes. This was a $68k R500. I wanted to like this car so bad. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.

MB Fanatic

I test drove the R500 today and I felt that the enterior was fine. Soft materials all around, and it drives very well for something that large. Every magazine review has raved of the interior, so I am more than confident that the interior is well designed.

Nevada Jack

I think your brother needs to take another look at the "original ML320" or spend some more time in the R500....or perhaps....(think I will leave it there.)

Maybe you ought to go put an order in for the Q7...:-)

G55K

Actually I owned an ML320. It was almost $40k and poorly built. The R is $65k and...well, only time will tell.

I don't order a car until I see it and drive it. I'm liking the pictures of the Q7 but I also really liked the pictures of the R. Pictures can be deceiving.

G55K

Magazine reviews? Remember these (ML320):

Automobile of the Year
A jury of 53 journalists voted the M-Class the Automobile on the Year. 9/12/1997

"Think of it as an S-Class sedan with elevator shoes." Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

M-Class SUV Named Truck of the Year 1998

North American Truck of the Year

1998 Car of the Year

"Ideal World Car Award" for the Mercedes-Benz M-Class
A jury of 22 international automotive journalists voted the M-Class the ideal "World Car", Geneva, 3/9/1999

Nevada Jack

Spend some time on the W164 forum and see what those buyers think of the new ML.

Vance is not building 1997/98 ML's...they are building fine MB automobiles that are as good as any built in Germany. If you owned a ML320 then you know the history of MB building a car to a price as opposed to building a quality car and then pricing it accordingly.

The R is not an ML and more car than the ML so the price comparison is really not valid.

G55K

I like the new ML.

My wife has had an ML320, ML430, and an ML55. The quality of the 55 was the best by far. The 320 and 430 were not impressive.

I'm not comparing the price of the two so I'm not sure what you mean. What I'm saying is the ML320 wasn't worth $40k and the R500 doesn't feel like $65k IMO.

Nevada Jack

Based on your concerns I guess you had better wait for at least 2-3 years for all the possible failures with the R Class to surface.

Keep in mind as bad as the quality was on the original ML...it was MB best selling vehicle for many years. So imagine how the new one will sell (along with the R Class) with a very high profile quality control program.

Nevada Jack

My point was as you indicate..is it worth $65K because the ML was not worth $40K.

If it doesn't feel like $65K to you then that will not change. It looks like you will have to look elsewhere to get the vehicle you want. I don't agree with you.

mashimaro1985

arm rest on the passenger seats sucks, the furface quality isnt to good. I would say it is alright.

Wolfgang

You copied from my site. The complete list is here:

http://www.whnet.com/4x4/awa.html

It starts like this:

Best in Show @ 1996 North American International Auto Show
The M-Class All Activity Vehicle is introduced in Detroit and the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, both in January 1996. It uses a welded Krupp steel box section frame with two longitudinals and three cross members, typically employed in Mercedes off-roaders and heavy duty vehicles.

IDSA Gold Winner: 1997 Industrial Design Excellence Award
Gold winner: All Activity Vehicle Concept
Benjamin Dimson, Paul Terry, Melonee Ranzinger, Richard Plavetich, Peter Arcadipane, Gerhard Steinle
"The DV concept not only succeeds in its role of creating a new dimension where outdoor adventure and elegant luxury meet, it also ignites anticipation for the real one." -- Kazuo Morohoshi, I/IDSA, Executive VP, Calty Design Research Inc., a division of Toyota

Design Chief Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Gathering to honor Bruno Sacco 6/14/1997

Nevada Jack

I'll make a note of that.

taroliw

Well, let's face it though... MB's first-year quality numbers aren't in line with it's brand image. The ML was an extreme case of this. My CLK 320 (1998 W208) had it's own issues. Even the latest SLK (R171) has had it's share of first-year woes... which is why I waited until near the end of it's second year before making my order.

Whatever the materials quality might be, MB has first-year quality matters to attend to across the board. I am hopeful that the R debut, as well as the upcoming S and CL versions, will help set a new tone for launch quality. But I'll let the reality of the results speak for itself. Past experiences do not make me optimistic, though.

MB Fanatic

Why the **** are you comparing the old ML, which we all know, including DCX to the new R Class? Not very intelligent IMO.

Why not compare it to the new ML aka 164?