carlosrg

I just throwing this out there because at the moment I am unsure as to pay the extra cash for a GL class. So my question do any of regretting getting the R class versus say getting a GL?

gangrun

NO. IMO the R is waaayy better than the GL in everything but towing

Benz-O-Rama

+1

I love my wife's R. I'm getting ready to start modding this thing like my car very soon. Wheels and lowering are coming first, can't wait.

gangrun

No mods for the mommobile. But even stock it gets ton of looks. I swear I get more looks in that than in my dads CLS

Scotsman

Not at all. We looked at the GL, ML and R and are glad we picked the R-class. Much roomier and in my opinion much nicer looking. Wish I'd got the R500 though as there are times I miss the punch when overtaking.

Benz-O-Rama

Agree with the 350 vs. 500 thing. We first drove a 350 and wife looks at me and says "Um, do they make a faster one of these". I was like

carlosrg

What about the 320cdi versus the 350? I think the extra torque would win out on this.

SanMan

No regrets with the R purchase. Our CDI is consitantly giving around 25 mpg in semi-urban driving. This car doesnt feel weak at all.

RDriver

A definitely good pick on the R320 CDI for our family of 5 (3 kids from 8 to 13). The car drives amazingly well and comfortable feel of luxury. I have had early transmission lurkings but a trip to the dealerships fixed that and now the car drives and shifts smooth as silk.

Last week took a one-day trip from Northern VA to North Baltimore for our niece graduation party and the R averaged 28 mpg. Filled the tank up before we left and after the return with 198 miles driven, it still showed more than a 3/4 tank left! I dont have the distronic option, but used the cruise control 75% of the trip by clicking my fingers between 60 mph to 75 mph (with 5 mph increments per click either way). This was fun, the high torque at low rpm on the diesel engine allowed me to drive my car with my fingers instead with my toes. I was passing and slowing down through medium highway traffic between Wash DC and Baltimore on a busy afternoon Saturday.

Between R320/R350 vs. R500? The R320 is a clear and easy choice for me. Low speed acceleration is more than adequate, for family outings. High speed passing power is way better than the R350 and as good as the R500. This couples with an incredibly good mileage. Diesel at $293/gallon vs. Prem Unlead at $339/gallon.

Love my R320.

ZLK

I totally agree. Got a great deal on the R320 CDI. You won't find that good of a deal for a GL as they are still very popular SUVs. Although th4e GL also comes in Diesel with the same engine, but I could not justify the price premium. The torque, 398 lb-ft, is great for towing and pushes you back into your seat under acceleration. It's great for passing maneuvers.
And seating for 6 adults is great, too.
Got a great deal on a dealer demo which had less than 900 miles on it and was never titled. Be aware, dealers get a $5,000 discount from MB for demos but then only pass on portion of that discount to consumer. I got the deal because a friend of mine does a lot of business with an MB sales person. So I got it for 5K less than invoice.

MB_Vclass

I love my R500, but with all the seats filled no room for luggage, strollers, etc

RDriver

That's true. That's also true with all SUVs with third row seats up (GL, X5, Q7, MDX, Denali, etc.). I fold down one of the third row seats for cargo if needed and it works. Only supersized SUVs (Denali XL'ish) and Minivans (Odyssey, Quest, Sienna) have more cargo with third row seats up but these are off different class of vehicles.

gamjccdad

We love our R350, it is my wife's favorite car to date. Will definitely look at the 320CDI for the next one, however. We do the same for cargo, just fold down one of the rear seats. We have 3 kids, 6, 3 & 2 and it is a perfect car for the crew, plenty of room and they all have their own "seats", keeps fighting down. Did get the Headrests DVD option, a must have IMHO.

gamjccdad

We love our R350, it is my wife's favorite car to date. Will definitely look at the 320CDI for the next one, however. We do the same for cargo, just fold down one of the rear seats. We have 3 kids, 6, 3 & 2 and it is a perfect car for the crew, plenty of room and they all have their own "seats", keeps fighting down. Did get the Headrests DVD option, a must have IMHO.

milkpowder

How does the R350L manage going up gradients? I live in an area where going up hills is a daily occurence. Even though the R350L has 50 odd HP more than the E320 we currently have, it has a slower 0-100 time. Is that something to "worry" about?

Scotsman

I find the kickdown pretty slow in reacting whether you're putting your foot down or going up gradients. Sometimes have to drop a gear rather than wait. After that it's fine.

Benz-O-Rama

We live in a pretty hilly area of Maryland. This is the main reason we went with the R500. The R350 just lacks the low end grunt needed to go up some of the steep hills in my sub-division while the R500 is downright quick.

ronizzle

Wife drives '06 R350. Love everything about it except when on long trips with our three kids. Not enough space for baggage! Hate the carrier cause of the frickin' noise that you have to deal with for a few hours!

lkchris

Not as well as the R320CDI I imagine.

Hard to beat 400 ft-lb torque.

I imagine the regrets in buying R-class lie mostly with those that got the grey interior and can't see out due to reflection in windshield. At least that's the case with my dealer's courtesy car.

Savage

4 months ago we got a new 06 R500 for a very nice price. Love it love it love it!!! Great road car, and works really well for me when I need to haul something large. I think what triggered us to get it was when we bought a large painting and could not get it into the S class. So we traded our older S class on the R500 - More room, more power, etc. I plan to keep this one till the wheels fall off - which if you maintain them is a long time.

Man-Du

love the R500,

the only thing I regret is that it tanked in value from $72K sticker to $32K blue book value in less than 1 year and less than 8k miles.

that has got to be a record.

jhoehn

I bought a slightly used Alpine-blue panorama roofed 2006 R-350 with 8,500 miles for $39,000. That is the same price as a new Chrysler Pacifica and it is SO MUCH MORE car, I am just delighted.

If you want to seat 6 adults in comfort there is nothing else to consider in my opinion. Several vehicles do well with comfort in front and middle rows. I have yet to sit in anything AWD (Audi Q7/Honda Pilot/Toyota Sequoya/GM's anything) except a Quest Minivan (and that's only available in 2wd) that is truly comfortable and makes you feel open and expansive and not boxed in, in the 3ed row seating like the R class with panorama roof.

350 engine? With 6 speed AWD transmission you can easily get speeding tickets, and yet at 75 mph and airconditioning on I am getting 23-24 mpg with all wheel drive! When slowing down to 60 caravaning with friends in Suburbans on mountain freeways I was getting an astounding 29 mpg while they were choaking along at 13-14 mpg! The air conditioning is good, the All Wheel Drive is reassuring. And it is nice to have the only one in town for a while.

Sure the rapid deflation is a problem if you buy a new one, but if you buy a low mileage used one, that is called a wonderful opportunity. If you have 3 couples or teen/adult children you want to travel with, don't even consider anything else if comfort, style, and safety are important to you. The R is a unique vehicle and I hope they don't slip away very soon. I'm holding on to this one for a long time. Jack.

Alba

R350 has been a good one. Great cruiser. And if you are leasing, looks like MBCredit has some good rates for R's now. Only two things to gripe about:

- Parktronic should be standard. Make sure you add this option. My wife beat up the front corners on the garage walls when parking. I got really good at removing wall paint from the R.
- Continental Tires are dead at 25K (just like every other POS Conti tire MB puts on cars). Be ready for this expense or better yet get the dealer to swap for something better (check out TireRack for some good fits). 4 months before the end of a lease and spending $500 to slap on some Kumho tires on the R really s***s.

Benz-O-Rama

Well said and I couldn't agree more with your points. I would add that if you're in the market for a low mile one, get an R500 instead of the R350. I paid less for my 3900 mile 500 than people were paying for R350's with more miles. The 500 really transforms this vehicle into something special. Talk about a Jekyll and Hyde personality. There's nothing more fun than having some ricer or mustang try to race you and you smoke them in your minivan

fixer

I got an R class and its wow, but i have to admit, the gl looks just as smart, wish i had test driven that one too. Basically the eng and drive should be same, but gl looks awsome too.