avlis

We have two small kids. A toddler and a baby. We're looking to replace our Honda Element with an R-Class or something similar. I've promised myself to not buy another Honda (reliability aside, I like my cars to be solid and long lasting).

From reading other threads here, I've noticed a few R-Classers have previously owned minivans, specifically the Honda Odyssey. We just spent a week with a family that drove all of us around in their fully-loaded Odyssey. As much as I hate the idea of driving around in a minivan, that thing was great. The power sliding doors, room for 8, three car seats side-by-side in the 3rd row, backup camera, etc.

So for those familiar with the Odyssey or other minivans, what things do you miss after owning the R?

What about those big rear doors on the R? Is it difficult to get the kiddos in/out without having to park in another zip-code? That's the problem I had with my 2002 C-Coupe; access to the rear seats was great but I had to park next to an empty spot in order to swing the huge doors wide enough.

BallJack

I miss the cargo space behind the third row of the Odyssey and the convenience of opening the sliding door automatically to make loading/unloading more convenient. Of course it has more interior space.

I gave all that up for the R class and not ever going back to owning another Honda Odyssey.

Funny you mentioned the big rear door of the R class. Just the other night my seven year old opened the rear door and hit the car parked next to us. Luckily, there was no damage to either car.

You cannot put 3 car seats side by side in the R class. The middle seat of the second row is narrow. I was able to use 3 boosters but strapping the middle one is quite a challenge.


Good luck.

rickpo

I have the best of both worlds. My wife has the Ody and I have the R. The Ody wins hands-down for transporting lots of kids. The power sliding doors and rear hatch make things a breeze when loading/unloading things. You can get them new for about $32-$34k fully loaded. There is a model update in 2010.

The R is nice but is a little tricky with the long rear doors as BallJack mentions. It's not a deal breaker for us, we just have to be careful. I feel much safer in the R and with 4matic, I can drive on the beach w/o worrying about getting stuck. As for pricing, there are plenty of deals both used and new for an R. I'd highly recommend getting CPO if you go the used route.

Good luck.

nanoera

If you plan to have 3 kids or less then R should handle them easy and safe, with one of the third row folded down to accommodate a baby stroller. I have two kids so the third row is always down until grandparents visit, then I put up the roof box for cargo space. So far the big rear door is ok since R sits higher than a sedan so most of the time it's opened far enough before its lower side touches the nearby car.
I believe R has rear view camera too. Even without camera, parking sensors will be sufficient. Even with 4-matic it still pulls very good mpg (23 mpg at 75 mph for my R350)
I can still get into most parking garages (not my own garage though) with roof box on. Mine does not come with adjustable air suspension, but I believe another member squeezes his in with ride height set at lowest. Of course it also depends on what roof box you put on.
R is not a direct competition with minivan. It aims for a niche market. I wanted a 6+ passenger hauler with expandable cargo space and would never buy a van with sliding door. That's why I get hooked with R. I had a colleague bought his Odyssey ('08 year end deal) for the same amount I paid for a '06 R350 with 26k on it. And I am happy with my decision every time I park next to him.

Spam

I owned 2 honda minivans before trading in my last 05 Touring for a used 07 R350. We have 2 kids and a large dog. Both Hondas had no reliability issues. The Honda had better storage but like the other person stated with one of the 3rd row seats down, we have had no problems adding strollers and shopping bags. The auto sliding doors on the van are nice for the kids and easier in parking spaces. Comparing my old minivan with the R350..both had power trunk, park sensors(better on honda) and power liftgate. Honda had run flat tires and pressure gauge. The pano roof on the R is nice and the interior is nicer. The Mercedes seats are much better for trips as the Odyssey seat always bothered me after the 2 hour mark. The handling on the Mercedes is in a totally different class and the entire feel and ride is superior. They are 2 very different vehicles but like me most will need to compare since it is an alternative to the dreaded mini van. The prices on used R series make it a very attractive choice. My wife drives it mostly and says it is hands down a better vehicle and she could care less about the large rear doors and feels the cargo space is fine for us. Also the 3rd row on the Mercedes is much more comfortable and easier to access although it holds one less person. After 7 years we are done with the mini vans and not looking back. Good luck with your decision.

rosswell

Odyssey is fun to bomb around in because it's the most low slung car-like mini-van out there. Best advice I have is the kids you have now are going to grow. When that happened to us our Honda-CRV became very close-quarters and now sits in garage awaiting new drivers licenses for kids to use. Kid fighting has ended - I have zero complaints from my wife and the only one from my teenage son is "you care more about your car than me" I know he loves to ride with his firends in the back. Gas mileage will be roughly same - and you can literally fly down highways in a slicker profile with a very good coefficient of drag. Long legs with 7 speed automatic and gearing make it want to go around 140 km/h without any effort. MB is aware of buyers "new to the brand" today getting deals on 2 or 3 year old MB luxury models instead of buying new other brands...so the list goes below for me. I'll never go back to anything besides MB. Like No Other! And your neighbors will distance themselves from the 'nouveau riche' when they see one in your driveway.

'06 MB R 350
'06 Honda CRV
'86 Toyota Cressida
'99 Totyota RAV 4
'01 Silverado CREW 1500 HD
'94 Toyota Previa AWD
'86 Toyota Tercel SR 5 AWD wagon
'88 Mustang LX 5.0 L hatch

AsianR350

rosswell,

"you care more about your car than me"

sound just like my younger son.

avlis

Thanks for the replies. I know the R isn't competition for a minivan. But I loved my'02 C-Class coupe and the R is *almost* ideal for what we will use it for. I wouldn't have considered a minivan until we visited our friends. And, man, that thing was convenient.

thegeneraltso

I chime in. It seems most everyone here thinks a minivan is more convenience but wouldn't want one or back in one. Why? Convenience vs Image?

If I had gob of money, then I would buy an R as a second or third vehicle (definitely not a primary one to replace the minivan).

One can buy a brand new minivan with zero mile (full warranty) vs. a used R (might be someone else's problem) for the same price with lots more miles. Hmm.

And then long term reliability. Let say they are both reliable. However, maintenance and parts cost will be higher on a German car than Japanese-American-made van.

Since the thought of owning a minivan crossed your mind, I would give it more thought (it all come down to money) on which one you would want to buy. Babies and toddlers can 'tear' up a nice car in a few months. Granted that the Ody does not come in 4WD, a Sienna does.

davidbho

and 2 kids. we always have one of the middle seats down, toddler in the back, and baby in the middle. Stroller in the back, baby bag and all that in the middle...always liked it. The doors, yah sliding would be conv., but when you take long trips, you'll love the R.

I've driven 8 hours with only 1 stop for gas and food, and the ride was great...airmatic, comfy seats, and plenty of power. And 4 matic, drives thru snow, rain and all that...given, california really doesn't get that bad, but still.

llcd

I test drove both the Ody and the R-350. The R felt like a tank. So we bought the R.

avlis

Good points made.

My experience with a '02 C230K I bought new and sold last year with 106k miles was: it really wasn't more $ to maintain than the Hondas I've owned. Items like fluids and filters cost about the same when bought online and DIY. I'm worried about the $500 tranny fluid change in the R-Class though. How many other non-user serviceable items are there?

I'm not too worried about the kids tearing the car up. If I was buying something new for $40k-$60k I'd be a little more concerned about dents, dings, and sticky stains. Our price point is high teens, low $20s. I'm not expecting perfection at that price point.

coladin

I didn't even consider a minivan because I do not want to drive one. I am vain, I guess, to a certain degree as a lot of men do not like to drive a minivan. If I had to pick one, hands down, it is the Odyssey. I did take it out on a test drive and there isn't anything wrong with it. It is actually very, very good. Basically, Honda Odyssey..."it's not you, it's me".

The only other vehicles that I considered were the MDX and CX-9. The Acura was a little tight in the third row, but nice and wide in the middle row. The CX-9 seemed to have the most space but I was slightly concerned with the refinement and quality of the car, but it was a great driving large SUV.

II Kings 9:20

Euro designed cars are safer. Here is a Ridgline (shared platform with an Ody- I own an 05 ody), here is an XC90 and Explorer. See a difference? No MB videos are available on Youtube

IIHS roof crush test of small SUV from 3/24/09