R KLASSE

My wife and I have been looking for the perfect vehicle to replace our W204 C300 Sport. We got the W204 prior to starting our family and as might be expected quickly grew out of that vehicle. Both my wife and I are car nuts and love MBZ products, we've owned an '01 R129 and the W204 previously and had outstanding service with both vehicles so it goes without saying that we would buy another from the brand.

First off I don't get the hate that the R-Class brings from so many others MB enthusiasts alike and other Automotive enthusiast, it's looks are subjective and unique but it's not ugly especially in Barolo Red. My wife and I both agree our R is the smoothest vehicle we've ever driven. My wife made a comment that it's like riding around in a private jet made for the road, I concur. Anyway this vehicle is hands down the most user-friendly vehicle to load & unload kids in especially with rear facing car seats on board.

My only complaints and they are minuscule compared to all the advantages but are... Acceleration is pretty slow from the 3.5L, the R almost makes our W204 C300 feel like a race car off the line which is not saying much as far as speed goes, I thought the R would be at the very least as quick as that car but sadly is noticibly a lot slower. It even feels slower than the last used Honda Oddysey van we were comparing, although the Oddysey van comes nowhere near the comfort level and refinment of the R. I do get the R was not made to take off fast at least the R350 model.

I find that it's a challenge to just keep pace with most mundane cars & trucks, SUV's when leaving the stop light. Second the sheer size of the vehicle take some getting used to. I've driven many large vehicles, my personal truck is an '08 full sized Chevy 2500 and it has a funny way of feeling smaller than it is to drive. The R on the other hand is a vehicle that feels as big as it is on the road. Lastly slowly getting used to the blind spots in the rear other than that we love our R.

Pictures to follow as soon as the wife passes the wheel to me

Ohh we just got it but it is an '08 with 19" OEM wheels, Barolo Red W/ two toned Ash interior . I believe it's a P1 pkg, no pano roof but has OEM Rear Entertainment & captains chairs and power lifting tailgate. Mods to come... . . '09 Black finish grille, Roof rack or rear hitch undecided on whats better for carrying bikes. Darker tint possibly. Maybe 22" wheels or something similar down the line.

FraKctured

Congrats on the R buy! I've been intrigued by the Rs. I've seen a few that were really sharp, and I've been a passenger in the one my dealer uses to shuttle with. I was very impressed with the interior and with the ride.

I think the prejudice against the Rs is that they are too utilitarian for MB enthusiasts in the US. In this country, MB is (for the most part) luxury and performance. MB doesn't sell A or B class, nor can you find MB busses, vans, ambulances, etc like you can overseas (there are posts on here that ridicule C class). The R class and the E wagons are as far as they are willing to go on this side of the pond (M and G class notwithstanding as they have a certain macho "offroad" appeal that wagons just don't have). It makes sense I guess, protects the brand.

Post some pics when you get the wheel away from the wife!

chilledbenz

Great to see one more person loving the R. It's one of those vehicles that you must drive to appreciate. As far as the comparisons on take off, I own a w204 C300 and an R350 and the R is easily quicker than the C300 (even by MB's official numbers). My C300 feels lazy, the R while no race car, is easily quicker even while pulling around more weight. Maybe you need to have yours checked out at a MB service center and see if there isn't anything amiss. Although "quickness" is always varies from person to person.

R KLASSE

I haven't had a chance to really "drive" the R yet, but we test drove about seven different R-Classes from '06-'09 and the '08 Barolo Red we bought was the best driver out of all of them and had the least millage it's also a certified pre-owned car. Seemed like all of them had the same sluggishness from my observation. I guess what I'm referring to is the R feels like a diesel car at slow speeds or taking off from a dead stop. It's almost like it takes 1/4 throttle to get her moving from a stop, or 1/2 throttle to keep up with normal traffic. Once it's going it's fine and your gone.

Also the W204 3.0 is no slouch eventhough many knock it for only having 220hp. I will put it this way, my wife and I lined our R129 & the W204 up one time and the C300 was only behind the R129 SL500 by less than a door as an example. Switched drivers, same results. I wouldn't bet hard earned money my R350 could keep up with my SL500 under any cercumstance. I see the R350 as pleanty adequate, it just has a very "heavy" feel when driving around. Not necessarily a good thing, not necessarily a bad thing.

Scotsman

Congrats on the car RKlasse. Agree Barolo Red is the best! The 350 is a bit sluggish but 99% of the time it's adequate as you say. Kickdown takes forever it seems, so sometimes have to switch down first. It's a big, heavy car with 4WD so got to be expected I guess.
It's a great car though and wouldn't have any other. An R63 maybe.

Oh, and if you think it feels big driving around Ca, you should try it in the UK! Especially the narrow, windy roads in the Lake District! Not for the faint-hearted.

avlis

Put the transmission in "S" mode if you haven't already. IIRC, "C" mode launches off in 2nd gear. "S" mode enables 1st gear launches.

wills33

Just a quick response to let you know that as a long-time MB owner, I think that my 2006 R-500 is simply one of the best cars ever sold by MB in the US. The big engine make all the difference. We have driven the car to Nantucket from DC on several occasions and hae found it a joy to drive. It is a large vehicle so that does limit some street parking options, but that is a very small price to pay for such a great car. Have owned it for two years without any issues what so ever! Simply a great, fun to drive vehicle. It is Black with an Ash interior and every conceivable bell and whistle.

R. Reyes

While not as brisk as the R500 it does feel anemic to the R63. Which come to think of it, almost everything does. I've never really had an issue w/ the acceleration on my 350, so maybe you should get it checked out. When I first got mine, I was and still am impressed with the acceleration from the 3.5-6 cyl. It's a 5000-lb beast...would it have been better with the V-8, sure...especially as the mileage differences are not that great, but overall it's great.

Welcome! And hope you're still enjoying the ride!

AsianR350

I am with you on the acceleration from 0-60 in 8 second. It is not bad for 5000 lbs heavy beast.

MyMercedes012

Welcome to the R Class family and congrats on the purchase

nanoera

Welcome.

I just ran out of 50k warranty and seriously thinking about getting chip tuning (+20 crank hp) for under $500.

Using the manual shifter behind the steering wheel will keep you more confident and safer while passing.

R KLASSE

Drove the R today and this was my first chance really since demoing the car on the lot that I spent more than1/2 hour with it. I guess it's not as slow as I originally thought. It seems to just want you to be a little more aggressive with the go pedal. I admit I've been babying it the few other times, it has noticeably more mid-range grunt than I can recall with our previous W204 C300.

Overall very satisfied with this vehicle. Thanks for all the warm welcomes, nice to see other people out there as enthused about these things as me. Surprisingly my wife has gotten lots of positive thumbs up from her co-workers and friends. Almost everyone of them has never seen an R-Class or knew MB even made them.

Oh sorry for the crummy cell/phone quality but here was the car the day we brought it home.

Ted Flynn

Welcome R Klasse! - nice to have you in the club.

My 08 320 CDI is the best I've ever owned and I hope they make them for years to come.

I did get a power booster box (the short name is called KD box) and I'd say my diesel is as fast and quick as the gasoline versions.

I have 48,500 miles and it's only been in for service and after market upgrades.

People complain about these cars and reliability, but I have not found any of it to be part of my world.

bigben320e

Congrats, awesome ride. I have a R500 in Barolo Red as well, acceleration, finish, and options are tops. Drive and love.