Ted Flynn

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If the US will stop selling the R class, is it a hassle to buy a Canadian car and bring it to the US?

Are you allowed to do it?

Ted Flynn

Looking for a response on this?

Can we buy one from Canada?

MaineMan

Will be interested to see if anyone responds to your query about buying R350's in Canada in the future. I'll have my attorney check it out. Up here in Maine we're surrounded by Canada so it would be an easy trip!

As for other posts, I bought my 2011 R350 in February of this year at a dealer in Portsmouth, NH. I couldn't pass up the incentives and got a substantial discount off the sticker price. I took the car to Florida in March. Did the 1700 miles in 2 days with very little fatigue. It exceeded my every expectation.

Previous car was a Chrysler Pacifica which I still have......98,000 miles and no mechanical problems at all!

Before that was a 2002 MB e320 wagon that gave me severe leg cramps after 6-8 hours behind the wheel......not so with the new R350! Returning from FL I stopped in Hickory NC and did a non-stop to home from there.......1100 miles in about 15-16 hours again with no real fatigue! I can't say enough good stuff about the R350! I hope to put 100k on this car just like the Pacifica but who knows what will be out there in 4-5 years?

As far as I'm concerned, the R350 has the perfect driver position, high enough to see over most cars on the road but not so high ( like a SUV ) that you need a ladder to get into it. I also like that it is a fairly rare model.....I may be the only Mainer north of Portland that has one. It is absolutely a head turner. Kudos to whoever did the redesign of the front end........I like looking at it from every angle! Can't say that about the first version front end that was too "sloped."

I'm also getting better mileage than the window sticker mileage......routinely 22 mpg highway at 60-70 mph!

When I took the car back to the dealer for the routine service recently, they gave me a brand new E Class for the day............did not like it near as much as my car.

For my business ( real estate ) the R350 is the perfect car so I hope something similar will be around when I need a new one! Whoever made the comment about the lack of R350 marketing was absolutely correct! I've never seen a print ad for it and have never come across a comparison road test in any of the car magazines. It's about the same thing that happened with Chrysler and the Pacifica!

If anyone from Corporate MB reads these posts, "Don't leave us without something as good or better than the R350!"

Cal

Glad to hear you're enjoying your R350! I also picked mine up (11 R350) in Feb of this year as well, and it has been great to us so far. I really hope MB has fixed most of the issues plaguing the early ones (rear gate latch, taillights, balance shaft, etc), because other than reliability, I can't think of a better car out there that does what the R does for us. It is comfortable, luxurious, safe, has enough tech gadgets, is an excellent people-mover, etc. To us, it is a great alternative to a minivan that we almost bought. I can transport 3 kids (2 in back-facing baby seats, 1 3-yr old in a booster), my wife and myself, and another adult in real comfort. The flexible middle row with access to the 3rd row from either side (including through the middle of the 2nd row), is just great for our needs. It wasn't possible in the GL, and only a handful of other CUVs (aside from the minivans) can do what the R does (The Flex and the Lincoln MKT are the others.) I know some SUVs like the Enclave/Acadia could be alternatives, but we found the R to be more appealing (as well as exclusive).

All in all, I hope MB considers a replacement for the R in the near future, as I would certainly consider it as a replacement. The GL, while a great SUV, is still not a good "people mover" like the R, especially for families with 3 or more kids. The 2nd row is still not adjustable, there is no option for captain chairs, and the 3rd row is not accessible through the middle. (Kids may feel claustrophobic in the 3rd row.)

I tend to agree that MB did a poor job marketing this vehicle. It was ahead of it's time back in 2006, both in styling as well as "appeal". Now, many carmakers are targeting this market, and doing well (like the Infinity JX, MKT, etc.)

In any case, I really enjoy the R class like you do and the only thing that worries me is long term reliability, which I hope that it is at least better than the earlier model ones.

cyeung65

The R is truly ahead of its time. I was looking forward to the next gen R as the current one although is very versatile, has some quirks that can be improved and updated. The design is circa early to mid 2000s. The newer MBs are far more advanced.

The R concept has merits, but unfortunately, the buying public still prefers the rugged off road style of a tall SUV. The Lincoln MKT is essentially the same format as the R class, but it too has trouble getting off the ground.

Cal

Completely agree. The COMAND system in the R, for example, is too antique now. It also lacks some of the more advanced features like Active Blind spot assist, lane assist, active cruise control, etc. The updated 240hp Diesel engine would have also made it to the R had it been continued here in the US.

Good point. The 7 passenger SUVs (like the GL, Q7, JX, MDX, etc) sell much better than the R, even though some may not provide the same space/flexibility of the R. Those are still much more appealing to the public due to looks, style, and image. In regards to the MKT, that is the closest CUV to the R. Yes, it still doesn't sell well, but it is still selling better than the R.

xxGenericSNxx

The R does have active cruise control: Distronic as an option.

sdgold@att.net

I have an '07 R350 - it was a gift from my parents. I was rear-ended while stopped in the rain on IH10 between San Antonio and Boerne Texas on the 15th of April, 2010 by a young kid in a Nissan Altima doing 70 mph! According to the man behind him, the kid never touched the brake! The R faired very well, the tail lights, rear glass, and quarter panels were not damaged at all... I wish they had been involved, because I wouldn't have needed four back operations to be ambulatory! The R has been absolutely a tremendous vehicle until lately; the passenger seat frame was worn out and had to be replaced - really kind of unheard of in a Benz with only forty thousand miles and rarely an occupant in the seat! There was a transmission mod that had to be made at about thirty five thousand to the valve body... Other than that, the vehicle has been tremendous! I would buy another just like it in a New York minute if I had the available funds - I spent forty plus years in the car business, both retail and manufacturing, and I have never owned a better unit, and I've owned everything from a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II to a Chevy Chevette - to include S, E, ML, and 190 Class Mercedes-Benz, a few Corvettes, a Masserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini Countach... Let's just say I know my cars pretty well!

michaelcrose

I've had half a dozen Mercedes vehicles (E-300, ML-350, several E-350s, and now the R) and as a group, they've all been very reliable. The ML, being the first year of introduction, had a few teething problems but everything was entirely covered under warranty and with the usual fantastic Mercedes dealer service and loaner policy. I had that ML for seven years and other than routine servicing, it didn't cost me a dime.

The 2011 R-350 has been great! I did get the roof racks for it and they've been invaluable for hauling sheets of plywood back from Home Depot. I was sorry to hear the model has been discontinued. It's a lease car, so if anybody is interested in a good deal on roof racks, let me know!

Pyrobot

We bought a 2011 R350 brand new, about two years ago now. It's been exceptionally reliable. After nearly 40,000KM, the only issue we've had is the driver side power window getting stuck. My wife lowered it when it was minus 35 celsius outside and it wouldn't go back up (I've had a similar issue with my 2012 E63 as well); a night in a warm garage fixed it. I think this model is now toast for the Canadian market, which is really too bad. The leg room in the rear seats is phenomenal, and the third row seat is actually usable for adults. The car is not exciting to drive, but it is quiet, comfortable, sufficiently powerful for its intended purpose, exceptional in the winter, and it's easy to get in and out of. It's an amazing vehicle which should have been better promoted, and which could have had much better uptake. Everything about it makes sense.