Sage Automotive Group
2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
Lower prices for a luxurious people mover. edited by Jim McCraw
Walk Around
What's new for 2007: The R63 AMG stands out for its more athletic appearance. Its 20-inch rims are the most obvious indicator, but the R63 also sports aggressive front and rear aprons, a unique grille and deeply sculpted AMG side skirts. The new R320 looks identical to the R350, except for small CDI badges that indicate its diesel engine.
The Mercedes-Benz R-Class is a big machine. It's 14 inches longer than Mercedes' M-Class sport-utility vehicles and longer than the full-size Cadillac Escalade SUV, but lower to the ground than both, making it easier to step inside. The rear side doors are very, very long. That makes getting into and out of the second- and third-row seats easier, but it can cause problems in tight parking areas. With curb weight for the V8 exceeding 4900 pounds, the R-Class is heavier than some full-size SUVs.
Expansive size pays dividends in abundant space inside the R-Class, as fully 65 percent of its volume is interior space. The typical sedan has a much lower ratio. Mercedes stylists have also done a good job disguising the R-Class's functional intent with a swoopy, appealing design.
In many respects the R-Class is striking, and handsome. Its hood rises sharply into a large, steeply angled windshield, and sweeping front-to-rear lines tend to minimize its bulk and create some visual excitement. Sculpted front fenders flow back from multi-element headlamps, and an aggressive grille adds character. The bodywork also makes the R-Class a fairly slippery vehicle. Its 0.31 drag coefficient is lower than some sedans, and that helps minimize interior noise as air streams over the body surfaces.
Four wheel packages are available, ranging from 17 to 20 inches in diameter, intended to add either a touch of elegance or a bit or racy style.
Interior
2007 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
What's New for 2007: The R63 AMG model has heavily bolstered sport seats in front, upholstered with Nappa leather and an Alcantara insert across the shoulder bolsters. The R63 also features a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel, unique instruments with AMG graphics and stainless-steel pedals with rubber studs.
In function and versatility, the R-Class interior is very much like that in a good minivan (whether Mercedes appreciates that label or not). In design and finish, it's very much a Mercedes-Benz.
The R seats six in three rows of two, as opposed to seven in many minivans. Each seat is individually adjustable, and all will accommodate a fairly tall adult in comfort. Materials used throughout are generally luxury grade, and all R-Class models come with wood trim.
The driver's seating position replicates that in a minivan's: high enough that a big SUV won't completely obscure forward sight lines, but not off-road high. The six-cylinder models have a manually adjusted steering column, while the wheel in V8s tilts and telescopes with power assist. Glass in the R-Class is expansive, allowing excellent visibility in all directions. It also makes for a bright, airy ambience, whether the interior is trimmed in light or dark colors.
The R-Class instrument panel is as luxurious in style, execution and materials as that in Mercedes' mid-size E-Class sedan. There's more chrome decoration than you'll find in most other Mercedes. The dash design is different than that in the M-Class SUV (the R's sister model), with an extra step along its length, but the gauge cluster, center-stack display and switch clusters are identical.
The second pair of seats slides fore or aft six inches, increasing legroom for passengers in the second or third row as needed. Mercedes says there can be as much as 40 inches of space between the first two rows, and 30 inches between the second and third. All the rear seat backs recline, just like those in front. The second row has three sets of air vents, one in the rear console, the floor and the side pillars, and its own fan. Optional three-zone climate control allows separate temperature adjustment in back.
The R-Class is loaded with conveniences you wouldn't find in Mercedes' big S-Class sedan 10 years ago. Every seat has a cup holder, an armrest, air vent and its own light. There are actually more cupholders than seats, and a built-in bottle opener. Entertainment choices abound. The optional dual-screen DVD system mounts LED screens behind the front headrests, and each will display a different input (a movie and video game, for example). The standard stereo has an MP3 jack and plays tracks from an MP3 player using the player's controls. The optional iPod connector will let you put your Apple iPod in the glovebox and play it through the stereo, using steering wheel controls to select tracks from the iPod menu, which is displayed on the dash.
The rear seats fold, individually and in fairly simple fashion, to create a flat load floor. Cargo capacity ranges from 15.2 cubic feet behind the third row to an impressive 85 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The maximum is less than a long wheelbase Chrysler Town & Country, with its slick stow-in-floor seats, but more than some full-size SUVs. Mercedes says cargo lengths approaching nine feet can be accommodated inside.
