G14 AUTOMOTIVE
OPQRS
THE CAR PAGES The R-Class, returned from near-death
WARREN BROWN On Wheels
M
y dirges were sung too early. The formerly moribundMercedes-
Benz R-Class, the world’s most luxurious minivan, lives. I was sure it was a goner after
2009, when a paltry 2,825 units were sold in the United States. It figures, I thought. Who wants to spend big bucks on what essentially is a minivan? But Germany’s Daimler,
maker of the R-Class, refused to pull the plug. Instead, it invested in revival, substantially beautifying the once slab-sided body and unattractive face of the R-Class. The old model looked like a
cargo van with aMercedes-Benz tri-star stuck on the grille. The new R-Class looks like a Mercedes-Benz should look: stately, elegant and rich. The new design makes the R-
Class more amenable to the fanciful product designation nomenclature preferred by Mercedes-Benz’s marketers, who frown upon the terms “minivan” and “station wagon.” Their preference is “sports cruiser,” or “family tourer” or “luxury crossover.” Whatever you choose to call
the 2011Mercedes-Benz R-350 BlueTEC, the model driven for this column, matters not. Just know that it works and works well. I employed it as both a people
hauler and a refuse truck. It has that kind of versatility, although it works much better as a people hauler. There are seats for seven
adults. Even the two rear-most seats reasonably accommodate adult arms and legs. The R-350 BlueTEC is perfect for long runs. There is a super-efficient heating, ventilation and air- conditioning system serving front and rear passengers. An optional rear-seat audio/visual system keeps bored passengers
MBUSA/WIECK 2011Mercedes-Benz R350 BlueTEC.
The old model looked like a cargo van. ... the new R- Class looks like a Mercedes Benz should look: stately, elegant and rich.
entertained. Seats bedecked with the finest “pleather,” vinyl that resembles supple leather, feel and look plush. Burl walnut wood-grain accents on the instrument panel and interior door panels complete the feeling of wealth and privilege. But converting the R-350
BlueTEC into a hauler of stuff takes some doing. Although other minivans and crossover utility vehicles have made this job easy with automatically, totally collapsible middle and rear seats, such as those in the Chrysler Town & Country minivan,Mercedes-Benz insists that R-Class owners do it the old-fashioned way. You have to
manually remove headrests, pull up bottom cushions and work levers to pull down seat backs. Compared with the automatically lowered, stored, and raised seats offered by the competition, it’s a chore. But, once done, the R-350
BlueTEC becomes a full-fledged workhorse. Credit here goes to the turbocharged diesel, 3-liter, V-6 engine (210 horsepower, 400 foot-pounds of torque). It’s nobody’s racer. It was never intended to be one. But it can pull a load (estimated 1,200 pounds payload and 3,500 towing capacity) with ease. But after using it as a hauler of construction debris and
dismantled office furniture, I felt guilty. To make something so beautiful do such dirty work! I took it home, vacuumed it,
buffed and polished it up. I restored all seats and headrests to their original positions. I then invitedmy wife,Mary Anne, for a long highway run down westbound Interstate 66 capped by dinner. “This is a beautiful machine,”
saidMary Anne, relaxing in the front passenger seat. “It feels like aMercedes-Benz. It even smells like one.” That said it all.
brownw@washpost.com
Safety: Standard equipment includes four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated front/solid rear), four-wheel antilock brake protection and electronic braking assistance, electronic stability and traction control, 12 air bags (including side and head bags for middle and rear passengers) and pre- collision safety system (automatically tightens belts and makes other safety adjustments in an imminent crash).
Price: The base price of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-350 BlueTec is $51,740. Dealer’s invoice price on the base model is $48,118. Price as tested is $65,275, including $12,660 in options (onboard navigation, backup camera, multimedia interface capability, rear audio/visual entertainment package, electronic blind spot assistance, electronic parking proximity warning system) and an $875 destination charge. Dealer’s price as tested is $60,767.
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NUTS&BOLTS 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-350 BlueTEC
Bottom line: It remains to be seen if U.S. buyers will be any friendlier to the new R-Class than they were to the previous model. But in the new model, Mercedes-Benz has installed what was so horribly missing in the old one: a distinct Mercedes-Benz identity and feel. Adding advanced diesel power to this one is a bonus.
Head-turning quotient: People actually looked and smiled at this one. They tended to ignore or look askance at the predecessor model.
Ride, acceleration and handling: Ride is excellent on good or bad roads. Credit the four-wheel independent, self-leveling suspension (front and rear stabilizer bar, double-wishbone front, multi-link rear). Unloaded acceleration is good from “start.” It borders on ponderous when the R-350 BlueTEC is loaded. But the R-350 always hits its stride in the long haul, running with gusto loaded or unloaded. Handling is excellent loaded or unloaded.
Body style/layout: The R-350 BlueTEC is a full-size, luxury people and stuff hauler with four side doors and an automatically operated rear hatch. The engine is mounted up front. The R-350 BlueTEC comes standard with all-wheel-drive.
Engine/transmission: The standard R-350 BlueTEC engine is a turbocharged, 24-valve, direct-injection V-6 diesel. It is mated to a seven- speed automatic transmission that can also be shifted manually.
Capacities: There are seats for seven people. Maximum cargo capacity with middle and rear seats down is 85 cubic feet. Cargo/luggage capacity with middle and rear seats raised is 15.2 cubic feet. The fuel tank holds 21.1 gallons of ultra-low sulfur diesel (15 parts per million sulfur vs. 500 ppm for traditional diesel fuel). The R-350 BlueTEC can be equipped to pull a trailer weighing 3,500 pounds.
BlueTEC defined: BlueTEC is the trade name used for Mercedes-Benz’s advanced diesel vehicles. It refers to the urea-based AdBlue chemical used to reduce nitrogen oxides and other pollutants in the exhaust streams of diesel engines.
Mileage: You get 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway — not bad for an all-wheel-drive vehicle with a factory weight of 5,203 pounds.
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