Vehicle: 2006 Mercedes-Benz R350 with Premium Pkg and adjustable front passenger seat with memory
Price as tested: CDN$74585

Performance: Our particular tester is powered by a 3.5L DOHC 24-valver V6, which is essentially the same powerplant which also powered C, E, CLK, SLK and M-Classes respectively. Given its status in Mercedes, it doesn’t come as a surprise this is an excellent powerplant especially when matched with the exceptional 7-Gronic transmission. While it provides awesome performance with sexy exhaust note in our last SLK tester, it feels more composed in R-Class’s application. With 268 ponies and 258 lb/ft of torque, its powerful enough to let you forget about the more powerful 5.0 liter V8 given the current gas prices. There are plenty of torque and horsepower all over the rev range. It never run out of breath at the top end of the rev range. Mercedes engineers have tuned the engine note with more sedate engine note instead of racy one we have experienced in SLK. Excellent throttle response is just a beginning without mentioning the 7-speed automatic transmission. While it retains the usual Mercedes smoothness and transition during gearchange, it also has some kind of sportiness when you put in into manumatic mode. As with all other Mercedes manumatics, however, it won’t allow enthuisastic drivers to rev it pass redline before upshifting.

Handling: Given the size and weight of the R-Class, its dynamic qualities have to be considered a big surprise. While it won’t remind you of a Porsche when push on pylon tests, it has enough merits to hold on its own. It begins with a stiff chassis, as well as well-sorted out suspension and spring setting. Despite the spring rates have been tuned softly for comfortable riding, it doesn’t have the soggy feeling that is typical of R-Class’s immediate competition. Both the springs and shocks still have the usual Germanic suppleness despite of its softness. In terms of suspension, it combines the usual Mercedes setting again. Soft enough for comfortable riding and firm enough for cornering, even with R350′s size. The steering has excellent responsive and precision, as well as Mercedes’s typical slighly numb off-center feel on highway speed. Its standard full-time 4WD also works relatively well during the rainy weather today. It works seemlessly by transferring the right amount of power to where an offending wheel stuck. As expected, there are plenty of body rolls when pushed on pylons. The oft-criticised Mercedes ESP works like godsent in this weather and in this type of vehicle . Its good to be instrusive in a crossover because it doesn’t intend for aggressive driving.

Brakes: As you would expect from a Mercedes, both the pedal feel and modulation are excellent indeed. Its stopping distance is simply wonderful considered the near5000 lb curb weight of R-class. Unlike some Mercedes brake assist of the past, this one won’t grab my leg when I was able to detect the threshold for ABS.

Interior: With the 3rd row of seats in place, the cargo space is smaller than those of a B-Class. However, with the 3rd row 50/50 split rear seats folded down. Its cargo space is enough for 4 persons on a go. With both the 3rd and 2nd rows folded down, the cargo space is large enough for a 4 X 8 plywood right straight through the interior.

As for passenger space, both the 2nd and 3rd row seats provide more than acceptable head and legrooms. The 3rd row feels surprisingly roomy even when the 2nd row seat moved to the rearmost position.

Up front, the driver is faced with excellent instrumentation gauges. The interior materials are of top-notch materials that are soft and well-textured. The leather seats are comfortable and supportive, it also covered in well-stitched materials which are soft and supple.

With 8-way power adjustable seats and steering, the driving position is easily found. Mercede designers have done a great job by utilizing large knobs for climate control and stereo for ergonomic reason.

Conclusion: The R-Class has to be one of the best crossovers you can buy anywhere else. It brings excellent powerplant, surprising dynamics, comfortable interior and versatile cargo space, if you have 4 people instead of 6 on board, to the party. The best thing is: its V6 is good enough to let you forget about the V8.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ R350
======================================
Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.25/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.25/5