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TEST DRIVE
Mercedes-Benz goes sporty.
Stylish R350 has utility of wagon.
For a second time, Mercedes-Benz breaks with its tradition of manufacturing fleet luxury cars and is marketing a midsize sport utility vehicle, albeit one the company calls a "sports tourer."
Drive one and you'll likely agree with the M-B label because even the V-6 powered R350 steps out smartly and is capable --- after a bit --- of autobahn speed.
The tester, base-priced at $48,000 plus $775 delivery, totaled $57,515 with options, and it really lacked nothing in terms of the creature comforts and driving aids expected on luxury vehicles.
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2006 Mercedes-Benz R350
(click on photo to enlarge)
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Easily appreciated features included the R350's optional Harmon Kardon sound system and the eight-way power-adjustable front seats, which made finding a comfortable and supportive driving position a snap.
Once up to speed, the R350 delivered a smooth ride with better handling characteristics than traditional wagons and minivans. Body lean and roll were virtually negligible in most normal driving, but the R350's length --- roughly 17 feet --- worked against enthusiast-style cornering.
The controls and instrumentation were intuitive, although both the stereo and the navigation system made taking a look at the owner's manual a good idea. Visibility was good to the front and side, but rear visibility was limited and dictated careful lane changes.
Paved surfaces are where it belongs, of course. Here in the United States, the sports tourer tag may be replaced by a sport utility vehicle label, but this is not something to take off the road. Truth is, the R350 is a six-passenger wagon that is, along with the brand's M-Class sport utes, the closest thing to a minivan that M-B is likely to ever produce.
But it's no softy. The test R350 had a very masculine feel, with a meaty, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a feeling of solid heft, thanks to its curb weight of 4,700 pounds and a suspension tuned for comfort and stability.
The R350 is powered by a V-6 engine rated at 268 hp at 6,000 rpm and 258 pounds-feet of torque at 2,400 rpm. Fuel mileage is not impressive unless you're an oil baron. The tester averaged about 16 miles per gallon during a mix of interstate and suburban driving and the numbers are likely worse for the R350's stronger sibling, the R500, which carries a five-liter V-8 making 302 hp at 5,600 rpm and 339 pounds-feet of torque at 2,700 rpm. Both have seven-speed automatic transmissions, with enthusiast-oriented, steering wheel-mounted shift buttons.
As usual, the paddles are fun when driving the open roads, but when traffic is stop-and-go, automatic is much easier.
There is little difference in equipment with leather and M-B's TeleAid system for obtaining information, roadside assistance and emergency services optional on the R350 and standard on the R500, which has a base price of about $55,000 (for more power, splurge on the 503-hp AMG-tuned version).
But regardless of what you call them or how much power they have, the R-Class vehicles are serious headturners even if they resemble --- to a degree --- conventional minivans or sport utes. They have M-B tradition with strong performance and cushy interior backing them.
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