Topic: No wonder the Mercedes R class is failing...The rear doors.

[ktm525]

I was in a mercedes showroom recently and the dealer had three shiny R class lined up. I know these haven't been popular which I thought was due to the awkward proportions but I think one of the biggest problems was the size of the rear doors. The salesman offered that the rear door was large for ease of access into the 2nd and 3rd row. The downside? The door needs about 3-4 feet to swing open to get out. How does one get out of the rear when in a parking lot with cars parked beside? Incredible oversight by Mercedes.

[JSCC]

But if they changed them to sliding doors, the R would become a minivan! 

[The Mighty Duck]

  Never liked the R-class, for a number of reasons.  The cost is high compared to real minivans, without nearly as much practicality (due in large part because of the huge rear doors).  Mercedes should either drop the "too cool for sliding doors" thing they've got going, or drop the vehicle.  I'm not convinced the former would even help them...  seems to me most minivan buyers are also at least somewhat budget conscious, and are not going to drop the big coin on the R.  And it seems to me most Mercedes buyers are not going to buy a minivan - they're looking at the S-class or CLS, not the yacht.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

The rear doors are wiiiiiide. Would be hard for kids to close, no doubt, and tight/inconvenient in parking lots.

Generally, I like the R, think it's great value, and unfortunately is a victim of being ahead of its time.

[ghost]

MB is slashing up to 20k on remaining R Class. Still too much for me.

[ktm525]

The rear doors are wiiiiiide. Would be hard for kids to close, no doubt, and tight/inconvenient in parking lots.

Generally, I like the R, think it's great value, and unfortunately is a victim of being ahead of its time.

It would be better with rear sliding doors.

[tpl]

I went to M-B site and "built my R class"     I'd rather have a nearly new E class or a new C class.

If one could get a diesel in a Honda or Toyota Minivan or a Cx9 why would one even consider an R class

[baumer00]

Generally, I like the R, think it's great value, and unfortunately is a victim of being ahead of its time.

I agree, I like the R, think it's pretty unique in the marketplace.

[ktm525]

Generally, I like the R, think it's great value, and unfortunately is a victim of being ahead of its time.

I agree, I like the R, think it's pretty unique in the marketplace.

You just can't get out of it in a crowded parking lot.

[Mitlov]

I really don't think redesigning the rear doors would have saved this model.  Like the Pacifica (and the new Venza?) it was an answer to a question no one asked.  In the Benz's case, I don't recall hearing anyone crying out for ultra-luxury minivans.

[baumer00]

Generally, I like the R, think it's great value, and unfortunately is a victim of being ahead of its time.

I agree, I like the R, think it's pretty unique in the marketplace.

You just can't get out of it in a crowded parking lot.

I sit in the driver's seat, screw the rest

[ktm525]

With their slow sales, I guess they wouldn't import the swb version anytime soon.

Drop the R and lets get an over supply of 320 CDI GL's going. That way I may be able to afford one in a few years.

[Bullet Blue]

In that case, remind me never to park next to an R-Class in a parking lot. I have enough troubles with arseholes dinging my car with their doors

[tenpenny]

A neighbor of mine has an R class.  It reminds me too much of an overgrown Caprice wagon from the 1990s.  It's so friggin big and uninteresting.

She had a B class, but found it was too small and horrible, so they went to the dealer who was quite happy to get her into the R instead, it's a diesel AWD, so it couldn't have been cheap.  But man, it's big.  All it needs is the mac tac wood grain, and we'll all be back in 1973.  Country Squire Ahoy!!!!

[Ex-airbalancer]

I bet it would be a great hiway car

[safristi]

saw one in the WalMarrt lot around Christmas......looked fine to me and much smaller than the Pacifica..........rich soccer Moms NEED ONE......

 OOPs mea Culpa I woz thinking B KLASS...

[gap4you]

For your information, R class isn't a minvan and i seriously doubt minivan buyers can even afford or willing to pay for an R class.
No offence to anyone but seriously do you think a car that cost 60k+  and with options that can hover around 80k+ is targed to a minivan buyer?
and yes alot of incentives are out there right now, but it won't be reduced low enough to a point where anyone can buy it cause if that were the case, they would stop make it all together.
I own an R500 and had E550 for short period of time and i can tell you this much, It's a mercedes nonetheless meanign R class rides similar as an E class, just higher postion and not something you compare to Mazda,honda or toyota.
If you must compare R class to something, the closest one would be landrover,cadillac or even Gx/LX
In the end, It really comes down to ones preference in style and size.

[dorin]

The R-class really is a pretty badly designed minivan.  It makes little sense why Mercedes made such an expensive minivan but didn't give it sliding rear doors.  I guess that's the sort of half-baked mongrel you get when you go for flash over substance.  Someone in Mercedes program planning really deserves a swift kick in the ass for the R-class fiasco.

[jcon]

For your information, R class isn't a minvan and i seriously doubt minivan buyers can even afford or willing to pay for an R class.
No offence to anyone but seriously do you think a car that cost 60k+  and with options that can hover around 80k+ is targed to a minivan buyer?
and yes alot of incentives are out there right now, but it won't be reduced low enough to a point where anyone can buy it cause if that were the case, they would stop make it all together.
I own an R500 and had E550 for short period of time and i can tell you this much, It's a mercedes nonetheless meanign R class rides similar as an E class, just higher postion and not something you compare to Mazda,honda or toyota.
If you must compare R class to something, the closest one would be landrover,cadillac or even Gx/LX
In the end, It really comes down to ones preference in style and size.

I don't know the R looks like a van to me. Of course it is smaller than a cargo van, almost mini in comparison. If only there was a term that we could use that would perfectly describe a smaller-than-a-cargo-van-but-still-a-van... hmmm.....

If I'm comparing the R to a Landrover, Cadillac or GX/LX than surely taking it off road is fine.

Would you drive an R-Class on a logging road?

It's a really nice van... It's like saying an BMW 3 series is not a sedan because its more expensive.

[tenpenny]

For your information, R class isn't a minvan and i seriously doubt minivan buyers can even afford or willing to pay for an R class.
No offence to anyone but seriously do you think a car that cost 60k+  and with options that can hover around 80k+ is targed to a minivan buyer?

Ummm....yes.

It's targetted at people with lots of money who want three rows of seating.  Those are the same people who typically buy the high end minivans.  Like, say, the Siena AWD.  They aren't cheap, either.

All this R class is, is a humongous station wagon.  Just like in the 70s, when you had the little jump seats in the back.

I don't know why all the pretense and , trying to pretend it's something it's not.