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

[johngenx]

Man, I gotta say that the silhouette of the Honda ain't that far off the R.  Sure, the R is more modern, swoopy, whatever, but the basic two-box design is there.

Besides, who the cares if it is a minivan?  Maybe you should start calling it that!  Tell your friends that you have a Mercedes minivan!  Have some fun with it, fer chrissakes.  You are one seriously tightly wound dude, and if you don't get either a little less wound up or thicker skin, you're just going to end up as the Mall Ninja...

http://lonelymachines.org/mall-ninjas/

Oh, and when you played the "no minivan can cost over $60K" song it sounded a whole bunch like you were carefully pointing out what you paid.

[dorin]

Let's get back to the discussion of the R-class' rear doors and move the minivan talk over here: http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,56322.0.html

[jcon]

I read a few reviews (just to be sure I wasn't crazy about the minivan impression) and most mention that they would be difficult to get in and out of in a tight parking space.

I would be concerned about parking it in my tight fitting garage. It's my impression that overall, that new homes have smaller and smaller garages. Wouldn't you be concerned with the kids letting the doors fly?

[B2]

I really don't think the R-class is a mini-van.  This thread is the first time I ever heard of the R-class being a mini-van.  I co-worker's partner has an R-class.  I see no similarity to a mini-van.

The R-class is a station wagon, plain and simple.  It's a big mercedes sedan with an upper greenhouse where a trunk would be.  The single most thing that disqualifies this as being a min-van is the lack of a completely flat cargo area floor with removable 2nd and 3rd row seats.  Any van, be it mini or large, should have a flat cargo area, as the intention of the vehicle is for hauling goods if seats are not in use.  Also, the distance between the top of the wheel wells and the lower window line is the same as a sedan, whereas mini-vans have a higher window stance.

In this really quick (albeit poor) photo-chop that I have done, when you remove the 'hatch' part of the R-class, it really look like a sedan.  Believe what you want.

[dr_spock]

I wouldn't want to park next to an R class with those wide swinging rear doors.   Probably better for adjacent parking spot car's doors if MB put in sliding rear doors. 

[Mitlov]

I wouldn't want to park next to an R class with those wide swinging rear doors.   Probably better for adjacent parking spot car's doors if MB put in sliding rear doors. 

Out of curiosity, did the first-generation Odyssey catch flak for its wide rear doors?  Because they look just as big to me.

[dr_spock]

The first generation Honda Odyssey was smaller than the Mercedes R Class if I am not mistaken.   About a foot shorter in length and 5 inches narrower in width.  It looked about the same size as the Honda Accord of the time with a taller roof line. 

Besides back in 1995 CarTalkCanada wasn't around for us to discuss the merit of the Honda rear doors.   

[HeliDriver]

I wouldn't want to park next to an R class with those wide swinging rear doors.   Probably better for adjacent parking spot car's doors if MB put in sliding rear doors. 

Out of curiosity, did the first-generation Odyssey catch flak for its wide rear doors?  Because they look just as big to me.

I don't know if it caught flak for having wide rear doors, but it certainly caught flak for having hinged rear doors.

My recollection is that the first Odyssey sold poorly, and was widely criticized for not being a "real" minivan. Which is to say it was a bit too small and didn't have that one minivan prerequisite - a sliding rear door.

[safristi]

Flak me......it's a Beckham Soccer MUMS dream....bend it like Posh Spice...

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Just to add a little fuel to the fire, the R seems to be classed as an SUV on NHTSA's fuel economy website.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I wouldn't really compare the first gen Odyssey and the R. I'd compare Odyssey 1 with the Mazda5 and Rondo, but not the R. Although the greenhouses are large and airy, size-wise, price-wise, and powertrain-wise they are completely different.

I consider the R a car-oriented people mover, but not a minivan. That said, it's the closest thing to a minivan the premium Euro marques have offered in North America though. 

[UmroAyyar]

I wouldn't really compare the first gen Odyssey and the R. I'd compare Odyssey 1 with the Mazda5 and Rondo, but not the R. Although the greenhouses are large and airy, size-wise, price-wise, and powertrain-wise they are completely different.

I consider the R a car-oriented people mover, but not a minivan. That said, it's the closest thing to a minivan the premium Euro marques have offered in North America though. 

I can see VW and Mercedes guys poking fun at each other in future.

Designed to serve similar purpose thought.

[Mitlov]

I can see VW and Mercedes guys poking fun at each other in future.

Designed to serve similar purpose thought.

Really?  I can't.  Minivan or not, the R-Class is a real Mercedes in every sense.  The Routan is no more a Volkswagen than the 9-7X was a Saab.  Saab fans hated the 9-7X, and I suspect VW fans will hate the Routan.  I certainly do.

[UmroAyyar]

Status of R-series being a minivan or no aside. I'd agree with sirAquaman that its function is of a people mover vehicle.


The following is just for amusement.

Mercedes guys snickering at VW "Don't know how to build a people mover, bought a minivan and painted over. R-Class is a people mover."

VW to Mercedes "Not ashamed of what we sell, its a people mover, its a minivan, disguise not needed here."

etcetera.

[Wolfe]

I consider the R a car-oriented people mover, but not a minivan. That said, it's the closest thing to a minivan the premium Euro marques have offered in North America though. 

Methinks that's a distinction without a difference. It is what it is.

This thread was kinda funny when the guy kept insisting his R wasn't a minivan, now .

[tenpenny]

I can see VW and Mercedes guys poking fun at each other in future.

All the Mercedes guys need to do is whip out a picture of the Chrylser minivan with the VW badge, and the VW guys will crawl away crying....