Mercedes-Benz R 280 CDI review (2008-2010)

Model: Mercedes-Benz R 280 CDI SE
Bodystyle: Five-door MPV
Engine: 3-litre V6, turbodiesel
Transmission: 7–speed auto, RWD

What is it?

Ah. The R-Class. The car Mercedes thought had pre-empted a new category of super-luxury six-seater, yet a concept few bought into. Deep down the R-Class is the M-Class 4x4 with a new body. That means four-wheel drive but also three rows of seats which you can't get in the off-roader. The trouble is, the R-Class is very big, very expensive yet not nearly as roomy as a tricked-up Mercedes Viano. 2008 sees a revised range. Out goes the 2x2x2 seating, in comes 2x3x2 or simply 2x3 seats. There's also a rear-wheel-drive version which we are testing here, priced at a mere £36,420.

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Where does it fit?

Mercedes has, in recent years, flooded the market with speciality model ranges of which the R-Class is an example. It's an alternative to the M-Class (also known as the ML) full-blooded SUV and also an E-Class estate. There's a considerable overlap in both attributes and price. Mercedes would like to think that there are few rivals for the R-Class, but in reality you'd have to put seven-seat versions of vehicles like the Discovery and Land Cruiser alongside luxury MPVs such as top-end Chrysler Grand Voyagers and Galaxies.

Is it for you?

If you hate the idea of a traditional SUV, we'd quite understand. They are heavy gas-guzzling monsters that take up loads of road space and intimidate drivers in lesser vehicles. The logical alternative is an MPV, like that Galaxy or Voyager or Espace. Yet snob appeal rules these out for many drivers, even though they do a better job of everything a 4x4 does except driving through mud and up mountains. That's where the R-Class comes in. The thinking person's 4x4 then? Not really, just a different take on an existing car class. Though this new 'budget' version does make more sense and all now get the AMG body styling to sex-up the appearance.

What does it do well?

The R 280CDI SE is roomy, comfortable and very quiet. The 190bhp engine is new to the range and coupled to the excellent 7-speed automatic transmission that comes as standard, performance is ample without being impressive. It may come with 18-inch alloy wheels as standard but this is no sports saloon, with a degree of body roll in the bends, though it rarely becomes uncomfortable. On the positive side the suspension is smooth, with the overall balance between ride and handling a sensible compromise. Being a Mercedes, the R 280 is packed with safety features that keep it on the straight and narrow if you overstep the mark during cornering or braking.

What doesn't it do well?

The move to a more practical seating arrangement was probably necessary but the execution is far from perfect. Sure, the second row now has as bench that takes three rather than two individual seats, but the central position is so compromised in terms of seat comfort - Mercedes has tried to retain the space and comfort it had in the previous version for the outer two occupants - that no adult would be comfortable there for long. It's a ridiculous situation in a car this big. And big it certainly is. The R 280 may be available only in short wheelbase form but it's still massively wide. The load space is big, but a Mercedes E-Class estate is still a more practical option.

What’s it like to live with?

And it's the sheer size of this R-Class that is the major compromise you need to make. The dimensions mean that it can certainly impress your friends but wielding it around town isn't a particularly comfortable experience unless you take the "My Car's Bigger Than Yours" approach and simply assume that everyone else will get out of your way. Yes, there is an arrogance to cars like the R-Class and Audi Q7 which are designed to suit the wide open plains of America yet manufacturers - and some customers - seem to think are suited to the narrower confines of the UK. A Mercedes E-Class estate is the more logical option - it even has a more usable load space.

How green is it?

Weighing in at 2.2 tonnes, even a diesel engine and sophisticated transmission are not going to makes this an environmentally friendly vehicle. The official mean fuel consumption is 30.7 mpg yet we never saw better than 25mpg. That makes the "urban" figure of 23.9mpg seem more realistic, usually the case with large vehicles. As for the 36.7mpg "extra urban" result, maybe it's achievable at a steady 50mph but otherwise, dream on. C02 emissions are 238 g/km, again well into the top band for company car taxation. Of course all these issues could be partly offset if this particular R-Class carried more people than it does; five seats seems underplaying your cards in a car this massive.

Would we buy one?

That's a tough call. It is a pleasant vehicle, no doubt about it, and the price of £36k isn't over the top. Even with metallic paint and leather interior it's well below £40k. Yet you couldn't live with the R 280 SE so equipped. You'd want satnav, heated seats, Bluetooth telephone connectivity and probably quite a few other things. It will be £45k before you know it. And it's still a massive vehicle, with no size benefits over the rather nicer M-Class. And that would be our choice over the R-Class every time.

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