What's that in the rear-view mirror?
 

The R-class, receding into history...at least in the US market.

Mercedes Benz R-class Discontinued in America

I never heard of the R class.

It is an awesome crossover!

A crossover is just marketing lingo for "the SUV is too big, car is too small and minivan sounds too cheesy even though its what it is".

In short, boring unless you have a family. No wonder I never heard of this class!

It is close to a minivan, but WAY roomier, and has regular doors, not sliding doors. Plus, it does better in crash tests!:D

You've already admitted you never even heard of it.

Unless you've actually seen and been in one, you're not talking from an intelligent or defensible position. Just because you may think it's not your cup of Sanka doesn't mean you should rank on it without any knowledge about it; you just come off sounding like a grouchy old wanker. ;)


The worst thing that can fairly be said about the R class is that it was right in the heart of the horrible balance shaft gear-failure non-recall crap. I don't know all of the stats, but since it was a new vehicle line, that's all anyone said about them, even though those engines polluted so many other models. I don't know that it would have survived the NA market without all that negative publicity, but it surely didn't help.

And MB refusing to repair those engines -- in any of their vehicle lines -- is still reprehensible, at least IMHO.

I would buy a new R350 BlueTEC if I had the money available. I like the styling and design. I don't think it is overpriced either.