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The 2009 Mercedes-Benz R-Class is the Mercedes-Benz luxury Sport Utility Vehicle
(SUV) Crossover. Local competition includes the Cadillac SRX, GMC Acadia, Buick
Enclave and Dodge Journey. Similar foreign cars include the Audi Q7, BMW X5,
Infiniti FX and Lexus RX 350. As for looks, the sleek exterior of the R-Class
(with no serious changes from 2008) is easy on the eyes and quite possibly the
best-looking vehicle in its class.
The R-Class comes in two versions, depending on the engine. Most common is the
R350 4MATIC, which sports a 3.5 liter 268 horsepower V6 gasoline engine. New for
this year is the R320 BlueTEC, which has a 3.0 liter 210 horsepower V6 diesel
engine. Either has a seven-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. Both
versions are all wheel drive.
The R350 gets a ho-hum 15 miles per gallon city and 20 miles per gallon on the
highway. The R320 does much better at 18 miles per gallon city and 24 miles per
gallon on the road.
Both the R-Class vehicles get strong marks for headroom and warranty but lesser
marks for legroom. The 320 also appears to be underpowered compared to other
vehicles in its class, whether you look at the class as crossovers or luxury
vehicles.
There are no NHTSA crash test figures for the Mercedes-Benz R-Class vehicles.
Standard safety features include child safety locks, vehicle anti-theft device,
automatic load leveling, antilock brakes with electronic brake assist, traction
control and vehicle stability system, tire pressure monitor, first aid kit and
airbags everywhere, with an optional electronic park assist.
The R-Class is a luxury vehicle and Mercedes is known for giving something
extra. This year is no exception. The Mercedes PRE-SAFE system is newly standard
for the R-Class. This system prepares the car for an imminent collision by
tightening the seatbelts and automatically moving the front passenger seat to
the safest position.
Unfortunately, Mercedes keeps the foreign car tradition of not installing
adjustable foot pedals on their cars, which is difficult to understand on a
luxury car, given the utility of the feature.
The 2009 Mercedes-Benz R-Class vehicles outprice more pedestrian vehicles such
as Dodge and Buick by a great deal, as expected. However, they are about
mid-range among the luxury crossovers (though with fewer standard features than
the more expensive brands). The 350 starts out at $47,650. The diesel version
320 is slightly more expensive at $49,150. For that, you get the famous Mercedes
longevity and probably the sharpest looking crossover on the road. |
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