2005 Mercedes-Benz R-Class (W251) 500 V8 7AT AWD (387 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Mercedes-Benz came very late to the MPV party with the R-Class in 2005, which led to slow sales that were affected even more when the world financial crisis struck in 2007.

Large families or not, minivans were the cars to get everybody onboard and take them to remote, faraway locations to spend their holidays. Thanks to their huge trunks, these vehicles were also suitable for school runs and shopping days. But most of them lacked finesse and luxury. So Mercedes-Benz thought it could do something about that and produced the R-Class.

With its tall body and the racked front fascia, the R-Class was unlike any other car from the German automaker stable. In addition, the headlights were swept-back and flanked the hood that also comprised the three-slat grille. On the sides, the door mirrors sported turn signals, and the door handles were body-colored. Unlike other minivans on the market, the R-Class didn’t come with sliding rear doors, making ingress and egress more difficult than its competitors. Yet, it was the only premium automaker that offered an MPV.

The interior was the one that deserved all the stars from its customers. At the front, the car-like, curved dashboard featured a binocular-style instrument cluster that sported a small display between the tachometer and speedometer. On the center stack, Mercedes-Benz added an infotainment system with sat-nav and, as an option, screens for the rear middle-row seats. In addition, the automaker offered a pair of jump seats in the trunk. It was one luxurious MPV that didn’t catch.

Under the hood, the carmaker installed mostly gasoline engines for the U.S. market, while the Europeans also got a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6. All versions sent their power via a seven-speed automatic transmission in all corners. Last but not least, it was available with an air suspension.